Post by Amy Freeman
I thought I would follow up last weeks post with some points on why I believe gluten isn’t necessary as part of anyone’s regular diet. This kinda leads on from why I believe that the ‘Paleo’ or ‘Whole Food’ nutrition is benefiting everyone not just for improved body composition, but for overall general health and wellbeing.
Gluten free seems to be a term that is thrown around a lot these days which has some people interested and others rolling their eyes thinking it’s another fad. Gluten is the protein in wheat and cereals that gives dough it’s elasticity and therefore bread it’s addictive, soft, chewy, air light texture.
So why is gluten getting such bad press now?
Well in the 2009 study published in Gastroenterology, it showed that celiac disease has increased in 50 years from 1 in 650 people to 1 in 120 people.
This is largely down to the difference in the wheat we are now consuming compared to our parents and grandparents.
In order to meet the demand for factories with the amount of processed food, the increased population and increased general consumption, wheat farmers now use a hybridized grain that grows fast, is bug resistant and contains new proteins that were never in original wheat plants. These new proteins are not easily digested causing widespread gluten intolerance, high rates of celiac disease, increased inflammation and really bad side effects.
After seeing the transformation in many clients that had never thought gluten had been an issue for them until they cut it out and all of a sudden saw bloating disappear and health issues lessen, I believe that many people have an intolerance of some kind to it and luckily most people I know whether friends, family or clients seem to be aware that they do feel better overall when they don’t have it as part of their regular diet.
It is also very apparent in supermarkets these days with the vast amount of gluten free products this is becoming a very adopted way of living for people and I can say i have noticed that the cost of gluten free products (in Kuwait) now compared to 2-3 years ages also validates that. 2-3 years ago it was a ridiculous amount of money for quinoa and gluten free flour options and after studying the supermarkets at places like Sultan Center and SaveCo, the prices are substantially lower than they used to be because of the many more market players of gluten free products.
So for those that may not be aware of some of the classic side effects that gluten can cause on your body this may help identify some tell tail signs:
– Bloating after eating bread, pasta or wheat based products. Bread for most is a standout.
– Irritable bowel episodes
– Constipation and or diarrhea
– Inflammation in the joints. I’ve even read celiac websites that have said white specs have showed up on an MRI of a patients brain that was found to be gluten and the cause of the patients migraines.
– Severe acne
– Headaches/migraines
-Skin irritation/Eczema
Just to finish be aware that when you opt for some gluten free products, they often will have more sugar, fat and fillers in them to make up for the lack of texture and taste from real wheat so always read the ingredients and make sure you are aware of what they are using instead of wheat and don’t be blinded by the gluten free label. This is kind of the same as fat free products. When something is taken out it has to be replaced, just be aware and make sure that you aren’t replacing your wheat with a chemical concoction of god know what.
Happy Training Kuwait
Post by Amy Freeman, a Strength and Conditioning Coach from New Zealand and currently a Personal Trainer at Inspire Pure Fitness in Kuwait.
Photo by jmlpyt
6 replies on “Why going gluten free isn’t a fad, its free health care”
Three main points here: gluten free is not ‘free’ healthcare in the sense that one is paying a premium over normal carb products, even though the costs have gpone down in the past few years. So at best it is healthcare for a fee.
Second point: gluten-free is not really healthcare. The original study that proved gluten intolerance has been now shown to be inconclusive and partially debunked by its own author (https://www.forbes.com/sites/rosspomeroy/2014/05/15/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity-may-not-exist/). A lot of the bloating and other symptoms do not come from gluten but may come from other chemicals currently used in the production of flour etc. So eating better/less carbs might be healthier, but it is not because of the gluten.
Final: a lot of people on a gluten-free diet are doing it as a fad, watch this funny video by Jimmy Kimmel https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2624293/Do-know-gluten-The-gluten-free-people-explain-intolerance-diet.html
I agree with all your points above. Just to inform your readers that Sultan Centre Souk Sharq has set up a separate section for ‘healthy’ options in their store, so you can easily buy gluten-free products etc. in Kuwait now. However, you can’t really sell food anymore without educating the public, especially in a country like Kuwait although they do get Dr. OZ and The Doctors on TV. They really should have people in the various departments explaining how to use kale and how to use gluten-free products in order to increase sales and educate the public. If you saw the quality of produce in the UAE and compare it to the quality in Kuwait, you would realize also how the Kuwait government has failed a nation right down to the fruit bowl. From gorgeous seedless watermelons from Spain to luscious huge strawberries from France have NEVER been imported to Kuwait. It is important to have quality fruit and vegetables available in the market.
I had an easy solution to the gluten issue: I stopped eating bread altogether. In fact, I stopped eating any starchy products, such as pasta, rice and potatoes. We simply don’t need that much carbs. The natural carbs found in fruits and vegetables are more than enough for a normal person who is not running marathons on a daily basis. Remember, bread is processed food just like hotdogs and sliced cheese.
LOL this is exactly like saying foods that are “nut free” are free healthcare.
I don’t trust nutrition advice from anyone who seriously thinks diet can ever be a one size fits all.
Reading a couple of articles online and then linking to one study published 5 years ago does not make you an expert on the topic and I think it is very risky and unprofessional to be promoting the entire exclusion of gluten from a diet as it will lead to nutritional deficiencies in those who don’t know what they’re doing.
All those symptoms you listed above can be attributed to many other triggers/allergens or may just be a symptom on their own with no known cause.
e.g. eczema – a relatively common skin disease in newborns/infants. Their gluten intake is zero/very little.
Funny enough – a lot of them grow out of that period of eczema around the same time when gluten – breads/pasta etc. is introduced to their diet. Does that mean the gluten cured their eczema? No.
In that same way – it’s ridiculous to try to pinpoint the blame for the “tell tail” signs you mention above on gluten.
A gluten-free diet may work for a small number people (who could possibly have been undiagnosed coeliacs) but in the end, those who are not gluten-intolerant are just wasting their time and money on that gluten-free diet because for most of them – it IS just a fad.
Dr.A