Skip to main content

Style Magazine

The Truth About Going Gluten-Free

Nov 22, 2016 02:08PM ● By Kourtney Jason

Gluten gets a bad rep. Found in many processed foods—from breads and baked goods to soups, pasta, cereals, salad dressings, beer and more—“it’s ubiquitous in our [diet],” says Kay Judge, MD, medical director at Sutter Weight Management Institute and an internal medicine physician at Sutter Medical Foundation. “Gluten is the name for proteins found in wheat, rye and barley, and is the ‘glue’ that holds foods together.”


The Pros

Since gluten is a protein, it can be used by the body to build and maintain muscle and other tissues, strengthen the immune system, provide energy, transport nutrients in the body...provide a healthy balance of water and electrolytes, and keep the body at a healthy pH (or the right amount of acidity or alkalinity), says Kirsten Ransbury, MS, RD, CDE, lead registered dietitian III at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center. “The vast majority of people tolerate gluten without any difficulty at all, and it can be part of a healthy diet,” she says.


The Cons

Not everyone can properly digest gluten, however. According to Dr. Michele Raithel, ND, at Revolutions Naturopathic in Folsom, there are many theories as to where gluten reactivity comes from and why it has become more common in current years. “The most recent theory is that the genetic modifications that have been made to allow wheat to absorb pesticides, insecticides and fungicides has increased the dose of these agents that our intestines are exposed to,” she says. “Some people are so reactive that their immunoglobulins begin attacking their own intestinal system—[a] disease called celiac.”

Judge says it’s estimated that one percent of Americans have celiac disease. “People who have celiac disease have damage to the lining of their small intestine with gluten, which can cause diarrhea, anemia, bone pain and skin rashes. There is a blood test that detects antibodies in these cases.”

If you don’t have celiac but are still reacting to gluten, you may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and/or non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS). “Typically, an elimination diet is used to evaluate whether health improves with the elimination or reduction of gluten from the diet,” says Jacqueline Badal, MS, RD, CNSC, a clinical pediatric dietitian at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Symptoms of gluten or wheat sensitivity are often described as fatigue, bloating, joint pain and fluid retention, Judge says.


The Takeaway

If you choose to try a gluten-free diet, there are a number of alternatives, including “rice, corn, potatoes and oats, but then [we’re replacing] an overabundance of carbohydrates with different carbohydrates,” Judge says. “Ideally, instead of replacing wheat crackers with rice crackers [and] loaves of bread with heaps of rice, we would minimize starches and simple carbohydrates in our diet. A healthier gluten-free focus would be a mostly plant-based diet, with nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits supplementing the [excess] of gluten we normally eat.” For anyone who thinks they might have gluten intolerance, Ransbury suggests consulting with a registered dietitian.


 

GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND FLOUR WAFFLES

Recipe excerpted from Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Erica Kerwien

(Ulysses Press, 2013)


  • 1 cup blanched almond flour (or other nut flour)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp. honey


Preheat your waffle iron on a medium setting. Grease as needed, or according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the almond flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon (if using) in a mixing bowl. Blend together using a whisk. Add the eggs, vanilla and honey and whisk until well blended. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the heated waffle maker (more or less, depending on your waffle iron) and close the lid. When the waffle is ready, transfer it to a plate and add your favorite toppings. Seal and store any extra waffles in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze them for up to a month. Makes 6 to 8 waffles, depending on your waffle maker.

Bread photo © Antonio G Cuesta/fotolia.com. Sidebar photo courtesy of Ulysses Press.