You don’t have to look far to find someone who will tell you just how ah-may-zing they feel since they ditched the gluten.
I’ve compiled a list of 5 unconventional-but-true reasons the gluten-free diet may be your golden ticket to a new you.
- You’ll only be able to order a salad at fast food restaurants. Bye bye burgers, subs, pizzas, tacos, wraps, etc!
- You’ll have to say no to the brownies your co-worker brought in.
- Your morning coffee will fit your new diet, but the donut/muffin/pastry/bagel you used to eat will not.
- You’ll have to abandon beers after work with the buddies.
- You’ll have to pass on cake at the next birthday party.
Does that sound snarky? It’s not (entirely) meant to be.
I just want to highlight that the benefit most people will see from a gluten-free diet is not because of a gluten-sensitivity.
Gluten isn’t the problem for 94% of the population. But most of us do have a problem with overeating delicious, high sugar, high calorie foods that are generally made with gluten!
So the next time you hear someone extol the virtues of the gluten-free diet, consider exactly how their diet has to change in order to eat gluten-free.
Occupy Gluten-Free Street: We Are The 94%!
For some people, eating gluten-free forces them to make healthier eating choices. They might feel equally ah-may-zing if they suddenly swapped out their Big Macs with tuna sandwiches on whole grain bread, replaced donuts with bran flakes, and made other equally healthy substitutions across the board.
For other people, gluten intolerance and Celiac disease are real conditions that result in mild to serious consequences when gluten is ingested. These people make up 6% of the population. Unless you’re in the 6% of people who have been diagnosed with one of those conditions, gluten itself is not going to harm you.
What to Do If You Suspect You’re Gluten Intolerant
If you suspect you might be part of the 6% of people who can’t tolerate gluten, don’t stop eating gluten right away! To receive a confirmed diagnosis for Celiac disease you need to be regularly ingesting gluten when you are tested for it.
Perhaps you have been tested for Celiac disease and it came back negative. If you still suspect gluten is a problem, there could be a couple of explanations:
- Non-Celiac gluten sensitivity is now recognized as legitimate! Researchers at the University of Toronto have isolated specific genetic types that are more susceptible to gluten sensitivity. They have partnered with Registered Dietitians, like myself, to offer this test to the public. If you would like to get tested, click here! Wouldn’t it be nice to know if you really should avoid gluten?
- Another component in wheat might be giving you grief. If you experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms such as cramping, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, your body might be sensitive to a group of carbohydrates called the FODMAPs. This made up word is actually an acronym of the different carbs: Fructans & Fructose, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. Wheat is high in fructans. So when people cut wheat out of their diet with the intention of going gluten-free, they are inadvertantly also cutting out the fructans! This is another area where a Dietitian can become your best friend. A Dietitian (such as myself) can walk you through cutting out foods that are high in FODMAPs and then reintroducing them in a way that isolates which type of carb is causing the most grief.
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So important you share this because SOOOO many people are making a lifestyle choice by restricting gluten, which is fine if it’s helping them eat healthier, BUT, the issue is that people who absolutely cannot tolerate any gluten are told in restaurants that things are “gluten-free” because those restaurants have had no issues with the “lifestyle choice gluten-free” people who actually have no sensitivity but just benefit from the 5 steps above.
There should be terms to separate the two to really take into account that cross-contamination risk.
I think you hit the nail on the head with identifying the “false” notion that a gluten-free diet is healthier. It’s generally healthier because of the items (pastries and such) that are less readily available. I’ve seen a lot of people fall prey to the notion that gluten-free substitutions to these items (GF bread, pastries, snacks, etc) are actually better for you. They’re not. It’s just the fact that people on a gluten-free diet tend to eat less of these items.
I must be going to the wrong fast food places if someone else can be assured a burger is gluten free simply because it has no bun. I kept feeling unwell after attempting the bun – less venture. I purchased some gluten detection tests to bring with me and when used with the burger meat and select chicken, a good amount of gluten was detected.
Thanks, Jessica, for erring on the side of caution for the rest of us. Better safe than sorry, unless we have a specific location that we have carefully scrutinized and checked for cross-contamination practices. Only 20 parts-per-million (ppm) is needed for reaction in some of us with celiac (the word “disease” I will leave to be implied, because most of us don’t see it as a big deal).
I have been diagnosed with IBS. Every time I try to add gluten back to my diet, I pay with abdominal pain. It simply is not worth the pain.
Also if someone has Ciliac disease they take a risk from eating out. Even microscopic amounts of gluten can cause damage that is not accompanied with pain. Thier food must be prepared where no gluten has been.
I don’t understand, 5 ways Gluten Free will change your life (and I believe it says it’s not what I think?) I’m going ASSUME this list was for folks that are not already gluten-free because this list you gave can make a lot of people miserable. It is not a fun/funny path at all. I’ve been diagnosed celiac with few symptoms of the disease so, realistically it’s been difficult for me because I see NO difference from this diet. So now, my GI doc added the low FODMAP. Wierdly enough he suggested dropping the GF diet for a bit which is hilarious because the 2 go hand in hand really. So, although I am not feeling AS poorly 2 weeks in I’m willing to take it to the end of the 8 weeks….but MENTALLY I am absolutely MISERABLE. I’m basically starved ALL the time because the list of things allowed is ridiculously small and if folks think GF items taste bad…hahahahaha. Any small amount of time I USED to have is gone because now I’m back to the drawing board on finding recipes and spending and BOAT load of money on this crap. I’m not fully on board and my jury is out on whether this is just a money making scheme…ugh. so, please (though I understand that I’m whining) do NOT make light of this HUGE life change…for most it is not amusing…thank you.
People who have Celiac Disease (please stop referring to it as Celiac’s) CAN have a burger at the fast-food or sit-down restaurant. Just order it without a bun.
There are plenty of GF options to replace the wheat, rye and barley that you can no longer ingest.
Thank you for the typo correction. This article was originally written quite a while ago, and my proof-reader has improved since then!
I have many close relatives with Celiac so I generally get it right, and I’m familiar with all those GF options. Just pointing out how most people’s diet changes when they adopt a GF diet.
Actually that is not true. If you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity then you can go anywhere and order a lettuce wrap burger… If you are celiac you have to avoid cross-contamination. I know quite a few celiacs that instantly know if they’ve been cross contaminated after a meal where the ovens or stoves weren’t properly cleaned between the use of gluten and their gluten free options.
I really enjoyed this article. I wish I had read it before going gluten free. I have not ingested any gluten containing products for well over a year now. I have observed significant benefits in the way I feel physically and mentally. I do not have an official diagnosis of gluten intolerance. Probably will not ever get one now. I have considered trying to add some foods back, just not sure how. Or what it will do to me symptom wise.
Thanks for your comment, Holly!
Yes, it’s certainly a challenging predicament if you cut out gluten before getting tested and end up feeling great. Does one really want to go back to feeling awful just to get proper testing?
But, if you do want to start adding some gluten-containing foods back I would recommend connecting with a Dietitian to make a specific plan of action!