Last October, I sat with my family in the car, driving from a wedding in Virginia back to Connecticut, stopping every hour for my sister to vomit in a different fast food restaurant’s bathroom. And, no, she was not throwing up from eating poor quality French fries or chicken nuggets. Her nine hour-long puke-a-thon started soon after she accidentally ate non-gluten-free oatmeal. My sister was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity after going abroad in Paris during her junior year of college. While in France, or what most people would consider the bread capitol of the world, she developed her intolerance to gluten and had trouble staying away from the bathroom after any meal involving bread. During the past three years, I have seen my sister speak with doctors, battle cancer, graduate from college, adapt to her gluten-free diet, and decide to study to become a Registered Dietician. I have also seen the rest of the world decide that “gluten-free” seems like a cool, trendy diet to try, because “Why not? Everyone else is doing it.”
So, before you decide to hop on the gluten-free train, find out whether it’s right for you.
For people who suffer from celiac disease, even eating a small sliver of bread would cause a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction. However, you do not necessarily have to have celiac to have intolerance for gluten. For those with gluten sensitivity, gluten ingestion may cause fatigue, headaches, stomach cramps, stomach pain, bloating etc. But, before you go self-diagnose yourself as gluten-intolerant because you’re tired with a headache and a stomachache, take a step back.
While gluten-free diets are the only current cure for celiac patients and do help to ease symptoms for gluten-sensitive patients, gluten-free diets are not proven to be healthier. In fact, eating wheat has many beneficial aspects, including helping to maintain healthy bacteria in your stomach, reduce your body weight, and absorb vitamins and minerals. Eating whole grains has also shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. So, not eating gluten deprives your body of these health benefits.
But, if you do think that you might be sensitive to gluten, you should first be tested for celiac. If that test comes back negative, there is no real test to find out if you are gluten-sensitive, but your doctor can help you determine whether or not you might be.
If you and your doctor do decide that you should restrict yourself to a gluten-free diet, you might consider referring to a Registered Dietician first. Even though it seems like every product on the market now comes in a gluten-free version, gluten is actually hidden in many more products than you would think, including soy sauce, beer, and medications. And, contrary to popular belief, gluten-free products, such as baked goods, can actually be high in fat and total energy. Many gluten-free products might add extra sugar to maintain the taste of a normal baked good. (So don’t forget to check the nutrition facts!) In beginning this diet, it’s also important to be aware of the side affects such as malnutrition. You can work to avoid this by eating more legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts) and more gluten-free whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, teff, and millet.
If you do have celiac or gluten sensitivity, you should be eliminating gluten from your diet. And don’t let anyone judge you for “following a trendy diet,” as I have seen many restaurant waiters do to my sister when she asks for gluten-free soy sauce. But, if you don’t have gluten intolerance, don’t follow this diet! A gluten-free diet is not going to be your quick fix to weight loss and it’s possible that it may even cause you to gain weight! So, before you banish pancakes and waffles forever, talk with your doctor and see what the best decision is for you.
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