Gluten seems to be everywhere these days. From our food to our news to our celebrities, we can’t escape gluten. Why should you care? Because for some, booting gluten to the curb is a powerful way to own your health. So what's the deal with gluten? And should you kick the habit?

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein. It is found in wheat, barley, and rye. It's the stuff that makes dough stretchy and spongy and sauces thicken -- in short, it is the key to our comfort food.

Gluten is also the stuff that wreaks havoc for those with celiac disease. For those with this auto-immune disease (1 in 133 people have it), their bodies identify gluten as an evil invader and send their immune system into action. This battle results in collateral damage to the intestine, leaving it impaired. So while an active immune system may be great for fighting the flu, it's not so good for something found in everything from bread to soy sauce to crackers to soda.

The symptoms of celiac disease can vary depending on the length of time and amount of damage that has occurred. Symptoms can include stomach cramps and bloating, depression, anemia, diarrhea, fatigue, osteoporosis, and vitamin deficiencies. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Celiac disease has also been associated with Crohn's, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, irritable bowel, migraines and many others. 

Why is Everyone Talking about Gluten?

If you don’t have celiac, why should you care? First of all, the number of people being diagnosed with celiac disease is on the rise as doctors begin to better understand it and testing improves. So if you have one or more of the above symptoms, don't be so sure you don't have it.

Second, there is increasing evidence that a growing number of people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Whaaat? That means your body has difficulty processing gluten, which can result in stomach cramps, diarrhea, and bloating. The difference is there is no damage to the intestine. Let's be thankful for small favors.

The other reason everyone is talking about gluten is because celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah are talking about weight loss when kicking the gluten habit. Even Chelsea Clinton's wedding was gluten-free -- not to mention, vegan!

Should I Eliminate Gluten?

There is a profusion of "Eliminate Gluten and Lose Weight" books and blogs out there. But the truth isn't so simple. Some people gain weight when they remove gluten. This can happen for two reasons. First, if you have celiac disease and your intestine is damaged, eliminating the aggressor may result in your body finally absorbing the nutrients it was missing. That equals weight gain.

Second, a lot of people who eliminate gluten reach for the myriad of gluten-free products on the market. Just because the packaging says gluten-free doesn't mean you have carte blanche to ignore the ingredient list or ignore my common sense rule of kick the packaged processed "food" product habit. In fact, many of those products, just like other food products, are loaded with fat and sugar. So giving up your donut for a gluten-free muffin isn't going to help you shed the pounds. Junk is junk.

If you have celiac or a gluten sensitivity, give yourself some radical self-care and eliminate gluten. 

If you don't know, try an easy home test. If you have the symptoms or one of the associated conditions, try eliminating gluten from your diet for 14 to 30 days. Do your symptoms go away? Do they return when you have that bagel? If yes, you best consider joining the gluten-free team.

How do I Eliminate Gluten?

Having read thus far, you have decided to kick the gluten habit and see what happens. How do you do it wisely?

• The first step is to purge your pantry and fridge. I know, such a waste! If you can't bear to part with the gluten offenders, give them to a neighbor, or if unopened, give them to a food pantry. But this is a necessary process to avoid the temptation. Better to waste than to deny your health.
• Read the ingredient list. Gluten is everywhere and under various code names. Anything with wheat (this includes farro, spelt and kamut), barley or rye is bad. Just as offensive is caramel coloring, natural flavor, MSG, food starch (unless specified as corn), imitation seafood and the list goes on. Also, don't trust what is on the front of the package. I almost bought some "gluten-free" tempeh recently until I read the ingredient list and found wheat protein. Really folks! Like we can't read. Don't be duped.
• Introduce yourself to some fun new grains. Millet and quinoa are excellent and quick cooking choices, as well as rice and polenta or grits. All bring you yummy gluten-free goodness.
• For the bakers in the house, it's time to experiment. I'm not a confident baker, so I stopped baking when I eliminated gluten. To ease the transition, I used pre-made mixes to make life easier, and to reduce the number of disasters. There are many great brands and products on the market. I made good use of them but eventually began experimenting with my own mixes and have growing confidence in what I am doing. Only practice makes perfect.
• Focus on abundance. It is easy to get down when it seems you are cutting so much from your diet. "I can't eat anything!" you might proclaim -- I know I did.  Give it time and focus on the abundance of things you can have -- polenta, corn bread, all the vegetables you could want, and on and on. When you are feeling better, you will realize how you don't miss it.
• Enlist support. As with any lifestyle change, it is always easier to do this with support. Enlist friends and families to support you. They don't have to go gluten-free with you (although it does help), but they must be supportive. "Oh, you can't have Sara's birthday cake. So sorry. It's really good." Not helpful! There are also numerous online communities and blogs, and of course, great health coaches to help you.

Do you have any of the symptoms? Are you thinking of going gluten-free?

With love and quinoa,

Laurie