Posted By Discussion Topic: Gluten-free diet   JamesL 04-13-2011 @ 11:45 AM                           reply Member Joined: Apr 2008 Is there such thing as gluten- free diet? Sometimes when I go to the super market I see gluten-free products, but I never buy them because I don’t know if they are supposed to be a better diet option or if they are just for people with gluten allergies.  What do you think?   WhittleAway 06-21-2011 @ 3:06 PM                           reply Member Joined: Jan 2010 I know a little bit about this as I recently baked something gluten free for a young friend's birthday who just turned 10. He has to abide by a gluten free diet as he has a wheat allergy. But people who suffer form celiac allergy also avoid gluten. Its a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye and malt. It flavours and thickens foods. It's easy to find products now in the supermarkets as you say, as well health food shops. I baked some fudgy chocolate brownies from a recipe in Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, that had an excerpt in the Daily Mail. I substitutes the spelt flour (which also contains gluten) for gluten free flour. They tasted unbelievably good! I also didnt add suger, the recipe calls for agave nectar and ample syrup. I think it can be easy to follow a gluten free diet these days. But I dont think its particularly healthier though? It only needs to be followed if you have digestive problems or adverse reactions... WA Sasha@ 07-28-2011 @ 9:25 PM                           reply Member Joined: Jul 2011 impossible if youre trying to eat out at a restaurant tho?? But is gluten-free stuff lower in calories? would those fudge brownies have been less fattening because u used nectar instead of sugar? some times i wonder if i might be easier if i had a celiac problem and couldnt eat lots of things, then id probably avoid a lot of things that end up making me fat. has anyone had a food test done? i never have. can you do it yourself?        zeb 08-01-2011 @ 9:08 PM                           reply Member Joined: Jul 2011 of course a gluten free diets gonna make u lose weight - youll be reducing  processed foods and complex carbohydrates  like breads, cakes, pastries, pastas, cookies, and breaded or coated foods (i mean things like chicken nuggets, french fries, meatballs) so your calories will shrink dramatically. having said that there are now loads of gluten-free breads, crackers, cookies, and treats in supermarkets and very few of them happen to be low calorie and/or good for you.