Going Gluten Free - Part 1

With the new year here many of you are looking for new beginnings. With gluten free diets being all the rage these days I thought I would explain just a little more about what gluten actually is and how it can affect you so that you aren’t like one of these people.

So lets get right to it! Simply put...gluten is a protein that is found in many popular grains such as wheat, barley and rye.  (Tip: Many people who react to gluten also react to dairy because the protein (casin) in dairy is very similar and our bodies end up reacting to both.)

There are two main types of issues with gluten:

1. Celiac Disease - this is an autoimmune disorder (which is where your body goes into overdrive and starts attacking itself - healthy cells included!) When you consume gluten it causes this reaction to happen in the small intestine, causing a lot of damage to the lining.

If you have celiac it is VERY important to avoid all gluten, including trace amounts found in spices, soy sauce, tea bags and other hidden items.

2. Gluten Intolerance/Sensitivity - if your doctor tells you, you don’t have celiac BUT when you stop eating gluten you feel a zillion times better, chances are you have an intolerance to gluten.  Your body has difficulties breaking down the protein molecule and digesting it properly so it can cause many negative effects leaving you feeling pretty rotten.  The cleaner your diet is overall, the more easily you will be able to handle small amounts of gluten here and there.  

According to Celiac Central “Research estimates that 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity. That's 6 times the amount of Americans who have celiac disease."

Symptoms of these can be:

• brain fog, confusion, memory lost
• anxiety, depression, mood swings, ADD
• fatigue, exhaustion
• bloated, gas, abdominal discomfort
• diarrhea, constipation
• PMS (can be significantly worsened due to allergies and inflammation in the gut)
• joint pain or inflammation (including arthritis)
• headaches
• numbness in limbs, or fingers
  

How do you know if you have a problem with gluten?

My suggestion...if you think you might have an issue, stop eating it. Stop eating it for 3 weeks (mimum) If you feel better, continue not eating it.  Those with celiac tend to react rapidly and strongly when they have stopped eating it and then reintroduce it so this is a good indicator that you should speak to your doctor for potential testing. With a sensitivity you can react anywhere from immediately to 3 days later when it is reintroduced making it more difficult to identify. (There are blood tests you can get done for this if you really want to know)

“Gluten gives me a stomach ache but I can't live without bread!"

This is a common thing I hear people say when it comes to food allergies.  The problem is if you are constantly eating something you shouldn’t, you are damaging your digestive system and your body will be under a lot of stress trying to find it’s state of balance (or homeostasis) It can only keep up with this for so long until it starts to become exhausted and that is when you will see serious diseases and complications start to appear.  

When your immune system starts to shut down you are much more prone to illness and disease. When your body is no longer absorbing or able to keep up with the high nutrient demand of keeping balance, other areas will start to be negatively impacted (ie brain, nervous system, muscles, etc) If you aren’t supposed to eat it DON’T EAT IT.  I promise that once you feel healthy and know how awesome you can feel, you won’t want to go back ;)

Have questions? Post them below! Stay tuned for next week, part 2! I will share some of my favourite resources and how to make the transition to gluten free living.