Let’s get NERDY!! But just before that, let me give you a little history on why I went gluten free years ago. Ever since I can remember (some would disagree) I always had a little “pudge” or “muffin top” until I stopped consuming gluten. I have always had digestive issues; burping, constipation, feeling really full and in pain on the floor trying to unbutton my pants as fast as possible. I have also suffered from painful periods for over 25 years and had other symptoms that I never correlated to gluten.
Some of my favourite foods were gluten based; Yorkshire pudding, croissants, panini’s, homemade pasta, dining out, Asian food and French pastries. Like most people, I ate gluten almost everyday in some form, knowingly and unknowingly. It’s in everything processed and has hidden names as well, It’s like dairy, it’s in almost everything processed in one form or another.
I became more and more interested in the possibility of going gluten free after learning about how gluten can affect the health of the brain and after dealing with years of painful periods, cysts, bloating and fatigue from endometriosis. I was anti gluten free for a very long time, it was trendy- some argue it still is, and I just didn’t believe that it would benefit my health or others if we were not celiac. I hesitated trying it for many reasons but truthfully a big reason was because I hated the thought of asking what was gluten free at a restaurant and everyone looking at me and rolling their eyes. Now I don’t give two hoots!
When I came across evidence and research papers on the correlation between gluten, leaky gut and inflammation I thought, hmmmmm, by continuing to eat gluten containing foods, I could be increasing my overall inflammation which can lead to a chronic illness such as Alzheimer’s and causing more symptoms of endometriosis.
After all, the top 5 leading chronic diseases in the world today all have to do with some kind of underlying inflammation. This journey I chose to take not only became about relieving the symptoms for endometriosis but for overall optimal health and reducing my risk of chronic disease, specifically Alzheimer’s. Remember, I am all about prevention and I assume you are as well if you are following me. I’m going to do things in my present life (without feeling deprived) that will positively impact my future life and health journey.
Endometriosis has many theories as to why it happens, but the newest science out there from the brilliant Dr.Lara Briden and many others has shown that it’s connected to the health of our immune system, insulin resistance, gut health, nickel allergy and genetics. So the immune part and the gut health part peaked my interest because I know from my education that both of these issues have shown beneficial relief from going gluten free.
About 4 or 5 years ago I decided to take a new path and try going gluten free for three months, I never went back. No shit! Well maybe once a year on my birthday, that’s it. Gluten free products at the time tasted like nothing and had a texture more or less like cardboard but I was determined to try it and quickly realized that for me the benefits were undeniable. My “little pudge” just went away, those painful, full feeling nights where I had to unbutton my pants were no more. The pain and inflammation that came with endometriosis was less, not gone, but A LOT less. Over time, the more I healed my gut by eliminating food intolerances and adding in gut healing supplements and foods, reduced overall sugar consumption, practiced TRE, chose mostly natural gluten free whole food over gluten free processed food, my health got better and better. I then learned how to make gluten free food taste good, have great texture and be healthy. WHAAAAAAT!
So what the heck is gluten and how can it actually cause damage?
Gluten is a highly addictive protein found in many grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, bulgur and kamut. Gluten is what helps breads rise, it is what helps give that delicious chewy texture to bread, that is why so many gluten free breads back in the day tasted like cardboard- it lacked the soft chewiness of traditional style bread. Some people develop an autoimmune response to gluten such as celiac disease, others can trigger a sensitivity- which is usually caused by the gliadin protein instead of the gluten protein (according to Dr. David Perlmutter). You can also just have an intolerance to it, which I believe most people actually have today due to overconsumption, dirty grains (glyphosate) and leaky gut.
What can happen over time is that our tight junctions that secure our gut from invaders starts to tear from the release of zonulin and that zonulin makes tinny little holes in our gut lining. When our gut lining can no longer repair itself sufficiently we then create the famous “leaky gut”. You may find it interesting to know that along with gluten, gliadin (another protein in gluten containing grains) and glyphosate are the biggest culprits that release zonulin. You may be sensitive to all three or just one of these which can lead to your specific symptoms.
A leaky gut means that we have let our guard down so to speak. A leaky gut is when there is an increased permeability of the small intestine (tears in the gut lining), allowing for bacteria, bacterial fragments and food particles to enter the gut and cause systemic inflammation. Our gut contains over 80% of our immune system by the way, so unhealthy gut = unhealthy immune system. Gluten, gliadin and glyphosate are not the only culprits that promote leaky gut- Stress, sugar, processed food, aspirin, antibiotics, ibuprofen, PPI’s, heartburn medication and much more, can all cause leaky gut.
When we have a leaky gut this allows for systemic inflammation to take over, your immune system thinks it’s under attack and becomes chronically inflamed and stressed. FIY, our gut and brain speak to each other all of the time, the inflammation that happens in the gut is directly felt in the brain. It can affect people in many different ways not just the typical digestive issues that we know. Once you have leaky gut, you are highly susceptible to other food sensitivities and chronic disease.
“It’s important to keep in mind that each one of us are unique in terms of our DNA and phenotype (how our genes express themselves in their environment). Unchecked inflammation in me could result in obesity and heart disease, whereas the same condition in you could translate to an autoimmune disorder” -Dr. David Perlmutter
If gluten is so bad, why have we eaten it for so long and been fine?
Well, there are many reasons for this. On an evolutionary standpoint, we have only been eating gluten containing foods for the last 10,000 years which is considered relatively new. We do not eat the same kind of gluten containing grains that our ancestors ate- they did not contain glyphosate, they were not cross bread, they contained less overall gluten and they were heirloom strains. The grains we consume today look nothing like what our ancestors ate and while our genetic makeup has not changed much since our ancestors, the food we eat and how it has been modified has. We have so many more insults on our immune system and overall body today than we did back then. The processed food we eat today, the amount of alcohol we consume and toxins we ingest will all have a direct impact on the health of our gut lining and how we can digest many things we consume, including gluten.
Symptoms and conditions that can be connected to eating gluten
Bloating
Constipation
Joint pain
Headaches
Eczema
Psoriasis
Systemic inflammation
Blood sugar imbalances
Fatigue
Autoimmune disorders
Thyroid disorders
Gut issues
Multiple sclerosis
Endometriosis
Neurodegenerative diseases
ADHD
Arthritis
My top benefits for going gluten free
Less overall inflammation
Keeps my immune system strong
Relieves symptoms from endometriosis
Increases my health span
Improves my gut health
Less chance of consuming glyphosate
Reduce the chance of leaky gut
Reduce my chance of getting Alzheimer’s and other chronic disease
Here is the thing, going gluten free gets a bad rep, for good reason if we are talking about the overconsumption of the shitty GF products. The dose makes the poison. Just like other dietary choices such as going vegan, carnivore, keto; these can be done in a healthy and optimal way that will nourish your body for a period of time, or they can be done by over consuming boxed, processed, made in a lab “food” products.
If you make your own gluten free bread, muffins or cookies you can control the sugar and added crap that would normally go into GF processed food.
The dirty side to going gluten free
If you eat too much processed GF food too often you will gain weight just like gluten products
It can be more expensive
It can have more shit in it than a loaf of whole wheat bread, muffins, bagels
Processed GF products will raise your blood sugar and increase your chances of insulin resistance, chronic disease such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Bottom line, going gluten free does not automatically mean HEALTHY. You need to take responsibility, read labels, be aware of how much you are consuming and what you are consuming. If you do continue to eat gluten, eat it less often and please start eating organic sourdough bread, with red fife or spelt flour. These flours contain less gluten and the fermentation process of sourdough may provide benefit . Remember, the dose makes the poison. My suggestion, try going gluten free for 3 months but do it in a healthy way, be aware of how you feel, you may be surprised what little symptoms go away.
In my new book Two Little F Words I have over 25 whole food gluten free recipes that are low in sugar and super satisfying. Bread recipe included in the picture above.
Links and studies that may interest you
https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2013/07/14/zonulin-leaky-gut/
https://www.larabriden.com/endometriosis-and-the-microbiome/
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2020/01/zonulin-explains-it-all/
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-and-endometriosis-is-there-a-connection/
Gluten Free and endometriosis
Mark Hyman and Gluten
Dr.Will Cole
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16635908/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214347/