Gluten – Should You Be Eating it?

It’s doubtful that you haven’t heard the term “gluten-free” by now. Most often it is discussed when referring to celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder associated with intolerance to gluten. Any product containing wheat, rye or barley must be avoided. People with celiac are not optimally absorbing the nutrients from the food they eat. The symptoms range from diarrhea, weight loss, bloating, abdominal or joint pain to fatigue, brain fog, weakness, anemia, skin rashes and depression which is why It is not always easily diagnosed. In addition, if left untreated it can cause damage to the small intestine. If you have any of the above symptoms and have not been able to get any relief, ask your doctor to test you for Celiac. It is also genetic so keep that in mind if you have children who exhibit any of these symptoms. In some cases people who have Celiac may also have a reaction to soy and dairy as well.

The good news is that once you are diagnosed and start avoiding gluten, you feel like a new person. Awareness is constantly spreading and gluten-free products are becoming more and more accessible in local supermarkets. You should also know that you may test negative for Celiac but could still be sensitive to Gluten. That is my situation. I have had a few allergy tests but because I have autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto) it is recommended that anyone with an autoimmune condition avoid gluten. Gluten can cause an inflammatory response in the body making an autoimmune issue worse. Even though I am not allergic to gluten I feel so much better eliminating it from my diet.

The hard part about eliminating gluten is that it can be found in everything from canned food to condiments such as ketchups and salad dressing. I have become a label reading fool! Even when I go to a restaurant it’s twenty questions. I find that more and more restaurants are aware of it but not enough. I love sweet potato fries but will ask how they are cooked. Some restaurants flour them first or fry them in the same oil they fry food with breadcrumbs.

However, I have heard so many people say to me that they gave up gluten because they heard how bad it is. That is where being bombarded with something can confuse people. Gluten is fine as long as you are not allergic to it. If your body can digest it and absorb all the nutrients from food you wont have a problem. Barley is actually a health grain. The foods to stay away from are the refined flours, such as white, and if you buy whole wheat bread make sure whole wheat is the first ingredient and there isn’t any high fructose corn syrup in it. The better option is whole grain bread. The bottom line is that we need to be more informed than ever before. Make sure you always read labels and if you don’t know what an ingredient is, put the item back. You will never go wrong with fresh, local, organic whole foods! Support your local CSA and farmers market!

For more information about Celica and gluten, go to: http://www.celiac.com

Be healthy,

Maria