There is a big movement away from Gluten at the moment and it’s often something I ask clients to reduce in their diet.
The reason? In summary, it’s really hard for the body to digest!
Gluten tends to cause an inflammatory effect on the small intestine which can cause anything from bloating to leaky gut and all the problems associated with it.
Gluten is a protein found predominantly in wheat, rye and barley and more often than not insults the small intestine, where most of our nutrients are absorbed and taken into the blood stream.
Over time, ingesting gluten, as many people do, with 2-3 meals a day, inflames the gut can causing intestinal cells to die prematurely and causes oxidation on those cells. This effect creates a leaky gut, which is essentially where tiny holes develop in the small intestine wall, allowing bacterial proteins and other toxic compounds to get in the blood stream. With these foreign compounds in the
blood stream, the body forms an immune attack, leading to allergies, and possibly autoimmune conditions. A leaky gut also means that food as not digested properly and nutrients are not absorbed fully, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
Including the immune disorders and allergies which can develop from over ingestion of gluten, if the small intestine is unable to effectly absorb nutrients then the result is a broad spectrum of problems relating to malnourishment: abnormal bowel motions, abdominal pain, bloating, poor growth and development, poor attention span and learning problems.
Alternatives to gluten include:
- Wild rice & Basmati Rice
- Sago
- Tapioca
- Buckwheat
- Potato flour
- Arrowroot
- Millet
- Amaranth
- Quinoa
If you are looking to change your eating lifestyle, please also consider drastically reducing dairy (much the same issue as gluten) and sugar (which is in nearly everything that isn’t a natural whole food!)
If you are concerned, I have found the best rule of thumb (and in the words of Kris Carr on Hungry For Change) is: “If it takes a lab to make, it takes a lab to break down”!
Love and Sunshine,
Emma
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