More and more people are being diagnosed with gluten intolerance.  In fact, celiac disease (CD) is four times more common today than it was five decades ago, according to 2009 research performed at the Mayo Clinic.  CD is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the immune system treats gluten (found in wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) as a toxin.  For every person diagnosed with celiac, experts believe there are many more people who have non-celiac gluten intolerance.  This condition is one in which a wide range of digestive problems occur when a person eats gluten.

I have probably always known that I had a high gluten intolerance and as I got older and more and more interested in nutrition I started cutting it out of my diet more and more.  I just felt better, my digestion was better, and my energy and skin reacted better when I ate more fruits and vegetables and less processed carbohydrates.  About 8 months ago, I completely took myself off of gluten and in 2 weeks felt very different.  I then went to a GI doctor to really get it tested through blood and stool samples.  Guess what?  Highly intolerant to gluten.  It’s always amazing what happens when you listen to your body right?

There are many symptoms associated with gluten intolerance such as: chronic fatigue, sinus infections, unwanted weight loss, bloating, stomach pain, skin rashes, etc.  If you or a family suffers from these side effects, it might be helpful for you to talk to your physician about taking a blood test and testing for celiac disease and also checking your antibodies for gluten to check out how tolerant your body is to gluten.

I have become a gluten expert so to say in the last several months and I thought I would impart some helpful tips to help you navigate what is gluten free and what is not.  More and more sellers and grocers are coming out with “gluten free” items, but we know marketing campaigns and labels are not always accurate.

4 tips for eating gluten free:

- Products labeled “gluten free” aren’t always good for you.  Choose items with few added sweeteners and are made from brown rice, millet, and other whole grains and not processed carbohydrates such as white flour.

- Gluten free is: brown rice, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, rice, potatoes, quinoa, and corn.  These are the basic starches that you can eat, but anything else not on this list probably has gluten.

- The Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide may be a great resource and is available at triumphdining.com

- There are many ready- made gluten free breads and muffins out there, but to save cash you can make your own.  Try “Alison’s Gluten- Free Baking Mix” recipe is on deliciousliving.com.

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