Scary! It might be in everything you eat! Cookies, bread, pasta, soy sauce, candy, pizza, crackers, and more! Gluten is one of the leading allergens. You may have heard about people on a 'gluten-free' diet. This is more than a diet... it is an absolute necessity for those suffering from gluten sensitivity. The range of symptoms of gluten sensitivity span from headaches to skin problems, inflammation, fatigue, bloating, depression, anxiety, IBS, inability to lose weight, muscle soreness, and others. Not until recent times has the intake of gluten been linked with these health-compromising conditions. Think about it... the standatd American diet insists that grains/breads be eaten most often! Remember the food guide pyramid? Horrible! Many people are eating gluten for breakfast, i.e. breads, bagels, pankaces, etc., gluten for lunch i.e. sandwiches, and gluten for dinner i.e. pasta/bread. Living on gluten is NOT healthy, regardless if you are allergic or not.
Gluten is a protein primarily found in wheat, rye, and barley, and in smaller quantities in spelt, kamut and oat. Gluten is a relatively recent addition to the human diet, evolutionarily speaking. Back in 'the day', humans feasted on fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, vegetables, roots, and the occasional piece of meat when hunting went well. There was simply no way to process a grain until the industrial revolution... try eating wheat from the ground-- NOT fun, you might break a tooth! Our bodies have not adapted to eating grains on a continual basis, especially when processed, which is why many of us may suffer from gluten sensitivity.
Now, you may say, "Oh, I'm not allergic... I eat bread all the time." Think again! Remember the symptoms I listed earlier. Trust me, because I used to be a gluten-a-holic, and I insisted that my irritable mood was simply from 'waking up on the wrong side of the bed'... or my chronic fatigue was due to 'not enough sleep' when I was sleeping at least eight hours per night. I didn't know that blemishes on my skin could be cured by cutting down on gluten intake, as well as immediate healthy weight loss. It's amazing how food can affect not only our physical health, but our mental/emotional state as well.
The easiest way to know if you are allergic to gluten is to do a self-allergy test. Cut gluten out of your diet completely for two weeks and see how you feel. It may take awhile for symptoms to completely disappear, but at the end of the two weeks try eating a piece of pizza or cake... but be mindful not to overdo it, as the reaction may be strong.
It is SO easy and delicious to eat gluten free. I have been pretty much gluten free for almost five years, and I always have energy, mental clarity, and am happy often. I am not saying that is all due to lack of gluten, but it is most definitely a part of it. I remember how I felt when gluten was a staple part of my diet, and to be honest, I didn't feel well! Always sluggish, a 'heavy' feeling, and bad moods quite often. I can offer you amazing gluten free items and recipes if you decide to take on the gluten free challenge for two weeks. What do you have to lose?! Well, maybe some health problems, but that's it!
