Going gluten free when you don’t have Celiac Disease is bad for you – fact or myth?

Myth! I’ve heard a few different claims that attempt to explain why going gluten free outside of Celiac Disease is bad. Today, I’m dissecting these claims so that you can understand why you don’t need to worry if you’ve switched over to a gluten free diet without being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. If you’re curious to know about going gluten free outside of Celiac Disease, read this.

Myth #1: Going gluten free will give you a gluten deficiency

Thankfully, there is no such thing as a deficiency to a specific protein. When we eat protein, the body breaks it down into amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Our bodies use these amino acids to form new proteins. There are 22 amino acids. All animal proteins contain each of the 22 amino acids. Some plant-sourced foods do as well, but simple combinations can also provide the 22 amino acids (e.g. whole grains and legumes). All whole foods contain some protein. Removing gluten will not lead to a protein deficiency.

Myth #2: Because gluten free products are not enriched, deficiencies will be developed

Before I can bust that myth, we need to talk about the term “enriched”. Enriched foods are foods that have been so processed that they have lost their natural nutrients. To compensate, only some nutrients are added back, but not in their natural form. Our bodies best know how to recognize nutrients in their natural form, so enrichment is inferior to natural nutrients.

With that said, there is a healthy way to go gluten free and an unhealthy way to go gluten free. This is no different from a diet which contains gluten. Eating a diet of processed foods will result in deficiencies and health complications from the added sugar and unhealthy fats, regardless of whether it contains gluten.

Myth #3: Gluten free foods are refined

Correction: some gluten free foods are refined. But also, some gluten-containing foods are refined. It’s all  about the foods you choose to eat, regardless of your stance on gluten. A well balanced gluten free diet doesn’t have to involve eating refined foods with a “gluten free” label on the package. It can be composed entirely of some or all of these: fruits, vegetables, gluten free whole grains, meat, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Myth #4: Whole grains, which are necessary for fibre, contain gluten

There are actually two myths to bust in this particular claim. The first one is that whole grains contain gluten. The truth is that only some grains contain gluten (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, triticale, and any variation of these). There are also gluten free grains (rice, millet, teff, and sorghum, among others). The gluten free grains also contain fibre.

The second myth is that grains are necessary for fibre. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts all contain fibre as well. Some individuals do really well on a grain free diet.

The microbiome is the combination of all the organisms living in our body, or gut flora. Some of these organisms are good, and some not. Hundreds of different strains exist. The combination of strains in the gut is determined at birth. If the baby is born through the birth canal, baby will receive mom’s bacteria. Babies born through C-sections do not have the same benefit. They can be more prone to infections and food sensitivities, unless probiotics are supplemented.

The healthy organisms in our gut produce vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting, and some of our B vitamins. They also take part in digestion, repair the intestinal wall, and keep the harmful organism levels manageable. The levels of good organisms can be negatively affected by sugar, chlorine in water, low stomach acid, pesticides, antibiotics, allergenic foods, and artificial sweeteners.

The harmful organisms thrive when not enough stomach acid is produced. Their waste matter is toxic to us. As a result, when the balance of healthy to harmful organisms is thrown off, inflammation can be seen in the body. They even have the ability to make healthy organisms convert into harmful ones (picture a Jedi going to the dark side).

Intestines are naturally porous to absorb nutrients and digested food into the blood stream. When the bacteria ratio favours the bad bacteria (also known as dysbiosis), these pores become too big, especially without the needed number of good organisms to fix the intestinal walls. This allows larger food particles to find their way into the bloodstream. Since these particles are not fully digested, the immune cells in the blood do not recognize these particles. The cells see these food particles as intruders, and attack the particles. This is known as food sensitivities.

The state of the microbiome also affects emotional wellbeing. Neurotransmitters are produced in the gut. If the gut is damaged, the necessary neurotransmitters are not produced properly. This can lead to depression, anxiety, and other psychological troubles. Additionally, nutrient absorption is impacted by gut injury. Nutrients are crucial because they are the building blocks of the neurotransmitter.

Weight loss highly depends on a healthy microbiome. Healthy organisms are partially responsible for blood sugar management. Fluctuating blood sugar levels are responsible for cravings. Additionally, unmanaged food sensitivities make it difficult to lose weight. They cause the body to retain up to 15 pounds of water weight, and disrupt proper hormonal function. The healthy bacteria are also responsible for managing hormone levels. Since many different hormones play a role in weight management, it is crucial to keep healthy levels of desirable gut organisms.

Every person’s body is different; there is no cookie cutter approach to health and nutrition. However, many nutritionists and other health experts recommend starting your day with warm lemon water. It can benefit people with many health issues, from food sensitivities to hormonal imbalances. It’s so easy to do, too! Upon waking, squeeze the juice from a quarter to a half lemon into some warm water (not boiling but not cold).

5 Reasons You Should Drink Warm Lemon Water

Digestion

Lemon water helps get your digestive system moving in the morning. Clients often report that lemon water helps them have more regular bowel movements. This alone can have a ton of health benefits. It gets rid of toxins which could otherwise be reabsorbed into the body. These toxins can burden the liver and make it easier to develop health issues.

Hormonal balance

By improving digestion, you assist your body with hormonal balance. Hormones are meant to send a “time-sensitive” message in the body. Once that message has been received, the hormones should be deactivated and passed in stools. When bowel movements are too few and far between, these hormones can be reactivated. They then continue passing around an outdated message, wreaking havoc on your system.

Immunity

Lemons are loaded with vitamin C. The benefits of vitamin C for colds are often talked about. However, its immune benefits expand far beyond cold prevention. As an antioxidant, it helps reduce the amount of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are those unstable particles that can eventually contribute to the presence of cancer in the body. This helps reduce the cancer-fighting burden on the immune system.

Weight loss

Pectin, a soluble fibre in lemons, has the ability to make you feel full longer. It expands as it absorbs water. It also helps reduce blood sugar spikes by taking longer to exit the stomach. The slowed digestion leads to slower and more continuous absorption of carbohydrates from other foods. Blood sugar crashes often lead to cravings for sweets, which can knock you off the wagon. As well, the pectin binds to excess cholesterol, making it easier to be removed from your system through bowel movements.

pH balance

The body has the ability to maintain its pH at a level between 7.35 and 7.45. It uses buffers, which are compounds composed of minerals, among other elements. The Standard American Diet tends to push our bodies toward the acidic side. Our bodies then use a lot of important minerals to try to return to an alkaline state. While lemon juice is acidic, it has an alkaline effect in the body. Lemon can help maintain your body’s pH in a more optimal range.

Note: warm lemon water does not replace proper medical attention. Please speak with a naturopathic doctor or a medical doctor if you are experiencing any health concerns.

“So, is gluten really that bad for you?” This is probably the single question I am asked most often when people find out I am a nutritionist. So, what IS the answer? It’s actually not that simple. There are a few factors that need to be taken into account.

Many people I’ve talked to have commented that they don’t believe in non-Celiac gluten intolerance for a number of reasons. Articles and videos have popped up allover the place from varying sources talking about its non-existence. Others are skeptical because it has become such a wide-spread food sensitivity. Others think that “gluten intolerance” is a fancy term for a weight-loss diet.

This topic requires a brief overview of food sensitivities in general. It is possible to develop a food intolerance or allergy to any food. A food allergy is caused by a type of antibody characterized as IgE. It manifests itself within two hours of being exposed to the allergen. A food intolerance can be caused by the antibodies IgG or IgA. It tends to display symptoms 6-48 hours after exposure to the allergen. Symptoms can vary from gastrointestinal issues, headaches, skin problems, depression, and many, many others. Its wide variety of symptoms and its slow reaction time make it extremely difficult to pinpoint without testing. Celiac Disease is another kind of reaction, and will not be addressed in this article.

Intestines are naturally porous. That’s how nutrients find their way from the digestive system to the bloodstream. In a healthy digestive system, these pores are small and only allow fully digested particles through. However, inflammation (from toxins in preservatives, stress, etc.) can lead to an increase in the size of the pores. This is what is commonly known as leaky gut syndrome.

Many food sensitivities develop from frequent exposure to the same ingredients. Our bodies produce enzymes to digest different foods. Eating the same foods over and over depletes the enzyme availability. When the enzyme supply is low, food is not broken down as easily.

Undigested food particles, combined with leaky gut syndrome, can lead to large food particles finding their way to the bloodstream. Our antibodies see these large food particles as intruders and begin attacking them. Every time these large particles enter the bloodstream, they are recognized as intruders. Our bodies launching an attack against these so-called intruders causes the symptoms.

Gluten is a protein found in different grains, including wheat. Since wheat is one of the most consumed ingredients in the Standard American Diet (SAD), gluten intolerance is becoming more prevalent. Gluten finds its way not only to breads, cereals, crackers, and pasta, but also to many packaged soups, gravies, sauces, flavourings, and most other packaged items you can think of.

Many people have heard that a gluten free diet is healthier than the SAD. Some of these people are choosing to follow a gluten free diet for that reason. They may buy packaged gluten free foods that are loaded with corn, sugar, and all kinds of chemical preservatives. So, if you ask me if a gluten free diet is healthier, if this is the diet you had in mind, my answer will be a definite “no”. You may avoid developing a gluten intolerance that way, but you just may develop an intolerance to corn instead. Or rice. Or potatoes. You get the gist.

So, is gluten really bad for you? Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s right for your body and your health. Gluten or no gluten, I like to encourage people to follow a whole foods diet that includes a lot of variety. This sort of diet naturally cuts down on gluten consumption.