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Happy New Year to my blog family! It has been a little over a year since I first embraced going gluten-free, and what a ride it has been. I am very fortunate, because in 2011 I regained my health and made some new friends along the way. For any new readers, welcome!
Being the first of the year, there are a lot of you who are probably trying to keep a New Years resolution. Right? So what is the number one resolution people make every year? You guessed it... "To lose weight!"
There has been a lot of talk in the media over the past year about people going gluten-free as a fad diet. Some of you may even be wondering what gluten is? Gluten is the elastic protein found in the grains: wheat, rye, barley, durum, einkorn, graham, semolina, bulgur wheat, spelt, farro, khorasan wheat (kamut), and triticale. I am here to tell you that going gluten-free simply to lose weight will NOT work. There is no such thing as a quick fix or a cure-all when it comes to weight loss. Yes, you may lose a few pounds, but that's just water weight. So why then are so many people going gluten-free then? Two words, "celiac disease".
When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can then lead to malnourishment. Left untreated, people with celiac disease can develop further complications such as other autoimmune diseases, neurological problems, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and cancer. It is estimated that 1 out of every 133 people have celiac disease, roughly 3 million people, 97% of which are still undiagnosed.
Celiac disease mimics a lot of other common ailments so that is why it is so hard to diagnose. If you experience any of the following symptoms you may have celiac disease and should consult with your physician. For more information on celiac disease, visit The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.
- Bloating or gas
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Itchy Skin Rash
- Tingling/numbness
- Pale mouth sores
- Joint/muscle pain
- Delayed growth
- Poor weight gain
- Thin bones
- Infertility
- Headaches
- Depression
- Irritability
- Discolored teeth
So what can you do to lose weight? Exercise and eat a healthy balanced diet. It really is as simple as that. Don't believe me? Check out my wife's guest post, "It's Time For Another New Years Resolution". Val is a retired body builder and has been a certified personal fitness trainer for over 25 years. For more on Val, check out her Westside Fitness page on Facebook.
No one should ever go gluten-free just because it's the new hip thing to do. Whole grains that contain gluten have a lot of nutritional value and fiber. Celiacs have to find other food sources and use supplements just to get the same kind of balanced nutrition. Living gluten-free is not always easy, because you have to be constantly aware of the potential for a glutening* . Believe me... If I could go back to eating all the wheat products I used to enjoy, without any consequences to my health, I would.
*Glutening: unintentional consumption of gluten, usually caused by cross contamination.
