Every day I hear of someone being diagnosed with illnesses, mostly that will be with them the remainder of their lives. Many of these illnesses are autoimmune diseases that cause the body to not fight sickness and infection as easily as a "healthy" person. I've been telling my family that I am strong in my beliefs that the food we consume daily is causing the health issues we as Americans are facing. The best way to learn, for me at least, is to experiment and do my own research. This is where I started.
All the hype about gluten made me curious about what it is, what it is in, how it supports our daily diet, and side effects of consuming it. I began doing research and my findings stunned me beyond belief.
Gluten is not the wheat product itself, which is what I wrongly thought, it is however, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Basically everything we consume contains gluten. The more I research, the more foods I learn contains gluten. Of course all breads, pastas, cereals, and flours are made with gluten products. These products are the obvious foods but things we would never imagine also contain gluten. From lunch meat to shredded cheese and even cheap coffees contain gluten. Manufacturers use gluten in these products to help the aging process and in the cheese it helps it not stick together like all natural cheeses tend to do when you shred it yourself.
There are people with Celiac Disease that have to stay away from gluten to avoid bone damage and severe effects such as international inflammation preventing the body to absorb nutrients from our food. Others that must avoid gluten are gluten sensitive. These individuals don't necessarily have to stay away from gluten however eating it can cause extreme discomfort and pain. On the flip side, some people need gluten to help the digestion process and can cause celiac symptoms or gluten sensitive symptoms from the absence of the gluten product. Of course I'm not a doctor nor do I claim to know everything about food, what I do know is what I have tried and what my personal finding are.
If avoiding gluten is your goal, naturally gluten free foods are fruits, vegetables, fresh fish, fresh chicken, lean meats, beans, lentils, brown and wild rice, low fat dairy products (I use almond milk instead), nuts, seeds, virgin olive oils, and the list goes on. When grocery shopping keep in mind, the fresher-the better! Beware of boxed food, processed food, and high sugary and fatty foods.
Benefits of cutting gluten include (for some-not all individuals) thinner thighs, reduced belly fat, and even increased energy.
This is what shocked me...gluten, once consumed and in your body turns into a product called gliadin. This product is the biggest problem we have with gluten because once it turns to this, it has the potential to attack organs like our thyroid, pancreas, and other vital organs causing autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, and so on. Not only does it cause autoimmune diseases but it can also cause cancer, schizophrenia, and can attack heart tissues causing heart disease.
I feel like doctors should inform patients of the potential gluten has to hurting us, especially if you are more susceptible to these health issues. Do your own research and see what your findings are. You may surprise yourself!
http://paleodietlifestyle.com/11-ways-gluten-and-wheat-can-damage-your-health/
