Dear Body Buds,
If you have an auto-immune disease or a gluten sensitivity, going gluten-free can be a big part of your feeling good. Several of the cases I see in those who come into my coaching program where I recommend they go gluten-free include the following:
- Celiac Disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Chronic Pain
- Arthritis
Taking traditional eating and shifting it into a new method of eating can be difficult initially, but I promise it gets easier as you just keep going. Keep trying. Keep learning. Keep practicing.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley that needs to be avoided. This means even avoiding foods that could have been cross-contaminated like in the case of brown rice and oats. Unless you are buying a certified gluten-free product, you cannot be assured that a food is gluten-free.
While some people experience symptoms of high carbohydrate foods and volatile blood sugar, this does not always mean they have a gluten sensitivity. Those symptoms need to be addressed with moderating carbohydrates as I discuss in this blog post. A gluten sensitivity, however, has to do more with how the gut microbiome handles gluten and rejects it.
Eat This, Not That
Instead of white flour, eat coconut, gluten-free baking, or almond flour. Make The Coconut Loaf recipe available to Body Buddies World members.
Instead of wheat or bran cereal, eat gluten-free oats with berries and a side of egg whites and spinach.
Instead of soy sauce, use a gluten-free sauce like Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce.
Instead of couscous, eat quinoa with your chicken or turkey and vegetables.
For more great tips on going gluten-free, check out my podcast episode with Celeste Noland of Life After Wheat. We discuss the top things to know and what she discovered from going gluten-free 5 years ago when her husband found out he had a severe allergy.