Are you still searching for a happy tummy or perhaps some other aspect of improved health? A gluten free diet is essential for everyone with celiac disease but for some it is the first step toward a healthy gluten free lifestyle.
Enter all the diets...beyond the gluten free diet.
Over the past ten years I've learned from friends with celiac disease, as a volunteer with the Calgary Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association and as a gluten free cooking instructor. The learning never ends and as an adventurous home cook I’m always interested in learning more and sharing. I often hear from people that despite being on a strict gluten free diet, they are still looking for a better level of overall health. If that's you I hope you'll find a helpful tidbit here.
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A Perspective On Diets
The word diet is often associated with weight loss and is usually undertaken for a short period of time. “Cheating” while on a weight loss diet is also common and this is the lens that many people use when they think of the “gluten free diet”.
A diet also refers to the way people eat. We hear about the North American diet and the Mediterranean diet to name a few. For people with food restrictions such as allergies, intolerances, anaphylaxis and celiac disease their diet is a lifestyle. Though you never chose the condition you do choose the lifestyle and then you go on to choose foods within your diet that you enjoy and that make you feel good. This leaves lots of individual variation that generally takes time for each individual to figure out.
The ten diets I have listed below have been helpful for some people with celiac disease. These are people already on a strict gluten free diet, who have identified other food intolerances and resolve lingering symptoms. My list is brief and intended to help you navigate your way toward feeling fantastic. It's a bonus that some of these diets are also gluten free.
| Gluten Free (GF) | Paleo | Whole 30 |
| Diary Free (DF) | Keto | Gluten, Diary and Sugar Free (GDSF) |
| Grain Free | FODMAP | |
| Gum Free | Vegan |
Gluten Free (GF)
- A diet free of the gluten protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
- Follow Allergic Living magazine at https://www.allergicliving.com/ to learn more about the top food allergens and gluten.
Diary Free (DF)
- A significant percentage of people with celiac disease are intolerant to dairy, especially while their gut heals, so it’s helpful to learn recipes about a dairy free diet.
- This diet limits all dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt and butter.
- Follow Alisa Fleming of Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/ to get started.
- Eggs are not a dairy product (although they are found in the dairy case) so dairy free recipes may include egg.
Grain Free
- Some people with celiac disease have found their tummy is happier with no grains at all.
- For people already on a gluten free diet this diet eliminates rice, corn, millet, oats and other grain-like seeds.
- Follow Karina over at https://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ and Lila Ruth of https://lilaruthgrainfree.com/ to learn more.
- Elana Amsterdam of https://elanaspantry.com/ shares recipes that are grain free, keto and paleo diet friendly.
Gum Free
- Gums are used to hold things together and are common in toothpaste and many gluten-containing and gluten-free food products.
- For gluten free bakers gums are often added to baking to create structure.
- The most common gums in gluten free foods (homemade and store bought) are xanthan gum, guar gum and psyllium husk powder.
- Follow Karina over at https://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ to learn more about gum free baking.
Paleolithic Diet (Paleo)
- Based on the diets that hunter-gatherers are thousands of years ago, the Paleo diet includes meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
- On this diet there is no dairy products, legumes and grains. That means no brown or white rice, wild rice, quinoa, corn, oats, amaranth, tapioca, millet, potatoes and other starchy, grain-like substances.
- Recipes for a Paleo diet are gluten free.
- Elana Amsterdam of https://elanaspantry.com/ shares recipes that are grain free, keto and paleo diet friendly.
Ketogenic Diet (Keto)
- The ketogenic diet is a strict low carbohydrate/high fat diet
- This diet does not allow bread, grains or grain-based additives so is also gluten free.
- Some people with celiac disease use this diet for weight loss and to manage symptoms from other autoimmune diseases
- Elana Amsterdam of https://elanaspantry.com/ shares recipes that are grain free, keto and paleo diet friendly.
FODMAP
- This diet is most successful when followed with the support of a registered dietician. It is a form of an elimination diet used to determine what foods your body does not tolerate.
- The acronym stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.
- These short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed by the body and are known to cause abdominal pain and bloating.
Vegan
- Some people choose to eat a plant-based diet as vegetarian or vegan.
- A vegan diet excludes all food that comes from animals. This includes dairy products (as well as eggs, honey, anchovy paste and fish sauce). That makes vegan recipes worth looking at for people avoiding dairy.
Whole 30
- The Whole30 is a 30-day diet that emphasizes whole foods (meats, seafood, vegetables and eggs) and eliminates potentially inflammatory foods (added sugar and sweeteners, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy and processed foods and beverages).
- The diet challenge is designed to change the way you feel and eat.
- Whole30 recipes are all gluten free and dairy free so even if you’re not up for the challenge you may find some foods you like.
Gluten, Diary and Sugar Free (GDSF)
- Some people cook and bake free of gluten, dairy and sugar.
- This diet replaces refined sugar with natural sweeteners such as maple syrup and agave syrup.
All The Diets
This only scratches the surface of all there is to know about diets related to food allergies, intolerances and the gluten free diet. If you have anything to share or found something here that was helpful please let me know in the comments below.
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