This is a topic that’s been weighing on my mind for a long time. It’s difficult to talk about, because it’s complex. It’s also easy for people to joke about. It’s a pain, in our heavily-gluten-loaded, heavily-processed-food-loaded world, to eliminate one of the ingredients widely present in foods (even where you wouldn’t expect it).
Here’s the thing. Wheat as we know it now isn’t the same wheat as 100 or 200 years ago. It may not even be the same as it was 50 years ago. Wheat has been modified to be more productive, and in that modification, the protein that is an issue for many, many people has been enhanced.
So what’s the problem? Wheat is a grain. The guidelines say have healthy whole grains in the diet. No problem. Right? Well, for some people, no, it’s not a big deal. For some people, in varying degrees, it’s a very big deal. Whether someone has full-blown celiac disease, a wheat allergy, or simply an intolerance or sensitivity, there can be multiple impacts to the person’s health. I’ve seen people who have had severe allergic skin reactions to simply being touched by someone who has handled wheat; the allergic person didn’t even ingest it. I’m not going to go into all of the science (or the icky details). I’m going to go over my experience (with a few moderately icky details).
I started wondering if I might have issues with gluten based on the things I was learning in my coaching studies, and I started paying attention to what I was eating and how I felt or what happened the day/two days after eating certain things. One of the body’s reactions to gluten is inflammation. Inflammation impacts the body in multiple ways, and everyone is different. My gut went kablooey on a regular basis. (That’s as detailed/grotesque as I’m gonna get, folks; you’re welcome.) I had regular acid reflux/heartburn. My joints and feet hurt. My moods tanked. I wanted more of whatever it was I was eating because I wasn’t full.
Then I started cutting out foods with wheat. (Barley, too, although it doesn’t strictly contain gluten, but a related protein.)
What happened? My gut issues cleared up. The acid reflux went away. The plantar fasciitis in both feet went away. For the most part, my joints felt better. My moods stabilized and improved. I stopped taking an herbal, organic, anti-inflammatory supplement. I stopped taking the anti-depressant I’d been put on as an appetite suppressant, and I stopped taking the prescription anti-acid reflux medication. (NOTE: I discussed that one with my doctor. I absolutely do NOT recommend modifying your prescription regimen without a clear and specific conversation with your medical provider!)
Cutting out foods with wheat. I’m not going to say it sounds simple, or that it is. There is NOTHING easy about cutting out foods with wheat when you’ve been accustomed to pasta, bread, beer, and brownies. And Campbell’s soups, and salad dressings, and many bottled barbecue sauces. It required lots of adjustments, both of my menus at home and what I order when we eat out. I read every label now on anything I buy that’s processed. (Processed foods are a whole different category! I’ve even done a Wine & Wellness Wednesday on it.) It was hard at first. All I wanted to do was make a huge pot of buttered noodles and eat myself dead on them. I adjusted my menus so I cook more with rice, or quinoa, or other starches if I really need a starch. I looked at multiple gluten-free foods. Some of them have way, way too many ingredients. (I’ve been thrilled to find a GF pasta I love that’s made of just two ingredients; black beans and water. It’s fantastic!) For the most part, we eat a lot more whole food or real food at home. We don’t go out to McDonald’s or Wendy’s. (For the record I also had to give up corn; it is not a gluten-containing grain, but I am allergic and that allergy manifests as gut issues. Seriously. I live in Iowa and I can’t eat corn. CRUEL.) I look at every label, every time. Sometimes I goof, and I pay the price later (sore joints, tanked mood, grumpy gut). Paying attention to how my body felt after I ate whatever-it-was, however, was what did it for me. It simply wasn’t worth suffering just to have a regular brownie. (Besides…I’ve found some really tasty GF brownie mixes.)
Everyone is different. Every body is different. My husband has noticed benefits of not eating gluten, although his reactions were never as intense as mine. Your experience will be different. Do I think everyone could benefit from not eating gluten? Yes. Do I push it? No. Do I try to avoid it? Yes. Do I goof? Occasionally. Mostly what I’ll do is discuss the reasoning behind giving it up, and the experience I’ve had since giving it up. It convinced me that even though it isn’t easy, it is totally worthwhile.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!