The Truth About Gluten:
I work with people all the time who have Celiac disease or are gluten sensitive. For some it’s pure misery (and potentially life threatening) if they consume gluten, for others it can present as an irritation like a tummy ache that goes away in a short period.
Awareness is
growing and more options are becoming available but it has also become a bit of
cultural phenom leaving some people confused about who should go Gluten Free.
About 1 out of 133 people have Celiac disease.
CELIAC DISEASE
and GLUTEN SENSITIVITY is 100% treatable through diet and lifestyle.
Here’s the
serious part. Consuming gluten for
those with Celiac can be very painful, cause illness and even death. Ingesting
gluten can damage the small intestine making it nearly impossible to deliver
nutrients to the bloodstream. Malnourishment, rapid weight loss and vomiting
all lead you right to the ER. My group health coaching partner, Lisa Thiele
shares her story about going GF on her blog. At her worst, Lisa was in the hospital with every symptom in
the book. It was a VERY scary time
for her and her family. Today she and I work together to educate people on the
power of healthy eating and living.
Breaking it
all down:
What is
gluten? And should you avoid it?
Gluten is
composite protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. Gluten impedes
digestion of protein via abnormal immune reaction. From the Latin word for “glue,” It's the stuff that makes bread chewy
in texture. Think fresh baked French bread (ohh that smell is so good!). Gluten
helps baked goods retain their shape and is also super absorbent... again think
French bread dipped into oils.
Gluten is not
a bad guy----it’s a nutritional protein that has been around and part of our
diet for thousands of years. That
said avoiding grains that do contain gluten (wheat, rye and barley) used to be
SUPER hard! Happily new products
and awareness of Celiac disease and gluten's effect on the body is making it
easier.
You CAN be
Gluten sensitive without having Celiac disease. Both sensitivity and Celiac can be triggered by stress
(happy or sad) and can present at any time in life.
Some grains
that do not have Gluten include:
Amaranth/
corn/ wild rice/ millet/ quinoa (my personal favorite)
Be careful to
watch your condiments, sauces and supplements (vitamins)! Soy sauce is a biggie to stay away
from. Instead try using Bragg
Liquid Aminos. It’s so much better for you than soy sauce anyway! That’s the
key really… going Gluten Free does not have to be a life sentence to avoid
pleasure in eating the foods that you love. As someone with [serious] Gluten
sensitivity, Lisa always teaches that naturally Gluten Free foods taste amazing
and are so much better for you!
If you suspect
you are gluten sensitive or have Celiac go and get a blood test to confirm
BEFORE you start adjusting your diet and buying gluten-free products.
And if you’d
like specialized help Lisa and I would love for you to join us for one of our
Group HealthCoaching courses!
-Lacy Young,
Health Coach
Check out Lacy’s Health Coach Website:
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