Did you know that gluten can cause significant health issues? Here are 3 good reasons to try a gluten-free lifestyle. You might be surprised how good you feel when you give up grains and gluten!
By Devan Kline
Fitness and fat loss are not always about exercise. Although it is no secret that doing a circuit training routine will burn some serious calories, focusing solely on exercise will get you virtually nowhere. You reach most of your fitness goals through progress in healthy nutrition. When it comes to nutrition, education is the ultimate accountability.
Today, I want to unveil some truths about one of modern day food’s most popular debate: GLUTEN!
Over the past decade the awareness of the negative health effects of gluten have been put on the worldwide stage. People all over the planet are educating themselves on what gluten is, where it comes from, and what it does to our body.
According to surveys, about one third of Americans are actively trying to eliminate gluten from their lifestyle. I set out on the research trail to find out what is really going on with this whole gluten craze. Fad or reality? I wanted to know what is really happening to the human body when we digest gluten, so I hit the books hard and here is what I found.
3 Reasons Why You Should Live a Gluten-Free Lifestyle
1. Celiac Disease Is Growing
Gluten is a protein that is found in several types of grains. Wheat, barley, and rye are among the most popular. There are two different proteins that make gluten: gliadin and glutenin.
The gliadin protein houses the harmful properties human have trouble digesting. Gluten is the property of a grain product that gives it the “elasticity” or the doughy-ness to bake and rise.
Did you know this?
Gluten is actually a Latin word; the direct English translation is “glue.”
So when the gluten reaches the small intestine it then becomes exposed to your body’s defense mechanism, your immune system. Normally, in foods without gluten, your attack cells are merely hanging out or passing by.
When the attack cells see gluten, the fight is on and your immune system attacks gluten like a foreign bacteria.
In celiac disease (the most severe form of gluten sensitivity), the immune system attacks the gluten proteins, but it also attacks an enzyme in the cells of the digestive tract called tissue transglutaminase.
What does this mean? This immune reaction will not only attack the gluten protein, but will wither away your intestinal walls as well. This creates extreme internal inflammation in which we all know that swelling of the body is the root cause of all major disease.
At the end of the day:
Celiac’s affects about 1% of people (source). The number has been on the rise for about 10 years. Eighty percent of people with Celiacs don’t even know it. If you are ever sluggish, lethargic, fatigued, or can’t digest you may have sensitivity to some degree.
2. Gluten Sensitivity Can Be a Deadly Disease
If you have any stomach pains, sensitivity, bloating or irregular bowel movements you might have a gluten allergy, but many people are just sensitive. Gluten can cause serious problems to the lining of your small intestinal tract. Overdoses of this man-made protein will “eat” holes in the side walls your intestines, causing unwanted substances to leak into your blood stream.
Inflammation is the root to all disease and consuming high doses of gluten, among the hundreds of other ways Americans harm their bodies, will cause a high level of intestinal inflammation that can lead to deadly diseases!
When your stomach hurts after eating 16 donut holes you will now know why! Many people who have a serious gluten intolerance do not even realize it because they are so used to feeling poorly and being bloated after binge eating!
3. Brain Disorders Are Associated With Gluten
Up until this point you have learned how gluten is tearing our guts apart, but did you know that it may also have negative effects on the brain? Many cases of neurological illness may be linked to gluten consumption. This is called gluten-sensitive idiopathic neuropathy.
The main disease thought to be caused by gluten is called Cerebellar Axtaxia. Cerebeller Axtaxia is a common symptom in many diseases and patients are diagnosed with dizziness, inability to coordinate balance and movements, and problems speaking.
There are several other diseases linked with gluten as well. It is now a known fact that Axtaxia cases are directly related to gluten. It does irreparable damage to the brain and can be deadly.
Autism, schizophrenia, and rare forms of epilepsy are also diseases known to improve on a gluten free diet.
Gluten is obviously a substance that we shouldn’t be consuming in such high doses!
Eliminate Gluten For 30 Days
Take the gluten-free challenge and introduce yourself to a life full of energy and happiness. The only way to know if you are sensitive to gluten or not is to completely eliminate it, and then reintroduce it back into your diet to see if you react.
Buy all of your groceries gluten free for 30 days, and then try gluten again on day 31. See how awful you feel, and then continue your gluten-free diet plan!
I promise that you will feel so much better, full of energy, and ready for whatever comes your way. Keep in mind that wheat is the unhealthiest grain that you can eat and is problematic for many reasons, some of which do not involve gluten whatsoever. So eat clean, train mean, get lean, and most of all keep moving!
Note from Erin: My family is gluten free, and has been for the past 3 years! If you want to try a gluten-free diet, check out my recipe index. Most–but not all–of the recipes are gluten free. I’ve learned that it’s not hard to adapt many of my family’s favorite dishes like Strawberry Crisp, Sausage Balls, and Fried Chicken to be gluten free. You can even do freezer cooking on a gluten-free diet!
Are you sensitive to gluten? Have you ever considered trying a gluten-free diet?
Did you miss Devan’s previous posts? You can read them here!
Fitness for Busy Moms
Conquer the Science of Losing Weight in 7 Easy Steps
25 Health and Fitness Tips for Busy Moms
Devan Kline is a personal trainer and fitness coach committed to helping you reach your fitness goals and embrace a healthy lifestyle one day at a time! Burn Bootcamp is an online program for those who are very serious about increasing their overall health but can’t seem to find the time or the money to make it happen! Learn about his unique programs at Burn Bootcamp, and try a workout for free!
Disclaimer: This post is for entertainment and educational purposes only. We cannot be held liable for any decisions you make regarding your health. We are here to simply encourage you to do more research on your own. Please seek out the advice of your trusted healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health.
Katie
This is obviously a substance we should not be eating? Obviously, if we are allergic or wheat sensitive or celiac. Otherwise, this is an alarmist statement. Those who have no problems digesting wheat/grains can keep on eating them. My family grinds our own wheat, eats other grains whole. We have no health problems. You really can’t say that no one should be eating grains.
Curious also, if grains were a substance that no one should eat, why do you think they were the main food of Bible times? Joseph stored them and saved a nation. Ruth gathered them to sustain herself and her mil. People were always making bread. Jesus IS our Bread. I just don’t get the demonization of grains for the general public.
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
This sums up my response pretty well too. For me, I try to simply focus more on simply eating whole, real food. We grind our own grain too, and rarely buy bread products from the store.
Erin
It sounds like you are doing it the right way!
Erin
Hi Katie, I personally think that if people are eating gluten then it needs to be properly prepared, which it sounds like you are doing with your wheat. I think the grains we eat today are a lot different than the grains they ate in biblical times. Just my opinion! 🙂
Kathy
I don’t remember any statement in your article about seeing your doctor first and getting a proper diagnosis. Gluten free diets are for people with certain diseases who are being followed be medical personnel and not by someone who gets educated by trolling the Internet. It’s like telling mothers not to immunize their children because it could lead to autism.
Erin
We never recommend that anyone do anything without first consulting their trusted healthcare provider. This was stated in the disclaimer at the end of the post.
Alli
I think something that’s missing in the gluten debate is the severe differences in how wheat is grown today . Especially compared to how it was grown long ago, say Jesus’ lifetime or before. They didn’t douse wheat fields with Roundup in those times. Surprisingly, our bodies do not react well to certain herbicides.
My husband and I have transitioned from the “slow carb” diet to now “primal/paleo” and are the healthiest we’ve ever been! We have both always been active/athletic. I myself am a marathon runner. I’m now a pregnant mother of a 1 year old and 3 year old and I have never been this fit or felt as healthy as I do.
I would dare your health-conscious readers to try the 21 day primal challenge! http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-blueprint-21-day-challenge/#axzz3OFFzvOsO
Thank you for your post and information!
Erin
Yes! I agree! The wheat of today IS very different!
clothespin
As of right now – wheat is not GMO which means it is usually not treated with Roundup. There are some who use Roundup to dry the plants down prior to harvest (much like is used in cotton) but that is expensive and not widely done. Yet.
They are currently working on a GMO wheat which will be released as a variety soon.
All other differences of wheat from now to 100 years ago have been achieved by traditional plant breeding (good old fashioned plant sex between plants that a farmer/plant scientist decided should make babies together). By breeding for things, like insect resistance and disease resistance, certain naturally occurring chemicals in the wheat plant have increased… likely the very things that are causing all of the problems. This has all been very unintentional of course. Breeders were only looking to increase productivity of crops for the farmers not make a bunch of folks sick!
So, as much as I hate the chemicals frequently used, it is likely not the cause of our issues… but rather changes in the plant itself.
Also, if you have issues and get some relief but not totally from a GF diet, perhaps look into the FODMAP diet. Wheat is a part of it but the issue is far more complex, and difficult to eat around. It is however likely a significant cause for most wheat issue folks.
Erin
Thanks for the input!
Jennifer
The Roundup/pesticide argument is a logical fallacy. Large amounts of our farmed food is “doused” in pesticides these days relative to historical times. Any danger from herbicides would be present on all the mass farmed foods, not just wheat. But there is no demonization of corn, rice, veggies, or fruit (the push for organic notwithstanding).
This sensitivity to gluten argument, while very real in some individuals, has been blown way out of proportion. It is essentially no different than sensitivity to lactose inasmuch as there are several genotypic variations in humans regulating how the body responds to it. Some people can look at milk and have problems (obviously an exaggeration to prove a point) and others, like myself, could drink a gallon a day with cheese and ice cream with nary a problem. Likewise, there is a full spectrum of physiological responses to gluten.
Any benefit in health from a reduction in gluten among non gluten sensitive individuals is probably more likely the result of calorie cutting and substituting more nutrient dense foods for the empty calories of most wheat products than from removing gluten from the diet.
I don’t think this is a wisely constructed post.
Angela
The reason why many people don’t respond to gluten free diets is because it’s not all about the gluten. Many gluten free products contain other ingredients that aren’t good for you. Also natural grains contain things like lectin that cause problems for everyone.
Read this all the way to the end to have a more clear understanding.
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/gluten-punishment-whole-grain-assault-health
Erin
I do agree that it’s not all about the gluten.
tammy
I am not very familiar with gluten free arguments. My experience is really all i have to go on. I have had serious skin issues on my face for months. After lots of steroids and trying to eliminate my exposure to chemicals and scents i had a measure of success, but not total healing. I tried gluten free out of desperation ,my eyes constantly burned and itched, after about 8ish days my skin was totally clear!!! My eyes have been healed ever since!! I am so so thankful that God allowed me to know about this!! Hope this can be useful.
Erin
Tammy, I feel the same…you just can’t deny the results we’ve seen! We didn’t have skin issues, but my firstborn struggled greatly with mood and digestion. GF healed her!