Recently, one of my clients asked me to check out an article in the Wall Street Journal: “The Gluten Free Craze: Is it Healthy?”. With Gluten-Free Diets becoming more popular, I am excited to share my thoughts with you.
The article says that there is no proven benefit to going gluten-free except for a small sliver of the population who are allergic to gluten. I definitely disagree with this statement. I have had the amazing opportunity to test hundreds of people for food intolerances (not allergies) and experiment with true elimination diets. I have found that most people feel better off gluten, meaning that they have an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten.
I have discovered that the 2 top symptoms related to gluten intolerance are bloating and fatigue. So ask yourself…after eating a high carb or processed carb meal, do you feel extremely tired or bloated? Even though these are the top 2 symptoms, there are many more that I have encountered, like bowel issues (diarrhea and/or constipation), gassiness, inability to lose weight, skin issues (Rosacea, Psoriasis), headaches, joint pain and many more.
The article emphasizes the world of highly processed gluten free options. I agree 100% that this is out of control. Food companies have jumped on the gluten free bandwagon creating gluten free foods that are highly processed with sugar and preservatives. Therefore, a “processed gluten free diet” is just as unhealthy or maybe worse than a diet filled with gluten.
Bottomline:
I think it is worth a try – you got nothing to lose. The key is that you eat a gluten free diet filled with real whole foods. Healthy alternatives to gluten/baked goods are beans, hummus, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, squash, fruit, and many more . If you are curious about what foods contain gluten and are interested in eliminating it, checkout my challenge.
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