There’s a lot of talk out there about “gluten-free.” This means eating foods that do not contain grains, such as wheat, oats, rye, and barley. In fact going gluten-free has become a food-trend, but Dr. Mark Hyman warns that there are traps that the food industry has laid with this new craze.
When shopping at the grocery store you may be tempted with labels that advertise being gluten-free or are marketed as healthy. Beware! This is a marketing ploy by food companies to get you to buy their products. Dr. Hyman calls these foods “Frankenfoods” as they will contain:
- Artificial coloring.
- Extra ingredients to extend shelf-life of a product.
- Additives that help ingredients bond to each other.
- Sugar
- High-processed vegetable oils.
All this means that those highly processed and so-called “healthy” foods are really just more of the same junk food that you see in stores. Instead of falling into this trap, Dr. Hyman has specific recommendations for going gluten-free. They include:
- Cooking and eating at home in your own kitchen.
- Watch out for foods that seem “too good to be true.”
- Avoid buying into the idea that healthy food costs more, it isn’t.
- Cook with fresh fruits, vegetables, and if possible meat that is grass-fed and organic.
- Ask where your food came from. If it had to go through a factory, don’t eat it.
- If you choose to eat out, do so wisely. Dr. Hyman recommends chicken with vegetables and healthy fats.
- Avoid products that claim they are healthy.
- Check the ingredients and watch out for sugar!
- Abstain from buying any foods that come with a label.
Dr. Hyman says that he isn’t against going gluten-free, just make sure that you are doing it the right way. Stick to basic, whole foods that include vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, grass-fed organic meats, as well as grains and beans that are considered gluten-free.
Want to learn more about going gluten-free? Read the full article here: Here’s Why a Gluten-Free Diet Can Become Incredibly Unhealthy.
