Gluten Free Convictions: Time to Get Personal
Part of “healthier” for many is trying to consume more “whole grains”. The USDA partners with the Wheat Council (and the Beef Council and the Dairy Council too), so I take the advice as much as any other advice on what is better to consume, with a grain of salt…(get it, Grain of salt). After experimenting with Bulgur, Farro a/o Spelt, CousCous and many more grains, I found myself having more issues than ever with my digestive system.
Though it was not my primary intention for this blog to serve as a food journal, it essential has. I began to narrow down what was causing the digestive issues and combined with Medical Nutrition Therapy class, I assumed I either had Celiac’s Disease or was Gluten Intolerant.
How trendy right?! I saw a spot on the Today Show last summer on Gluten Free diets and my mom informed me that Chelsea Clinton had a gluten free wedding cake!
Oh la la so fancy. We all know of diet trends, Atkins, Cleanses, Low-Fat, Low-Carb, Grapefruit and now “Gluten Free” has become its own trend. It wasn’t intentionally a trend though. A diet free of gluten is actually a diet for those that have a true intolerance or an inability to digest gluten. If you did not know, gluten is a protein found in certain grains like wheat, barley, rye.
After going gluten free, I felt much better and alleviated many of my issues. Still, I found it extremely difficult to go out to dinner, go to picnics/BBQ, parties because I never knew what was in anything or couldn’t have what I did know had gluten. This past fall was the most difficult though. I was having tons of issues and at times just wanted to stay away from all food. I wondered my self-diagnosis at that point, maybe it was Chron’s, Celiac’s, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, or who knows what else. I went to a food allergist, my primary care doctor, ob-gyn, had two ultrasounds, had three rounds of blood work and finally got in to a Gastroenterologist for a gastroscopy in January 2011.
The verdict ? I have a small-ish esophageal hernia, which essentially produces symptoms of acid reflux and most likely IBS. My worst symptom has been the pain and nausea (hence the obgyn!), though now that I am aware of the reflux and acid. This thang isn’t pleasant at all but I am learning how best to manage it because after all, Everyone Eats.
Fortunately, I have been able to relax with many foods and no longer fear if there was “extra gluten with double gluten on top” as I like to joke. I maintain a relatively gluten free diet still because I enjoy unprocessed foods like fresh produce, lean meats, some dairy in general. I still choose to eat brown rice pasta, quinoa and other gluten free grain products if it works with my budget because I do feel they can be easier to digest.
Those that truly have Celiac disease or an intolerance can get incredibly sick , especially if they are exposed to gluten after removing it from their diet. It is more than just discomfort that these individuals can have. Gluten can cause damage to their intestinal lining, leading to an inability to absorb nutrients, and put folks at risk for developing cancer just to name a few concerns. A man from Durham, NC was in trial this week for selling homemade bakery products through his company, “Great Specialty Products” that he had been advertising as gluten-free when they weren’t. Turns out, he was purchasing regular gluten filled bakery goods from vendors ( some say in NJ, some say from Costco), taking them home and repackaging them as gluten-free and selling them via the state fair, the farmers market and home-delivery.
(NC State Farmers Market)
He lied about the 400 acre farm he claimed to grow his grains on and also about having a 150,000 sq. ft commercial kitchen. He got to that number by adding up the square footage of several kitchens he supposedly baked and tested his products in. He had no test results of course but does hold prior convictions of wire fraud in Montana and grand theft in California.
Over 2 dozen customers attended his trial, some had suffered rashes, diarrhea and one women gave birth prematurely faulting the disguised bread. Though it seems like a dramatic claim, fertility issues and miscarriages are a side effect to those with celiac’s among other issues so it isn’t too far fetched.
Read even more at Zack Becker’s blog, Gluten Free Raleigh. (Nope, I don’t know him)
Can you believe this guy?
Do you know of other stories like this in your area?
Do you or someone you know
