You see it EVERYWHERE. Even Jimmy Kimmel had a good time with it on his
show by asking people why they eat gluten-free. Regretfully, those peeps did not
represent. It was ugly.
Many skeptics see gluten-free as a phase or a fad- just another in a long line of diets that will soon come to pass. However, researchers are discovering that gluten sensitivity is an insidious (that means tricky!) and troublesome condition that can be the underlying factor for a multitude of illnesses.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye that can make some people sick. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that is the most well known of the gluten spectrum of diseases.
Here’s something interesting: A 2012 Mayo Clinic report found that only 1 in 5 people with Celiac disease are diagnosed. If that doesn’t alarm you, how about this: For every 1 person who has Celiac disease, there are an estimated 8 people who have Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). That’s a problem. As you can see from the list below, NCGS can have very serious effects.
What are some the signs of NCGS?
- Acid-reflux or heartburn
- Anemia
- Acne
- Behavioral disorders such as ADHD
- Psychological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia
- Autoimmune diseases (including autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes)
- Depression
- Brain fog
- Migraine headaches
- Bone loss (including osteopenia and osteoporosis)
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Gas and bloating
- Unexplained bouts of dizziness or ear ringing
- Skin rashes (including dermatitis herpetiformis, eczema and psoriasis)
- Unexplained infertility
- Leaky gut (Intestinal permeability)
- Obesity
How do you know if you have a gluten sensitivity?
1) Remove it for three weeks and then add it back in. Note how you feel. If you feel better without the gluten, then leave it out.
2) Have a full Cyrex panel drawn that measures a wide array of gluten antibodies.
Most gluten testing only measures the reaction to a few parts of the protein. You want to run the entire panel to be sure.
Does “gluten-free” mean it’s healthy?
Absolutely not.
Food manufacturers are very smart. You need to be smarter. Gluten-free products are often full of fake fillers and weird flours. Tons of junk and little nutrition. Read the labels and if you see rice flours, tapioca flours, potato flours, etc..., just put it back on the shelf and eat real food instead.
What is real food?
Real food has a mother and/or grows from the ground.
Real food is whole and nourishing.
Real food sends messages of healing to your body at the cellular level.
Just because you can eat it does not mean it is food.
Do you have a thyroid problem?
If so, I would highly recommend you avoid gluten. There is a serious case of mistaken identity with people dealing with an autoimmune thyroid disease such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Autoimmunity means that your body’s immune system is on high alert for invaders. Gluten looks a lot like thyroid tissue. When you eat gluten, your body’s defense not only attacks the gluten, but also your thyroid. Yikes.
A love note to parents
There is a big part of me that wishes I could call “do over” on the diet I fed my kids as they were growing up. I know now that the junk that is marketed to kids is often poison. That may sound extreme, but it is true. We feed our kiddos junk and then wonder why they can’t sit still, or sleep, or do well in school, or play nice with others, or are sick all the time. Food matters. It is a possibility that your child does not do well with gluten. It would be really wise to just make sure.
One last thought
Symptoms are one of the last things to show up. Problems are often brewing within our bodies for a long time before a symptom arises. Our bodies whisper to us at first to tell us something is out of balance. And then our bodies give up on trying to gently let us know and develop a full blown disease. Listen to the whisper.
Want to learn more?
Here are some leading researchers and resources. I encourage you to research
on your own. Knowledge is power.
http://theglutensummit.com/
http://drrodneyford.com/
http://www.drperlmutter.com/
http://thedr.com/
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/11/28/celiac-disease-showing-up-inmany-forms-and-at-all-ages/
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