Is Your Gluten Free Diet Still Harming Your Health?
May 25th, 2009
As more people become aware of gluten intolerance and realize how common it is, many of them are inspired to try a gluten free diet. However, few of these people realize that following a gluten free diet is just one aspect of healthy eating.
Following a gluten free diet is a great way to embrace a healthier lifestyle and make significant health improvements, but unfortunately, many people simply seek out gluten free forms of the same unhealthy foods that they’re accustomed to eating and continue to invite poor health and disease.
What is Gluten Intolerance?
In general, gluten intolerance is a condition in which the gliadin component of the gluten found in most grains is not digested well and causes any number of a wide variety of symptoms. Gluten intolerance can promote a number of digestive symptoms without causing much harm, but in more serious cases such as celiac disease, it can provoke immune reactions that cause severe intestinal damage and can lead to significantly compromised health.
Another form of gluten intolerance, commonly referred to as gluten sensitivity, occurs when gliadin molecules are able to get into the blood stream through a damaged intestinal lining and provoke immune reactions throughout the body. This sensitivity is a common cause of autoimmune disease.
Despite the devastating effects that gluten intolerance can have, it’s frequently overlooked by conventional medicine. It’s estimated that 12% of the population, which is about 1 in 8 people, suffers from some form of gluten intolerance. In regard to celiac disease, it takes an average of 11 years for most cases to be diagnosed and it’s estimated that only 1 in 40 people with the disease are ever diagnosed and treated.
A Gluten Free Diet is Not Always Healthy
The typical modern diet is very high in grain based foods that contain gluten, and many of these foods are processed and are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. These foods are a major cause of the high incidence of disease that we see today and aren’t good for anyone regardless of the gluten that they may or may not contain.
People who decide to eliminate gluten from their diet commonly make the mistake of seeking out gluten free forms of the unhealthy processed foods that they’re used to eating. While they’re doing themselves a favor by eliminating the gluten that’s causing them harm, they’re still eating the same types of processed foods that are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. With or without gluten, these foods are still likely to cause blood sugar fluctuation and promote disease.
The Simplicity of a Healthy Gluten Free Diet
The healthiest type of diet is one that is based on natural whole foods such as meat, fruit and vegetables. These are the foods that we’ve spent millions of years evolving on and are therefore the most likely to support optimal health. Furthermore, none of these foods contain gluten which takes all the guesswork out of avoiding it.
It’s no coincidence that gluten causes problems for a lot of people and that it doesn’t exist in the foods that we evolved on. Grains are very difficult to eat without grinding and cooking, and as such, weren’t a significant part of the human diet until the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. While this may seem like a long time, it’s not nearly long enough to make a difference in our genetic ability to digest and assimilate this new source of food. Despite the fact that some people can do well on grain based foods, many of us can’t and this correlates well with the fact that we’re simply not designed to eat them.
Why Gluten Intolerance Is a Blessing in Disguise
When faced with the prospect of eliminating gluten from their diet, many people become depressed and feel as if they’ve been victimized by a horrific misfortune. In reality, they’ve been given an incredible gift that has the potential to lead them to a much better quality of life than ever imagined.
Most people who suffer from gluten intolerance are used to feeling unwell and have come to accept it as normal. By dedicating themselves to a gluten free diet, they often eliminate digestive discomfort, fatigue, mood problems, skin issues, and they sometimes even reverse disease. If they choose to avoid gluten by following a healthy diet based on natural whole foods, they further increase their chances of being active, vibrant, pain free and disease free well into their old age. While they may have less opportunity to indulge, they’re far better off than the rest of the population who eats unhealthy food on a regular basis and is gradually destroying their health in the process.
Have Your Gluten Free Cake and Eat it Too!
Although gluten intolerance still hasn’t received the recognition it deserves, awareness is spreading and gluten free alternatives to popular processed foods are becoming more available. Bread, bagels, pasta, cookies, cake and even beer are just a few of the popular grain based products that were once completely off limits for people with gluten intolerance. Today, these products are widely available in gluten free forms.
As I previously discussed, these foods unfortunately make it more likely for someone with gluten intolerance to follow a gluten free diet that’s unhealthy. For those who are willing to implement a much healthier gluten free diet based mostly on natural whole foods, these processed gluten free foods can be enjoyed in moderation without having much of an impact.
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Vin, I went gluten free several months ago. My daughter ask me this morning “Don’t you miss bread?” as she was eating French Toast. As said no, I did at first but the habit seems to be completely gone.
Hello ,
Nice article , but to be frank as an Indian ,I feel its really hard to be gluten free as our staple food is wheat or rice , both containing high amount of gluten in it …
Any suggestion
Regards
Sudeep
Thanks for the comments guys.
Stephen – Great will power! French toast is definitely one of the more tasty meals that’s tough to pass up!
Sudeep – As far as I know, rice is actually gluten free. If you eat a lot of rice, choose whole grain rice instead of white rice. Also, keep in mind that gluten isn’t a problem for everyone. If you think it might be a problem for you, the best way to find out is to completely eliminate it for two weeks to a month and see if you feel better. Eliminating gluten usually means reducing your sugar intake as well, so you might have some sugar cravings and withdrawal symptoms to contend with, but it’s worth the knowledge that you’ll gain. You’ll be better off without the sugar and refined carbohydrates anyway.
If you do decide to try a gluten free diet, as I mentioned in the article, I suggest sticking with natural whole foods such as meat, fruit and vegetables.
Thanks for the information. I’ve been sticking largely to a natural whole foods diet for the past several months but sometimes I want to enjoy some of those gluten-filled foods. What happens now, however, is that I don’t feel well after eating them – too bad, because they’re still delicious! The whole foods way of eating has made a big difference in my overall health and I find that I’m eating much less because of it.
Hi Laurie, thanks for sharing your experience!
For the most part, I’ve been eating gluten free for over two years. Like you, I like to occasionally enjoy processed foods, most of which contain gluten. At first, I began avoiding gluten as a precautionary measure, but over time, have come to realize that it really does affect me negatively. In fact, as I experience this more, I’m realizing that the effect is quite significant. As my health improves, it becomes easier to recognize negative reactions, and it’s now pretty clear to me that when I eat gluten, it can wipe me out for nearly an entire week!
My health was declining for years and I really never knew that a great deal of it was because of gluten and all the refined, processed carbohydrate foods I consumed. When someone suggested to me, “why don’t you cut out wheat from your diet”, I thought she was crazy. “I can’t.” I said. “Why not?” She asked. I couldn’t think of a good enough reason other than I loved the way it tasted. When she explained that in our culture, we are so used to eating these processed foods, we don’t even realize how unhealthy they are for us, it started to click and I began on my journey of elimination of wheat and processed carbs. It wasn’t so hard because I started feeling better right away, and I had been sick for so long…I wanted nothing more than to get better and have my life back. Now, I don’t have celiac disease and I don’t have a true wheat allergy, more of an intolerance. But one thing that was happening to me that had been occurring for nearly 20 years was that my heart would race after I’d eat meals and then it would also sometimes race at night for hours and keep me awake. I had tests and saw many doctors – all of them said nothing was wrong and that I should be taking anti-anxiety medication to allay stress and apprehension. I knew something else was wrong, and none of them EVER suggested that it was diet related other than something vague such as, “eat a healthy diet”. Unfortunately, like most people, I didn’t really even know what constituted a healthy diet. It wasn’t my fault, I had been taught wrong my whole life. Now, I enjoy great health, and with the help of regular internal detoxification and cleansing, I realize health I never thought I could experience. That’s why I created Agriculture Society…please come and visit us sometime.
Thanks for your posts Vin, you are helping people more than you know!
Hi Raine, thanks for sharing your experience and also for the inspiring feedback! Congratulations on being proactive and making a better life for yourself!
I used to have an irregular heart beat as well, but can’t say for sure if it was a result of gluten sensitivity or some other problem. Either way, I’m happy for it to be one of the many symptoms that disappeared after implementing a healthier lifestyle.
Thanks for the website and sharing your knowledge. Our family is now eating a gluten-free diet due to my daughter’s gluten intollerance. We’ve also learned that some of the preservatives and pesticides can be tied to behavioral and/or health issues we’re trying to eat as much of a gluten-free whole food diet as we can. With the growing number of children being diagnosed with ADHD I think more parents would benefit from learning about the GFCF diet and/or the GF whole food diet. There’s a LOT to learn from how our grandparents and their parents lived and ate. Good luck with your website!
Hi Karen, thanks for sharing your experience!
It’s great to hear that you’re supporting your daughter by following the same diet. It certainly makes things easy and will likely also benefit the rest of your family since your approach is partly based on eating more whole foods.
I completely agree that there’s a lot we can learn from the diets of our ancestors.
Nice article. I have recently undertaken a gluten and mainly dairy-free lifestyle. I see a nutritionist regularly, and most of his advice is compatible with what is said here. Although, aside from eating natural meats, fish, veges, and fruits, I would also throw in more specific good fats, such as nuts and oils: coconut milk/oil, flaxseed, sesame, fish oil, sunflower, olive oil, avocado, and the like. Also, gluten-free starches, such as brown rice-based products, white/sweet potatoes, and buckwheat. For being a person who is avid when it comes to working out, I know that getting calories in from solely meats, veges and fruits alone is very difficult. For most all fruits and veges are not calorie dense. Thus, consuming some good fats and gluten free starches should help. Finally, it is best to consume foods on a rotational basis, which stresses variety. You should not eat the same food every day, but rather every 3-5 days.
Hi Kurt, thanks for your comment!
I agree that brown rice, potatoes (especially sweet potatoes), and buckwheat are good foods, but it’s also important for people to realize that their high starch content can be problematic. This is particularly relevant to people who have trouble keeping their blood sugar regulated, are prone to weight gain, or simply don’t tolerate a large amount of carbohydrates well.
It’s certainly true that these foods can be a much needed source of energy for athletes and people who are very active, but this isn’t always the case. I exercise and play competitive tennis on a regular basis and still find that I have to be careful with such foods. In regard to getting enough calories, fat is twice as calorie dense as any other nutrient and can be a great source of energy, but some people don’t tolerate large amounts of fat well just as others don’t tolerate carbohydrates well. This is one of many reasons why it’s always important to consider individuality!
Hi,
I have always had trouble with a bulky look that I’ve always wanted to get rid of. But, unlike a lot of others with weight problems, I always worked out (swim team, soccer team) and ate healthy foods like whole wheat, lean proteins, good fats, and lots and lots of veggies.
Until very recently, I was very frustrated because I want to be lean and I thought I was doing everything right. Just last month, I actually stopped to ask myself if I was actually hungry when I ate, and how I knew to stop eating when I was satisfied. Unfortunately, I did not know the answer to either one of these questions.
So, I looked up information about hunger signals, and started to listen to my stomach to tell me when I was hungry and when I was full. For that month of listening to my stomach for signals, I lost 8 pounds. This was not my goal, and I know that the 8 pounds I lost were probably mostly water and muscle.
What I realized from this month long experiment was that I was constantly bloated for some reason. That bloating, combined with my new efforts to read my hunger from my stomach (which was constantly bloated) , made me eat much less than I needed for maintenance. As a result, I lost unnecessary weight.
Since yesterday, I cut out all wheat products. I am planning to have a gluten free cookie as a desert each day, but to otherwise eat all meats, fibrous vegetables, starchy vegetables, fruits, and fats. I already feel less bloated, and I feel like cutting out bread (gluten) was the key for me. Now I can actually read my hunger, which has been disrupted by bloated feelings, and achieve my ideal weight.
Also, since it is hard to know if I was bulky because of bloating that caused me to not read my hunger signals which caused me to overeat or if the reason was because I consumed too many starchy carbohydrates from breads, I will have to first cut out bread and substitute those carbs with chick peas, potatoes, rice, etc., and see if I get lean (keep exerccise the same, 3 days a week cardio, 3 days a week weight lifting. Then, if i still don’t get lean, i will try to reduce my carbohydrates by reducing the starchy vegetables.
so far, i feel great. my stomach finally is not bloaty!!!
Hi Ben, thanks for sharing your experience! Being in tune with your body is a great thing and I’m sure you’ll continue to benefit from embracing the importance of it.
Wheat products can certainly cause bloating, but not only due to the gluten. I suspect that the inflammation resulting from frequent immune reactions to gluten can cause the feeling of being bloated, but so can the large amount of carbohydrates that are typically found in grain based foods. And this goes for carbohydrates in general, not just those in wheat based and other processed foods. For example, potatoes are another common cause of bloating. Carbohydrates that are not completely digested and absorbed by the digestive tract are broken down by bacteria which produce gas in the process. If enough gas is produced, it results in bloating.
Either way, it would probably be worth while to continue avoiding gluten to see if you benefit from it in any other way. After avoiding it for a while, it would also be interesting to reintroduce to see if it’s only foods with gluten that cause the bloating.
In regard to relying on your body to tell you when to eat and when to stop, there’s a book I think you’ll enjoy by Mark David called The Slow Down Diet. Here’s an article I wrote based on some of the principles discussed in the book.
Hey Vin,
Thanks for your super fast response!
I have bread and apples out of my diet and I already feel better. I don’t think its the amount of carbohydrates though, because I have been replacing the bread with lots of hummus and brown rice.
It is interesting because I reintroduced an apple today, and the bloating immediately came back (after 3 or 4 bites). But, I can eat oranges and bananas. So, i don’t think its the carbohydrates that are causing the problem.
I will definitely check out the book that you mentioned.
Best,
Ben
I just ate chick peas and the bloating came on. Now I am worried that I won’t have a source of complex carbohydrate. I eat all day at my college cafeteria. They have brown rice/white rice sometimes and potatoes sometimes, but the chick peas were my “go to thing” since they have it all day long at the salad bar.
now if i go, and there is no brown rice or potato, i don’t have any options since i can’t eat the bread = worried.
Ben
Hi Ben,
Similar to gluten, other foods sensitivities can cause bloating as well. Whether or not it’s a food sensitivity or impaired digestion, it sounds like you’re doing a good job of isolating which foods you react negatively to, and that’s a good way to start. Simply avoid foods like apples that you don’t tolerate well.
Legumes are notorious for causing bloating! This is due to what I previously mentioned about carbohydrates. It’s not all carbohydrates, but typically starches and other larger forms of carbohydrates that are harder to break down.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride and Restoring Your Digestive Health by Jordan Rubin are two good resources that discuss this issue with carbohydrates and the intestinal and health problems that it can cause.
Hi,
Yeah, but I definitely need to go to the doctor to see if its a digestive problem. I think it may be because it doesn’t make sense for me to be food sensitive to so many different types of foods : onions, apples, all breads, chickpeas
hopefully, once the digestive problem is taken care of, i can go back to eating all the foods that I want to eat.
.
Ben
Hi Ben,
Yes, that’s a good idea. Good luck, I hope this works out well for you.
Hello,
I have been doing a ton of research lately as I have just gone gluten free myself. I loved your article! I have the same approaches to being gluten free as you do. I really do not feel cheated at all. I feel so awesome and continue to feel better everyday. I just started blogging about my experiences, it will help keep me on track of my nutrition and it is my hope to help others as well. Thanks for the article!
Hi Ashley,
It’s great to hear that you’ve embraced a healthy approach to your gluten free diet and also that you maintain a positive outlook on it. This is how having to avoid gluten can become a blessing in disguise. Good luck with your diet and your blog!
This is such great info. I have just begun an elimination diet today. Is it possible to feel better within 24 hours of no gluten and no dairy? Either I am already feeling better or I am just excited to be doing something that could fix my symptoms. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in September. I also have ezcema and heartburn issues. I am praying that this will be my answer. I have given up potatoes and tomatoes because they definitely produce a pain reaction.
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Yes, I do think it’s possible, but as you suspected, you may also be experiencing a bit of the placebo effect. Either way, hopefully you’ll stick with the diet for at least a few weeks to be more sure of its effectiveness.