Living a gluten-free diet stems from certain health conditions from severe=celiac disease(autoimmune disorder with complete inability to process gluten), gluten sensitivity or intolerance(inability to digest certain foods), or a wheat allergy(triggered by the immune system).
With celiac disease or a food allergy, a professional needs to assist with your healthcare. Gluten intolerance/sensitivity is common and develops with mild to moderate symptoms that impact the digestive system and energy levels. If you exhibit any of the following symptoms, try avoiding gluten to make a big difference in your health.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF GLUTEN INTOLERANCE:
1)Bloating: Bloating is one of the most common signs of gluten intolerance, occurring when our body struggles to break down and process gluten. This results in gas, causing the belly to swell with physical discomfort.
2)Headaches: Recurring headaches or migranes can be experienced as a result of eating gluten.
3)Abdominal Cramps: Not digesting gluten properly may cause a wide variety of digestive symptoms, including abdominal cramping, when the muscles will spasm.
4)Rash: Usually in severe cases of gluten intolerance, a rash will develop with itchy skin.
5)Constipation: Bowel movement frequency declines resulting in cramping and abdominal pain
6)Diarrhea: Instead of constipation, diarrhea could be an unpleasant symptom. Consuming gluten can trigger cramping and spasms that force food to move too quickly through the digestive tract. This can also result in dehydration and exhaustion, since essential nutrients are not being absorbed.
7)Fatigue: Difficulty in absorbing nutrients leads to fatigue, as well as losing electrolytes through certain digestive issues.
8)Depression & Anxiety: Experiencing chronic discomfort and pain, along with fatigue can lead to stress and negative feelings. Inflammation, medications, stress, poor gut health and autoimmune diseases are all possible triggers for these conditions.
9)Aches & Pains: Some people experience joint and muscle pain, numbness in the arms and legs, and body aches with gluten intolerance. Gluten can cause inflammation, which is the most likely cause of this discomfort . Also, nutrient deficiencies from a lack of proper absorption can contribute to these issues.
10)Weight Loss: This symptom would be for those people with a severe gluten intolerance such as celiac disease, where the body isn’t absorbing proper nutrients and becoming malnourished.
SOURCES OF GLUTEN AND A DIET TO FOLLOW:
The most common sources of gluten in the diet are: *wheat *spelt *rye *barley *bread *pasta *cereals *beer *cakes, cookies and pastries.
Following this diet, people should eat mainly whole foods, avoid processed foods(many contain wheat), and read labels carefully.
Gluten-Free Foods that are Safe to Eat:
*most dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, butter and milk
*fruits and vegetables
*meat and fish(although not breaded or battered)
*potatoes
*rice and rice noodles
*gluten-free flours, including rice, corn, soy and potato
Grains that are gluten-free include: rice, oats(not processed with wheat, barley or rye), quinoa, flax, millet, sorghum, tapioca, buckwheat, arrowroot, and amaranth.
Gluten is a general name for proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. Other names to consider relating to these foods are wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, Kamat(khorasan wheat and einkorn), and triticale(cross between wheat and rye). Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as their “glue” that holds foods together.
The main 3 types of foods to avoid for a gluten-free diet are:
WHEAT: found in: *Breads,*baked goods, *soups, *pasta, *cereal, *sauces, *salad dressings, *roux
BARLEY: found in: *malt(malted barley flour, malted milk and milkshakes, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring, malt vinegar), *food coloring, *soups, *beer, *brewer’s yeast
RYE: found in: *rye bread, *pumpernickel, *rye beer, *cereal
*OATS(although considered gluten-free)can be cross contaminated since they are often grown side by side with wheat, barely and rye. Make sure they are labeled as “gluten-free” to be safe.
TIPS TO TRY WHEN YOU CONSUMED GLUTEN:
1)EXTRA HYDRATION: Drink plenty of water (at least ½ your weight in ounces) to make sure your body is getting the replenishment it needs.
2)DRINK HERBAL TEAS AND/OR BONE BROTH: Recharge your system and heal gut issues with these drinks.
3)TRY BELLY CALMING PEPPERMINT OR GINGER: Apply these as essential oils directly to your belly or ingest with a drink containing these foods.
4)GET ENOUGH SLEEP: Rest your body and allow it to heal from the damage gluten may have caused.
5)PAY ATTENTION TO FOODS: Follow the BRAT diet(bananas, rice, applesauce, toast(gluten-free) to calm an upset stomach. Eating anti-inflammatory foods is also a good choice for helping to counteract the inflammation occurring in your body, and eliminating dairy for a time may also help to calm your gut.
Finally, to help in identifying a gluten-free food, download the free app, “Spoonful” to scan barcodes and get other important information.
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