Today’s post on gluten is the last in a 3 part series on allergenic and harmful ingredients hidden in our food. The first part discussed MSG, a chemical that excites our cells to death, but makes our food taste awesome. The second part was about sugar, and how manufacturers use it mask tasteless food and hijack our tastebuds to keep us wanting more and more. Today is all about gluten and where it is found.
WHAT IS GLUTEN?
Gluten is a controversial buzzword that we often hear these days, in fact 30% of Americans are currently trying to avoid eating gluten, but do you even know what gluten is? Skeptics will actually quiz you :/ I know, I used to be one.
Gluten is a family of proteins found most commonly in wheat (think delicious bread!) but also in other grains like barley, rye, spelt and triticale. Coming from the Latin root “glue”, gluten when combined with water helps bind foods together and rise giving our breads, pastries and other foods a fluffy, satisfying texture. Gluten may taste delightful (seriously!) but glue in my intestines certainly does not sound like a good thing…
WHY SHOULD I AVOID GLUTEN?
Today’s wheat is not the wheat our ancestors ate. It has been hybridized and industrialized to the point that there is no longer predigestion of grain taking place, wheat used to take a long time to harvest and would sit in the sun to dry as part of the process. Also, the flour is now ground finer than with a traditional mill making it more readily absorbed by the body. And, surprisingly, modern wheat now has extra chromosomes and proteins that did not occur in ancient grains.
WHERE DO I FIND GLUTEN?
Want to avoid gluten? You better become a proficient label reader. It is not just in the obvious places like bread, pasta, cereal, cake and crackers. Similar to sugar and MSG, food manufacturers hide gluten in pretty much everything processed and fast food. It is best to take the perspective that there IS gluten in a product until it is proven not to be.
Keep in mind, just because a box says gluten free does not mean it is healthy. Refined gluten free foods often contain loads of sugar or other sweeteners, bad fats and msg. A packaged food should have 5 ingredients or less of easily pronounceable ingredients. Remember, pastured meat, fruits, veggies, and herbs are all naturally gluten free ?
SYMPTOMS OF GLUTEN SENSITIVITY
Gluten sensitivity shows up many different ways. It actually hard to isolate since it mimics so many other diseases. The most common symptoms are digestive distress of all kinds, stomach pain, gas, bloating, and IBS. These make sense but it can also show up as joint pain, rashes and fatigue. These symptoms will occur shortly after eating gluten foods. Gluten is even capable of breaking down the blood brain barrier which can result in a multitude of mental symptoms like brain fog and depression. Recurring exposure to gluten in sensitive individuals can ultimately progress to auto immunity after a long period of time.
Often when people eliminate gluten from their diet they find that they feel much better. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people are gluten intolerant, and 8 in 10 are genetically predisposed to sensitivity. In a society where our #1 source of calories is refined flour and people rarely cook this is especially problematic!
TIPS TO GO GLUTEN FREE:
Check out this Celiac quick start guide
Have you gone gluten free? If so, how has it affected your health? Let us know in the comments.
Kristen Files is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health through diet and lifestyle changes. Check out the full article with resources and citations, or to find ancestral recipes and healthy lifestyle hacks visit her site at Hearts for Health.