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I am asked all of the time, “What is gluten? And how do you become gluten free?” Today I’ll start with some basics and a little gluten free 101.

What is Gluten?

While living a “gluten-free” lifestyle is trendy, for many, it’s a necessity.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation,

Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. It helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. Gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.

Gluten Free 101

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Some basics on the “safe” list

• Corn
• Amaranth
• Arrowroot flour
• Gelatin
• Xanthan gum
• Guar gum
• Sorghum

Some basics on the “unsafe” list

• Wheat
• Rye
• Barley
• Spelt
• Bulgar
• Farina
• Semolina
• Malt
• Couscous
• Durum
• Kamut
• Einkorn
• Farro
• But really…..all of these 124 items

5 Basic Gluten Free 101 Tips

• If you’re struggling to lose weight, consider GLUTEN!
• Just because something says “Wheat Free” does not mean it is “Gluten Free.”
• Traditional beer is out! (Is Alcohol Gluten Free?)
• Watch out for salad dressings. I make my own!
• The easiest way to begin is by eating foods in the “whole-food form.” (ie. plain & whole fruits, vegetables, and meats)

“Accidental” Gluten Exposure

Microbiologist Kiran Krishnan has concluded (based on in-depth research) that everyone should avoid gluten.

There are three categories of people:

• Celiacs
• the gluten intolerant
• and everyone else

100% of people get transient permeability; the intestinal lining opens up in the presence of gluten.

The result can be symptomatic (to the GI system, 1 in 8 people per the above) or asymptomatic (“other” symptoms people wouldn’t normally correlate to gluten intolerance).

New research suggests that the small intestines of up to 60% of adults with celiac disease never completely heal despite following a gluten-free diet. This could be due in part to gluten contamination in many “gluten-free” foods.

While a gluten-free diet can help to prevent further damage, the avoidance of gluten alone is not sufficient for total gut restoration.

Further Gluten Free 101 Reading

1. How To Gluten Free on a Budget
2. Making Gluten Free a Game
3. 7 Things Learned from 7 Years Gluten Free
4. 4 Reasons Your Gluten Free Diet is Keeping You Miserable
5. Library of gluten free recipes

What other questions do you have? Do you live your life gluten free? Are you thinking of living it that way?

Xox,
SKH