Personally, I have been gluten free on and off for the last couple of years, and over the last few months have transitioned to a more intentional gluten free diet (aka, no more bites of cookies/cakes/etc here and there). I will go into further detail of the benefits of avoiding gluten (for people who are obviously symptomatic as well as those who are not), in a moment. For myself, the recent transition to completely avoiding gluten was a relatively easy one, as for the last year or so my diet has been naturally shifting further and further away from gluten-containing foods, as I focus on consuming more nutrient dense, whole foods. Generally speaking, if we are eating a variety of real foods including vegetables, fruits, high quality protein sources (grass fed/organic meats, eggs, limited fermented soy, whole milk/raw dairy), and perhaps some whole grains and legumes (soaked: see article on phytic acid: http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/1893-living-with-phytic-acid), there is simply not much room for gluten-containing foods.
So, what is gluten, and why should I be wary of it? Gluten is the protein molecule found in wheat and other related grains (some grains are gluten free, others are not). Before the discovery of seeds and the invent of agriculture, humans did not consume gluten, grains, or legumes. Once this discovery was made, however, and the human diet began shifting more to these types of harvested foods, more and more people began getting sick. It was not until much later (relatively recently) that Celiac Disease (CD) was discovered, which is an autoimmune disease brought on by an allergy to gluten. CD is the most extreme case of gluten intolerance, and there are many other levels that people can be sensitive to the protein, and a myriad of mild to severe symptoms. Another important point to consider, is that one of the reasons gluten sensitivities/allergies have been on the rise in recent years is due to the way we process grains in western society. Many gluten containing foods today are higher in the protein, and also stripped of other nutrients our bodies would need to break-down and assimilate gluten like fiber and important enzymes necessary for digestion (think white rice).
Over time, with repeated exposure to high levels of gluten in the diet (which is the dietary focal point of most Americans), we now have a problem. The gluten molecule can be very irritating to the lining of our intestinal walls, therefore causing inflammation. This inflammation eventually creates adhesions/lesions of that gut wall, leading to intestinal permeability, aka: leaky gut. Mmmm....leaky gut. I digress. Consider the following statement by Alessio Fasano in the Scientific American Journal, 2009:
"Turning to the biological effects of gluten, investigators learned that repeated exposure...causes the villi, fingerlike structures in the small intestine, to become chronically inflamed and damaged, so that they are unable to carry out their normal function of breaking food down and shunting nutrients across the intestinal wall to the bloodstream (for delivery throughout the body)."
Fasano goes on to say that fortunately, when gluten sensitivity is caught early enough, these effects can be reversed by eating a gluten free diet and possibly undergoing a supplementation plan to heal the gut. You might be thinking that this seems like an extreme case. And yes, people who are only mildly sensitive to gluten now may experience more mild symptoms, such as occasional bloating, indigestion, etc. However, repeated exposure to foods we are sensitive to can lead to increased sensitivity and more serious symptoms/intestinal damage, down the road.
SYMPTOMS OF GLUTEN SENSITIVITY:
- Frequent indigestion
- Frequent/foul smelling gas
- Cracks in corners of lips
- Bloating/abdominal distension
- Chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Irritability/moodiness
- Depression
- Muscle weakness
- Chronic fatiue
- Bone and/or joint pain/aching
- Infertility
- Skin rashes (eczema, psoriasis, or more mild rashes)
- Failure to thrive in children
- Sudden gain or loss in weight
An interesting point that I have noticed in regards to some of these symptoms, is that many of us live with these things to varying degrees on a daily basis, yet have never known what it's like to not have them. When we change our diet, we are amazed at what it feels like to truly feel our best.
SO WHAT DO I EAT?
One problem when going gluten free is that many people shift to gluten-free food-like products as opposed to naturally gluten-free whole foods. First of all, packaged foods that claim to be gluten free are often not, and secondly most are packed with added sugars, preservatives, additives, or equally as irritating grains. Here are a list of some gluten containing foods to avoid:
- Cakes, cookies, pastries, pasta, pizza, bread
- Pretzels, muffins, biscuits, couscous, scones, bran
- Pancakes, cereals, oats
- Grains including: wheat, rye, barley, bulgur, kamut, spelt
This is a short list, but may still seem overwhelming! There are tons of great websites with more complete/comprehensive lists of gluten-containing foods. But the GOOD news is, you can eat everything else! And you will learn to love it, I promise. :) Here is a list of foods to focus on:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Meat and poultry
- Dairy (if you can handle it), Eggs
- Grains and flours including: coconut flour, almond flour, amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
Once you change your ways of cooking and eating, this will become much more manageable and easy. There are tons of great websites to help you go gluten free, including wonderful recipes. Here is one to start with: www.glutenfreeda.com
As always, feel free to e-mail me with further questions, or if you are needing more personalized consultation with your diet!
Resources:
Referenced Fasano article: http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com/support-files/celiac-disease-surprises.pdf
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