Going Gluten Free - A Beginners Guide

The hottest topic in the health industry right now is going Gluten Free.  It's everywhere and it's here to stay.  Unlike our fat free, vegetarian and raw foods phases, there is an abundance of research to prove gluten (and other grains) are not essential, nor healthy.  If you haven't read Wheat Belly, you should.  It will take you through all the reasons why gluten has become the enemy this decade, and most importantly why gluten free products are not always better.

Once you've heard the facts and are convinced you should try going gluten free, it's common to feel like everything you eat is off limits bad, and there's nothing good left.  This reflects just how much gluten you do eat, and how it has not only crept into every meal as your primary fuel source.

The light at the end of the tunnel is:  You can eat food that you enjoy for every meal that is quick and easy and does not contain gluten - You just don't know what they are yet.

Changing what you eat can be an mental struggle.  We link good food with great times.  Choosing not to have that beer, pizza or pasta, can feel like your depriving yourself of the entire event.  It doesn't have to be this way, if you have the right mindset.  Instead of depriving yourself, indulge - but in foods that are gluten free.  Discover foods you really love that fit your intentions and recognize that it's more than food that makes the experience enjoyable.

Here's my 5 Steps to Gluten Free

 

1. Decide on Your Intent

Are you going to eliminate all gluten to see if you are intolerant or sensitive or is your intent to reduce carbohydrates like grains and sugars to balance blood sugar and lose weight?

If your plan is to test your intolerance, you will have to be strict, read labels, and be aware of hidden gluten.  I've seen many people change there diet, thinking they are gluten free and not seeing the results they had hoped, only to discover that the salad dressing, meatloaf, soy sauce, crab meat and rice cereal had gluten it in.  Having just a little can effect you a lot.  Ask anyone who is gluten free - they can often pinpoint the bite that caused them to feel bloated, stiff, crampy or sleepless. 

If your intent is to lose weight, and balance your blood sugar eating most gluten free foods is not an option.  Most GF foods have replaced wheat with refined grains that spike insulin even more than gluten foods.  The exception is flours made with nuts and seeds like almond, coconut or quinoa flour.  I typically recommend avoiding grains all together - or at least reducing them significantly if this is your goal.  I see food logs that have replaced gluten foods with things like rice, fruit, potatoes, and oatmeal.  And even though these foods are considered healthy, they raise blood sugar and will keep you from losing weight.

2. Commit to a Time Frame 

I find having a specific end date very helpful to get started and wrap your head around.  This may be a big transition, and at times it feels like forever.  Without a time frame to measure your success, most give up before they can evaluate the results.  There is no length of time but I find 30 days is a great way to truly evaluate the results of either intent.  Another approach is to have 5 days gluten free and 2 days off each week.  Maybe you are just going to give it a try for a week - what ever method you choose, I'm confident you will be surprised by the results, and conscious of the effect of gluten if you are body aware.

3. Create a Menu

Most people have about 14 meals that they repeatedly eat.  If you where to find 14 meals that you really enjoyed that could take there place that where quick, easy and delicious - why wouldn't you?
Here's how I break it down.  Think of it like a plan for 7 days.  Decide what your going to eat for the week, buy the groceries, and follow through.  At the end of the week re-evaluate what you liked, and didn't like, add new meals and repeat.  It's really this simple.  Okay, maybe it doesn't seem simple yet...

Make a list of 3-5 breakfast ideas that you could eat that are gluten free.
For examples:  smoothies, eggs, grain free granola, almond flour banana bread, etc.

Write out lunch ideas that are easy to prepare and appeal to you.
Soups, salads, stews, chili, stir fry, omelet, tuna salad, GF burger, left overs, etc.
I think of lunch like a picnic rather than a meal: pieces of meat, veggies & dip, nuts, fruit, etc. 

Dinner is usually the easiest meal.  List your meat in one column, then 2 columns of vegitables/sides.
Variety stimulates weight loss, so I suggest making a list with a different meat for each night of the week, then pairing it with a veggie that fits.  I also recommend always having one green veggie with your meal.

When you first begin your list, you may have a mental block about what you could even eat.  Here's where cookbooks, magazines and on-line recipes can spark creativity and open the doors on those 14 foods.  There is a great chance there are foods that are GF that you have forgotten about and love!

I've included below a link to my collection of family favorite recipes, my favorite cookbooks, and great websites to expand your repetoire of meal ideas.  Most are considered paleo (which means no grains or dairy), which is even healthier!  

4.  Grocery Shopping

Go to a well stocked grocery store.  Go prepared with a list.  Leave yourself enough time to search for those new ingredients and don't be afraid to ask a clerk to help.  Another great way to shop is on-line.  I'm a big fan of Grocery Gateway.  I can go through my recipes and order the ingredients one by one, without having to trapse through the entire store for a few unique ingredients.  Once you have the meals you enjoy, you can easily repeat your plan for future weeks.  These days it takes me about 10 minutes to create our meal plan usually adding one new recipe a week, and about 10 minutes to order the groceries.  In the beginning this took about an hour to find recipes and plan, and another hour to shop, so be patient and know it's a process that will get easier every time you go it.

5.  Freeze Meals

I usually take one day every few weeks to create a bunch of freezer meals.  Things like meatloaf, chili, marinated meats, crock pot stews, banana bread, and lunch size soups are easy, healthy and efficient when you get home late or are too tired to prepare a meal.  One more tip, is to make extra when your cooking and freeze it for the following week. 

That's it!  Be willing to experiment, plan ahead, and measure your results.  Then share your success with others.  It's been shown that 75% of people have some gluten sensitivity, and it's estimated that a minimum of 60% of our medical costs are a result of prolonged exposure to insulin.  Even if you just give this a try you will improve your health.  If you stick with some of the changes, even better.  If you go GF for at least 30 days, I guarantee you will be passionately talking about the list of benefits like the rest of us! 

Resources:

My Recipe Collection
I have a file with over 200 great recipes, meal plans, and helpful resources to help you take on this challenge with success.  Email me and I'll send you the drop box link to get started.  gina@serenityvalley.ca

Great Websites: 
OnceaMonthMom.com
NourishedKitchen.com
MarksDailyApple.com
Simplypaleo.com
Elanaspantry.com
ohsheglows.com
Allrecipes.com
Eatdrinkpaleo.com.au
Againstallgrain.com

My Favorite Cookbooks:
Practical Paleo
150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
Paleo Comfort Foods
Make it Paleo
Gather
It's All Good
Harvest
Quinoa 365
Concious Cuisine
The Eat Clean series
The Flavor Bible
Eat Well
Paleo Indulgences
The Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Great Reading: 
The Hormone Diet
Paleo Solution
It Starts with Food
The Paleo Answer
Wheat Belly
Healing with Whole Foods
The Core Balance Diet

If you have a great book, website or recipe you'd like to share, please send it to me!  I'm always looking to try new things!

Women Who Do It All

Is it possible to be Wonder Woman and Be Fit too?

As personal trainer the biggest excuse I hear for not following through with there workouts is "I don't have time".  First off... We all have time - we just choose to spend it on other things... Isn't that true?

But rather than rank what's most important, I first start with a review of a typical week in a time assessment.  How is this persons time really spent.  Most women run a tight ship keeping everything under control and most have at least a few hours where they are doing things that are unproductive, unimportant, and fulfilling.  Once we discover these hidden blocks of time I suggest a fitness activity in these places. 

15 Solutions to keep fit when trying to do it all:

• Get up 30 minutes early.  Working out while everyone else is asleep.
• Take a walk at lunch.  Use a pedometer to track your progress.
• Take an afternoon break and roll out your yoga mat and join a web class.
• Find a nearby studio or gym to fit in a workout before heading home.
• Good but not Glamorous - park further away and take the stairs strategy.
• Commit to a "physical" family night.  Go rock climbing, bike riding, skating, or hiking. 
• Taking kids to an after school activity?  Go for a 20 minute run while they play.
• Make a regular date night a couples training session followed by a romantic (and healthy) dinner.
• Instead of going out for drinks - go for a yoga class, followed by a smoothie and girl talk.
• Get your fitness equipment in your living room and workout during TV time.
• Challenge the kids to a Wii sports/fitness game on game night.
• Yoga before bed.  A gentle stretching routine after a bath - what could be better?
• Weekend Workout.  There is almost always time for a workout at least once during a busy weekend.  No matter if it's at home, outdoors or at a gym. 
• Sex!  Need i say more?
• Don't forget about all the physical work that can count as a workout.  Vacuuming, pulling weeds, and lugging laundry count too.              

Have a look at your week and find that extra 20 or 30 minutes of time you didn't know you had.  Squeeze in a run, curls or push ups.  If you need a plan I can design a personal program for you no matter what the conditions...


Now you have no excuses... ;)    Go Get'em Girl!

Stress, Poor Nutrition & Toxicity Equal Weight Gain

What are the Top 3 Reasons why Someone is Overweight?  

The answer may surprise you...

The latest research in health science shows that the majority of people that have body fat 10 pounds above there ideal rate are overweight not because they eat too much and don't move enough....

The Top 3 Reasons are Stress, Malnutrition, and Toxicity.

This means that if you are considering your new years resolution to lose a few pounds, counting calories, just wont do it.

 
Well, let me clarify... if you cut calories and move your body, you will lose weight.  And if all you looked at was the scale, it would appear that you where making good progress.  But the truth is, your actually losing some body fat, and some muscle.  Some of you won't care what it is that your losing, just that the scale is going down.  The problem is, when you lose muscle, you lose energy, and strength and your metabolism slows down.  With a reduction in calories, you can be sure that you'll have trouble maintaining a high intensity in your workouts.  Chances are you won't have the energy to workout in a few weeks time.  If your persistent, you'll push through for about 6 weeks before you fall off.  The worst part is, with less muscle mass, your metabolism has slowed enough that a cheat in your diet or a few days without exercise will cause an immediate increase in body fat.

Studies show people who cut calories gain it all back within one year, and 65% actually weigh more than the year before.

If you have plans to lose weight this January, consider approaching it by lowering your stress, eating properly, and detoxifying your body.  You don't have to do all at once.  But each of these areas can produce long lasting, healthy results.  When you focus on these areas, you won't be hungry, and you don't have to do a hour long workout everyday to see results.

This January, we're holding a workshop to fill you in on just how to start an intelligent weight loss plan.  Maybe you just want to increase your energy, sleep better, and lose a few pounds, or maybe you want to cleanse and lose a considerable amount of weight.  This workshop will address the details of how to get started, what your hormones have to do with all of this, how to set yourself up to succeed,  and how to make it a priority without adding more stress to your life.

 Sound like a big promise?  I can tell you we get results we when teach this process.  I learned it through Charles Poliquin and the Functional Medicine Institute.  It works.  Come attend our workshop on January 17th.

Aside from this workshop, we will be hosting a number of programs to educate and support you to improve these 3 areas.  We have a yoga and meditation program, and private coaching package to help reduce stress.  Nutrition is always part of our programming and this year we've got a holistic nutritionist who will be offering cooking classes, private sessions, and nutrition chats.  And to address toxicity, we have top of the line supplements, and a guided group cleanse scheduled for January.   And finally, we have the Biosignature Method- which is a fancy name for a hormone evaluation.  This allows us to assess what you should focus on,  which plan to start with, and how to make the quickest progress. 

If your resolution this year is to lose weight, decide to handle it this year by, educating yourself, taking action and getting support.  Get started by attending our January workshop, or booking a private consultation.  Email me to get started now! gina@serenityvalley.ca