Suggesting or mind control….
We have probably all done this in the past where you have been told to Google a subject and see what suggestions it throws up. Well I thought I’d see what Google has to say when it comes to gluten free.
But first I think we need to know why Google suggests what it does.
Is it actual searches by other people or just Google wanting us to delve deeper into to its information hole.
To find out a bit more I did have to go into the Google hole but I found some interesting info.
The suggestions that Google throw up when you type are the most popular searches people have Googled.
That in its self is scary as sometime it throws up totally innaproprate suggestions and some down right wrong ones too!
However, Google have stated that other factors do go into their suggestions not just peoples searches.
Google also adjusts their suggestions depending on location. This can help if you are searching for something in a particular area, for example gluten free restaurant; it will show you restaurants close to you.
The suggestions are also not in ranked order; so the first to be suggested is not always the most popular search. However they will show you popular searchs for the time of year or popular event. For example at Christmas it may suggest gluten free Christmas dinner as a search suggestion but will not suggest that at Easter or in the summer.
So what did Google suggest from the UK in a wet and sloppy January afternoon.
I did initally just Google “gluten free” and it suggested things like GF bread, GF foods and GF yorkshire pudding (yes I’m up north and we love Yorkshire puds!)
But I wanted to delve a bit deeper and people often ask me about how a gluten free diet affects me as a whole; my mind, body and socially.
So I thought I would see what is suggested if I Google….
From the suggestion a lot of people are worried about how a GF could affect their weight. Either gaining weight or losing. People have also Googled if it can cause constipation.
I have recently blogged about GF diets and the suggestion that its more unhealthier and will add weight and you can find this here.
Regards the suggestion about being harmful, this will take some researching from myself and its a topic I will definitely do some work on. So stay tuned for more info!
To keep upto date with all your Allergic Foodie blogs and updates, don’t forget to give us a follow on social media and by email. Click here for email subscription.
So today I’d like to address the physical health issues people have Googled: constipation. I will do a further blog on anemia as my GF journey started with, and is still fighting, anemia. I do disscuss part of my journey my about me section.
Constipation, its a bum deal….
One of the suggestions on the Google search was:
“can being gluten free cause constipation”
The simple anwer is yes.
But nothing is ever that simple.
Constipation is not being able to poop in your normal way. And is described as:
– Not going for a poop at least 3 times in a week
– Your poop being hard and lumpy
– You have to strain or are in pain when you try to poop
Healthcare workers classify poops by using the Bristol stool chart . Your poop, when constipated, will look type 1 or type 2 (hard). Normal poops should be around the type 3-4 range (formed).
GF diets can often lack fiber and according to the Bristol stool chart type 5 (fluffy) can be seen in those with less fiber in their diet.
So if less fiber can causes fluffy poops, why can it also cause hard poops?
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot completly brake down and digested by its digestive enzymes. That makes fiber sound like the bad guy, but we do need this tough little carb in our diet. Fiber helps prevent and reduce the risk of particular conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and constipation.
Fiber can be found in many food sources, however most fiber is found in wholegrains which for those following a GF its their personal enemy. So with less fiber in your diet, are you at risk of becoming constipated?
How much fiber you require in your diet depends on your required calorie intake per day. If you need a higher calorie diet you need more fiber.
If you require 2400-3000 calories a day you need around 30-38 grams of fiber a day. If you require a lower calorie diet 1500-2000 you need around 21-25 grams of fiber. Your calorie intake depends on alot of factors; age, mobility, daily activity, physical and mental health, lifestyle and body size. If you are concened or have questions regarding your calorie intake please go and speak to your GP or dietitian.
There are two types of fiber we can find in foods and both play a different part in our diets:
Insoluble fiber helps to move bulk through and keep the pH balanced in your intestines. It helps bowel movement and prevents constipation as well as helping prevent colon cancer through its regulation of the intestines pH levels.
Soluble fiber helps regulate sugar levels in those with diabetes by slowing of the stomach emptying, in turn slowing sugar absorbtion and helps lower total and LDL cholesterol by binding with fatty acids.
Foods to avoid with fiber on a GF diet:
- Wholegrains
- Wheat bran
- Oats
- Barley
- Rye
Food with good fiber intake that are safe for a GF diet:
| Foods | Serving amount | Fiber content (grams) |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8.0 |
| Pear | 1 medium | 5.5 |
| Apple, with skin | 1 medium | 4.5 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 3.0 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 3.0 |
| Strawberry | 1 cup | 3.0 |
| Green peas, boiled | 1 cup | 9.0 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1 cup chopped | 5.0 |
| Turnip green, boiled | 1 cup | 5.0 |
| Brussels sprouts, boiled | 1 cup | 4.0 |
| Potato, with skin, baked | 1 medium | 4.0 |
| Sweetcorn, boiled | 1 cup | 3.5 |
| Cauliflower, raw | 1 cup chopped | 2.0 |
| Carrot, raw | 1 medium | 1.5 |
| Split peas, boiled | 1 cup | 16.0 |
| Lentils, boiled | 1 cup | 15.5 |
| Black beans, boiled | 1 cup | 15.0 |
| Chia seeds | 1 ounce | 10.0 |
| Almonds | 1 ounce (23 nuts) | 3.5 |
| Pistachios | 1 ounce (49 nuts) | 3.0 |
| Sunflower kernels | 1 ounce | 3.0 |
| Baked beans | 1 cup | 10.0 |
| Tofu | 3/4 cup | 2.8 |
| Edamame | 1/2 cup | 1.5 |
| Avocado | 1/2 | 2.1 |
| Sweet potato | 1/2 cup | 1.8 |
| Asparagus | 1/2 cup | 1.7 |
| Flax seed | 1 tbsp | 1.1 |
| Nectarine, with skin | 1 medium | 1.2 |
As human’s, especially the British, we don’t tend to talk about bathroom habits and especially poop.
But we should and like most taboo subject’s often avoid in conversation poop and issues with poop are often covered up or ignored.
Your poop can tell you alot about what is going on in your insides and its a product we make that should not be ignored.
If you have any issues concerning your health and wellbeing please go and speak to a healthcare worker. There is no shame or embarrasment in discussing poop issues. Please be open and get yourself checked out.
#poopambassador
allergic-foodie.com 