Some might say the Gluten Free Movement is just another fad in the ever-changing food fashion world. But is there more to it than that? Should everyone avoid gluten or just those who test positive for Coeliac disease or non-Coeliac gluten sensitivity. And how accurate are these tests anyway?
I remember watching Jimmy Kimmel a few years ago. He took to the streets to ask people if they were on the gluten free bandwagon. Most people he approached were like, ‘Oh definitely—have been for a few years now!’ He asked them what gluten was, and not one of them could answer him with conviction or with anything remotely correct.
So what exactly is the G-word all about? Basically, gluten is the protein peptide found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, semolina and most processed or packaged foods. It’s literally the glue that holds our food together.
Era of the Franken-Wheat
In the 70s, when wheat was first hybridised, it went from a short, stumpy crop to a tall prosperous crop with the ability to yield a lot more than its natural form. This resulted in mass production and the birth of an extremely viable product. But these advancements came at a cost to our immune and digestive systems. Wheat became either completely unrecognisable, or mistaken as other tissues in the body. Gluten stimulates an enzyme called zonulin, which causes the tight junctions of our gut lining to become looser, making us more susceptible to illness and intolerances. While some people tolerate gluten more than others, it still has an impact on the gut that makes intestinal permeability (leaky gut) more likely. Someone who has a mild reaction to wheat and continues to consume it day in, day out, may over time become more intolerant to other foods as well as wheat. Common culprits include dairy, nuts, legumes and shellfish. Most people think if they feel ‘fine’ after they consume gluten, from a digestive perspective, then they’re in the clear. But it’s not that simple. Only 30% of symptoms are related to your gut, the rest are neural or related to other things. Think brain fog, anxiety, depression, poor memory, low mood, skin conditions, allergies, joint pain and fatigue. If gluten is common in your diet and these conditions sound familiar, you have a sensitivity. People rationalise their choices with, ‘There’s not enough conclusive research on it’, or, ‘I read a study that debunked the whole gluten thing’. In actual fact, there are over twenty-thousand articles on gluten sensitivity. But if you don’t have the time to read all these, and really only want to know how gluten affects YOU, then become your own test subject. Based on first-hand results with many clients, I’m a firm believer everyone should avoid gluten, especially the types we’re exposed to today. And this isn’t just the obvious choices like bread, it’s the sneaky ones too, gluten hiding or disguised as something else.
Gluten these days is very different to the gluten your great grandmother was exposed to when she kneaded her fermented dough by hand—a beautiful loaf made with love that’d feed her family for a week.
Due to the change in wheat production, and the state of peoples’ gut health, some react more than others on consumption. This depends on the integrity of their gut lining, gut flora, enzyme production and so on.Lurking below the surface
Be your own experiment
Step 1: Remove gluten in all forms from your diet for at least four weeks. Constant exposure makes us numb to its effects, but removing it for a long enough period and bringing it back in, should indicate if it’s a problem. Observe how you feel, be intuitive, make notes, keep a journal, do whatever it takes to record the process.
Step 2: Reintroduce it with a vengeance—have a gluten feast! You’re the best person to know how something makes you feel.
Do the experiment and be honest with yourself about the experience. Get tested accurately if you really want to be sure, though there are very few accurate tests when it comes to checking if you have a problem with gluten, which makes diagnosis or identification a big problem. Most tests only look at one type of gluten peptide known as alpha gliadin, but guess how many there are? Over sixty.
Dr Tom O’Bryan, one of the leading experts on gluten, says the best way to know for sure is with a lab test (Cyrex Labs). Anyone with a family history of C0eliac or NCGS, autoimmune conditions, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, some of the ailments mentioned earlier, or just anyone who doesn’t feel great, should get tested. Which, let’s face it, is most of the population.It’s a no-grainer
The easiest way to do this, is to go primal. If you can’t pick it out of the ground, off a tree, or catch it with a spear, don’t eat it. Live off the land, not the cardboard box. Stop eating for convenience and start eating for life.
HI Bianca,
Thanks for trying to get the word out. My wife discovered (by herself) she was gluten intolerant about 12 years ago. For convenience sake I stopped eating gluten at the same time. Since the early ’70s when I attended a football game in Minnesota (and nearly froze to death) I had been getting bronchitis at least once per winter and sometimes twice. I would try to get over it by myself and would always have to see a doctor and get antibiotics. I would also suffer from colds that began with very painful sore throats. Since going gluten free I have not gotten bronchitis at all and I rarely get sore throats and have not seen a doctor or taken antibiotics for years. If I do get a cold it is over in at most 3 days. Migraine headaches from eating citrus are also a thing of the past. When I hear someone say going gluten free is just a fad I laugh but feel sorry for people who won’t at least try it. I am 68 and have been retired for 7 years. I recently started going to a health club and try to go at least 3 times a week. I also bought an acreage when I retired and have an orchard with more than 35 fruit trees which are just starting to produce plenty of apples, pears, apricots, peaches, plums and sour cherries. It never occurred to me that I would actually have more energy and have the best health of my life at an age when many people are starting to suffer from illnesses which are the result of all the poor choices they have made. I was very lucky to find a woman who had celiac disease. I probably would never have known why my health was so bad.
Dave in Omaha