Why Gluten Free?

What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
Introduction
You may have heard the term gluten free, and you may even have a
general idea as to what it means to eat a gluten free diet. Most eole
!elieve this tye of diet is a "urse for those who simly "annot tolerate the
rotein #nown as gluten, as they will never !e a!le to eat any food that
"ontains wheat, rye, !arley, malts, or triti"ale. $nd sin"e gluten is often
used as an additive to thi"#en and flavor foods, referred to in this "ase as
de%trin, most foods have to !e "omletely off limits. &ight? Wrong'
While it is true that a gluten free diet is the only medi"ally a""eted form of
treatment for "ertain tyes of medi"al "onditions su"h as wheat allergies,
dermatitis heretiformis, and "elia" disease, and it does limit somewhat the
food "hoi"es of eole with these "onditions, it does not mean that the diet
has to !e !land or !oring.
(n fa"t, a gluten free diet does not have to !e diffi"ult, and it "an in"lude a
variety of foods that will #ee dieters from feeling derived. )y ta#ing the
time to follow a few simle guidelines, you will find the ro"ess relatively
simle.
*he first thing you need to do is refo"us your attention on what tyes of
foods you "an have, and fo"us less on what you "annot. +afe foods in"lude
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
unro"essed, un"oated, unmarinated meats and fish, otatoes, "orn, nuts,
!eans, legumes, eggs, oils, "offee !eans, unflavored teas, lain mil#, fruit
-ui"es, and fresh fruits and vegeta!les. .lain her!s and si"es, not si"e
mi%es, are also /uite safe and add a great deal of gluten free flavor to
dishes.
While "ertain grains, su"h as those reviously mentioned do need to !e
avoided, there are other tyes of grains that are gluten free and "onsidered
to !e "omletely safe. *hese grains are0 soy 1not soy sau"e as it "ontains
wheat2, ri"e, sorghum, montina, !u"#wheat, amaranth, "orn, teff, and
/uinoa.
*here are also a num!er of different tyes of flours that are gluten free
availa!le on the mar#et today. *hese flours ma#e deli"ious !a#ed goods
and other rodu"ts, and are safe to use to "oat food. Gluten free flours are
made from the safe grains, as well as other gluten free foods su"h as
otatoes, !eans, taio"a, and nuts. Flours free of gluten "an !e readily
found in a variety of health food stores as well as suermar#ets today.
3ue to the fa"t that more and more eole are "hoosing to ta#e u a gluten
free lifestyle, there are now also a variety of ready to use gluten free food
rodu"ts, su"h as tortillas, !agels, and i44as, along with gluten free !a#ing
mi%es su"h a for "oo#ies, "a#es, !reads, and muffins.
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
3ue to the ever growing oularity of !eing gluten free, there is also gluten
free asta, whi"h is also easily found in most gro"ery stores and is made
from "orn, ri"e, !u"#wheat, and6or /uinoa. *here are also !u"#wheat
noodles whi"h are tasty and safe, ma#ing for easy food su!stitutions.
Reasons to go Gluten Free
$s reviously dis"ussed, there are "ertain health "onditions that ma#e it
imortant for some individuals to go on a gluten free diet. +imly ni!!ling
on !read or even drin#ing a !eer "an "ause these eole e%treme !loating,
a!dominal ain, diarrhea, and gas. For eole who have !een diagnosed
with "elia" disease, eating gluten filled foods "an "ause an autoimmune
resonse in the !ody that a"tually "an damage the small intestine, and
!lo"# #ey nutrients from !eing roerly a!sor!ed.
While everyone understands that eole with medi"al "onditions or serious
allergies have no "hoi"e !ut to give u gluten, the /uestion remains, why
are eole who "an safely eat gluten giving u their favorite foods, when
they do not even have to do so?
*his trend is !e"oming e%tremely oular as many ersonal trainers, fitness
e%erts, and even the 7ollywood elite are "hoosing to go gluten free. (f so
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
many eole are "hoosing to go this route, there must !e reasons, and
there must !e great !enefits.
The Serious Condition of Celiac Disease
$s was tou"hed uon earlier, "elia" disease is the main reason for eole to
give u gluten, and it "an !e a serious "ondition. *his "ondition is an
autoimmune disease that is inherited and "an "ause the small intestine to
!e"ome damaged when the rotein that is found in rye, wheat, and !arley,
#nown as gluten, is "onsumed.
+ymtoms of "elia" disease "an range in severity from erson to erson,
whi"h ma#es it "ommon for a roer diagnosis not to !e made right away.
)e"ause a high num!er of "ases go undiagnosed, it is estimated that the
"urrent num!er of "ases 1one in one hundred thirty three eole2 is
a"tually mu"h higher. For some eole, "onstiation is the only symtom,
while others have severe diarrhea, and for others there are no ro!lems
with regularity.
9ther symtoms that are "ommonly e%erien"ed with "elia" disease are0
gas, indigestion, ain in the a!domen, !loating, vomiting, nausea, la"tose
intoleran"e, a de"rease in aetite, a distended stoma"h, irregular stools,
and weight loss that "annot !e fully e%lained.
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
;elia" disease also "omes with a variety of symtoms that are not related
to digestion su"h as0 !ruising easily, ain in the -oints or !ones, deression,
"hildren with growth delays, hair loss, fatigue, malnutrition, "hanges in
!ehavior, anemia, irrita!ility, s#in ro!lems, sei4ures, ul"ers in the mouth,
de"rease in !one density, mus"le "rams, swelling, hyogly"emia, nose
!leeds, diffi"ulty !reathing or "at"hing the !reath, defe"ts in tooth enamel
or dis"olorations, and defi"ien"ies in vitamins or minerals su"h as folate,
vitamin <, or iron.
Non-Celiac People Turning Gluten Free
=ow that there is a firm understanding of why some eole have to go
gluten free, let>s dive into the reasons why eole who do not suffer with
allergies or intoleran"es are trending toward giving u gluten.
Nutrition0 *he truth is, if you "an get nutrition from gluten, you "an also
get it from other sour"es that are healthier and rovide !etter /uality
nutrients. While gluten grains are "onsidered to !e high in ) vitamins and
fi!er, you "an a"tually get the same /uality, if not !etter nutrition from
other foods.
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
For e%amle, wheat flour is a"#ed full of nia"in and thiamin. +wit"hing to
fla%seeds rovides even greater amounts of these nutrients, while !eing
"omletely free of gluten. (f you are "on"erned a!out a redu"tion in fi!er,
this too is easily remedied. Foods su"h as green eas and "ollard greens
"ontain very high levels of fi!er, mu"h more than gluten "ontaining grains,
while !eing a!solutely safe.
Gluten is Rough on Your Stomach0 Whether you are gluten sensitive or
not, gluten is rough on your stoma"h. When your stoma"h is not
fun"tioning well, your entire !ody will not feel as healthy as it should
!e"ause it simly "annot a!sor! all of the roer nutrients from the foods
you eat. *he result is a !ody that is not nourished effi"iently, and one that
is more sus"eti!le to illnesses.
Gluten is Difficult to Process0 @ven if you do not reali4e it, your !ody may
have a diffi"ult time ro"essing gluten. *his is more "ommon in ;au"asian
eole, and even though it is estimated that -ust over one er"ent of
eole have "elia" disease, the num!ers are ro!a!ly mu"h higher.
(nflammation is "aused !y Gluten0 Grains that are high in star"h often lead
to inflammations within the !ody. *he more the refined the grain is, the
more otential there is for inflammation. An!lea"hed white flour is mu"h
more inflammatory than even ro"essed wheat flour. 9n the other hand,
gluten free foods su"h as fresh vegeta!les and healthy tyes of fat "an
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
a"tually hel to redu"e inflammation. .atients who suffer with arthritis,
asthma, "ardiovas"ular disease, and even allergies have all shown
imrovement while on a gluten free diet.
Gluten Blocs !ineral "#sorption0 For the most art, gluten grains are not
roerly reared, whi"h ma#es it very diffi"ult for the !ody to gain any
nutrition from these foods. While you may !elieve you are eating a diet
ri"h in #ey nutrients, iron, and "al"ium, gluten grains that are eaten will
a"tually !lo"# your !ody>s a!ility to a!sor! everything you need.
Gluten $arms Teeth0 7igh in hytate, gluten grains a"tually have !een
lin#ed to tooth de"ay. .hyti" a"id, or hytates, !lo"# many minerals from
!eing a!sor!ed, whi"h "auses !a"teria to feed on the star"hes, "ausing
de"ay in the teeth.
Gluten is not great for the Sin0 Most tyes of glutens are foods that are
high in "ar!ohydrates. While "ar!ohydrates are not !ad, and are imortant
to overall nutrition, they are !ro#en down !y the !ody into various tyes of
sugars. +ugar instru"ts the !ody to ma#e insulin, whi"h then "auses a
resonse in the !ody to rodu"e "ertain hormones. *his then ma#es the
se!um glands in the !ody rodu"e more oil, whi"h "an lead to greater
formations of a"ne and other annoying and unsightly s#in ro!lems.
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
%ating Gluten maes the #od& 'ant more Gluten0 7ow many times have
you smelled a !at"h of freshly !a#ed "oo#ies and -ust had to have one?
;han"es are on"e you ate one, you went !a"# for another. *he same holds
true for a warm loaf of !read, straight out of the oven. Who has -ust one
sli"e? *hese foods, due to their high "ar!ohydrate /ualities, "ause the !ody
to re"eive a fast !urst of energy. Anfortunately, this energy !urst does not
last, !ut does ma#e the !ody "rave more. *his is due to a rise and fall in
insulin levels, whi"h "auses the vi"ious "y"le to "ontinue on a regular !asis.
" (in to "utism) Gluten has also !een lin#ed to autism in "hildren. While
it "annot !e said that gluten "auses autism, it has !een suggested that
redu"ing or "omletely eliminating gluten from the diet of "hildren who
have !een diagnosed with the "ondition may !e a!le to imrove on"e these
tyes of grains are removed. *he idea !ehind this "on"et is that !e"ause
adult !odies have a hard time ro"essing the grains, "hildren have greater
diffi"ulty. *his has !een lin#ed to a "ondition referred to as !rain fog,
whi"h further inhi!its the develoment of "hildren with autism. )y
redu"ing the otential for this fog to form, "hildren !egin to "ome around,
show imrovement, and have an overall redu"tion in the symtoms
asso"iated with autism.
Conclusion
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Why Gluten Free?
What Is The Gluten Free Diet And What You Need To Know Before You Try It
$s you "an see, there are a num!er of reasons and !enefits to starting a
gluten free lifestyle. While swit"hing over "omletely will re/uire a !it of a
transition ro"ess, in time you will find that the transformation you
e%erien"e in your !ody, and the health of your family was well worth the
e%tra !it of effort. +in"e there are a num!er of rodu"ts on the mar#et that
are readily found in any gro"ery store today, finding foods that are gluten
free is easier than ever !efore.
$ll it ta#es to get the most out of a gluten free lifestyle is a "ommitment to
do so, a !it of a shift in your way of thin#ing, and the time needed to ma#e
the transition. 9n"e you have esta!lished your new way of life, you will
never again return to eating gluten filled foods, as you will find you have
more energy, more stamina, a "learer head, lower !lood ressure, and
even !etter overall nutrition.
While you may en"ounter a !it of hesitation from your family, should you
"hoose to turn your whole family gluten free, sti"# with it. *he !est way to
garner their suort is to ma#e small, gradual "hanges that do not re/uire
too mu"h from them all at on"e. *ry swit"hing to gluten free asta, instead
of regular. +tart !a#ing gluten free !read, and !uying gluten free "ereal. (n
time you will find that not only will your family feel !etter, they will not
even noti"e the "hanges and will !e well on their way to living a gluten free
lifestyle.
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