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<\/p>\nWhen I first went gluten-free 5 or 6 years ago, I lost 35 pounds. I ate a naturally gluten-free diet that omitted all gluten-containing foods, with very few gluten-free replacements. At the time, there weren\u2019t many good gluten-free breads or baked goods to tempt me and the availability of gluten-free flours was limited.<\/p>\n
Back when I was walking nearly every day<\/a><\/strong> to help with the swelling and discomfort of my gluten reactions, the pounds did literally melt off. Then I started a gluten-free blog and started sampling all the processed gluten-free foods that were flooding the market and sitting at a desk working on my computer. I gained back the weight and then some more. This is a typical scenario for a lot of gluten-free people. As our intestines heal and our body starts absorbing nutrients and calories, there is a tendency for those with celiac disease to gain some weight. If we aren\u2019t careful about the food choices we make when we replace the gluten-full foods in our diet, we can be adding lots of sugar and fat and white processed starches, gluten-free flours and, of course, pounds.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve turned to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) and their free webinars to help me refine my diet to be full of nutritious foods that can help my kids and me heal after years of misdiagnosis. Their archives have webinars<\/a><\/strong> I joined or listened to later that help me make better food choices. Past topics have been \u2018Gluten-Free Heart Health,\u2019 \u2018Food As Medicine for Celiac Disease: Nutrition Beyond the Gluten-Free Diet,\u2019 and \u2018How Well Is Your Digestive System Working.\u2019 I like that they are practical, easy-to-understand and easy-to-apply webinars presented by professionals who are current on the research into celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. The Internet is full of gluten-free information<\/a><\/strong> and opinions and it\u2019s hard to know who to listen to. I know I can trust NFCA\u2019s information and I know they will provide alternatives since many of us have additional food sensitivities to dairy, soy and other things along with our gluten issues.<\/p>\n April\u2019s free webinar<\/a><\/strong> is called \u2018Maintaining a Healthy Weight While Eating Gluten Free: The Importance of Physical Activity and Mindful Eating.\u2019 Topics to be discussed are how Body Mass (BMI<\/a><\/strong>) is affected by the gluten-free diet; recognizing the signs of physical vs. emotional hunger<\/a><\/strong> and recognizing trigger for mindless eating; strategies for managing food portions and tips for selecting healthier options from pre-packaged gluten-free products; and understanding the key differences between \u201cdiets\u201d and lifestyle changes. View their complete schedule here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Wendy Gregory Kaho There\u2019s a lot of talk right now about the gluten-free diet and weight loss. Whether it\u2019s the latest celebrity claiming the pounds are falling off while avoiding gluten or discussions on blogs and Facebook, weight loss … Continue reading