How to lose weight and be healthy

Here are some simple rules to get you started with your journey to better health!

- Eliminate gluten grains from your diet.

That includes breads, pastas, and pastries; usually anything labeled "whole grain" you should avoid.

(Wheat, rye, barley, etc.)

For carbohydrates, focus on root tubers, such as potatoes and yams. White rice is also acceptable, just don't go overboard with it.

-Eliminate vegetable oils rich in omega-6

That includes soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, sesame oil.

Cook with animal fats such as lard or tallow, Coconut oil, and organic butter.

-Reduce sugar intake and eliminate caloric drinks.  

No candy, Soda, Sports drinks, or juices.  Stick to drinking water, tea, coffee or milk; don't overdue it on the milk unless you are trying to gain muscle.  

Also cut down on fruits. If you are trying to lose weight, limit fruit intake to 1 serving per day.

- Get plenty of sleep and exercise

Everyone knows how important it is to get enough sleep, but did you also know that studies show getting more sleep can help you lose fat? Plenty of rest is essential for weight loss. Never cut corners on sleep. 

Try to exercise at least 2-3 times a week.  Interval training, strength training, resistance training, dancing, jogging, long walks; anything to get your heart pumping! 

- Skip a meal once in a while!

You don't need to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with snacks in between all the time.  Give your body a break!  Try skipping a meal every now and then.  Intermittent fasting is your best friend.

-Focus meats

Beef, Lamb, Goat, Bison, Pork, Chicken, and Turkey.  Beef and Lamb have priority over all other meats. 

Seafood is okay.  Just focus on the whole fish. Sardines, anchovies etc.  

-Eat eggs!  

Aim for at least 4 eggs a day. Not only are they rich in healthy fats, they are also a great source of Choline, and Vitamin B12; essential nutrients that promote brain function and a healthy body.  

I would also recommend looking at a weight loss calculator to show the calorie restrictions you would need to reach your weight loss goal.  Counting calories is not everything, but it can definitely help those of us who need a little extra help to get the numbers on the scale moving.    If you are trying your best to stick to a certain number of calories per day, and it becomes difficult to handle, don't stress about it.  If you must eat, focus on protein with enough fat to keep you from being painfully hungry. 

Goodluck!

*Announcement* All of these recommendations are  mainly based off of the book "The Perfect Health Diet" I modified the ratios  to help my family members lose weight. 

Thank you.

Sugar: Fructose Part 5/5. Sugar Alternatives

First I would like to point out the misleading marketing regarding different forms of sugar. For example, sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, “organic” evaporated cane juice, etc. Other than some trace amounts of random minerals, they are all molecularly identical, just different names for the same thing. Don't be fooled by marketers. They want you to think that “organic sugar” is somehow magically free from the health problems that are associated with sugar, so that you will feel free to enjoy their products guilt-free; however, it makes no difference in the slightest.

There are a lot of new sugar alternatives out there and new ones coming out all the time. Some of them are possibly harmless, and some of them are utterly terrible. Here are the ones I would recommend, and which ones to avoid completely and why.

Avoid

Aspartame: Aspartame arguably should never have been approved by the FDA. It has had its doubters since the beginning and continues to draw criticism. Some of the effects of aspartame poisoning according to the FDA, are head aches, vision loss, including blindness, seizures and neurological problems. It is said that 80% of complaints to the FDA are aspartame related. Also, studies have found that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats, and these studies were conducted prior to FDA approval; the FDA resisted approving it for years because of these studies and concerns about aspartame's effects, but unfortunately they gave into the political pressure and ended up approving it.

If that isn't enough to make you steer clear of this sweetener, lets ask ourselves “What is aspartame?” Aspartame is not a natural sweetener; It was synthesized in a lab. Aspartame is composed of the compounds Phenylalanine(an amino acid), aspartic acid (also an amino acid) and methanol (a wood alcohol that holds it all together). The problem with this is that aspartame can break down in the body, and methanol is highly toxic. If you don't believe me, just read the warning label on a container of windshield de-icer.

Methanol also converts into formaldehyde, also known as embalming fluid, the stuff that is used to preserve dead bodies. Needless to say, this is not something that you want to ingest. During the Gulf War, cases of diet soda sat out in the desert for weeks while the soldiers drank them. In the heat, the aspartame broke down, and many soldiers suffered the symptoms of methanol and formaldehyde poisoning. Some say that the so-called “Gulf War syndrome” can be attributed to this alone. 

Please stay away from this artificial sweetener.

Splenda: I used to think that Splenda was all right, up until I read about some studies on rats that discovered that Splenda affects the bacteria population in the intestines. Specifically, it has been found to harm them and reduce their number. This is bad because maintaining a healthy population of good bacteria is extremely important to good health. Intestinal bacteria play a big part in the absorption of some nutrients, and they also play a key role in a healthy metabolism. For example, the rats in the study who were fed Splenda got fatter. So, for now, I recommend avoiding Splenda, as it may be a hindrance (obstacle) to the pursuit of a healthy body. And it certainly isn't “Paleo” by any means, either.

Agave: Agave nectar is often recommended because it has less effect on your blood sugar. However, glycemic impact is not the whole story for sweeteners. In fact, agave nectar is just as bad as sugar, if not worse. Agave nectar is made from the agave plant using a heat hydrolyzation process that breaks down the carbohydrates into sugars. The end product is quite similar to high-fructose corn syrup and should not be considered a health food. Agave nectar is very high in fructose and there's really nothing redeeming about it to mention. Treat it no differently than you would sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Sorbitol:  Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that you will mainly find in processed foods. It's been known to cause irritable bowel syndrome among many people and out of all the sugar alcohols, this one seems to have the most problems.  You're better off avoiding it.  

Neutral recommended sweeteners

Erythritol: Erythritol belongs to a family of compounds called “sugar alcohols.” Erythritol, like other sugar alcohols, occurs naturally in small amounts in various plants and fruits. Erythritol is very low in calories and has basically no effect on blood sugar. It may cause mild indigestion in some people but no harmful side effects have been discovered. Based on current knowledge, I think erythritol is probably a relatively safe sweetener. You can find it in many diet soda's such as "Zevia" and also "Sobe's" 0 Calorie drinks. 

Xylitol: Xylitol is another sugar alcohol which is growing in popularity. Similar to erythritol, it has minimal effect on blood sugar, though xylitol has more calories. For many people, xylitol may cause unpleasant indigestion and bloating. Xylitol, like erythritol, is not metabolized by the bacteria in the mouth and therefore does not contribute to the formation of dental cavities. Overall, xylitol is a pretty good substitute for sugar, if you don't suffer the digestive side effects too severely.

Maltitol: Maltitol is another sugar alcohol. Virtually all sugar-free chocolates use maltitol as a sugar substitute. Maltitol has a greater effect on the blood sugar levels than erythritol or xylitol, and also contains more calories. Although it behaves more or less identically to sugar in many ways, maltitol is notorious for causing digestive discomfort. Consume it at your own peril; it tastes and feels great at the time you eat it, but you'll almost certainly regret it later. Consider yourself warned! 

Stevia: Stevia is a plant extract from the stevia plant, which is native to South America and Central America. It is believed to have been used by humans for many thousands of years. It is 300 times sweeter then table sugar, so you need very little. Currently there is no conclusive evidence for any harmful effects of stevia; however, lots of research still needs to be done. It is probably too soon to give stevia a free pass, but for now, we know of no reason to forbid it, either.   In studies where patients replaced sugar with stevia researchers found improvements in insulin sensitivity (which is very helpful for diabetics) and reduced hypertension (high blood pressure.) Whether the cause is from stevia alone, is unsure of at this point. It could just be because they eliminated sugar. 

Raw Honey: Honey, especially raw, unheated honey, is a very complex substance that is much more than just sugar. Raw honey contains a multitude of micronutrients including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and is known to have some benefits. In contrast to regular sugar, raw honey seems to improve insulin sensitivity. In studies, raw honey seems to avoid the negative effects of other sugars. Additionally, some believe that it can strengthen the immune system. I conclude that raw honey is probably okay in small amounts. Make sure it is raw honey; raw honey should be a thick paste. If it is clear and syrupy, it is not raw. And in general, the darker the color, the better. 

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All the neutral sweeteners I mentioned I wouldn't worry too much about. You can substitute them for sugar to bake cookies, cakes and pretty much any gluten-free baked goods. :)   You just need to find the one that fits you the best.  I don't recommend making any of these a major part of your diet, because you should learn to eat whole foods and work your way away from sweets, but if you ever see a sugar free treat or drink with them, i wouldn't worry too much about it.  Unless they contained wheat or vegetable oils; that would compromise things.;)

I will continue to keep updated on these sugar alternatives.  If I ever do find that any of these neutral sweeteners I've mentioned are harmful in any way, i will write about it!

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Sugar: Fructose Part 4/5. Fruits Are Not All That.

All of our lives, we've been repeatedly told that fruit is so healthy that we need to eat “5 a day.” It probably seems ridiculous to question whether or not fruit has any benefit, but bear with me, because the actual scientific evidence does not support this notion.

In observational studies, higher fruit and vegetable consumption is sometimes associated with better health, but in these studies there are so many other factors; higher fruit intake can be good if it is replacing processed trans-fat-laden junk foods. Higher fruit intake often correlates with higher economic status, which is itself commonly associated with better health.

However, the secret that they won't tell you is that in controlled trials, the only studies that can prove a cause and effect relationship, fruits have failed to live up to the hype. In intervention studies where subjects are instructed to eat more fruit without changing any other factors, there is no benefit observed to health markers or mortality.

You might be asking, “What about the antioxidants in fruit that everyone is always talking about?” A Polish study observed a group of cyclists that eliminated fruits and vegetables from the diet for 10 weeks. Compared to the control group, the no-fruit group actually experienced a decrease in oxidative damage. Somehow, by eliminating all the antioxidants in fruit and vegetables from the diet, they managed to suffer less oxidation!

Have you ever wondered why fruits have so many antioxidants? They don't make them for our benefit. Perhaps they are protecting themselves from something. Something that is highly oxidating... something highly oxidating that is found abundantly in modern fruits...

Am I the only one who guessed sugar? :)  Fruits have been bred to be very rich in sugar, much more than wild fruits were, so the plant must defend itself. Something similar happens in humans. Studies have failed to find that the antioxidants in fruit have an actual anti-oxidant effect in our bodies; instead, our body increases the production of the natural antioxidant uric acid in response to sugar. The problem with this is that too much uric acid leads to problems like gout, where uric acid crystallizes into little sharp needles in your joints and causes arthritis. This is a problem, because us humans, along with apes and dogs, are the only species lacking the enzyme uricase which breaks down uric acid.  

Another major study, the Women's Healthy Eating and Living study, took women who had survived breast cancer and put some of them on a diet that was supplemented with fruits, fruit juice and more vegetables. They followed these subjects for over 7 years. The conclusion, in their own words:

“Among survivors of early stage breast cancer, adoption of a diet that was very high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber, and low in fat did not reduce additional breast cancer events or mortality during a 7.3-year follow up period.”

At least they had the integrity to be honest about their findings. It must have been hard to admit it. But could it be any more clear? All those extra servings of fruits and vegetables did nothing to protect those women from cancer or extend their lives by a statistically significant amount.

When you examine the evidence scientifically, fruits come out looking neutral at best, and possibly detrimental if eaten in significant amounts. In the end, for all of their supposed benefits, they're not enough to make up for the sugar. There is certainly no reason to go out of your way to eat more fruits or vegetables.

 Essential for health? Nope.  Any benefits at all?  Nope.  

In a Dutch study, a group which ate more vitamin c and more plant anti-oxidants, displayed no difference in their actual resistance to oxidation of LDL cholesterol, compared to the low anti-oxidant group. It looks on paper like it should make a difference, but in reality it didn't. In another study, out of different diets that were tested, the high sugar diet produced the greatest level of bacterial waste products, suggesting that infectious bacteria were thriving. This shows how sugar can make you sick, or at least stop you from getting better.

Less sugary fruits may be okay occasionally but don't fool yourself in to thinking that you need them or that they're protecting you.  All these miracle fruits come out every year like Acai berry, and Goji berry, and it makes my teeth cringe. You are not doing your body any good by drinking sugar drinks. 

“Plants are not essential, or magic” as Dr. Kurt Harris says. Don't believe the hype.    

Sugar: Fructose Part 3/5

A couple nights ago, I added a bit more information on oxidation and glycation in my previous post, which I neglected to explore in detail. Take another look at it. It is highlighted in light green just in case you missed it. (Thank you Mom!)

Today, we will be talking about sugars unique ability to promote cancer cell growth. In a recent study conducted by a team at UCLA, researchers found that although cancer cells will consume glucose to survive, fructose caused them to proliferate(multiply) at a much greater rate.

Dr. Anthony Heaney at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and team wrote "Fructose activates a key cellular pathway that drives cell division, promoting the growth of cancer cells" 

Cancer cell proliferation. 

Read the full article here. And another one here. 

This is pretty scary, considering sugar and high fructose corn syrup is consumed massively on a daily basis. By default, this is what our body deals with; fructose aside. 

On a daily basis, our bodies are dealing with minor stress from oxygen; but we are evolved to handle that, it's part of life. It's our natural wear and tear as animals. Our body fights off oxidative damage alone just by breathing. Fortunately, we have evolved mechanisms of homeostasis. Homeostasis is our bodies natural self regulation. Our bodies want to maintain equilibrium, and if left alone, it will more or less take care of itself. The body is an amazing thing in this way. If you don't disrupt the system and the balance, your body's natural tendency for homeostasis will keep things going smoothly. You have to really overwhelm the system in order to upset the balance and send your metabolism running off the rails. We evolved these mechanisms, but our body didn't foresee foods such a vegetable oils, wheat, high fructose corn syrup and excess amounts of sugar. They are disrupting our natural balance, and are too recent in our diet for us to evolve handling them.

Your body is also creating millions of cells everyday to replace the ones that are dying. There are bound to be errors with thousands of these cells; mistakes will be made. Cancer cells are formed everyday, but in a healthy body they are eliminated.

However, when there is too much fructose in your system, some of those cancer cells might be stimulated enough to survive and reproduce, potentially leading to life-threatening cancer.

Everyone's body is already dealing with the day to day damage, and that doesn't factor in genetics. Some bodies are more prone to defects then others. What did your mom eat before she conceived you, and what did she eat during her pregnancy? These things matter, and play a huge role in the way each and every one of us turned out. I can imagine the amount of damage mothers do to their kids during the 9 months. It makes me wonder about stillbirth. Studies have found the amount of oxidative stress in the mothers body both during pregnancy and during breast feeding, can contribute to chromosomal damage and defects in the child. This needs to be studied more, but you can't deny that there could be a connection. Stillbirth causes: birth defects, chromosomal abnormalities, poor fetal growth, placental problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure in the mother, can all be explained by the modern diet.

DNA is like your body's blueprint, that tells your cells how to form and what to do; when your DNA chromosomes are damaged, cells aren't going to form properly and aren't going to work right. What do we know that causes DNA damage? Oxidation and glycation. If you've been reading this blog, you know that vegetable oils and sugar are the major dietary causes of oxidative stress and glycation.

It is very depressing to think about the amount of damage that a baby can suffer during its formative stages as a direct result of the mother's diet. It is possible that many defects that are blamed on genetics could be avoided by a better, less oxidative diet.

Your child's health is influenced by choices that you make starting even before pregnancy and continuing during the entire term, and during breast-feeding. Don't wait until the child is born to start thinking about his health. Please for his/her sake eat right, and also breast feed your child. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that its not the healthiest food for your baby, or that it doesn't matter if you use formula, because IT DOES. Some studies have found that the majority who die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) were formula fed, and babies that were breast fed were less likely to die from SIDS. Breast milk is specially formulated by evolution to be the perfect food for your baby. Breast milk is a source of loric acid, a saturated fat which in the body metabolizes into monolaurin which is a natural antibiotic/ anti-viral, which is great for your immune system. If you don't breast feed, your baby is missing out on the protective benefit of monolaurin, and every other benefit from breast milk.

Have you ever checked out the ingredients for Similac baby formula?

 42.6% Corn Syrup Solids, Soy protein, Safflower oil, Sugar (sucrose), and Soy oil as their top ingredients. 

This is very sad.  Where's the nutrition? How can anyone feed their child that sad excuse for nourishment? All that corn syrup, sugar, and vegetable oils, really? Dr. Robert H. Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, came out with the video “Sugar the Bitter Truth” link here --(youtube.com) .  He talks about the obesity epidemic with fructose and the damaging effects baby formula is having on infants. As Dr. Lustig puts it, Similac is a 'Baby Milkshake.' 

In my next post, I will get to the other topics I promised to write about in my previous post. This post was much longer than anticipated.   Take care.

Sugar: Fructose Part 2/5

-Sorry for taking so long with my updates; work and free time have been tight lately. I will try my best to update at least once a week, but we'll see. I will do my best. Please keep checking back for more posts! 

In my last post, I explained how triglycerides were formed. It is important to keep your triglycerides low. High triglycerides (Hypertriglyceridemia) are one of the strongest predictors of heart disease. High levels of triglycerides in the blood are believed to cause atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque on artery walls.

Your goal should be to keep your triglyceride under 100. When you get a blood test, its crucial you ask your doctor what your triglyceride count is, your HDL, and your LDL. Your doctor will probably make a big deal out of your total cholesterol, but that is because he/she went to school in the 70s, living through the whole "saturated fat/cholesterol is bad" phase. Pay no attention to his/her ignorance. Nowadays we know that total cholesterol is not very meaningful. Triglycerides are what really show what's going on.

A low triglyceride count indicates that your LDL cholesterol is most likely the large, fluffy, harmless type, whereas when triglycerides are very high, you almost certainly have the dangerous small, dense LDL. Additionally, you should aim to have a ratio of triglycerides to HDL that is less than 2 to 1. For example, HDL: 60, Triglycerides: 120,  that is pretty easy to do with the diet that I recommend, and you can do a lot better than that easily if you stick to it. You can easily have HDL that is even higher than your triglycerides. 80 HDL is great, and 100 is even better. Low fat diets fail to protect you from heart disease. On a low fat diet, your HDL is less than 40, and that's a danger zone. You want to keep it over 60 at the very least.

Although it is a bit more complicated, it may be helpful for you to think of it like this: Eating lots of sugar or too many carbs leads to high triglycerides, and eating plenty of saturated fat is a good way to raise HDL. So a diet that is higher in saturated fat and lower in sugar and carbs will tend to promote the healthiest heart. 

Another issue I'd like to talk about is sugar causing high levels of oxidation/glycation in the body. Oxygen is a highly reactive element; when oxygen reacts with another material it is called oxidation, and it produces molecules that are called oxygen free-radicals. These free radicals are unstable molecules that will react with other molecules, causing cellular damage and possibly even DNA damage and mutation. When metal rusts, or when a cut apple turns brown, that's an example of oxygen reacting with it. When oxidation reactions happen in the human body, it's called aging.


Glycation is when a glucose or fructose molecule binds to a protein or fat; picture sugar turning into caramel in your bloodstream. It's sticky and gunky and easily binds to receptors, proteins, and the walls of your arteries. It's very harmful and has a number of damaging effects, including cellular damage. Glycation and oxidation  both lead to the formation of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products), which are believed to contribute to cancer, degeneration, and accelerated aging. According to recent studies, fructose causes glycation and oxidation at 10 times the rate of glucose, so you can see why it is important to limit sugar intake. Starches, which are made of glucose polymers, cause much less damage and stress. The average American consumes 150 pounds of sugar a year, which is about 200 grams of sugar a day.

 Look at the bag of sugar in the picture of my previous post. The average American eats 30 bags of those a year. 30 bags! Your body wasn't made to handle that much sugar! And its certainly taking its toll on people. Vegetable oils (like I've mentioned in a previous post) are vulnerable to lipid peroxidation and cause even worse oxidative stress than fructose does. Virtually all processed foods are made of some combination of sugar and vegetable oils and usually wheat as well. Walk around the middle aisles at a supermarket sometime and try to find something that doesn't have sugar or vegetable oils in it. It's difficult. 

In my next post I will talk about sugars unique ability to promote cancer cell growth, sugar alternatives, the problem with fruit, and sugar causing uric acid which lead to gout.

Sugar: Fructose Part 1/5

As a forewarning, this is going to be a very long multi-part series of posts. Sugar is very problematic and can not be explained in just one entry. In short, here are some of the issues I will be discussing about sugar:

-Sugar promotes fatty liver disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

-Sugar directly causes elevated triglycerides, which are a major contributor to heart disease.

-Sugar causes high levels of oxidation/glycation.

-Sugar has a unique ability to promote cancer cell growth.
-Sugar in fruits and why fruits are not as healthy as you think.

-Sugar causes elevated uric acid levels which lead to gout.

-Sugar alternatives

Over the course of the following posts I will discuss each of these issues individually.

Let's start with explaining what sugar is and why it is different than other carbohydrates. Although technically all simple carbohydrates are sugars, when I talk about sugar, I'm referring to the monosaccharride Fructose and molecules that contain it, such as sucrose which is a disaccharide made up of glucose and fructose. Sucrose is the common white sugar that everybody knows and loves.

Unlike other carbohydrates, fructose follows a different metabolic pathway in the body. Fructose is metabolized by the liver only. When you eat fructose, the liver stops everything and just works on processing this fructose. Over time, too much of this causes cirrhosis and fatty liver disease that looks remarkably similar to the effects of alcoholism.

In your liver, fructose is initially converted into glycogen, which is your bodies preferred way of storing carbohydrates. But, the liver can only hold a certain amount, usually around 100 grams or so. Once the liver is full it has to start making fructose into triglycerides and palmitic acid, which is a fat that will eventually be stored in the body. Some of these lipids (palmitic acid and triglycerides) are stored in the liver which is what makes it fat; hence, fatty liver disease. This condition, causes the liver to become insulin resistant because it can't hold anymore glucose. In fact, it starts leaking out glucose into your blood. Once this happens, your pancreas has to produce more insulin to prevent your blood sugar from getting too high and now you have chronically elevated insulin and you're on the road to type 2 diabetes. Vegetable oils also play a major role in this process, and there's some evidence that healthy saturated fat can help prevent this. Which I will talk about in a later post.

The long term effects of too much sugar

All of this, is your plane ticket to metabolic syndrome; a collection of related health problems that includes diabetes, obesity and ultimately heart disease. I want you to really look at the Standard American Diet. (S.A.D.) <----The acronym says it all. Sugar is in everything. Soda, the normal latte coffee every morning, cake, ice cream, TV dinners and pre-made foods, breakfast cereals, fast food, pastries, candy bars, those small packages of nerds, gummie bears and skittles people pop in their mouth like nothing, and even the supposed healthy foods, like fruit smoothies and yogurt. A large Jamba juice can have over 100 grams of sugar. How much did I say the liver can hold again? 100? Talk about a massive overload of sugar. The juice alone is enough as it is, and that's just one smoothie. I highly doubt that would be the only sugar you ate that day. And by the way, if you think the antioxidants in fruits are going to help you, think again. More about this in a later entry.

Try going without sugar for a week, and you'll start to realize how hard it is to avoid. And actually read the ingredients on everything, don't just assume it doesn't have sugar; the food industry loves to hide sugar in everything to make it taste better. It's insane how much sugar you can eat in a day without even realizing it.

I'm sick of hearing “Low carb is bad” ...Are you kidding me? You have no idea how important a low carb diet is for real health, not just weight loss. That's just what happens when you stop sabotaging your body and give it a chance to repair itself for once. An improvement in body composition is an indirect effect of your body finally working as intended. Low carb diets are not a gimmick or a crash diet. It's the way we were meant to eat to be healthy, and the way we did eat for hundreds of thousands of years.    

The Do's and Don'ts for Wheat-free Gluten-free Alternatives

It might seem like eliminating wheat means giving up everything you love. That may be true, depending on how addicted you are to french bread :) But for many things, there are alternatives that will satisfy those cravings. You shouldn't rely on these foods to be your main meal; they're healthier than wheat, but they're still not ideal. But It might help you stick to a gluten free diet, however, if you know that there's alternatives out there for special occasions.

White rice noodles are traditional for some Asian foods, but they also make great macaroni and cheese, casseroles, fettuccine Alfredo, and virtually anything you could make with pasta. Shirataki noodles is also a great alternative. They go by other names such as "Konnyaku" or "Yam" noodles.  They are like 97% water and the rest is fiber. They are low carb, have barely any calories and are great for stir fries and soups.  Please make sure the ones you buy do not have tofu in them; a lot of them do. 

As far as flour goes, rice flour mixed with other starches (potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch) can replace wheat flour in most foods but not everything. There's no way to make french bread without gluten, but you can still make great pancakes, cookies, waffles, cakes, muffins and rice flour tortillas. Coconut flour is also an option. You can't substitute it directly for wheat flour, because it behaves much differently, but it is possible to use coconut flour to make cakes and other baked goods.

 Many natural food stores carry a selection of pre-made gluten free products. Although I do not recommend making these foods a big part of your diet, they can be a nice treat every now and then for those of you who are not diabetic. Unfortunately for those who are already diabetic, it is best to avoid such things completely until your metabolism repairs itself.

As you can see, I didn't mention many alternatives. Rice flour and white rice noodles, shirataki noodles, coconut flour, and various other vegetable starches pretty much cover the grounds. Although there are more alternatives, such as flours made from beans, soybeans and other non-gluten grains, ie. millet and sorghum, I would not recommend eating them. 

Reasons to Avoid these Alternatives

Beans: I feel like such a traitor for saying this, considering I was raised off beans my whole life. Deep down I want to believe beans aren't bad, or that there's something redeeming about them; some reason to justify eating them at all, but there's none. The truth is, beans are horrible. The so called high fiber, and complex carbohydrates that people are always raving about, is just a reflection of the fact that you can barely digest beans at all. Everyone knows beans have a reputation for giving you gas, but why is that? It's because they're practically indigestible. They're getting fermented (eaten by bacteria) in your lower intestine. That means they're not being broken down by your digestion at all. And these so called vitamins and minerals are not likely to be absorbed very well, due to all the lectins and phytic acid (anti-nutrients) sucking them up, making them completely unusable by your body.

And then there's the protein. The protein is not only incomplete, it's very low in bio-availability. That means, how usable that protein is by your body. Your body probably absorbs less than 50% of it. Big surprise people! Protein from animal products is exactly what your body wants, because after all, we are animals. Are you a bean? Or are you an animal? I owe a lot to beans through my life, but the truth is, that they are a 3^rd world country food, with no redeeming quality other than being very cheap and storing well in your pantry. Watch out for garbanzo, fava and soybean flours in gluten free products. And more so soybean flours. On top of the problems that all beans share, soybeans have unique goitrogenic properties. The phytoestrogens in soybeans can suppress thyroid function and cause other problems as well. Please, stay clear of these flours and beans. They do more harm then good.

Millet: Millet is one of the most eaten foods in the whole world. It's a staple food in much of Africa and parts of Asia, and is used in a variety of gluten free products. Other than the lectins (antri-nutrients) in them, millet is very goitrogenic. It blocks up iodine to your thyroid and causes goiter. Countries such as Japan, have high thyroid problems, due to all the soy products. These foods must be avoided in order to be healthy. You do not want this. 

Brown Rice: It's kind of funny how brown rice is advertised as a healthy food alternative. People say the bran of the rice is where all the good stuff is; well it's also where all the bad stuff is. This also includes lectins and phytic acid, which is the reason you aren't getting the benefit of the vitamins. When choosing gluten free alternatives, please stay away from brown rice flour and noodles. They will only leach the minerals from your body. Stick to white rice; white rice is neutral. Not bad , but not extremely beneficial either.

Reminder: ALWAYS CHECK THE INGREDIENTS! Some gluten free products sneak vegetable oils in them, so BE CAREFUL! :)