JOIN USWhen the Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus, made it to the limelight by her ‘twerking’ dance moves at the Video Music Awards this year, there was one more thing that grabbed media attention- her toned and fit frame owing to her self-confessed gluten-free diet. Not only abroad, gluten-free diet is the new food fad even in the capital, but is it advisable as a diet option, Metrolife finds out.
So, what exactly is gluten? “Gluten is the protein part of wheat, rye, barley, and other related grains. Some people cannot tolerate gluten when it comes in contact with the small intestine. This condition is known as celiac disease. There is also evidence that a skin disorder called dermatitis herpetiformis is associated with gluten intolerance. Hence, all the people who have gluten intolerance are advised to have gluten free diet,” says the Chief Clinical Nutritionist Sandhya Pandey at Fortis Memorial Health Institute.
Going by the doctor’s opinion it’s just not diet-food but a necessity for gluten intolerant patients. She cautions, “For those who do not suffer from gluten intolerance, this diet is not beneficial as one will miss out on fibres and some essential nutrients.” She suggests that gluten-free diet should not be followed as an option to lose weight.
To find out gluten-free food options in the Capital, Metrolife spoke to various outlets. Rosemarie Seth, the spokesperson for Swissgourmessa, a bakery chain in the city says, “We have been preparing gluten free breads, cakes and muffins from 2010 but the demand has picked up this year. It’s not only the expat community based in Delhi that is on the lookout for this option as ninety nine per cent of our clients are Indians. These days, there are also parents who walk in our stores to procure gluten free food for their two or year old babies.” She adds that perhaps, the awareness about gluten-free products has reached far and wide now.
Café Amaltas in Vasant Kunj is famous for its gluten-free fare. It reopened in
February to dole out a potpourri of gluten-free foods. Sanjeev Tiwari, the founder of this operation, says, “We offer gluten-free food on our menu, almost every fortnight. There’s a lot of effort that goes into getting only a specific type of menu up and running for people with certain dietary needs, so it’s usually a once in a month affair now.”
Gluten-free fare is usually prepared with rice flour but Nourish Organics also offers a range of amaranth or ramdana and buckwheat or kuttu cookies in its gluten free range.
On that, they have introduced an onion poha in their menu 3 months ago to suit the needs of gluten-intolerant crowd. With some options at hand, it seems that gluten-affected people find some respite in Delhi but the diet-freaks opting for gluten-free food should think twice before switching to this diet.