​Starting a grain-free diet can improve digestive functions and help fight against auto immune diseases. Many people often confuse grain-free with gluten-free, but they are not the same diet. A gluten-free diet will still contain grains since not all grains are processed with gluten. However, a grain-free diet cuts out all grains (including the ones that are gluten-free).
 
Just because you are cutting bread out of your diet, doesn't mean that you won't be enjoying what you eat! Here are some tips on what to eat when you are going grain-free with tips on ways to incorporate them into meals. 

​1. Eggs
 
Eggs are a great protein to start your day with. A versatile food, you can make countless grain-free meals using eggs as a base. One of the best nutritious meals can simply be poached eggs on a bed of sautéed veggies with herbs. The result is tasty, full of color, and packed with good nutrients.
 
2. Smoothies
 
Buy yourself a blender and you'll quickly become a smoothie fanatic. Once you have a few recipes under your belt, this is a quick and easy fix to compliment a grain-free diet. A typical smoothie includes milk as the base, fruit, and protein (like peanut butter, flax seed, or protein powder.) What's nice about this meal is it often requires such few ingredients. Just throw coconut milk, a banana, chia seeds and a few spoonfuls of peanut butter into a blender and soon you'll be drinking a delicious lunch packed with energy to get you through the day.
 
3. Salads
 
If you're on a grain-free diet, you are going to find yourself eating lots of hearty salads. Salads are the best way to pack a meal with yummy protein, fresh veggies, and delicious herb dressings. This is a great habit to get into because it's an easy one to meal plan for. Simply prepare a protein (like roast chicken or baked salmon), cut up all your fresh veggies, and have your dressing handy to throw on top.
 
4. Soups
 
Unfortunately, most soups you find in restaurants and delis have a flour thickener and, thus, are not grain-free. However, making a delicious grain-free soup is easy to do (especially if you have a crock pot to let it simmer all day). Having homemade broth handy in your house is a must if you want every soup to be packed with savory flavor. Use the broth as a base for vegetable soups, beef stews, creamy potato leek, and any other recipe you desire. If you miss the crunchy toast that comes on the side of most soup, go for a different crunch and throw some roasted seeds or crispy parsnips on your soup.
 
5. Roast Dinners
 
On a grain-free diet, the oven is your friend. Roasting vegetables, meats, potatoes, and foods of your choice can turn out to be some of the best meals you've ever had. For an easy tasty roast dinner, find some acorn squash to bake and stuff it with sausage and mushrooms for a comforting but healthy dinner.
 

​An increasing number of medical professionals and scientists have been discussing links between modern grain products and chronic inflammatory and digestive illnesses. A variety of factors, such as genetic alteration, excessive input farming, and modern industrial milling have made grain-containing foods unhealthy. This has motivated some individuals to switch to a diet that contains no grain. Below are some helpful tips for transitioning to grain free eating:

​Use Greens in Place of Grain-Based Wraps
 
Wraps are a tasty and convenient lunch, and you do not have to give them up if you go grain free. Simply use leafy greens, such as lettuce or kale, in which to wrap your favorite meat, poultry or tuna.
 
Fill Up on Vegetables
 
Fill your refrigerator and pantry with a broad range of vegetables. When you eliminate grains, you are far more likely to eat more vegetables, which is a very positive aspect associated with a grain free diet. Experiment with different recipes for healthy dips to make your vegetables more tempting.
 
Make Use of Your Slow cooker
 
Roasting meat and chicken in a crock pot is a great way to make quick, healthy meals without having to follow complex recipes or spend time with complicated preparations. Crock pot recipes abound for beef and poultry, and you can simply pair such items with salads, fresh vegetables or fruit salad to create a balanced dinner. A crock pot can also be used for beans, soups and chili, so that healthy snacks are always available.
 
In addition, a little-known use for your crock pot is creating tasty breakfasts, such as egg and cheese casseroles or egg and vegetable omelets. You may have to invest in a crock pot model with a timer to ensure such creations are ready at the appropriate breakfast hour, but the convenience such an appliance offers should not be overlooked.
 
Keep Appropriate Baking Ingredients on Hand
 
Obviously, everyone enjoys dessert of one kind or another, and therefore you will be pleased to know that grain-free baking is surprisingly easy. This is because you only need a few vital ingredients that are not difficult to locate. These include the following:
 
• Unflavored grass-fed gelatin
• Maple syrup
• Raw honey
• Coconut sugar
• Arrowroot flour
• Coconut flour
 
Many grain-free desserts can be made in less than 30 minutes, and numerous easy-to-follow recipes can be found online without any difficulty.
 
Add Healthy Saturated Fats to Each Meal
 
Once touted as unhealthy, it is now understood that healthy fats and proteins are good sources of energy that do not wreak havoc with insulin levels, as do most grain products. Genuine, natural saturated fats assist your body to process nutrients. In addition, they reduce inflammation and keep you feeling full longer so that the urge to overeat is significantly lessened. Good examples of healthy fats to add to meals as you transition to your new diet include ghee, organic lard, palm shortening, unsalted, grass fed butter and coconut oil.
 
With a little time and effort it is easy to go grain free. Fortunately, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by making this healthy lifestyle change.
 

​Making the transition to a gluten-free diet is one of the hardest parts of realizing you have a gluten intolerance. You want to feel better, cure your headaches, and improve your indigestion by changing your diet, but actually doing it can be a bit of a culture shock. Many of the foods you eat on a daily basis will no longer be allowed and you need to become a stickler for reading ingredients of everything you eat. Here are some tips for transitioning to a gluten-free diet.

Start With Your Favorite Gluten-Free Foods
When you are making the transition to a gluten-free diet, you should first consider what foods you already eat that will still be allowed. This makes it easier for you because you can rely on some of your classic staples that you enjoy eating on a regular basis without feeling like you are missing out on anything. For example, most vegetables and fruits you eat already can still be enjoyed, such as lemon in your water, oranges as a snack, and bananas with your breakfast. Most meat can also be eaten, though you need to be careful with processed meat, such as packaged deli meat.

Buy Gluten-Free Substitute Products
While you eventually want to start making more food items from scratch, the transitional period can be quite a challenge. During this time, it is helpful to find some gluten-free substitutes of the foods you can no longer have. For example, you can usually find your favorite type of bread, biscuits, cookies, crackers, and cereal in a gluten-free version. There are usually boxes of gluten-free boxes as well. It used to be that only health food stores sold substitutes that were much more expensive than the standard form of these foods, but since gluten-free is becoming more popular, it is easier to find these food items in the supermarket.
​
Find Friends Who Want to Join You
It can be hard when you are doing this all alone. Try to find friends or family members that also want to reduce their gluten intake. This makes it easier when going through recipe books together, swapping ideas for meals, and going out to restaurants. If you have kids, try to transition them to a gluten-free diet as well so you don’t have the temptations in your household. Get your family together to come up with delicious gluten-free meals together.

While you might know about all the typical signs of having a gluten intolerance or sensitivity, such as stomach pain, indigestion, and headaches, there are some less common ones you might want to know about. Here are some of the less common signs of gluten intolerance to be aware of.

Skin Conditions
While you may not realize it, your skin condition, such as red splotches on the face and excessive dandruff on the scalp might actually be due to a gluten intolerance. While these conditions can be worse if you actually have an allergy to gluten or Celiac disease, people with an intolerance to gluten may also experience similar symptoms. You may find that you have a lot of dandruff and that using special shampoo doesn’t do much good. Perhaps you have redness on your face and can’t figure out why. These are both signs of eczema, which tend to be common among people who have issues with gluten.

Mental Health Disorders
If you are someone that struggles with a lot of different mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, it may very well be linked to your gluten intolerance. There have been quite a few studies that actually link gluten disorders and Celiac disease to anxiety and depression. Like the skin conditions, the symptoms might be worse with Celiac disease, but that doesn’t mean your anxiety or depression can’t also worsen if you have an intolerance to gluten. If you have noticed extreme irritability at odd time, worsening depression, or a sudden onset of anxiety, it might be a good time to consider other symptoms of gluten sensitivity.
​
Severe Digestion Problems
You likely know that having digestion issues is very common when you have an intolerance to gluten, but did you know it can cause more serious problems? For example, you might have irritable bowel syndrome, seemingly caused by nothing, but it ends up being linked to gluten. Try eating a gluten-free diet for a short period of time and see if your digestion and IBS symptoms improve. If they do, then these issues are directly linked to the gluten intolerance.
Any time you have an odd symptom, you should talk to your doctor about it. They might find that some of your symptoms are due to what you eat, such as the gluten in your diet. Removing gluten for a few days can tell you a lot about how you felt before compared to how you feel after.

​One of the struggles of discovering that you have a gluten intolerance is then trying to figure out what you can eat and especially how to put your meals together. You no longer eat rice or pasta as a side, bread your chicken, have dinner rolls, or eat anything you want. Even if you were on a low-carb or low-calorie diet previously, the gluten-free diet is not going to allow for the same types of foods. Here are some helpful ways to put together your gluten-free meals.

Get a Gluten-Free Cookbook
To start with, it is really helpful to have at least one gluten-free cookbook, but preferably a few different ones. These are going to be your point of reference not just for making sure you have plenty of recipes to choose from, but so you know what foods you can and can’t have. Many of the gluten-free cookbooks available are going to provide food lists, tips, and suggestions for creating meals that help with your gluten intolerance. While many of them cater to allergies or Celiac disease, you can still use the same recipes for your gluten sensitivity.

Start Baking Your Own Bread
This might sound like a huge chore, but once you make your own loaf of bread, you will wonder why you haven’t always done it. There is something about getting bread out of the oven or using a bread maker that is satisfying. Pulling a loaf of bread you made from scratch and slicing it up yourself is rather cathartic, not to mention the smell and fresh taste when it comes from your own kitchen. Baking your own bread helps to save money since you can use a gluten-free bread recipe instead of having to buy an expensive alternative at a local health foods store. Bread machines are easy to use and a quick way to make your own bread.

Find Grain Alternatives
While you can’t have many of the grains you are used to, there are still some that don’t contain gluten. Finding these and using them in your meals can really make up for what you are missing. For example, you might not be able to have some forms of rice or pasta, but you can still have quinoa. This is always gluten-free, healthy, low-fat, and really easy to include in all of your recipes. Also look for foods that naturally don’t have gluten so you don’t have to second guess anything, such as fresh produce, beans, nuts, and seeds.
​
Get Rid of the Processed Stuff
With things like dairy and meat, it is okay to eat these food items, but you want to avoid anything that is processed. Now is the perfect time to stop eating so much processed food and rely more on the natural options. Instead of hot dogs and deli meat, get ground beef, chicken breasts, and steak
 

​So, you've decided to go grain-free. This is a great choice, and you'll definitely be feeling the benefits in no time. But, it can be hard to stick to a diet plan if you don't enjoy what you're eating. Luckily, there are plenty of delicious meals that can be eaten on the grain-free diet.

​Breakfast
 
Cereal and oatmeal aren't the only breakfast meals, even if they typically come to mind first. Grain-free individuals can enjoy freshly cooked eggs with a side of bacon or ham, a nice juicy steak paired with hash browns or diced potatoes, or a Denver omelet with all the fixings.
 
If you prefer a lighter breakfast, you can have grain-free banana bread or pumpkin bread, made fresh at home or bought from a bakery. A simple parfait can be made with yogurt and whichever fruits you enjoy; blueberries, strawberries, and bananas are great toppings, especially when combined with nuts, giving you all the nutrients you need to start your morning. Grocery stores also sell a wide variety of grain-free breakfast bars, held together with egg whites and fruit, rather than oats or granola.
 
Lunch
 
Mid-day is here, and you wanted a sandwich or a burger, but they both have a big grain-filled bun on top! Not a problem, you can have your burger wrapped in lettuce, rather than a hunk of bread. Same great taste of grilled beef and your favorite toppings, lacking just the bread. As for sandwiches, there are now more grain-free breads on the market than ever before. Some are made from Almond or Coconut flour, among other types. These can be hit or miss, depending on your preferences, but they are absolutely worth giving a try before just cutting out your favorite hoagie or club sandwich from your meals.
 
If you aren't in the mood for a sandwich, try cooking up some home-made fried chicken. This is where almond flour really comes in handy, because you don't have to sacrifice the breading. You end up with a great, crispy exterior with the same delicious herbs and spices as any other fried chicken, minus the grains and the issues that come with it. As a side note, vegetable and canola oil are also rough on the stomach, while avocado, grape seed, peanut, and sunflower oil are much easier on the digestive system.
 
Dinner
 
There are countless great dinner meals that don't require grains at all. Even those that do contain grains can often be substituted without compromising flavor. Freshly seared salmon or any other type of fish, garnished with some lemon and rosemary, is healthy, flavorful, and doesn't contain one bit of grain.
 
Steak, grilled chicken, and salads are all wonderful meal ideas. The greatest benefit with salads are the seemingly limitless possibilities; Caesar, Cobb, Chicken, Chop, Mandarin, Tuna, Potato, and countless other variations of salads can be made and enjoyed. If you don't feel like cooking, there are restaurants everywhere that make extravagant salads; just order one, pick it up, and enjoy.
 

​Now that you understand a little more about what gluten is and how it affects your body if you have an intolerance to it, it is time to figure out what exactly you can eat. This is a new lifestyle, so don’t treat it like something you only do when convenient. If you think it will be better, start gradual by slowly removing food items with gluten one by one until eventually the majority of your diet doesn’t have it. Remember that you have a sensitivity, not an allergy, so you can still have some gluten in small quantities.

Foods With Gluten
Before discussing what you can eat when you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity, it helps to understand exactly what foods are going to contain gluten. It is found in grains like wheat, rye, barley, couscous, bulgur, semolina, triticale, spelt, and many others. This means the majority of cold cuts, commercial broth and bullion, malt, soup, breads, salad dressings, sauces, condiments, processed cheese, and processed foods will have it. Some food items you need to get rid of or reduce considerably are:

• Condiments and salad dressings
• Canned beans
• Processed meat like hot dogs
• Non-dairy creamer
• Egg substitutes
• Granola and trail mix
• Energy bars
• Ice cream
• Fruit filling and pudding
• Cereals and breads

Fruits and Vegetables
For starters, you can begin by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Most fresh produce, and some frozen, is not going to contain any type of gluten and won’t upset your stomach. Some good vegetables to have are greens, broccoli, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, leeks, fennel, artichoke, bok choy, rasishes, onions, cabbage, green beans, celery, and mushrooms. With fruits, you want to be careful about the sugar content. Try to go for fruits like tomato, bananas, lemons, limes, and some berries. These fruits tend to have a lower amount of sugar.
​
Fats and Seasonings
You don’t have to worry too much about having flavor with your food, just because you can’t have most grains. Healthy fats are a great thing to add to your gluten-free diet, including olive oil and coconut oil, nut butter, olives, nuts, seeds, almond milk, and butter if it is organic and grass-fed. With seasonings and condiments, feel free to have anything without sugar, soy, and wheat. This means mustard, salsa and horseradish are fine, but ketchup is unfortunately out.
As you can see, your new lifestyle will provide you with a lot of tasty, nutritious food even without having gluten.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have undoubtedly seen or heard many people saying they are reducing their gluten or giving it up altogether. In some cases, people actually have allergies or a condition called Celiac disease, which is causing gluten to make them ill. Others simply have a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten. The latter is more common, so that is what we are going to talk about.

What is Gluten?
Gluten is a type of protein that is found in a variety of different grains. Many people think about wheat as being gluten, but it can also be found in rye, oats, and barley. The gluten protein is made up of other proteins, including gluten in and gliadin. These are often more closely linked to people that have negative reactions in the form of a gluten allergy or Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune condition of the small intestine. The symptoms are slightly different when comparing an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten as opposed to actually being allergic to it.

Common Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
When you have an intolerance to gluten, your symptoms can range from mild discomfort and abdominal pain, to some of the more common signs of being allergic to gluten. First of all, you might find that you have abdominal discomfort or indigestion when you consume foods with a lot of wheat or rye. There are actually many regular food items that contain wheat or other grains, that you would otherwise think are harmless. You may eat a simple sandwich with wheat bread and suddenly find that your stomach is hurting and you might even have diarrhea or nausea. Some other common symptoms include headaches, skin changes, and allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and runny nose.
​
Lifestyle Changes
If you are found to have a gluten sensitivity, you don’t have to completely give up all gluten, but you do need to decrease it as much as possible. The more foods you eat with gluten, the worse you are going to end up feeling. They might not cause serious illness like if you had Celia disease, but gluten can definitely make you feel ill. If you want those stomach aches and migraines to go away, stay away from foods with wheat, rye, or barley. This includes most breads, grains, pasta, and a wide range of packaged and processed foods. You should try to stick to a diet consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein like meat. 

​Tea is hot, healthy and refreshing. Not only is it loaded with beneficial nutrients but it also contains zero calories which means you can enjoy multiple cups each day without gaining weight. Plus, there are plenty of varieties to choose from, so there’ll definitely be a tea out there that matches your taste buds. In this article I’ll be listing five of the best healthy teas you should try.

1. Black Tea
 
Black tea has a strong, distinctive flavor and can be enjoyed hot or cold and drank with or without milk. There are two main reasons why black tea is so good for you. First, it keeps you hydrated and protects against the harmful effects of dehydration. Second, it contains high levels of flavan-3-ols (a group of powerful phytonutrients that are also referred to as catechins or flavanols).
 
2. Ginger Tea
 
Ginger tea is a herbal infusion that utilizes the power of ginger to boost your health. It has a warm, spicy flavor and is a great choice if you want to clear your throat. Since it contains ginger, this herbal infusion has no flavan-3-ols but does supply your body with lots of copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.
 
3. Green Tea
 
Green tea is probably the most popular tea in health and fitness circles and is regularly praised for its strong antioxidant content and its cancer fighting properties. It has a light vegetal taste which is both unique and refreshing. Like black tea, green tea is very hydrating and is also packed full of flavan-3-ols.
 
4. Rooibos Tea
 
Rooibos is a herbal infusion that tastes similar to black tea but is slightly sweeter. It contains zero calories and because of this, it’s a great choice just before bed. In terms of nutrition, rooibos tea contains large amounts of flavan-3-ols, phenolic compounds and the antioxidants aspalathin and nothofagin.
 
5. White Tea
 
White tea is a lesser known tea that is slowly gaining popularity in the Western world. It has a mild but fruity flavor and is a satisfying alternative to green tea. White tea comes from the same plant as black tea and green tea and contains the highest concentration of flavan-3-ols of all three.
 
Summary
 
By drinking these five teas on a regular basis, you can enjoy a wide range of health benefits which include cancer prevention, enhanced energy levels, a healthy heart, reduced stress levels, stronger bones and teeth and much more. So get the kettle on, brew up and start hydrating with tea today.

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​When lunchtime rolls around, you want to be able to put together a simple meal that is nutritious, filling, and doesn’t take a lot of time. The following lunch ideas will fit all of these requirements.

Pita, Hummus, and Veggies
This Meditteranean inspired lunch is such a fun and easy to put together that, and you can even gather ingredients the morning before work and not spend too much time on it. Get a bag of whole wheat pita bread and a container of hummus. Since you are reducing your processed foods, making your hummus is preferred, and it is easy to make with a food processor. If you don't have one, at least choose your container hummus wisely and look at the ingredients. Open up the pita, add some hummus, and layer the veggies. That's all you need to do.

Sandwich or Wrap
You can still eat sandwiches for lunch while clean eating, but re-think the ingredients you are using.  To start with, stop using pre-sliced or processed meat and cheese for your sandwiches. Go to your grocery store’s deli section and get meat sliced right there. It will be fresh, much better for you, not processed and fewer preservatives, and you will be amazed by how much better it tastes. You can also get your cheese sliced in the deli, or you can buy a block of cheese and slice it up yourself. Remember that dairy is a borderline approved food with clean eating, so try to find cheese from grass-fed cows if you can.

If you don’t want to have cheese with your sandwich, homemade hummus is another great addition. Pile on the veggies onto your sandwich and use whole grain bread when you can. Wraps will be lower in carbs and only require a big lettuce leaf.
​
No-Mayo Chicken or Tuna Salad
With clean eating, mayonnaise isn't necessarily a big no-no, but dairy in general needs to be ‘from the farm' as much as possible. Many people make their own, or you can try to look at the ingredients of organic mayonnaise. Another option is to make tuna or chicken salad with no mayonnaise at all.  Another option is to use mashed-up avocado. This healthy fat is approved on a clean eating diet. Chicken is better than tuna since it doesn't come in a can and you can even prep it ahead of time to use for lunches. Cut your chicken into small pieces, add your avocado and any other veggies or seasonings. You can have it in a wrap, on its own, or alongside some fruits or veggies.