When I had to go off gluten 2 1/2 years ago, I didn't really know what to expect. What did happen to me was nothing short of miraculous. The water bloat I was carrying for years disappeared and my energy came back. In addition, after several months I started absorbing nutrients again. This is indicative of someone with celiac disease, a debilitating autoimmune disease where people cannot eat a protein that is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gone untreated, this can cause a host of problems including cancer because the body's immune system is compromised and is unable to fight anything that comes it's way. I feel truly blessed to have found out my problem.
What I also found out when speaking with people with this disease is that 43% of the population has this disease to a certain extent. Some people don't actually have the disease but have an intolerance to gluten, and will benefit greatly from eliminating gluten from their diet. An even more amazing statistic is that 95% of people do not know that they have this problem, and thus suffer needlessly with all sorts of digestive problems ranging from gas, bloating, stomach aches, diarrhea, consitpation, and reflux. In addition, having gluten intolerance can also cause various allergies including skin and seasonal allergies.
When I went off gluten I struggled to figure out what I could and could not eat. It is very challenging because gluten is hidden in so many foods such as salad dressings, marinades and sauces which are on so many foods. I started off eating mostly plain things such as chicken and fish, later adding things that I knew were safe. What is amazing is there are so many websites that will help to decipher what you can and cannot eat. I found that cooking for myself was the best way to ensure that I was eating properly, but later ventured out to restuarants. What is so great is that so many restuarants have embraced this food allergy and created menus to accomodate these patrons. In addition, most grocery stores have created a gluten free section of their store so that people are able to purchase gluten free items.
I am so excited that people are finally aware of this problem, however, it seems recently that many people are choosing a "gluten free diet" because they think it is a way to lose weight. Actually this couldn't be further from the truth. When people are not absorbing the food that they eat, they don't gain weight, however, once the food is absorbed people have a tendency to gain weight. Eating gluten free is not a diet, it becomes a way of life, something that we cannot go off. Unfortunately there are many people glamorizing this problem and using it as the trendy diet du jour. Sadly, they don't understand that eating gluten free is not about buying processed gluten free cookies, cakes, pasta, etc. It's about finding healthy ways to eat without incorporating gluten into our diets. I know this trend will fade with time, I am only hoping that the awareness does not. Many people actually will benefit by eliminating gluten from their diet, just don't use it as an excuse to lose weight!
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