Dr. Priti Nanda Sibal shares nine tips for going gluten-free, from reading labels and using separate kitchen utensils to prevent cross-contamination, to experimenting with alternative flours like almond, coconut, and quinoa. She explains why people switch: celiac disease, autoimmune conditions, and stress-induced leaky gut.
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Welcome to the next series of our Food Medicine and Life channel. Gluten-free diet, how to do it successfully. 9 tips. 1, read the food labels. It is very important that you do not take hidden gluten when you are on a gluten-free diet. Important thing to ask is, why do we want to be on a gluten-free diet? Yes, what has happened in the last few years is because of genetic modifications of the gluten, because of extra pesticides which are being used, especially glyphosate, which is impacting our gut in a big, big, big way. Stress in our lives, which is actually making us have a leaky gut. All of these have led to a situation where a lot of us have to avoid gluten for a specific period of time or longer times. And if someone has a celiac disease, then gluten is a no-no-no because the person is not able to digest gluten. And if in such cases we take hidden gluten just because we are not reading our food labels properly, What happens? We do not get rid of the symptoms of taking gluten when we have a leaky gut, celiac disease, autoimmune disorders, and much more. Point 2: Gluten-free substitutes are available. Friends, if you see, we get gluten-free breads, we can make, bake a lot of stuff at home which is gluten-free. Lot of our daily millets and other food items which our ancestors used to eat and stay so healthy are all gluten-free. So don't worry, just make sure that you know gluten-free options exist. Point 3: You know, a lot of what we eat normally is gluten-free. For example, rice is gluten-free, rolled or steel-cut oats are gluten-free, amaranth, all our millets, which are power-packed with energy, vitamins, minerals, and can be the sole contributor for good health are all gluten-free products. So just don't worry, you are good even if you're not allowed to eat gluten or your body feels messed up when you have gluten. Fourth, naturally gluten-free grains which I just mentioned Once you start having them, you will not look back and want to have gluten. So friends, only 3 things which we have to avoid when we are on gluten-free diets: wheat, barley, rye, right? We also have to be aware of the contaminated products, especially maize or corn, oats, or anything which is packed in the same factory or place where wheat is being processed. So anything other than that, all grain cereals are gluten-free and you can love it. Point 5, and I am sure everybody wants to know about it. What alcohol? Beer is a complete, complete no for you if you are on a gluten-free diet. So what all you can have? You can have cider, wine, sherry, spirits, port, liqueurs, But you can't have beer, ales, stouts, and lagers, and you are good. So I am not saying that being on gluten-free diet means no alcohol. I'm saying just make your choices right. Point number 6: lot of people, when I tell them you have to be on a gluten-free diet for 3 weeks— like, I run a program, gut cleanse program, where we Avoid all foods which cause allergies so that we can detox our body properly. The look on their faces— no gluten, what will we eat? What will we do when we go out partying? Right, friends, there are lots and lots and lots of options available when you go out to eat. Just Google your stuff, know your things well, and always remember you can enjoy gluten-free diet with your friends and family without any problem. Point number 7, I've already mentioned, but I want to highlight it again. Do remember that cross-contamination is one big problem because of which, despite the fact that you are avoiding gluten, what happens is you tend to continue having your symptoms. For example, I tell my patients, if you have to take gluten-free diet or give your kid a gluten-free diet, remember, you cannot use the same utensils. You can't use the same tawa, chakla, bailan, or whatever you're using to knead the bread and make it. Please make sure cross-contamination is one big, big, big reason why gluten-free diets fail, where they can make significant change in our health. Point number 8: Experiment in the kitchen. And why am I saying that? Once you start experimenting, you will start making cakes with almond flour, with coconut flour. You will start making chapatis with jowar and quinoa in the ratio of 3:1. You will start making amaranth, or you will start making bajra khichdi. So there are lots and lots and lots of options, friends. And if you have any doubts, do join this 1-month detox, and you will realize every day you can eat something new, feel healthy, and really benefit. And number 9, please have it in your mind, you know, because mind can play games with us. Gluten-free food can be delicious, can be tasty, and when you are doing it for your disease, there is no option, so better enjoy it. If you are using for detox or gut cleanse, remember, when we remove gluten or other allergic foods from our gut, we introduce newer foods like newer millets, new vegetables, and What that leads to is a more diverse gut microbiome. If you know that the more diverse the gut microbiome is, the better your physical health, your mental health, your spiritual health, and your emotional health is. If yes is your answer, do share a comment in the comment section here. If you like this video, if you think there are friends and family members who are on a gluten-free diet but they keep cheating off and on, and therefore their symptoms keep coming back or aggravating. Do share this video with them. Like and subscribe to our channel and help us make India a very healthy and happy country.
