In recent months, the gluten-free diet has gotten a lot of attention. However, it’s important to note that going gluten-free isn’t just another diet fad. It’s a lifestyle that can pay off in an overall feeling of wellbeing, especially since gluten can prove to be a body-wide allergen that can go unnoticed for years.
Symptoms like mental fogginess, tingling in the extremities, fatigue and minor digestive symptoms can be passed off to other causes, but for many people, the culprit is gluten. Found in wheat products, gluten can affect our body’s systems through a celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. These health issues are not the same, but they can represent many of the same symptoms.
The Center for Celiac Research reports that celiac disease leads to serious GI symptoms and eventual health issues like infertility, neurological disorders and even cancer. A recent study in Alternative Medical Review also found that inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, such as Type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are 10 times more likely in celiac patients than in the general population. Plus, gluten sensitivity represents its own set of damaging effects, often resulting in symptoms ranging from fibromyalgia to skin rashes. To put it simply, gluten can represent a low quality of life for many people. So why have we suddenly become so sensitive to gluten? Marcelle Pick, OB-GYN N.P. wrote a great article on gluten sensitivity that explains why many of us may suffer from conditions relating directly to gluten content in our food.
The gluten-free lifestyle incorporates a lot of foods that lighten the body’s overall load of toxins and difficult foods to break down, resulting in fewer health problems and just feeling, well, better! It’s not like other diet crazes and weight loss formulas. A gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t promise weight loss or slimmer thighs, but it does offer you a chance to finally start feeling better. Gluten-free foods are delicious and satisfying too!
For more information about the gluten-free lifestyle, be sure to check out our Gluten Resources section.
