Many people are still unaware of what is gluten and why is it bad. Gluten is a family of proteins which is found in several types of grain. Even the most of the medical sources state that it is safe, many professionals and researchers tell it’s harmful to your gut and brain. Glutenin and gliadin are the two main proteins in gluten and most of the negative health effects are caused by gliadin.
Why is gluten not good for you?
Some people have the most critical stage of gluten intolerance called celiac disease. It’s an autoimmune disease and gluten effects to the person’s body as a foreign invader. That is problematic to that person as his immune system attacks to gluten and also to the lining of his gut.
A gut wall will eventually get damaged and may cause deficiencies of many nutrients, even anemia. Digestive issues are common and it increases also a risk of many diseases. But you can say that you’ve been tested and you don’t have celiac disease. Here comes the surprise for you! You can still be gluten intolerant because celiac disease test doesn’t tell that. That is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity and many people who have it doesn’t know they do.
How to know if you’re gluten intolerant
You might have some symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, stomach aches but also headaches, even migraine, brain fog, insomnia, anxiety or depression. Yes, believe it or not, but gluten affects your brain. Everyone doesn’t have gut or stomach problems and then they think that gluten can’t be the problem. Actually, gluten is causing inflammation in the blood vessels.
If you want to get clinically tested, you can have traditional blood tests or biopsy from small intestine but Cyrex array 3 and Cyrex array 4 tests are the best of available tests to find out if you are gluten intolerant.
Even I told you already about few symptoms, I give you here some more to watch out:
- ADHD
- alcoholism
- ALS
- anxiety
- ataxia, maladjustment
- autism
- autoimmune diseases (diabetes, hypothyreosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
- bone pain, osteopenia, osteoporosis
- blur
- cancer
- chest pain
- continuous disorder
- lactose intolerance
- slow growth
- depression
- digestive disorders (gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, etc.)
- heart diseases
- rashes
- infertility
- IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
- poor food absorption
- migraine
- miscarriages
- nausea, vomiting
- neurological disorders (dementia, Alzheimer disease, schizophrenia, etc.)
- Parkinson disease
- strokes or epilepsy
- sugar craving
One and maybe easier way to test yourself is a gluten-free diet plan. Keep a strict diet and leave away everything where is gluten. You need to read carefully ingredient lists of all the products you consume. Gluten is used in many products as a glue. You might be surprised by all those products where gluten is included, like ice cream, cocoa, cold cuts, energy bars, hot drinks, marinades, ketchup, french fries, etc.
Gluten-free diet plan
If you have decided to try a gluten-free diet, you have to avoid these:
- Wheat (in many processed foods)
- Rye
- Pasta, macaroni
- Cereals, granola
- Bread
- Spelt
- Beer
- Barley
- Cookies, cakes, and pastries
It doesn’t matter if it’s whole grain or not. There is a number of products where gluten has been added. So you will become the very strict researcher of labels. But I can assure you that all the work and benefits are worth it. Of course, if you are eating gluten-free few weeks and your symptoms do not disappear then you know that they are not caused by gluten. Remember always consult your doctor before you start your diet, especially if you have medications.
Best way to avoid gluten is to eat mainly whole and healthy foods, as most whole foods are naturally gluten-free. You should avoid processed foods, grains and cereals that contain gluten.
Gluten-free grains
You might think that what on earth you can then eat. Luckily there are few naturally gluten-free grains and seeds, which you can also purchase online. Here is the list of them:
- Corn
- Tapioca
- Millet
- Buckwheat
- Amaranth
- Rice
- Sorghum
- Quinoa
- Arrowroot
- Flax
- Oats
However, even oats are naturally gluten-free, they may be contaminated by it. So, it is safest to only eat oats with a gluten-free label.
Gluten-free foods
There are plenty of healthy whole foods which are naturally gluten-free. When you choose foods, you should buy products which are naturally gluten-free. Processed gluten-free products are usually low in nutrients and high in added sugar or refined grains. Most beverages are gluten-free, except beer.
Naturally gluten-free foods:
- Meat
- Fish and seafood
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Vegetables
- Tubers
- Fats, such as virgin olive oil and virgin coconut oil and butter
Make sure that you pick up healthy foods and if available choose organic products and avoid GMO foods. Remember that junk is junk even it’s labeled gluten-free. A gluten-free label doesn’t automatically prove that the product is a healthy choice. When you are reading labels, you can find added sugar but many times unnatural sweeteners like aspartame. You should avoid those like a disease! I don’t go deeper of those in here but I will write more about unnatural sweeteners in my next post.
Many secret names of gluten
When you read food labels, you should track these secret names of gluten.
- aminopeptidcomplex
- maltodexstrin
- Avena sativa
- artificial colors
- syclodexstrin
- Hordeum dictichon
- Hordeum vulgare
- hydrogenated starch hydrolysate
- hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Secale cereale
- Triticum aestivum
- Triticum vulgare
- modified food starch
- yeast protein
- soy protein
- tocopherols or vitamin E
- natural flavors
The benefits of being gluten-free
I found a totally new life after I dumped grains and products which contains gluten. My brains are sharp like a razor blade, no bloating or gas after meals, no headaches, I’ve lost weight about ten pounds, my skin is not so dry anymore and my hair and nails are growing faster and are much stronger now. I feel like a newborn as I have lots more energy than before.
So, I can tell you that it’s worth to clean gluten from your diet. You will feel much more energetic and healthy as there is no glue in your gut. All nutrients are absorbing much more easily to your body and will give you many health benefits.
I hope you found some helpful things from here. And last I want to remind you again that consult your doctor or physician before you are going to try gluten free diet plan, especially if you have medications. I found the book of famous neurologist David Perlmutter’s, M.D.: Grain Brain – The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killer very helpful and it’s also full of great truths about healthy eating. I wish you will have great moments with searching for a better life.