Hello ,
I wanted my first article to be not purely scientific, but decorated with some experiences. As I mentioned in my autobiography, I am struggling with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac. I plan to focus more on these two topics in my blog. In my first post, I’m going to talk about something about gluten-free foods and diabetes.
After deciding on this subject, I did a lot of research to make sure that the information I will write here is correct. But I saw that there were differences of opinion on the subject. I’m torn between changing the subject or not. Later, on my Instagram page, where I met people like myself, I got some general judgments with specific questions and surveys. Let me get to the point now, with your permission.
As you know, autoimmune diseases are diseases that can overlap each other. Recently, the coexistence of diabetes and celiac has increased a lot. The risk of celiac disease increases 20 times in type 1 diabetes. The risk of celiac disease in type 1 diabetes is 6.4%. Celiac patients should strictly adhere to a gluten-free diet. Because when it is not followed, intestinal structure and absorption will deteriorate and this will negatively affect carbohydrate metabolism. For blood sugar regulation, carbohydrate counting should be done by adapting it to gluten-free products. But there is an ugly truth that gluten-free products have a very high glycemic index. The glycemic index is simply the rate at which a food raises blood sugar. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly, has this to say about gluten-free alternatives:
“These starches raise blood sugar even more than whole wheat. This means that these foods trigger weight gain, especially in the abdominal area, elevated blood sugar, insulin resistance, diabetes, cataracts and arthritis.” I can clearly observe this phenomenon in my daily life. Crackers, cakes, pastries, bread, etc. made with gluten-free refined flour all increase my sugar by at least 100 mg more than it should be. This is why it is very harmful for individuals without celiac or gluten sensitivity to go on a gluten-free diet. Gluten after all. Gluten free foods are especially refined and processed foods. Most of them are prepared from potato starch and rice starch. Gluten free diet is devoid of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fiber, thiamine, folate, vitamin A, They cause insufficient intake of magnesium, iron and calcium and cause nutritional problems.At the same time, these diets have the risk of toxic metals such as mercury and arsenic.Researchers who examined the dietary habits of many people who consumed gluten-free foods for 5 years found arsenic in their urine at twice the normal value. observed that blood Doctor Maria Argos, the head of the research team, underlined that mercury values are also very high, as well as arsenic, which causes diarrhea. Mercury is a toxic chemical. “Gluten-free diet has these side effects,” he said. Rice flour is used instead of wheat in gluten-free foods. However, rice contains high amounts of arsenic compared to other foods. The researchers state that people with celiac disease, that is, people with a ‘gluten allergy’, can maintain their gluten-free diet.
I first met with celiac disease almost a year later and diabetes. As someone who had never been warned that people with celiac would be at high risk of diabetes, my diet was the opposite of diabetes. I gravitated towards rice because I can’t eat bulgur, potatoes and gluten-free flour bread because I can’t eat whole grain bread, some chocolates and gluten-free desserts because they have gluten-free options. I went to the hospital several times for diabetes and got no response, they didn’t even do a test. Finally, they tested me again at my insistence, and my HBA1C value was quite high and my fasting blood sugar was 400. Why didn’t you warn me while I was eating potatoes and rice, when I asked for a test and I asked why you didn’t test me, the expression the doctor used to me was “as if you wouldn’t have diabetes if you didn’t eat them?” it happened. At that time, I did not question what he said because I did not know that diabetes was a disease that is directly related to nutrition. But as I became more conscious of nutrition, I realized what a wrong thought it was as I saw the effect of what I ate on my blood sugar. The fact that the refined flours or gluten-free flour mixtures we buy from the markets cause abrupt transitions from hypo to hyper to hypo led me to research. As we saw in the lessons at school, we learned that while normal flours contain additional protein to carbohydrate, there is only carbohydrate in refined gluten-free flours, and this percentage has a very high glycemic index. I started doing research on what I can do, how I can eat both gluten-free and diabetic. At one point, I completely cut carbohydrates and started to eat only protein and a small amount of fat. But this has never been a healthy eating style. He lost weight quickly, and ketogenic diets can even put a person into a coma if we cannot adjust the time and amount. Back then, I used oopsie bread instead of bread. But I needed carbs. I also started using pulse flours and started counting carbohydrates by proportioning the ingredients I use to the number of grains. And that’s how I cut refined gluten-free flour almost entirely out of my life. This had a very positive effect on my sugar balance.
Before I wrote this article, I mentioned at the beginning that I was doing a survey on my page, and I would like to talk about the results there. In the use of gluten-free flour, 58% decrease and exits, 66% of these games are effective as increase and 33% decrease. I have heard that these situations vary according to the brands in the people I talk to one-on-one, and on the contrary, it has a positive effect on some of them. Some have reduced the use of flour to almost zero because of this fear. So, as I said, there are many different opinions. But in the end, the votes are gathered in a single point. The use of pulse flour also gives a good direction to both celiac and diabetes. I would like to share a few answers to my question, what do you use as a substitute for gluten-free flour, and give an example here.
-buckwheat flour
– chickpea flour
-quinoa flour
-cornflour
-bean, lentil flour
-almond, hazelnut, coconut flour
I have tried most of them and I continue to try, each flour suits a different type better. This not only increases our food variety, but also relieves our taste problems. It does not go stale as fast as gluten-free refined flour bread and becomes softer. You can buy these flours ready-made or you can prepare them yourself at home. Remember, the more varieties we have, the more we can adapt to this diet. The main thing is that we can make this diet a way of life. In other words, this diet is for life and we need the confidence that we can do it without getting bored, knowing that a substitute for the things we always want can be made gluten-free. Let’s keep these gluten-free products in our freezer all the time so that delicious things that will cloud our minds do not scare us. I am now at the center of most environments where I ate gluten-free and stayed away. I don’t miss my favorite weekend breakfasts, I have these breads with me, I can accompany the tea hours with my own crackers in my snacks. Sometimes even when I reward myself and eat dessert, I feel comfortable because I do not disturb the balance by eating both sugary and high glycemic index. I have had serious reductions in my insulin doses and I am more positive in my social life. If my stomach is full, I can eat it without worrying that my sugar will rise too high. Since I achieved this, I wanted to share with you, you can add a lot of positive developments to your life by taking a small step away from refined refined flour. Thank you all so much for patiently listening and reading me. If you have a question or any other issue, you can contact me. See you in our other articles..
