What Gluten?!
By Sarah Hedger
Gluten has become a bit of a hot topic. Gluten awareness is taking over the food world and for good reason. As people are becoming more and more aware of how their bodies react, both favorably and unfavorably, to certain foods, gluten has become one of the most recognized sources of sensitivity in our diets. It permeates our lives through everything from processed wheat products such as cereals and breads to our favorite hometown pizza.
Not everyone has sensitivity to gluten. But recent studies estimate as many as 1 in 7 Americans have some sort of gluten sensitivity. This is a big claim, and the goal of this article is to bring more awareness about your diet, what feels good after you eat it, and what doesn’t feel so good.
Let’s start off with the basics. What is gluten? Gluten is a type of protein found in the endosperm of commonly used grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley. Therefore, it is found in the majority of cereals and breads on the market. It is also used as an added stabilizing agent in food production which means it can also be found in unexpected products such as condiments (think ketchup and soy sauce) to store-bought ice cream (NOOOO!) Gluten enables bread to be elastic, helping the dough maintain its gases through the fermentation process, furthering the bread’s ability to rise when cooked. In other words, it plays an important roll in giving bread the loft we love. While many people trust the labeling of their favorite processed and packaged foods and assume the government requires notation of such additives, this is not the case. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has determined gluten to be placed in the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) category, which means, well, watch out and make no assumptions that they label everything!
By now many of you may be thinking, why is there an entire article on this silly little protein that gives bread its loveliness? And, along those same lines, why would anyone want to make something glutenfree? Recent studies have attributed a variety of health problems directly related to the body’s sensitivities, intolerances and reactions to gluten. What does this really mean? The range of sensitivity and intolerance varies from person to person. For some, gluten sensitivity is actually a food allergy resulting in a response such as itchiness, rashes or headaches. For others it causes an autoimmune response resulting in Celiac Disease. This means the body’s immune system attacks gluten when consumed because it thinks it’s harmful. This sometimes results in perpetual inflammation of the small intestine, causing abdominal pain and (the unfortunate) diarrhea. If the small intestine is damaged, it can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and can further lead to malnutrition, osteoporosis, arthritis and infertility. Claims are made that it also increases the risk of diabetes, thyroid disease and cancer. Some assert that gluten sensitivity may be a factor in at least 77% of autoimmune disease cases.
This is why it is important to listen to your body, especially after eating. What is it telling you? Do you feel great after eating something or do you experience any type of pain? Someone once told an adage that really stuck in my memory: Your body can only speak to you in pain. The truth is that pain may be what it actually takes for (some of ) us to listen. Please keep in mind: some people can eat bread all the time and feel great and some must adhere to a gluten-free diet to feel great. The goal is for optimum health which is best reached when we each learn what our bodies like and dislike.
The good news is (yes there is good news) gluten intolerance can be successfully treated by removing all the gluten from one’s diet. Granted, it is scary (and a bit overwhelming) initially to think about life without gluten. Quite a downer for someone like me who finds fewer pleasures than fresh baked bread and my monthly pizza outing. But, isn’t it good news to know that if one has symptoms, they can be alleviated by diet alone (while seeking the advice of a medical practitioner)? The really good news is that as more and more people become aware of the need to remove gluten from their diets, solutions are becoming more prevalent in the food world. Whole Foods Markets now has an entire line of gluten-free baked goods. The infamous BabyCakes NYC bakery has created in San Luis Obispo, you don’t have to talk to many people before finding out about the most amazing cupcakes made by Amy Bakes Cupcakes, with gluten-free options.
But, where does that leave us on a day-to-day basis? What does a gluten-free diet really look like? First off, it depends how sensitive to (or intolerant of ) gluten you are, which depends on your symptoms. Second, it depends on what your diet looks like now. Some who eat a fair amount of processed foods might need to make more lifestyle changes than those who prepare meals from whole foods. I will tell of my own experience. When I was in my late teens I began exercising and competing at mountain biking on the national level. Following the “carb loading” advice at the time, I increased the pasta, bagels and other refined (white) carbs I consumed. About the same time I would get painful stitches in my left side that hurt so bad I would have to lie down until it subsided. About the same time I got frequent migraine headaches. As my diet evolved, I started getting my carbs from more and more whole foods and subsequently, the pain in my side and the headaches came less frequently.
While finishing college, I went back to live with my mom, and while I was there, she was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance that was weakening her immune system. She removed all the gluten from her diet and, enjoying being the chef, I helped her find ways to cook without gluten. I liked the challenge because it forced me to be creative, often making family specialties glutenfree. We began baking with different flours, such as rice, quinoa, and buckwheat. What this also did was put more whole foods back into our diet while reducing processed foods and white flour carbohydrates. Since then, I have continued to carry out a gluten-free diet for the most part and to enjoy not having those painful headaches (or side aches) any more. I am fortunate that I probably only have a gluten sensitivity, as I can enjoy a locally-made cinnamon roll or pizza from time to time. For those who must adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, here is a list of options for you to consider:
Amy Bakes Cupcakes: www.AmyBakesCupcakes.com Delicious, with gluten free options, delivered!
Bless Your Heart Baking: www.BlessYourHeartBaking.com Locally-made muffins, breads and baked goods with gluten-free options New Frontiers Market has gluten-free options they make in their bakery as well as privately-labeled gluten-free items Gluten-Free Girl (Shauna James Ahearn) has a great ongoing blog:
www.glutenfreegirl.com that incorporates her brilliant gluten-free discoveries in the kitchen Whole Foods Markets has a gluten-free line of baked goods as well as great gluten-free recipes you can search on their website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes
Sarah Hedger studied nutrition at Cal Poly before switching to business. She works to promote sustainability and believes we have amazing resources in our backyards.
