Gluten Free - Nutrition Density

[WeaversPort]

Thank you for the information on the fiber differences. Every search term I can think of to research gluten leads me to why celiacs is bad and how gluten causes negative reactions. Most food documentaries I've seen that even mention gluten only talk about it in connection with celiacs. The fructose/fiber connections seem like much more informative directions to look in.

Gluten itself isn't bad. Gluten is merely a protein that is present in wheat, rye, barley, malt, and spelt. It's what gives dough the nice, stretchy and elastic texture and it's what makes it possible to have delicious, flaky pastries. The problem with Celiacs, is that we don't have the digestive enzyme to break the protein down. Our immune system then has a response that ultimately ends up destroying our stomachs.

But for all the press it has gotten, gluten is not a problem for the average person. Just as lactose or casin isn't a problem for the average person. You can eat very nutritious food with barley, wheat and rye - but like @BrewerGeorge says, it all depends on how you use it and how processed it is. Most people would have a step up by eliminating anything with high fructose corn syrup instead of gluten.

For nutrition, picking whole and minimally processed foods, low sugar items, healthy fats, variety of vegetables, portion control, regular exercise, things like that will take you a long way. If you're looking for a place to start, something like the Mediterranean Diet*, while choosing foods with high fiber and a low glycemic index will take you a long way

* The one criticism I have of the Mediterranean Diet is that some places recommend low fat/skim milk. They've found that whole milk might have more fat, but lower fat milks tend to have more sugar.. Diabetics I know have found whole milk a better option if you are looking for low glycemic/low carb options.

 

[dixiedragon]

That recipe looks amazing. I do have some bread making experience, but it has been a while since I attempted anything.

Thank you for the information on the fiber differences. Every search term I can think of to research gluten leads me to why celiacs is bad and how gluten causes negative reactions. Most food documentaries I've seen that even mention gluten only talk about it in connection with celiacs. The fructose/fiber connections seem like much more informative directions to look in.

@Dixiedragon, I made a bean cake at work yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised. Even without basic baking ingredients (like vanilla, coco powder, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter....) it turned out great. I hope my clients enjoyed it as much as I did. I work overnights and everyone eats after I leave.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how good the bean cake was. The texture is very slightly different than a regular flour cake - a bit coarser. But honestly I think most people would eat it and not really notice.

The sugar alcohols are the downside of that recipe. If you aren't used to eating them (anything ending with tol, like eritytol), they taste great. MUCH better than Splenda, etc. But you can't process them (hence the calorie free) but your gut bacteria can. So they hit your colon and intestines and WHEEEEE!!! Serious diarrhea. Which is why I recommend regular sugar if you aren't used to eating sugar alcohols.

I like to spruce mine up with some instant coffee and some high-quality cinnamon. Also, use a high quality cocoa powder.

For frosting, I take a block of cream cheese (full fat), beat it in the mixer and add cocoa powder and sugar until it tastes good.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

...

* The one criticism I have of the Mediterranean Diet is that some places recommend low fat/skim milk. They've found that whole milk might have more fat, but lower fat milks tend to have more sugar.. Diabetics I know have found whole milk a better option if you are looking for low glycemic/low carb options.

I agree that full fat milk is better, and I've read a population study recently that found people who drink whole live longer than people who drink low fat milk - although I can't find it right now. Those types of broad studies aren't as definitive as the focused ones, of course, but they still help inform the conclusion that whole milk is not the poison they told us it was.

I should say, though, that whole milk doesn't really have more sugar. It's just that the added fat slows the absorption of the sugar.

 

[WeaversPort]

I agree that full fat milk is better, and I've read a population study recently that found people who drink whole live longer than people who drink low fat milk - although I can't find it right now. Those types of broad studies aren't as definitive as the focused ones, of course, but they still help inform the conclusion that whole milk is not the poison they told us it was.

I should say, though, that whole milk doesn't really have more sugar. It's just that the added fat slows the absorption of the sugar.

Oh that's good to know! For some reason I had gotten it in my mind that they'd been adding something to skim milk to make it palatable. My housemate had gotten on some no sugar kick and had been talking about low fat milk having more sugars or carbs or something.

Of course some of my Crossfit friends are adding coconut oil to their coffee, so who knows what the fitness world is going to come up with

(I'm going to assume you mean whole milk doesn't have less sugar.)

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Oh that's good to know! For some reason I had gotten it in my mind that they'd been adding something to skim milk to make it palatable. My housemate had gotten on some no sugar kick and had been talking about low fat milk having more sugars or carbs or something.

Of course some of my Crossfit friends are adding coconut oil to their coffee, so who knows what the fitness world is going to come up with

(I'm going to assume you mean whole milk doesn't have less sugar.)

Yep, that's what I meant. :mrgreen:

All milk (other than lactose free) pretty much has 12g of sugar per cup. Sometimes skim milk will have milk solids added back so it's not bluish and translucent, but they don't change the nutrition significantly.

I will sometimes put fractionated MCT oil in my coffee, along with butter, but never whole coconut.