It’s no secret that gluten-free foods are one of the fastest growing sectors in the food industry. Yet many mainstream health and nutrition sources still discourage adoption of a gluten free diet for anyone without a laboratory confirmed diagnosis of Celiac Disease (CD). Some widely touted studies have suggested that “gluten sensitivity” may not exist, and suggest that FODMAPS, not gluten are causing the GI symptoms that people assumed were from gluten.
There are other studies that suggest many who are harmed from gluten have no obvious GI symptoms and may be negative for CD by every known test. Sometimes they present only with anemia, or osteoporosis which many doctors still don't know can be caused from consuming gluten.
Every currently used medical test to identify those who might be harmed by gluten, has many
There are other studies that suggest many who are harmed from gluten have no obvious GI symptoms and may be negative for CD by every known test. Sometimes they present only with anemia, or osteoporosis which many doctors still don't know can be caused from consuming gluten.
Every currently used medical test to identify those who might be harmed by gluten, has many
false negatives. I personally have met dozens of people too, who told me that in spite of classic CD symptoms, they were told over and and over they did not have CD and to keep eating gluten. Repeatedly they were negative by multiple tests for CD. It was only after a decade, sometimes two that finally a test for CD came back positive. By then they had suffered terribly in and out of the hospital for years. Obviously, our current methods of testing are missing many who would benefit from a gluten free diet. This may be why so many who try popular gluten free diets (paleo, atkins etc) become committed to continuing this way of eating. In fact some studies have suggested that one of the major benefits of getting off gluten is an improved sense of psychological well-being.
Unfortunately, most people attempting to go gluten-free, do so in a way that increases their risk of other chronic disease. Namely -- our major killers like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But unlike gluten sensitivity, typically have a gradual onset of symptoms. They can be years in the making too. In some cases there are no symptoms until death (which can come suddenly and without warning in many cases) that most people never make the connection of what on their plate, is most likely to disable or kill them.
Many individuals AND healthcare providers claim to have observed gluten free benefits first hand. The growth of low-carb and paleo diets are testimony that large numbers of people (at least at first) experience improved sense of well-being when they eliminate (and sometimes even just reduce!) exposure to wheat, barley, rye, oats and DAIRY. But they get fooled into believing that consuming grass fed beef (or some other supposedly “better” form of animal protein) is also helping them, because often they made that change at the same time too.
I am not aware of a single study suggesting that eating animal protein is beneficial or necessary to have good health -- it may be less harmful overall in the diet to eliminate processed carbs and substitute small amounts of animal protein -- IF you also eat a lot more vegetables at the same time, but that does not suggest that animal protein is beneficial. Especially when there is such an enormous volume of science from both clinical studies and epidemiological studies that suggest animal protein, all by itself fans the growth of existing cancers, increases transit time in the gut, promotes inflammation throughout the body, negatively impacts the gut micro biome, comes with the wrong types of fats which are also harmful, comes with animal hormones we don't need, and exposes us to higher levels of environmental pollutants (like mercury) that all concentrate as one eats higher up on the food chain.
Because some people who react to gluten also react to ALL GRAINS, for those wanting to know if going gluten free might benefit them, I suggest that you first go completely grain free and see if you notice any benefits. If you do, after several months you could try adding back non-gluten containing grains -- one per week and see if you maintain your improvement or not. That would give you some idea as to whether you need to be gluten free or completely grain free.
The thing to keep in mind however is that legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are NOT grains, and one of the most beneficial groups of foods we can eat. They are loaded with fiber and protective phytochemicals that reduce our risk to many chronic diseases while building up a health gut micro biome, that keeps our bowels moving properly, reduces inflammation in our body and even improves our mood. It can take a month or two of eating them before you select for the type of gut bacteria that will allow you to eat them, without a lot of gas -- so increase them slowly and don't give up.
An optimal gluten free diet emphasizes vegetables and beans, with smaller amounts of fruits, nuts, seeds and and sea vegetables. It is better to NOT use oil -- but if you do, keep it to less then a tsp a day -- used judiciously to oil a baking pan, or saute onions. Yes we do need healthy fats -- which you should get from whole foods, like flax seed, walnuts, chia, avocado, sesame seeds etc...but not oil, which is simply a highly processed food. Everyone should make sure that they have a reliable source of sublingual B-12 (which avoids becoming deficient in this critical vitamin from gut issues that appear to plague more and more people.) The Institute of Medicine actually recommends that everyone over age 50 be especially careful to get enough B-12 -- no matter what their diet!
Some great breakfast ideas are chia pudding with berries, flax seeds and nuts, my breakfast bars (if you are eating some grains) a banana smoothie, fresh fruit and raw nuts or even a simple baked sweet potato. Lunches and dinners should include a green salad. You can top it with canned beans to make into a meal all by itself (be sure to make it large enough to actually consume enough calories to meet your needs and keep you fueled for a few hours!) lentil soups, baked falafel, lettuce lentil pate wraps, a tofu scramble, a vegetable stir fry, or black bean chili.
That's how to go gluten free healthfully!
Unfortunately, most people attempting to go gluten-free, do so in a way that increases their risk of other chronic disease. Namely -- our major killers like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But unlike gluten sensitivity, typically have a gradual onset of symptoms. They can be years in the making too. In some cases there are no symptoms until death (which can come suddenly and without warning in many cases) that most people never make the connection of what on their plate, is most likely to disable or kill them.
Many individuals AND healthcare providers claim to have observed gluten free benefits first hand. The growth of low-carb and paleo diets are testimony that large numbers of people (at least at first) experience improved sense of well-being when they eliminate (and sometimes even just reduce!) exposure to wheat, barley, rye, oats and DAIRY. But they get fooled into believing that consuming grass fed beef (or some other supposedly “better” form of animal protein) is also helping them, because often they made that change at the same time too.
I am not aware of a single study suggesting that eating animal protein is beneficial or necessary to have good health -- it may be less harmful overall in the diet to eliminate processed carbs and substitute small amounts of animal protein -- IF you also eat a lot more vegetables at the same time, but that does not suggest that animal protein is beneficial. Especially when there is such an enormous volume of science from both clinical studies and epidemiological studies that suggest animal protein, all by itself fans the growth of existing cancers, increases transit time in the gut, promotes inflammation throughout the body, negatively impacts the gut micro biome, comes with the wrong types of fats which are also harmful, comes with animal hormones we don't need, and exposes us to higher levels of environmental pollutants (like mercury) that all concentrate as one eats higher up on the food chain.
Because some people who react to gluten also react to ALL GRAINS, for those wanting to know if going gluten free might benefit them, I suggest that you first go completely grain free and see if you notice any benefits. If you do, after several months you could try adding back non-gluten containing grains -- one per week and see if you maintain your improvement or not. That would give you some idea as to whether you need to be gluten free or completely grain free.
The thing to keep in mind however is that legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are NOT grains, and one of the most beneficial groups of foods we can eat. They are loaded with fiber and protective phytochemicals that reduce our risk to many chronic diseases while building up a health gut micro biome, that keeps our bowels moving properly, reduces inflammation in our body and even improves our mood. It can take a month or two of eating them before you select for the type of gut bacteria that will allow you to eat them, without a lot of gas -- so increase them slowly and don't give up.
An optimal gluten free diet emphasizes vegetables and beans, with smaller amounts of fruits, nuts, seeds and and sea vegetables. It is better to NOT use oil -- but if you do, keep it to less then a tsp a day -- used judiciously to oil a baking pan, or saute onions. Yes we do need healthy fats -- which you should get from whole foods, like flax seed, walnuts, chia, avocado, sesame seeds etc...but not oil, which is simply a highly processed food. Everyone should make sure that they have a reliable source of sublingual B-12 (which avoids becoming deficient in this critical vitamin from gut issues that appear to plague more and more people.) The Institute of Medicine actually recommends that everyone over age 50 be especially careful to get enough B-12 -- no matter what their diet!
Some great breakfast ideas are chia pudding with berries, flax seeds and nuts, my breakfast bars (if you are eating some grains) a banana smoothie, fresh fruit and raw nuts or even a simple baked sweet potato. Lunches and dinners should include a green salad. You can top it with canned beans to make into a meal all by itself (be sure to make it large enough to actually consume enough calories to meet your needs and keep you fueled for a few hours!) lentil soups, baked falafel, lettuce lentil pate wraps, a tofu scramble, a vegetable stir fry, or black bean chili.
That's how to go gluten free healthfully!
