We all know how those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are relieved by eating food without gluten. Now, it’s becoming more of a craze as its popularity keeps on growing. However, staying true to your commitment to eat food without gluten is much more difficult than one may think. You should know if it’s good for you.
A gluten-free diet (GFREE) is as chic as the newest fashion. People have written books on it, and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey acknowledge its advantages to one’s health and detoxifying powers.
For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, GFREE can drastically change the way one lives for the better. For the few who are unlucky to need it, GFREE can detoxify one’s system and take away the harmful elements in his or her system.
For those without gluten sensitivity, staying away from gluten isn’t necessary, however it may be a shift to whole new (and healthier) habits of eating. As a matter of fact, you may choose to go GFREE even without any gluten-related condition and discover several advantages.
GFREE simply returns to food that is good for you. Fruit, vegetable, and other crops are part of it. And they are all good for your health.
When should one go GFREE?
Those who need to go GFREE are afflicted with these illnesses:
- Celiac disease. Those with this illness have damaged tissues in the digestive system. Gluten causes these tissues, called villi, to be inflamed on a regular basis. When those with this disease consume the tiniest portions of gluten, they get bloated, cramped or rashes on their skin. This disease can only lead to intolerance against lactose and anemia due to iron deficiency. This illness is detected via blood and bowel tests. Around one out of every one hundred thirty-three individuals have this.
- Gluten intolerance/sensitivity. Those with this illness, but not celiac, have no damaged tissues in their digestive tract. But they get headaches, bloated, fatigued or diarrhea when they eat food with gluten. Because of this, going GFREE results in a big improvement in their lives. Gluten intolerance/sensitivity is more common than celiac disease. Maybe ten percent of the population has it. The numbers are still being researched.
If you think you have problems eating gluten, you should still try the food with gluten and have your blood tested. Avoiding gluten prior to a blood test will yield a normal result. Before getting help or going for a full-blown GFREE diet, there should be a diagnosis from a physician.
This is all good for people who plan to go GFREE since they have so much more options than in the past. There are so many products in the market today. And not only that, a lot of business establishments such as restaurants are incorporating GFREE meals on their menu. Of course, one should always read the information on the products to know which among your potential purchases has gluten. Also, having a GFREE product doesn’t equate to it having enough nutrients or being low calorie/fat/sodium.
For those afflicted by celiac disease, a major overhaul of the kitchen may be needed since many of the utensils and kitchenware you used to cook food with gluten may still have trace amounts which could affect you. This might be difficult for some individuals.
Choosing a GFREE diet
Trying out a GFREE diet is allowed for those who aren’t afflicted by any of the conditions mentioned above. Try focusing on whole foods like fruit, vegetable, lean meat, and grains like quinoa, and you can possibly come up with a meal plan that benefits your health. Avoid wheat, rye and barley though since they have gluten in them. A GFREE diet won’t detoxify your body though since you’re not aversive to gluten.
When one is lacking iron because it isn’t being absorbed properly, this may mean that the GFREE products may not be containing enough vitamins and minerals the body needs. To go GFREE might be the reason you’re body isn’t functioning that well. Think about taking multivitamins if you’re determined to go on a GFREE diet.
One should also be aware of the cost because GFREE products are pretty expensive.
In conclusion, if you don’t have the conditions we discussed above, it’s perfectly fine to try going GFREE, but it’s also perfectly all right not to. Avoid gluten when you feel your body having adverse effects towards it, but make sure you see your physician and get tested before doing so.
