So, you can’t eat potatoes, right?
The most common response I get when I tell someone I can’t eat gluten is “What’s that?” The various guesses cover the gamut. “You can’t eat potatoes?” “You can’t eat cheese?” “You can’t drink milk?”
Nope. Gluten has nothing to do with potatoes, cheese or milk. Although there are a lot things I can’t eat, I’m glad I can still eat those things, because to me they are comfort foods!
This is full of gluten!
Gluten is a protein that is present in wheat, rye and barley. It’s what makes dough elastic and sticky, and what makes bread and other baked goods hold together well. Someone who can’t eat gluten has to avoid all foods that contain wheat, rye or barley products, including wheat flour, unbleached or white flour, rye and barley flours, and anything that is made with those three grains.
When you eat gluten free, you have to read a lot of labels, and read them thoroughly. If a label says “barley malt” or “malt” in any form, you have to avoid that food. Wheat is in most soy sauce and many processed foods. You have to become very aware of what you’re eating, because what you don’t pay attention to may make you sick.
I have celiac disease, which means that my small intestine is damaged when I eat gluten, and that leads to an inability to get nutrients from my food. Before I figured out what was causing my symptoms I was pretty miserable, but after I stopped eating gluten and got a diagnosis, my body started healing and I could see results very quickly. It has been four years since I quit gluten and I still have some health issues, but my health is vastly better than it was back then.
There are many people who become sick from gluten, but they are not diagnosed with celiac disease, which is often caused by a genetic pre-disposition. That means that you have the genes that lead to celiac disease. (I have the two major genes that cause it, which makes me 14 times more likely than the general public to have the disease.)
Sometimes a doctor does not understand the disease and dismisses the idea, even if the patient asks for confirmation. In my case, I saw two doctors who did not take my requests for testing seriously, and one told me that I was “too old to have celiac disease” because she said that only children got it! In truth, celiac disease is not something you “catch” – it is something that can lie dormant until you have some kind of major physical or emotional stress, which may trigger the symptoms a little at a time. You go to the doctor and he or she treats the symptom you have, then you get more symptoms, and while each symptom is being treated it is not being looked at as a “big picture” of symptoms that add up to celiac disease. Fortunately, many doctors are now learning more about the disease as the public is becoming more informed.
Someone can also NOT have celiac disease itself, but still is gluten-intolerant. For purposes of deciding their diet, they have to eat as if they DO have celiac disease. It’s not important to define the differences between celiac disease and gluten intolerance, because the cure is the same. The cure is the food the person eats, or doesn’t eat. To someone like me who does not like to take medicine of any kind, having food as my cure is ideal.
The symptoms of celiac disease and gluten intolerance vary from person to person, but they commonly involve the digestive system, including acid reflux, indigestion, and other uncomfortable tummy troubles. (The U.S. National Library of Medicine has an extensive list of symptoms, including skin problems, fatigue and muscle cramps.) Once the system has been damaged to the point that the small intestine can’t digest food very well, symptoms of malnutrition and nutrient deficiency and even allergies start to appear. Gluten can also affect the brain, and has been shown to cause depression in some individuals.
I can live without regular bread, because I’ve found a great gluten-free bread mix. And I don’t really eat bread that much anyway, so it’s not a loss. I have adjusted and grown accustomed to my diet. It’s not hard anymore, and I very seldom crave foods I can’t eat. However I have had some dreams about eating regular chocolate chip cookies or doughnuts, and I always think in my dream, “Oh, boy, I’m going to be sorry I ate this!”
I would love to answer questions you may have about living a gluten free life. My goal is to make it easier for others who are gluten-free, whether they want to know how to avoid cross-contamination, how to safely eat at restaurants, or how to assertively inform their family that no, they can’t eat “just a little, it won’t hurt.” Ask away, and in the meantime, I’ll be sharing my experiences with you. Be well!
Gluten free Recipes with Bill & Sheila
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