Interesting Read

Hi everyone!
I don't have a recipe for you guys today (sorry!) But I promise to have one up by tomorrow. We have had a busy week with family coming to visit (we miss you!) and preparing for Good Friday and Easter services at our church.

I did want to share a website with you that I have been reading the past couple of days. You can access it here It has some good information about healthy living and more importantly it has some good GF info! I especially liked the article about using the gluten free diet to lose weight. I get asked a lot if I've found that I'm slimming down while on this diet, and the truth is not really. I exercise and eat healthy, but without doing those things, a gluten free diet won't necessarily help you get thin. The best way to maintain a healthy weight while on a gf diet is to cut out processed foods (even the gf kind) and increase your fruit, vegetable and lean protein intake. Even though there are a LOT of gluten free alternatives in the supermarkets these days and gluten free menu's are available at many restaurants, it is important to understand that gluten free does not mean carb free, sugar free or fat free. Cutting out gluten does not mean cutting out fat, especially if you are just replacing regular bread with gf bread or regular pasta with rice or corn noodles.

In fact, as the article explains, the gf ready-made items and flour mixes often have MORE fat and sugar than their gluten full counterparts. The reason being is that in order for the textures and flavors to be similar, companies will add more starches and sugars to compensate for the lack of gluten. This is why it is SO important to read labels!!

I try to stay away from packaged gluten free things as much as possible. It's VERY tempting though because they are just so convenient! I only serve pasta once a week and I try to reduce the amount of corn products that we use. Try replacing your chips with fruit or raw veggies, your crackers with raw almonds and peanuts, and only serve one starch with your dinner meals.

Remember, that gluten free doesn't mean fat free! It IS a healthier way to eat, but only if you reduce the amount of starchy carbs and sugars. Enjoy exploring the website! I hope it's helpful!