Gwyneth Paltrow's low-carb, gluten-free family diet made headlines on March 13, making it perfect fodder for the women of The View. As co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd weighed in that same day, the recently ousted Elisabeth Hasselbeck came out in defense of the 40-year-old Oscar winner.
"I do believe that there is a growing number of people with gluten intolerance, not just celiac disease, like myself," said Hasslebeck, who's authored two bestselling gluten-free cookbooks. "I do think it causes inflammation in the body, whether you are celiac or gluten intolerant or not." (People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found most often in wheat, rye and barley.)
The mother of three, 35, didn't want to debate Paltrow's dietary decisions, as she wanted to focus on the real issue at hand. "She could do whatever the heck she wants," Hasselbeck said of Apple and Moses' mom, who is married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. "She's a mom, those are her kids, do what you want." (In Paltrow's new cookbook, It's All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great, the star writes, "Sometimes when my family is not eating pasta, bread or processed grains like white rice, we're left with that specific hunger that comes with avoiding carbs.)
Hasselbeck continued, "I do believe that there are quality carbs that can replace gluten, like a quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, rice, corn, all those things . . . They're alternative grains that provide a great amount of nutrition. You need quality carbs. Kids need quality carbohydrates to run."
Since being forced to modify her diet, Hasselbeck said she's noticed a significant improvement in her overall health. "I've been on the diet for 10 years," she explained. "I've never felt better."
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