Seems like everybody’s eating gluten-free these days. Celebrities are doing it. More and more Americans are doing it—about 1.6 million of us, a recent Mayo Clinic study found.
But what is gluten? And is it bad for us?
Gluten hides in processed foods
Gluten is a protein you’ll find in most grains—wheat, barley, rye, and more. It’s the “glue” that makes dough stretchy. Most starchy foods are full of gluten. Bread, pasta, crackers, and cereal are all usually made with gluten-rich wheat flour.
But gluten is sneaky. Manufacturers slip it into all kinds of processed foods you wouldn’t suspect. It hides in canned soup, soy sauce, salad dressing, and beer, to name just a few.
What does gluten do to our bodies?
“Gluten is fairly indigestible in all people,” says Daniel Leffler, M.D., an assistant professor medicine at Harvard Medical School and a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “There’s probably some kind of gluten intolerance in all of us.”
Why? Well, to our bodies, grain is still a newfangled novelty, “foreign to the Stone Age diet” that we adapted to eat, says David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. Humans have only been eating grain for about 12,000 years—not long enough to really adapt to digest it.
When gluten-sensitive people eat gluten, their bodies see it as an invader and mount an immune assault. The gut bears the brunt of the attack—you might suffer from bloating, cramping, diarrhea, or constipation—but doctors now know that the rest of your body can go immune-haywire, too, according to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. You might develop leg numbness, joint pain, osteoporosis, or anemia. You might feel depressed, foggy-brained, or develop symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—all from eating gluten.
What about celiac disease?
If you’re dealing with these symptoms, your doctor will want to do a blood test to rule out celiac disease. That’s a more dangerous type of gluten intolerance (people with celiac disease must stick to lifelong gluten-free diets or risk malnutrition and fatal cancers) that strikes an estimated one in 133 Americans. (Note that the blood test has flaws—including a high rate of false negatives. You might want to ask your doctor for the newer genetic test for Celiac, which is more accurate.)
Rather than being true celiac, far more of us are simply gluten-sensitive, without celiac disease—about 18 million Americans, the University of Maryland center estimates. Unfortunately, there’s no test to check for this. The only way to tell if you’re gluten-sensitive is to quit eating gluten and see if your symptoms improve.
Can I do the Fast Metabolism Diet gluten-free?
Absolutely. In fact, it’s easy. The Fast Metabolism Diet already ditches the leading gluten culprit: wheat. Instead, you can enjoy a variety of gluten-free grains—brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, quinoa, and gluten-free oatmeal are all safe, to name a few. Be sure to check out my other blog posts for gluten-free recipes.
Going gluten free for me was a huge improvement in my life. I started by doing the Optimal Cleanse. Can’t wait to try the Fast Metabolism Diet!
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Really liked what you had to say in your post, Should you go gluten-free?, thanks for the good read!
— Norman
Hi Haylie, when I started with my menopause I got inflamation
Hi Haylie, when I started with my menopause I got inflammation for about 3 years, the doctors they don’t know what is going on, I saw you on Dr. Oz you impress me. Is any way I can consult you, of course I don,t insurance or too much many. Can I. Thank you so much.
Until her book comes out where can I go to get a complete list of allowed foods on specific phases?
You can have anything that is gletun free. Some of the larger grocery stores carry gletun free pasta. There is also a rice based pasta. You should be able to have some types of flour other than wheat flour.Beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables are gletun free. Meats are gletun free in the original formTrying Googling celiac disease. You will not be able to eat most pre-made food. Amy’s has a gletun free pizza. Ice cream if you read the labels is gletun free. We have a gletun free pastry shop.Your Doctor should have a list of gletun-free foods. Also go to WebMD.com, it has a drop down box for what Celica Disease is and possible a list of foods that you can eat.I have friends with Celiac disease. You will need to cook more or look for gletun-free foods in the grocery stores.You will be able to eat more than you think. I have severe Lactose intolerance and I eat just fine. I have to make sure no whey is in anything.You will probably eat more healthly foods than you used to. Good luck
Haylie, I’m previewing your book and it says to come to your website for a list of sprouted grain products, but I don’t see anything on the site…or at least I don’t know where to look. Can you help?
Thanks!
Jesica
I think maybe you’re looking for this: http://www.fastmetabolismdiet.com/all-about-sprouted-grains/
Since I know I have celiac disease,I have been using Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thin crackers. Would they be acceptable? How many for a serving?
I have been knowingly gluten intolerant for over 35 years. An incredible number of foods are now available. BUT sometimes the include some corn starch, corn flour, corn syrup etc. for instance some of Udi’s gluten free products include corn. I’m sure these are minuscule amounts over all But I am used to looking out for tiny amts of disagreeable ingredients. The question is: can I eat these products on this diet? I preordered your book and it came Monday. Excited to start but need this info please.
The diet avoids corn and sugar entirely as well. It’s hard to find bread products that are both gluten free and have no corn or sugar. But bread is NOT required on the diet at all. You can use other grains like rice, buckwheat, teff, quinoa, wild rice, and black rice. –Christine, Random House Digital
If you can’t find sprouted bread can you use whole wheat or 7 grain breads. They do not sell it in my area and I want to start the plan but I want to make sure I can get everything that you talk about in the book
If you cannot find sprouted grain bread, then just don’t use breads at all. Use other grains like rice and quinoa. Wheat is not allowed on the diet, and will slow your weight loss. –Christine, Random House Digital
In your book you mention a place on the website to find the names of your favoite brands of products to shop for att he grocery store, can you tell me where this is? Im not able to find it.
Can anyone comment on constipation? I have not had a bowel movement since starting this diet (5) days. Was in pain so I had a cup of coffee. What can I do? Causes for this? Thank you.
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Gluten is the composite of a gliadin and a glutenin, which is conjoined with starch in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. The prolamin and glutelin from wheat (gliadin, which is alcohol-soluble, and glutenin, which is only soluble in dilute acids or alkalis) constitute about 80% of the protein contained in wheat fruit. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch. Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein.^
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What is your opinion on Kambucha..have you studied it much, I am on your diet plan for the last 2 weeks which has been amazing and last summer I made Kambucha weekly and loved it. so much controversy out there, so I have been trying to research more about it. any thoughts?