We live in a society today where people live on all sorts of dietary restrictions. Vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and gluten free are just some of the big fad diets that are most commonly seen in today’s generation. Why is this? Well when people hear that cutting something out of your diet will allow you to loose weight, or prevent disease then a wide spread of people will join the movement and cut that food from their daily meals.
I recently watched a, Jimmy Kimmel, episode that involved asking people if they ate a gluten free diet. Although they said yes most have no idea what gluten is or what it does to the body. So, does cutting gluten out of your diet actually make you loose weight or make you a healthier person?
I have had my own experiences with gluten and have done research to find out what it is exactly and why people are so afraid of it.
Most people know that gluten is found in pasta, pizza, and bread. What some may not know is that it can also be found in salad dressing, sauces, beer, and so much more. The, Celiac Disease Foundation, contains lots of information about what foods contain gluten.
Gluten is actually the proteins that are among the contents found in wheat, barely, and rye. They allow for the elasticity and shape to be held and in fact they have no nutritional value to a person. However, it does negatively impact those with celiac disease. I grew up in a family where my aunt and Grandfather have severe cases of this disease. Their body triggers a response to gluten consumption that actually begins to damage their intestinal lining. For those with this condition not consuming gluten is vital to living a healthy life.
I always grew up seeing additional gluten free options at family functions but it wasn’t until I began eating gluten free that I really appreciated it. I am not celiac but I have found that I am gluten intolerant. I began experiencing a lot of bloating, severe abdominal pain, and a series of other symptoms. A gluten intolerance will not appear on a test and so for many people it technically goes undiagnosed . In my own life with an acid reflux issue, this and a gluten intolerance are often connected. That is why I made the decision to begin cutting gluten out of my diet. This had made a big impact on my over health. I feel less bloated after meals, it took away abdominal pain and overall I felt better.
Although going gluten free worked for me it is not necessary for all people in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Their are pros and cons to eating gluten or deciding to cut it out. Gluten is not the enemy and for most it has no affect on them although a lot of people might see it this way. It is all about what makes you feel more like your best self. So, make sure your informed and based on your own experiences and feelings decide if gluten free is for you.
For more information and for sites where I learned more about Gluten…
https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/ditch-the-gluten-improve-your-health
Lauren's Lifestyle 