So, the world is a-buzz with conversations about going
gluten free these days. Does a
gluten-free diet equal a healthy diet?
Is this just a fad like low-carb or low-fat? Will going gluten-free benefit me? Good questions! Here I answer some of your top questions
about gluten-free diets!
1) Isn’t this just a
fad? If gluten were a problem, people
would have been suffering from this for 1000s of years and yet I just heard of
this a few years ago. Well, it
makes sense you are confused. But let me ask you a question. When your grandparents were little kids, did
they eat food bought in a box and warmed up in a microwave, or were most of
their meals cooked fresh from whole foods?
Look around your local supermarket.
The only places we see fresh whole foods these days are in the periphery
of the market like in the fruit and vegetable section. The rest of our food is bought in cans,
bottles, boxes, frozen etc. Do you know
what helps give these processed foods their texture? Gluten! For the first time in history gluten has been
separated from the grain and is being artificially added to almost everything
we eat. This is why we are one of the first generations to be suffering from
the effects of gluten.
2) If I choose
options that are gluten-free, that means I’m eating healthy, right? I hate to disappoint you, but the answer is
no. Many people go gluten-free and fill their
diets with gluten-free pastas, crackers, cookies and cake. These foods are just as processed, sugar
filled and nutrient depleted as their gluten filled counterparts. The difference is the gluten has been removed
so they won’t cause a reaction in the gluten intolerant. In fact, certain gluten-free food products
can actually be worse for you. For instance,
many gluten-free pastas are made out of GMO corn. GMOs can take a toll on health when eaten as
a large part of the diet.
3) If I’m not celiac,
doesn’t that mean I can eat gluten without repercussion? Well, not so fast. Only 1% of the population is celiac. Statistics show that about 40% of the
population is gluten sensitive. What
does gluten sensitive mean? Well, gluten
sensitivity isn’t a conventional allergy and symptoms may take up to 72 hours
to appear. How may you suspect that you
are gluten sensitive? There is a wide
array of symptoms. If you have stomach
problems, acne, eczema, depression, mental illness, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid
arthritis or frequent flu and colds, you may be suffering from gluten
sensitivity.
4) But, if I took a
blood test and it came back negative, that means I don’t have a problem with
gluten? Blood tests are good to
measure allergies. Sensitivities are a
bit harder to decipher. There are some
naturopaths who claim to diagnose gluten sensitivity through muscle
testing. The best way I know how to
discover gluten sensitivity is to do an elimination diet. You will eliminate gluten for a two week
period and remain aware of how you feel.
Then you reintroduce it and see if any symptoms that went away during
the elimination period return. If you
see no improvement in symptoms during the elimination or worsening of symptoms
during re-introduction, it means one of two things. You don’t have a problem with gluten, or
there is more than one food that is causing you problems and you need to
eliminate the other food as well. You
should always eliminate dairy with gluten since these sensitivities are often
seen together, but the foods should be re-introduced apart to track symptoms
separately.
5) If I eliminate
gluten, the only thing I have to look for on food labels is the word
wheat? Gosh, I wish it were that
easy, but finding gluten on a food label can be tricky business. Grains such as wheat, barley, rye and most
oats contain gluten. Since much of what
is being added to processed food is a processed food product, it becomes even
more difficult to find it on a label. For
instance, the word starch could mean gluten, soy sauce almost always contains
gluten and natural flavoring has the possibility of containing gluten. The best way to be sure is to look for foods
that are labeled gluten-free. Many
stores also have a list that can be accessed online of most of their
gluten-free products.
6) I suspect I have a
gluten sensitivity. It is too much
trouble to eliminate it, so I just try not to eat it most of the time. Isn’t that almost as good as eliminating
it? You would think, but it doesn’t
quite work that way. One of the main
things a gluten sensitivity does is it creates what is called leaky gut. Leaky gut, as it sounds, means food is
literally leaking through your gut into your blood stream. Gross, right?
Things like partially digested foods are getting into your blood stream
that shouldn’t, creating all sorts of imbalances and havoc. Once this happens, your gut won’t start to
heal if you are continually exposing it to gluten, even if the exposure is less
than before. You need to eliminate it
for a period of time and after a number of months, you may or may not be able
to tolerate it one or two times a week.
If you are celiac, you can never have gluten again, even if you don’t
have symptoms when you eat it.
7) Will going
gluten-free make me lose weight? The
gluten-free diet on its own is not a weight loss diet. Completely eliminating gluten may help you
lose weight only if you are gluten sensitive.
Healing the gut over time will help lesson inflammation, support better
detoxification and aid other imbalances that are getting in the way of being a
proper weight. A gluten-free diet isn’t
a weight loss diet on its own, but the effects can help those who are sensitive
with their other weight loss endeavors.
Well, that is my primer on going gluten-free. Did I answer the question you wanted to
ask? If not, leave it in the comment
section below and I will make sure to address it!
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