Gluten free: fad diet or are intolerances on the rise?
Eating gluten free has increased in popularity over the last few years. As a holistic health coach, I often get asked why and if it’s just a fad. As someone with a gluten intolerance personally, I also hear ‘oh you’re so healthy’ when I order gluten free. One thing I think is important to point out is that gluten free eating is not necessarily the healthier option. There are plenty of unhealthy and equally processed gluten free options out there in the world today. With that said, I think gluten intolerance is real and increasing, and it’s worth looking into why.
Gluten has been known to contribute to or cause a number of different symptoms related to digestive issues, autoimmune diseases, skin issues, weight, mood, bloating, and headaches, just to name a few. It also is starting to be linked as the single cause behind a whole list of diseases. Gluten is also very inflammatory, so if you are working on lowering overall inflammation in the body, cutting out gluten may be beneficial. This is not to say eating gluten free is for everyone, or will improve your health if you experience some of the symptoms above. However, it does make a difference for some individuals and may be something to consider in your diet.
To start with some basics - what is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Some of the possible reasons we are seeing a rise in gluten sensitivity:
Modern wheat is not the same plant/grain our grandparents ate and new hybrids are starchier and contain more gluten.
Gluten is added to many things in the food processing industry and we are consuming way more than we ever have (wheat consumption has increased 3-fold in 40 years).
Wheat is one of the main ingredients in the American diet. We are eating way too much and the body is getting sicker.
The chemical herbicide glyphosate is being used on wheat just before harvest to increase the yield and this toxin has a negative impact on our system.
More people are experiencing a damaged gut flora and inflammation of the gut and body from overuse of antibiotics, increased sugar in the diet, environmental toxins, and GMOs which increases the difficulty of digesting gluten.
When I first discovered that I had a gluten intolerance, it was a bit overwhelming to alter my diet, not to mention hard to cut out some of the foods I loved. However, it was a great opportunity for me to look at my diet and focus more on eating real whole foods. It was somewhat of a blessing in disguise because it forced me to pass on the convenient and processed options a lot of the time. I also started to see how much better I felt without gluten in my diet, and my improved health made it so much easier to not miss it in my diet.
Other options that can work well for some individuals:
Cut out processed food and by default this will lower the gluten in your diet.
Try sprouted grains and flours. They are digested differently in your body.
Try spelt which is lower in gluten.
Eat a wider variety of grains and/or fewer grains.
Have you tried eliminating gluten in your diet? How did you feel? Do you have unexplained chronic symptoms? Are you interested in eliminating gluten but it feels to overwhelming?
