How rigid of a dieter are you? Do you believe you must follow all the rules? To learn the principles of good nutrition, a certain degree of strictness helps you ditch bad habits; but with gluten sensitivity, embracing flexibility may work better. If you need to stay away from gluten, you can still eliminate unwanted pounds. Read on to discover how to adapt the South Beach Diet for a more customized fit.
Choose Nutrient Dense South Beach Foods
Navigating from phase one to phase two teaches you how your body tolerates particular foods, especially carbohydrates. Since a celiac cannot tolerate wheat, barley or rye, that knowledge puts you a little bit ahead of the game.
An article at WebMD, “Celiac Disease Symptoms,” reveals that malabsorption is one of the major problems associated with celiac disease. When the immune system’s white blood cells attack the villi in the small intestines, the resulting inflammation and damage prevents adequate absorption of fat, sugar, and many vitamins and minerals. Nutrient dense meals become an important step in treating the gastrointestinal symptoms of malabsorption that define celiac disease.
Those with celiac disease need to watch their intake of fats and sugars, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, a few unrefined low glycemic carbohydrates, and get adequate protein. Exactly what phase two foods are all about.
Dr. Agatston's Whole Grain Bread Suggestion
Unless you suffer from dairy intolerance, in phase one, simply create meals from the listing of allowed foods: lean meats, vegetables, dairy products, and good fats are inherently gluten free. Before entering into phase two, however, give your new food options some careful thought; especially if you don't understand Dr. Agatston's advice about returning starchy carbs to the diet.
Adding back whole grains, and whole wheat bread in particular, is not a strict rule. It's an example that Dr. Agatston used. The actual suggestion given in the book said to add back one serving of fruit and one serving of starch. Forget about the wheat bread. Start with a nice piece of fruit, and if you're still losing weight, choose something safe from the following list:
- brown rice
- sweet potatoes
- starchy vegetables, like peas
- certified gluten free oatmeal
- brown rice pasta
- teff or brown rice tortillas
- safe grains like quinoa
- more beans
- occasionally corn, and corn tortillas
Menu Flexibility: When to Bend the South Beach Meal Plan
For those who desire a little more menu flexibility, consider the option of bending the rules just a wee bit to occasionally indulge in a slice of gluten free bread. While technically illegal (potato starch and/or tapioca is often used to make this type of bread), if following the recommended single slice serving, the amount of refined starch will be small.
This is good news for those with gluten intolerance. Despite the limitations, flexibility can help you achieve your weight loss goals by only slightly modifying the diet plan depending on how well you tolerate each serving of fruit or starch.
Gluten Free South Beach Diet Success
For the gluten sensitive, following a weight loss plan can prove difficult. With minor adjustments, however, you can make your meals safe and nutrient rich. It doesn’t take whole grain wheat bread for the diet to work. You can choose any gluten free phase two food option and still reap success. Going completely grain free, however, will make menu selection that much easier.
References:
WebMD; Celiac Disease Symptoms (accessed 3/26/2010)
Green, Peter H. R., M.D., and Jones, Rory, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, HarperCollins Publishers, 2006
Agatston, Arthur S., M.D., The South Beach Diet: The Delicious Doctor-designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss, Rodale Press, November 2003
Vickie Ewell - Vickie has worked with autistic individuals for 9 years. She has celiac disease and specializes in gfcf living.
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