Erica Mesirov Food Coach www.https://ericamesirov.com
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!
Hi Erica. A useful and comprehensive look at gluten. I eat very little processed food but definitely notice a negative difference when circumstances occasionally cause me to do so. A couple of friends who are celiac initially had some of the misconceptions that you discuss here so keep up the good work spreading the word
Good for you Paul in avoiding the processed food most of the time. I’m glad your friends with celiac finally figured it out. Being celiac is an extra challenge but I imagine they feel much better now that they are off gluten
Hi Erica,
You’ve done an excellent write up here. I have no allergy or sensitivity to gluten, but, regardless, we eat very healthy. We also shy away from processed foods. You never know what they’re putting in them and what reaction you could have to them.
Kind Regards,
Bill
Hi Bill! That is true that you never know what you could be reacting to. Good for you as well for eating healthy! It is an extra effort to stay away from processed foods but it seems like you find rewards in it which is wonderful!
Thanks for this comprehensive guide on the ins and outs of gluten. We have recently shifted over to eating more gluten free food due to an allergy in the family. This guide makes it all a lot easier, thanks.
Isn’t that the way? One person in the family has an allergy and everyone else ends up adapting their diet as well. I think that is a point that rarely gets made: you can be gluten-free due to a loved one’s allergy or sensitivity and not your own. I’m glad the guide has been helpful.
Hi Erica – I am a firm believer in eating non-processed foods. I believe all the additives, including gluten, are responsible for many of today’s health issues and allergies. Your post is a well-researched one that hopefully will help others take a look at what they are eating. Thanks for sharing.
Lenie
Hi Lenie! I agree that all the additives in today’s food can be troubling. You really have to read a label to get a sense of what you are really eating. Thank you for the kind words!
Hi Erica,
This information is so helpful. I’ve totally done a gluten free diet to lose weight to no avail. And I try to eat gluten free as much as possible because I do think I’m gluten sensitive, particularly when it comes to wheat. Your blog post has clarified so much for me. It’s funny, my newborn baby has an all-natural body wash that says gluten free on it. It such a buzzword, but there are so many people who have no idea what it means. Articles like this are integral.
Thanks,
Sabrina
Hi Sabrina! Yes, you are right that it is such a buzzword right now and no, most babies do not need a gluten-free body wash. How funny! Ad execs always try to take advantage of the latest trends. You may have a sensitivity to wheat and not gluten. The only way to tell is to eliminate gluten and then reintroduce gluten (from things like barley, rye oats) but not wheat and see if you have a reaction. If you don’t react after a few days, you can then reintroduce wheat. If you react only when re-introducing wheat,you know it is wheat only and not gluten that is the problem. I’m glad this article helped clarify things for you.
This is a very informative post. My daughter suffered through her late teens and into early twenties with gluten sensitivity. She did a lot of research and we tried a lot of new grains as a result. She eventually was tested for celiac, but doesn’t have it. She is in her mid-twenties now and can eat some gluten products again, as long as she doesn’t overdo. I hadn’t realized that one of the causes of what seems to be increased gluten sensitivities is gluten being specifically added to foods.
Hi Donna! I’m sorry to hear that your daughter struggled with this for so long. I know it is so confusing to have symptoms, and have a test come out negative and not know what to make of it all. I’m glad that she is doing better these days! Yes, like you I wasn’t aware until a few years ago how much gluten is being added to our food and how that can make certain people not feel well.
Great information. I know so many people who avoid gluten that I’ve wondered about doing the same myself. it’s nice to get all my questions answered and a few more that I didn’t have but are good to know.
Hi Debra! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I’m glad you got some questions answered!
Erica- Your post is well done. Really didn’t know that much about gluten free diets. I have no allergy or sensitivity to gluten that I know of. I remember watching Dr. Oz and he said if something comes in a package don’t eat it. I eat no processed foods. I feel great.
Hi Arleen! I haven’t watched much Dr. Oz but it sounds like his show can be educational. Good for you for taking his words about processed foods to heart. I’m glad you learned something about gluten-free diets.
Some of my friends have problems with gluten. I don’t eat a lot of processed foods; in fact, I like fermenting cabbage into sauerkraut and sprouting lentils. But I haven’t noticed any problem with my eating gluten. I do find too much bread isn’t good for me for other reasons.
I like following the research on gluten-sensitivities and on gastro problems in general. I have one friend with Crohn’s – she has found it very hard to stay off gluten.
Hi Leaora! That must be very difficult for your friend with Crohn’s. I hope she gets some relief from her symptoms and that she finds a way to eat gluten-free if she needs to for her health. I know the transition period to a new diet can be frustrating. I’ve never fermented cabbage myself. I’ll have to try that. I like sprouting lentils too! It is fun to watch them grow their little tails.
This is so helpful! I’ve been wondering some of these things myself, particularly #3 and #9. Thank you for the information. Now I just have to get some willpower to do the elimination diet!
Thank you Meredith! I’m glad this was helpful. Yes, an elimination diet takes willpower, but if you ever need to make a permanent change in your diet, I promise it gets easier with time!
I do try to steer clear of too much processed food, but haven’t paid much attention to all the info about gluten. Now I know a lot more thanks to you post 😉
Hi Jeri! I’m glad you learned something. Thank you for reading this!
Thanks for this guide. I do agree that cutting out gluten is not the only answer and we do have to cut out processed foods. Unfortunately, it’s a bit difficult for me living in Korea to not do that but trying can be quite fun. I’ve basically just gone back to shopping in multiple places to find what I need: butcher for meats, grocery store for eggs and street vendors for fruits and veg. Shopping can be quite fun if you care about what you’re eating.
Hi Carl! It seems like you are shopping the way that we are supposed to shop..going to a bevy of different vendors the get fresh food. I imagine you are eating lots of healthy foods that way. Where you live does determine and possibly limit the options available to you. It sounds like you are making the most of the options where you live.
So glad you participated in the blogging group. I love this article about gluten-free foods and gluten in general. Seemed like a fad a few years ago, but so many people I know have gone gluten-free of late and claim they feel better than ever. For me, I do not go out of my way to avoid gluten but I realized after reading this that I don’t eat many processed foods and consume very little gluten. Maybe that has contributed to my 11 pound weight loss over the past four months! Great info you shared.
Hi Laurie, yes thank you for the referral! I’m sure you feel the benefits of eating a fresh foods diet and congratulations on losing 11 pounds. That is quite an accomplishment! The quality of the food you eat can have such an effect on quality of life and weight as well. It seems like your natural instincts helped you discover that on your own.
Clear and simply information on being gluten free. As someone with hypothyrodism, eliminating gluten is one more thing that keeps me feeling better. I believe in the fresher the food I eat, the better. Doesn’t mean I always do it, but…