Thursday, October 4, 2012

Four Gluten-Free Myths

Four Gluten-Free Myths

1. Everything gluten-free is healthy
MAJOR FALSE right here.  This also goes along with, “I can lose lots of weight if I go gluten-free.”  I’m not sure who came up with this idea, but it is wrong, wrong, and wrong again.  Someone somewhere came up with the belief that just because you aren’t eating wheat, you aren’t eating carbs or sugar.  This idea is not true at all.  In fact, some foods that are gluten-free contain more carbs and more sugar depending on what the product substitutes the wheat with.  The key is to read the labels and ingredients if you are buying gluten-free merchandise instead of making it from scratch.  There is way more gluten-free food items out there now than there was 10 years ago.  Companies are now making gluten-free foods, but still using the same “poisons.”

2. Going gluten-free means your enjoyment of food is over
This is absolutely not true.  If you go through my recipes, you will see that going gluten-free doesn’t mean your food enjoyment is over.  Most people believe that gluten-free foods don’t have much taste or satisfaction.  The only difference between glutinous foods and gluten-free foods is substituting.  Make rice noodles instead of spaghetti, use almond flour instead of regular flour, or have a glass of wine instead of a beer.  It’s that simple, and still yummy.

3. Only food contains gluten
There is a variety of products that contain gluten other than food.  Vitamins, medications, shampoos, body wash – all can contain gluten.  Again, the key is to read the labels and talk to your doctor or pharmacist about medications and vitamins that may contain gluten.  As of July 1st of this year, companies had to start labeling their goods as to whether they contain gluten.  If you read the bottle or container, it should be labeled as to whether it has gluten as a filler. 

This also depends on how allergic you are to gluten.  If you are Celiac, it is recommended that you do not use gluten infested products.  Since I am gluten intolerant and not Celiac, I can handle small amounts of gluten; Therefore, I have not been negatively affected by shampoos, conditioners, or body products.

4. You have to have a stomach ache to be gluten intolerant or Celiac.
There is no evidence that you must have a “gut feeling” to be gluten intolerant or Celiac.  Each person has their own individual symptoms.  For myself, I experience extreme fatigue, nausea, fever, chills, and some diarrhea.   Gluten doesn’t just affect the stomach.  It also appears in tissues and organs in the body.  Studies have shown that going on a gluten-free diet can aid in recovery of chronic pain, mental illness, autoimmune disease, cancers, and many more.


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