Blindly going gluten-free may do more harm than good

Just because a label says so doesn’t mean it may be good for you. For instance, lately gluten is made out to be bad for health, and people are quitting chapattis and flour altogether. But wheat is a good whole grain complex carbohydrate and great for diabetics to sustain sugar levels. Also, someone with a stomach disorder who can’t handle too much fibre, a wheat roti might actually work, but s/he is being told to quit it.

Meanwhile, probiotic drinks like kefir and kombucha are being sold as a mass product and said to be healthy because of the good strains of bacteria in them. But they are not good for those who are histamine intolerant.
Similarly, cold-pressed juices sold as a healthier option to a cola or even a packed juice with sugar, are not good for people with colitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Diet snacks are sold out if they say ‘no oil’, ‘zero tans fats’, or ‘nachni’ or the latest trend: ‘millet’ in case biscuits, cakes, and baked products. With tags like roasted, baked or air fried; customers believe it is healthy. What you really need to question is if a good fat medium (oil) was used to make these nachni chips. Further, if you have constipation issue, dry, roasted or air-fried can make it worse.

Probe further, and be more aware of what you are buying, especially those with chronic health conditions. Follow someone you trust in the health industry, and read more.

Recipe

Sweet potato pancakes 
(Serves 4)
Here’s a high starch snack, excellent for people who run low on serotonin, the happy hormone. Plus, sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index, so it will keep your blood sugar level steady.

Ingredients
Grated sweet potato: 3 cups
Flour (I use sorghum) to bind: 2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 3 tbsp
Grated onion: ¼ cup
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method
Mix all the ingredients. Line a non-stick pan with oil. Take some potato mix and flatten it in your palm. Place it on the pan, and pat the pancake down a bit. Shallow fry till lightly brown and then flip over on other side. Serve warm with chutney. 

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