Reader’s request: Gluten freedom
Hiiii 😀 How are ya? Hope you’re having a great morning so far <3 Thanks for the words of assurance on my work confessional 🙂 Guess I’m gong to have to fake it until I feel it and depend on everyone else to learn as much as I can 🙂
For the last few months, I received so many questions about being gluten-free. I’m not 100% gluten-free, but stay away from it for the most part because it makes me feel horrible if I have it more than one day in a row.
(Gluten-free chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting)
What the heck is gluten anyway?
From Wiki:
Gluten is a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.
As cases of known gluten sensitivity increase, many foods in the western world are now labeled to clarify whether they contain gluten.
Gluten is the composite of a prolamin and a glutelin, which exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. Gliadin, a water-soluble, and glutenin, a water-insoluble, (the prolamin and glutelin from wheat) compose about 80% of the protein contained in wheat seed. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch. Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein.
The seeds of most flowering plants have endosperms with stored protein to nourish embryonic plants during germination. True gluten, with gliadin and glutenin, is limited to certain members of the grass family. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but their proteins differ from wheat gluten by lacking gliadin.
So what are the reasons to go gluten-free?
1. If you are diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Celiac occurs when there is damage to the lining of the small intestine, often a reaction of eating gluten and this prevents the body from absorbing the nutrients of many foods. The tests for Celiac is fairly invasive (they put you to sleep and remove a small part of your intestine), and many people with the disease go undiagnosed. If you suspect that you may have Celiac, talk to your doctor.
Symptoms of Celiac include digestive problems as well as signals that the body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, such as hair loss, bruising easily, growth delay in children, depression and fatigue.
While the disease itself cannot be cured, following a gluten-free diet will allow the lining of the small intestine to heal itself over time.
2. If you find that eating gluten is causing digestive issues and your doctor suggests avoiding it. If you suspect to have a gluten allergy, talk to your doctor. They might put you on a gluten elimination diet to see if this eases your symptoms and go from there.
If I’m not having problems from eating gluten, are there any health benefits for me to stop eating gluten?
Not at all. The problem with many gluten-free foods is that they’re stripped of many of the nutrients whole grains provide in the processing of the products. I’ll be the first one to tell you that a lot of gluten-free food is trash. You really have to read the ingredients and make sure you’re not ingesting preservatives, artificial ingredients and boatloads of sugar from the gluten-free products. If you have no probs with gluten and can eat 100% whole-grain products, feast away! They’re good for you 🙂
Why is all of this just starting to become an issue? I’d never heard anything about gluten-free and now it’s everywhere.
The sad things is that wheat is a subsidized crop so like soy and corn, it’s being pumped into as many processed foods as possible. By consuming ridiculously high amounts of these foods, our bodies can develop an intolerance to them, or symptoms of Celiac disease can become more prevalent. Another reason to enjoy whole foods instead of processed foods as much as possible! Also, more cases of gluten intolerance and Celiac disease and being diagnosed.
A sad reality is that many people are going gluten-free as a fad, or for “weight loss.” Like I said before, a lot of gluten-free food is not healthier than it’s gluten-y competitors and if you can eat whole grain, or whole wheat, go for it! There’s no reason to skip out on gluten if it’s not bothering you and if you haven’t chatted with your doc about it.
I hope this helped those of you who had questions! <3
Enjoy your day and I’ll see ya this afternoon.
xoxo
Gina
*New family post is up 😀
Something to do: Summer Shape Up workout! Loved your feedback so far- keep rocking it out <3
86 Comments
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gluten free is tricky, i had to go gluten free for awhile when we thought i had celiac disease. it was not fun.
I admire anyone that has to go 100% gluten free, i can relate.
Great post! My sister-in-law has Celiac’s Disease and has a really tough time with it. I’m so glad more folks are becoming aware and food companies/ restaurants are becoming more accommodating!
Thanks for all the gluten free info, I’ve been curious as to why there are SO many new GF options in the grocery stores!
Although I try to avoid gluten when I can I cant imagine not being able to eat it… gluten is in everything!! Thanks for the post.
One good thing about the gluten free fad is that GF options are becoming much easier to find!!
I don’t think it’s necessarily a fad. The US has many people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, digestive problems, arthritis, depression, and heart disease. People that have reduced gluten and processed foods often see improvements in these conditions even when they are not a celiac.
I know, I just meant the fad aspect Gina mentioned. My hubs has a wheat allergy so the new focus on GF has been great! More options! <3
Thanks for the post! I’ve been eating GF for about 6 months now, and my IBS has practically disappeared. I was wondering (in response to a comment on your summer shape-up post) if it’s really true that if you avoid gluten for a long time, it makes you more sensitive if/when you do try to eat it again?
that’s what i’ve heard, but after avoiding it for the most part it doesn’t upset my stomach like it used to
I asked my aunt about this a few weeks ago, I have a gluten sensitivity but there are things that I miss and would like to have every blue moon if I could tolerate it. She’s a DO and said that for most people with a sensitivity, if they’ve stayed away from it for a few months, they can handle it in small amounts every once in awhile without problems (like no more than 1x every 4-5 days) because they’ve given their body time to heal, but if you try to consume it more often than that you’re problems will more than likely come back. I’m an RD and I feel like as long as you have a gluten sensitivity (and not Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy), you could could try a small amount every once in awhile and see how it goes for you.
If you stay away from gluten if you have an intolerance and want to reintroduce it to your diet you definitely can in small doses. The gut will heal itself after you have done the avoidance period and your body can then better process it. Of course, this works in small doses so that you don’t damage your gut again.
I was really glad you wrote about this Gina. Obviously, you were working with a doctor to diagnosis food sensitivities and allergies, but there are some bloggers who have self diagnosed their “problems” and that is what perpetuates this fad of gluten free to seem like something that everyone has. Like Gina said, you need to know what you are doing when going gluten free because many foods that are gf are stripped of nutrients that the body needs. As an RD, I have seen a rise in people who claim they have this issue, when in reality they don’t or that it is something completely different.
I agree that some of that GF food is junk — I’m pretty sure Fruity Pebbles is GF! Yikes.
i know that gf would probably help me, but i love gluten products so much the thought of giving up my much adored dough bread is a horrible thought. what are some of your favorite gluten products? what resources did you use to make the transition?
*favorite gluten-free products?
Ener-G sesame pretzel rings are crack in a bag. Just sayin’. 🙂
yum good to know!!
Udi’s gluten free bread is amazingggg!
What an awesome post. I’ve heard so many things about eating gluten free…I totally understand if you have been diagnosed with celiac that it would be best to avoid foods that contain gluten, but to cut it out cold turkey just because you read somewhere that you should is ridonculous….gotta love those fad diets! Thanks for such a great post =)
Good post!! Its always fun to learn a little something in the morning:) I am not super allergic to gluten but I never feel my best when i have a bunch. Some things will be fine and others feel like a load of bricks lol Subway rolls tear up my stomach and i end up curled in a ball after eating them:(
Sissy is GF. It hasn’t been too difficult to work family meals around her, and in fact, sometimes I PREFER GF products 🙂
My husband and I just started a gluten and cow dairy reduction diet to see if any of our symptoms improve. I believe that gluten is hard for many people to digest and contributes to chronic inflammation, as it is inflammatory and contains anti-nutrients. So while there may not be a known need to eliminate it, I think if someone has other symptoms they should try reducing it to see if that helps. Gluten sensitivity has been linked to a wide range of symptoms, not just digestion; Migraines, ADD, arthritis, autism, and so on.
I agree, many gluten free processed foods are iffy, but some are really good. I love Udi’s 🙂
udi’s is AWESOME
This is so interesting, thank you! My boyfriend had a gluten intolerance as a kid (and I think he still does) but eats it now. We are doing a sort of elimination diet/cleanse right to, I’m excited to find out which foods my body doesn’t like after we’re done!
Hey Gina! Thank you for posting on gluten-free diets. I have eaten gluten-free for the past three years and feel 100 times better than I did before. I agree that a lot of the processed gluten-free foods are full of crap, and I make an effort to eat whole foods rather than relying on the packaged ones. I also put a lot of energy into making my own gluten-free baked goods that I can enjoy knowing that they have healthier ingredients than a lot of the baked goods out there. All of my recipes on my blog are gluten-free and I try to keep the ingredients as healthy as possible.
Have a great day today 🙂
I found out at the age of 32 that I have Celiac Disease. After years of iron-deficiency anemia, unexplained hair loss in college, poor energy, horrible stomach pains, constipation, and a misdiagnosis of IBS, I finally knew what was wrong with me. It was actually a relief to have an answer. Now, after 18 months, I have normal hemoglobin, wonderful energy, am no longer Vitamin B12 deficient, have improving bone density (yep, that was low as a result of malabsorption), and everyone tells me that my coloring is so much better. My brain fog is gone, too. Eating gluten-free can be a pain, but it’s so worth it to be healthy!
Thanks for all your posts, Gina!
Carrie
Great post! You give me confidence that I CAN eat out and still eat gluten free. I tend to cheat when I’m because I get overwhelmed. Just an FYI though-I was just tested for Celiac through a simple blood test at my last doctors appointment. It took 2 seconds and I got the results back in a week (negative, thank God!). Anyone who feels much better when eating gluten free should definitely get the blood test. Ive never heard of removing part of the intestine as a test but that would certainly deter me from talking to my doctor if I thought they would do that! Yikes! There is a much easier way!! =) Also, you can still have a “gluten sensitivity” without having Celiac disease which also may warrant a gluten free lifestyle. Thanks again!
Definitely answers some questions! Thanks for the post!
Thanks for the information- I know so many people who don’t have gluten intolerances/celiac disease who choose to eat gluten free thinking it’s “healthier.” A lot of misinformation out there in the health sphere
I so agree that going GF doesn’t make you healthier–unless, of course, you’re gluten intolerant. I think there’s this idea that GF foods (and in particular products created without gluten as opposed to foods that are naturally GF) are more beneficial than others. A lot of times, GF foods are loaded with sugar and other processed ingredients to create the almost-like-wheat taste. If I didn’t have health problems, I would stick with whole wheat and other grains.
Oh, and if your body is able to handle gluten fine, why eat GF foods, which taste far worse? I mean, Udi’s is great, but it’s still crumbly GF bread!
Thanks for the info, especially the answer to that last question. Very informative!
Amen! I’m so over people being like ‘i’m going gluten free’ and when you’re like why the reason is just like you said – to lose weight! Um, no. I’m so glad i’m not allergic to gluten – I know people whose husbands and/or children are and while it’s a lot less work than it used to be (due to the amount of products out there now), it’s still a lot to deal with and work around!
I love how you hit upon. .there being no nutritional benefit or health benefit to giving up Gluten if you are not suffering from Celiac Disease or digestive issues! It is so key – and should not be used as a diet!
Thanks for mentioning that there is usually a lack of nutrition in GF foods… I had no idea.
🙂
My husband was asking me just the other day why so many people are going on a gluten-free diet when they’re not allergic to gluten – this post is so helpful!
I have a family history of Celiac Disease, but I don’t have it. I’ve had horrible migraines my whole life, acupuncture was helping, but they were still sticking around. I decided to go gluten free in Jan to see if it would help… and I’ve been gluten free ever since! Not only did my migraines goes away, but so did the majority of my IBS symptoms. This weekend I decided to try to eat small amounts of gluten at a wedding to see if I would have any problems.. fail, I totally have a migraine right now.
I agree with you, I wouldn’t recommend gluten free to someone who didn’t really need it though; gluten free products are usually higher in fat and way lower in vitamins, minerals & fiber than 100% whole grain products. Anyone who can eat them all the time should do it for all of us that can’t 🙂 I really miss my Bruegger’s bagels and Dewey’s pizza!
I’ve had a gluten sensitivity for awhile now, but the strange thing is I’ve started having reaction to my oats which aren’t gluten free but have never particularly bothered me in the past. It makes me wonder, how much gluten is in these unsuspecting products that you really wouldn’t think would contain them? Its also surprising about the gluten warnings on some condiment products that you wouldn’t even really think to check like barbeque sauce and soy sauce…its definitly catches you by surprise quite unpleasantly!
Thank you for the explanation and clarification of gluten! I’m so sick of hearing of people go gluten free to lose weight, haha.
Also, this is my first time commenting, and I must say I adore your blog. You have quickly become one of my favorites. AND…Congrats to you and the Pilot on the baby!!!
thank you 🙂
This is a great post, thanks for such a lovely summary. I’m gluten-intolerant and I’m going to send a link to this post to people when they ask me questions about it! 🙂
Gluten is tricky subject and every one’s body is different. I’ve heard of Gluten even being the cause for acne break outs or skin disorders, and this could be somehow related. If Gluten is something that disrupts your internal system, it could most definitely reach out to your external systems like your skin. Gina, what are your thoughts, have you ever seen a relation between gluten and acne/skin disorders? I’ve been a long time reader and trust your opinion but understand that you’re not a physician and cannot diagnose anything. 🙂
I’m not Gina, but I’ll chime in. I have gluten and casein intolerances, and my skin cleared up within 2-3 days of going gluten- and casein-free. I was very sick before doing this, so my results might not be normal, but it’s been great. This also happened to me about 6 months ago while doing an elimination diet for the first time.
BTW, Enterolab offers a non-invasive test for all kinds of intolerances. Among other things, they’ll test to see whether you have a genetic predisposition toward gluten intolerance OR toward celiac sprue. You have to provide a cheek swab for the genetic testing. A stool sample tells them whether you’ve had intestinal damage and/or malabsorption of dietary fat (an indicator of gluten intolerance).
when I had to first go GF a few years ago, the products were HORRIBLE! SO i started making my own. So glad to see more WHOLE GRAIN GF products these days. thanks for all the info gina.
Now that I’m doing South Beach and am cutting out carbs (especially bread and pasta made from wheat) I’m noticing my tummy is feeling a lot better and I’m a lot more ‘regular’ compared to my fast system that I was experiencing before.
I’m wondering if this could be due to the gluten, especially since I feel less bloated as well. I’ll definitely have to play around with my diet and see 🙂
Thank you for acknowledging that there is no benefit to cutting out gluten if you’re not intolerant. It drives me crazy when I hear people saying they’re going GF as a way to lose weight!
Great post! So glad you point out that there is no reason to avoid gluten if you aren’t intolerant. I’m so sick of it being such a fad and some gf peeps telling everyone they should avoid it when there is no reason to!
Great post! I lot of people who have celiac are underweight due to the fact that while they eat gluten they cannot absorb nutrients. Many people INCORRECTLY believe the eating gluten free is therefore a good way to eat! Thanks for pointing out how nutritionally foid some gluten free foods are. However, lean protein, many veggies and fruits are gluten free and those are always healthy!
Great post, Gina! Great minds think alike, I just posted on going gluten-free today as well 🙂
Well, I guess its a sign that I was supposed to send you (everyone here) this link after I saw it in the San Francisco Chronicle food section yesterday. I had decided not to, but in honor of gluten-free here it is http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/05/FD6Q1JJR9P.DTL (P.S. I think their food section also has a bluberry muffin recipe not included in this article if you scratch around a bit)
Very informative! Thanks Gina!
i had also wondered why it seemed like gluten free had become so popular lately, like a new trendy diet or something. thanks for clearing things up!
Great post Gina!! I’ve been reading a lot about gluten free diets as well, and I agree that just because something is gluten free does NOT mean that it’s healthy! I don’t intentionally seek out gluten free products, but I’ve found one or two that are really tasty (Silver Hills Chia Bread for example – delicious!) and I’ll buy them occasionally to mix things up. I feel like when I do eat less gluten, my body seems lighter and I’m less tired after eating, but sometimes I wonder if the effect is just psychological. Thanks for the info!
An interesting thought though — if we are already eating too much of it, I like the idea of incorporating some non gluten stuff into your diet too….right? If everything you eat is whole wheat, then you’re not getting as much variety. A good reason to try new grains!
I work with a homeopathic nutritionist and have been seeing her for years. She’s saved me from migraines and continues to heal me by recommending the best foods for me to eat, taking supplements that my body needs and herbs to eliminate illness and support good health. I’ll occasionally go through periods where she recommends steering clear of wheat, but does recommend the Ezekiel products which I never grow tired of. The sprouting process makes it easier for our body to digest. When I’m avoiding dairy, she usually tells me ghee is okay to use (or goat products) and to avoid soy except for fermented products (tempeh, miso, tamari, etc). Usually when I’m more “strict” during this time, it helps me reset my diet. Eventually I go back to consuming wheat & dairy, but I do find I feel so much better after a break. Like Gina, I try not to overload on them and use moderation. I generally just listen to my body each day to what it needs and I can always tell when I need something or to cut back on something. It takes time to learn to eat intuitively, but I think it can really enrich our lives.
Gina, I also wanted to comment on your post yesterday – I’m a yoga teacher and sub at a studio where the owner (a man) will drop in at the beginning of class and sit on the floor in the back of the room. He’ll stay for a while, then leave and e-mail me feedback. Although, he always gives me positive, insightful and supportive comments, I always feel so uncomfortable being watched in that way. I always wonder what the students might think, too, having a strange man in the back of the room. Even though I’m always feeling super confident & well-prepared for class, I usually make little mistakes that I normally wouldn’t do. No big deal, but I could see how this could be an awkward time, even though it sounds like a really supportive environment. Just know, you’re not alone.
And congrats on the baby news! I’ve got some questions for you, but I’ll post them on the family page. So happy for you!
Im so glad you touched on this topic thank you!! I think a lot of people see GF as a fad and use it for dieting purposes and like you said a lot of GF is junk. So im happy that you set the record straight!
As an RD it bugs me how so many people go GF for no good reason.
I did almost the exact same Q&A on my blog last week after making a TON of GF desserts at school.
I have been gluten free for a little over a week and I feel great! Im still experimenting with it because I never really had an intolerance or sensitivity (so I thought).
I think the main reason people may want to try and cut out or cut down on gluten simply is because its a hard protein for the body to digest . . . like really hard. And when your body is working so hard on digesting it, it leaves all the other nutrients out or takes a while to break them down and absorb.
Here is a link to my take on the situation . . .
http://balancingval.com/2011/06/01/the-gluten-that-sticks/
Debated on whether to post this, but thought I would just to express my opinion. You state “The sad things is that wheat is a subsidized crop so like soy and corn, it’s being pumped into as many processed foods as possible.” I just wanted to clarify that, in my opinion, sad should not modify “subsidized crop”, and should instead modify “it’s being pumped into as many processed foods as possible”. As someone who has family members who own and run small farms, subsidies are not in and by themselves bad. I’m probably being too picky, but for some reason that really stood out to me.
All in all I thought the post was filled with wonder content and great information!
*wonderful content!
that’s a great point, sorry i wasn’t more sensitive to that and i’m so glad you pointed it out
What a great post! There is so much confusion about this topic and this post is great forum to clear a bunch of that stuff up.
Thanks!
Great post, very revealing. I have seen a bunch of my friends go “gluten free” but only one of them with an actual health reason, several just seem to be doing it because it’s trendy.
I’ll have to forward this post to them all, show them what for!
Thanks Gina for another fabulous post! After multiple blood tests and months of the worst pain ever, I can honestly say my gluten free diagnosis (diagnosed by a doc of course!) was the best thing for my body. That being said, as everyone else here has stressed, giving up gluten if you don’t need to as a means of weight loss is stupid. While I am so much more conscious of what I eat, and that in itself is a great thing, I have to be really creative sometimes because so much of the food is terrible. However, I need to respond to people who talk about how terrible gluten free food is. It’s terrible because people compare it to wheat products expecting it should be the same when it really should be considered for its own taste. The biggest thing when baking and cooking gluten free (other than safety!) is measuring based on weight and NOT volume. And finding truly gluten free options that are NOT a gluten free version of something originally containing gluten and that taste wonderful because of the original ingredients is so much more enjoyable than looking for something to take the place of gluten products. Some lovely French macarons, anyone?
Gina thanks for doing this post b/c I’m sure you’ve helped lots of people with some info they were unsure of. I have done a post on going gluten free about a year ago and my tips and advice. I have it linked in my popular tab in case anyone is reading this.
For me, one thing that I try to remember when eating GF is to eat foods that are NATURALLY Gf. For the sake of example, it’s easier to recreate a believeable and good tasteing casserole using rice, quinoa, brown rice, or lentils which are all GF than it is to buy specialty pasta that is more expensive and may not taste all that great.
Or fruit and veggies? they are ALWAYS gluten free. Snacking on whole foods, or nuts + seeds, they are always naturally GF and it’s easier to try to eat foods that are naturally GF than it is to try to recreate things, in my opinion.
Gluten free can be tricky but I feel so much better avoiding it so I keep it up. I’ve learned making my own things is much better than buying things premade.