Gluten. It seems you cannot turn on the television nor have a conversation with a friend without hearing about gluten. But many people are left wondering what exactly gluten is and why they should be concerned about it. If this sounds like you, read on to learn more about why you too should care about gluten and what it may be doing to you.
What is Gluten? Gluten is the protein found in certain foods. Though it is often used synonymously with wheat, wheat is not the only source of gluten in our diets. Gluten is also found in rye, barley, and because of rampant cross contamination, oats.
Who Should Worry about Gluten? People with conditions like Celiac Disease absolutely cannot have any gluten without becoming ill and triggering an autoimmune reaction. Others can suffer from gluten allergies or intolerances without knowing it. But, beyond these specific problems, there are multitudes that have no diagnosable condition, but report feeling significantly better after eliminating gluten from their diets.
Gluten and Weight Gain. One concern about gluten is because of the correlation between gluten packed foods and extra pounds. Gluten is likely a major culprit in the battle of the bulge and eliminating gluten can help you drop pounds. One factor in the gluten/weight connection is due to the fact that gluten rich foods like bread, pasta, and cereals cause sharp rises in insulin levels. This insulin spike leads to more cravings and the body’s storing extra fat and pounds.
Gluten and Health. Along with weight concerns, many experts are concerned with the impact gluten can have on overall health. A growing body of research shows that the difficult to digest protein causes an internal inflammatory reaction. That inflammation within the body can cause then the body’s immune system to react. When the body’s immune system is constantly engaged and defending itself it can lead to problems ranging from feelings of sluggishness and lethargy to more serious health conditions like Metabolic Syndrome.
Is a gluten free lifestyle for you? The advantage of eliminating gluten from your diet is that it forces you to pay greater attention to what you are eating. Additionally, most of the diet protocols that call for removing gluten from your diet are grounded in healthy principles: eliminating processed foods and increasing fruit, vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats. Removing gluten from your diet will naturally mean eliminating many processed foods, although as the gluten free lifestyle takes on popularity, companies try to capitalize on the trend by marketing processed and packaged gluten free foods, so the health conscious must be aware of this. Overall, choosing naturally gluten free foods at least points people in the right direction towards healthier choices.
With advantages like these, there are plentiful reasons to become more concerned about the gluten in your diet and few reasons not to give the gluten free lifestyle a trial run. Remove all gluten from your diet for at least a month. Take note of how you feel without the presence of gluten in your diet. If you find that you lose extra weight and feel better, a gluten free lifestyle is likely for you.
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