What the Heck is Gluten and Why Did I Go Gluten Free?

Definition of Gluten:

“In the simplest terms, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein composite, meaning it is a substance made up of several different proteins, in wheat and related grains in the triticeae family of grassy grains or cereal grains. These grains include barley, bulgur wheat, durum, einkorn, farro, graham, kamut, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale and wheat.” (http://gluten-intolerance-symptoms.com/what-is-gluten/)

I think this website does a pretty good job of explaining gluten, so check it out if you have any additional questions.

My reason for going Gluten Free (hereafter referred to as GF) was to jumpstart weight loss, initially.  Bread, pasta, and all things carb-a-licious aren’t good for you anyway so I thought I would cut those out of the running and eat things that were better for me.  I was shocked at how quickly I felt the difference.  The first difference I experienced was the lack of bloating and gassiness.  Not a fun topic, but it is the truth.  I hadn’t realized how bloated I had felt, until I didn’t feel it anymore.  Another positive change was my energy levels.  I didn’t feel bogged down or sluggish anymore; I felt energetic!  I wake up before my alarm clock 95% of the time now.  In addition to these great things, I’m also steadily losing the pounds!

I started looking into where gluten can be found and I was shocked to say the least.  Did you know you can find gluten in:

-        Stamps

-        Envelopes

-        Sunscreen

-        Shampoo

-        Medicine

-        Toothpaste

-        Lotions

-        Makeup

Gluten is everywhere!  So if you are in fact sensitive to gluten or have Celiac Disease, you need to be very careful!

I stuck with my GF Diet because eating any gluten now makes me very ill and it’s just not worth it!  There are so many GF versions of everyone’s favourite foods, there is no reason to sabotage your body if gluten isn’t your friend.  GF pizza from Boston Pizza is absolutely delicious and rice pasta or corn pasta is fantastic!  You will not run out of delicious things to eat, I promise!  You just have to be more diligent about reading labels and asking questions!  The extra effort is well worth it :)

I am not promoting a GF lifestyle; I am not a professional so I do not want to promote anything I am not educated to.  However, I am just sharing my experience.  I would suggest that if you are interested in changing your diet, you look at Canada's Food Guide and make sure you are eating a well balanced diet!  You can dowload a copy of the Food Guide here. 

If you are considering going GF I highly recommend that you speak with your doctor and/or nutritionist first.  It is not healthy or practical to make a dramatic change to your body without consulting a professional first.  If you Google the symptoms of Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity and you believe you might have the disease or sensitivity, please contact your doctor immediately and request a blood test.  This is not covered by OHIP if you live in Ontario, you will have to pay for the cost of the test.  But it is better to find out early, rather than increase the risk of damage to your body.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

K