I believe avoiding certain foods is hard for a lot of people, especially if it’s connected to a specific memory. When I was little, I loved my grandma’s macaroni and cheese and sweet potato casserole. Oh, and don’t get me started on her home-made biscuits and gravy!
Back then, I didn’t know all the things I know now about gluten and its effect on my body.
Before we go any further, let’s start by defining what gluten is. According to Dr. Selvi Rajagopal, gluten is in just about everything: from bread, pasta and alcoholic beverages to cosmetics and supplements. Gluten is a protein that is found in the wheat plant and grains, such as rye and barley. It can be added to food or products to add protein, texture and flavor. You can read all of what Rajagopal has to say here.
People throughout time have enjoyed eating food with gluten, but many today have a hard time digesting it. All humans have digestive enzymes that help us break down food. When gluten can’t be broken down, it makes its way to the small intestine. In some people, it can trigger a severe autoimmune response or other unpleasant symptoms.
An autoimmune response to gluten is called celiac disease. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, it can cause damage to the small intestine. Symptoms of this can be severe, but some people may not show symptoms. Typical symptoms are gastrointestinal, such as abdominal pain or diarrhea. Less typical are symptoms such as anemia, fatigue, headaches, depression, anxiety or joint pain.
I do not have celiac disease but I avoid gluten. When I first went gluten-free, it was hard, because I wanted foods I could not have. But I made a decision based on what my body needed, not what my taste buds craved. It’s hard to tame a craving, because in the moment it is satisfying and makes you feel good. But the feeling never lasts and just leads you to craving more of that particular food or ingredient. The thing to remember about cravings is it doesn't satisfy you at all, because it lacks the nutrients your body really needs.
Now, you’re probably wondering how you can gain the nutrients you need to be healthy and avoid gluten at the same time! Well, there are a lot of nutrients you can get from foods that don’t have gluten, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, legumes, eggs, meat and dairy. Also, you can take certain supplements, such as B vitamins, magnesium and Iron, that you might not be getting by avoiding gluten. Adding supplements is something I do. It gives my body the extra nutrients I need that I can’t get in food.
Finding out you need to be gluten-free can be overwhelming in the beginning, especially if you need to give up foods that you really like. For example, one food I used to love to eat was fried chicken. Giving that up was hard, but I learned that there are many gluten-free flours that you can use when making this dish that are equally tasty. Just because you have to be gluten-free does not mean you have to be deprived of “good food!”
Resources:
- https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/celiac-disease-vs-gluten-intolerance-infographic
- https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/symptoms-of-celiac-disease/
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/what-is-gluten-and-what-does-it-do#:~:text=%E2%80%9CGluten%20is%20a%20protein%20found,together%20and%20give%20them%20shape.
