Is Gluten Sensitivity Real?
Gluten free foods are starting to take over the shelves at the grocery store and even popular kid’s cereal brands are investing in gluten free commercial marketing campaigns these days.
But most people still make fun of or still wonder if gluten sensitivity is even real.
Today I’m here to settle the argument once and for all, and to give you the inside scoop on what gluten sensitivity really is and if it could be affecting you. There is new research available that is putting these myths to rest, finally.
First, I want to clarify the difference between Celiac Disease and the term “gluten sensitivity.”
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune condition. In order to be diagnosed with Celiacs you must have the gene for it. If you do, your body would violently react to any kind of gluten exposure- so extreme sometimes that even if a piece of bread touched the same plate that you ate from it would make you sick.
Gluten sensitivity, on the other hand, means that your body is sensitive to gluten which results in a more moderate reaction in the form of inflammation. You could think of it like an allergy to gluten, but one that you would never get rid of.
Symptoms of gluten sensitivity can include but are not limited to…
- Anxiety
- Brain fog
- Leaky gut
- ADD/ADHD
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Bloating and gas
- Hormone imbalances
- Fatigue or energy crashes
- Autism or being on the spectrum
- Joint/muscle aches, pains or inflammation
- Stomach aches/pains, constipation, diarrhea
- Autoimmune disorders (i.e. Hashimotos, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, etc.)
How many of these symptoms have you had or do you experience? And has anyone ever told you that they might be because of a gluten sensitivity?
A lot of people don’t associate these symptoms with a reaction to gluten because the concept of gluten sensitivity has not crossed over into our mainstream medicine yet. Doctors are still chasing symptoms and prescribing medications instead of paying attention to diet.
What if eliminating one food could solve all of your health and weight problems?
In this week’s video and blog I unveil the truth about gluten sensitivity from the most recent research and whether it’s affecting your health or not.
One of the reasons people question whether gluten sensitivity is real is because wheat has been a staple in our diet for ages, so they wonder “why is it all of a sudden a problem now?” However, what most people don’t realize is the wheat and grains we eat today look much different than what our great-grandparents were eating.
In fact, wheat is even different in other countries than it is in the United States. Over time, gluten has become an issue as a result of the industrialization, genetic modification and chemicalization of our food.
To put all of the questioning about gluten sensitivity and its effects to rest, Columbia University Medical Center recently did a study to evaluate how gluten impacts the everyday person.
So what did they find?…leaky gut!
The participants in the study showed signs of leaky gut AND systemic immune activation, indicating a chronic inflammatory response to eating gluten.
So what does that mean for you?
It means GLUTEN AFFECTS EVERYONE NEGATIVELY regardless if you know it or not.
I can attest to this personally and so can all of my health coaching clients. Once I started living a gluten free lifestyle my joint aches and pains dissipated, my weight became more manageable, my anxiety went away and my skin was glowing.
Even if you don’t have the Celiac gene, gluten is still wreaking havoc on your system. The chronic inflammation and leaky gut that gluten contributes to causes your immune system to eventually tank, disrupts your hormonal balance and negatively impacts your health over time.
Gluten has even been identified as a trigger for underlying autoimmune issues. Meaning if you have an autoimmune gene that hasn’t been expressed, gluten can trigger the disease to present itself.
Other health conditions such as alzheimer’s and autism have been linked to gluten as well.
The research doesn’t lie. Gluten sensitivity is real for all of us. It’s time to start re-thinking the way we’ve been eating in this new age world. Next time you reach for that piece of bread, plate full of pasta or slice of pizza, be aware of the harm you’re doing to your body – there are plenty of other foods to choose from that taste just as good and have more nutritional value to support your body in the ways it needs most.
If you’re curious to learn more about how gluten has affected you, about leaky gut or any other gluten sensitivity related health issues schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here.
