Optimum Wellness

  The Standard American Diet (SAD) is loaded with gluten. Gluten is a starchy wheat protein, made from the proteins gliadin and glutenin, present in many grass grains including wheat, rye, barley, kamut, and spelt. It is estimated that approximately one percent of the United States population has an adverse immune (autoimmune) response to gluten, labeled celiac disease. When individuals with celiac disease eat foods that contain gluten, damage can occur in the small intestine. This can then lead to malabsorption of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, which then can cause other health problems. Celiac disease can cause tremendous discomfort, failure to thrive in adolescents, and in adults it can cause chronic abdominal pain with diarrhea and/or constipation, weight loss or gain, delayed onset of puberty or irregular menses, anemia, infertility, recurrent miscarriage, skin irritation, and more.

Testing for celiac is not an easy task. There are blood tests that may detect certain antibodies (anti-gliadin, endomysial, tissue transglutaminase) that would indicate the presence of celiac disease. Further confirmation is usually warranted and a biopsy of the small intestine should be performed. Some individuals may react to gluten in ways that cannot be confirmed by these tests. Some individuals may have a wheat allergy, which is actually different from celiac disease. Wheat allergy is also an immune reaction to wheat (not necessarily gluten), but an allergy to wheat may not be a life-long disorder and typical symptoms include stuffy nose, diarrhea, cramps, itchy eyes, possibly hives or rash or more serve anaphylactic reactions that are life threatening. Diagnosing wheat allergy is most often performed through skin testing, keeping a food diary, elimination diets and occasionally blood tests.

For certain individuals, the idea of going "gluten-free" is overwhelming. Some believe they could never give up their bread or their beer. But today, more than ever, it is easier to go gluten-free. We may even go so far as to suggest that going gluten-free has gone mainstream and may even be considered chic. The first strategy we recommend for beginning the gluten-free journey is learning to read labels.

Gluten can be "hidden" or added to unsuspected foods, especially condiments, canned foods, and vegetarian foods. Ketchup, ice cream, soups, soy sauce, and salad dressings are just a few examples. The obvious ingredients that we want to avoid if we are gluten intolerant or going gluten-free includes: wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, seminola, bulgar, farro, kamut, graham flour, triticale, malt, and certain oats – gluten-free oats are available, but if they are just listed as an ingredient, we can't know for sure the food item is gluten-free.

On a more positive note, there are so many great things we can eat on a gluten-free diet. Breads and baked goods made with flour derived from rice, amaranth, potato, millet, tapioca, teff, buckwheat, corn, coconut, garfava, quinoa, lentil, chickpea, and pea are all fair game! Spaghetti and other pasta made from these grains and legumes have come far in flavor and texture. Most milk and cheese products are gluten-free, we just need to check for stabilizers and starches – that is why reading the ingredient list is so important. Beer fans will recognize that most beers contain barley and hops and are not gluten-free – but there are a few brands made from sorghum and rice that are certified gluten-free: Lakefront Brewery's New Grist and Anheuser-Busch's Redbridge are two American beers that are gluten-free and becoming more widely available.

Commercially available bread, muffins, pizza crusts, frozen waffles, tortillas, cereals, and more are hitting and moving from the shelves like (gluten-free) hotcakes. It is important to note that just because an item is listed as wheat-free does not mean it is gluten-free. Again, read the label and look for an official "gluten-free" claim. An official Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved label has been delayed and final rules are still being debated in terms of having an official FDA approved gluten-free label.

Going gluten-free is an option that many individuals are choosing for themselves and their families. There can be a wide range of initial reactions in terms of how one feels after going gluten-free – sometimes there is a period of adjustment, sometimes we feel great right away and sometimes we don't notice a big difference at all. Talk to an experienced health practitioner about whether or not going gluten-free is right for you. Or check out http://www.celiac.org/ for more information.