Why everyone should be anti-gluten

I’m 99% gluten free, not because I have Celiac, gluten ataxia, or even a gluten sensitivity, but because the majority of foods that contain gluten are processed, and processed foods provide little nutritional value. These beloved foods, like pasta and bread, are high in calories, and the cause of obesity and many diseases.

I don’t eat bread, pizza, pasta, or wheat tortillas anymore. The process of elimination took me two years, but I did it! Instead of eating spaghetti and sandwiches twice a day, I ate one or the other only at dinner. Then, I began my cutting back on my portions. One slice of bread instead of two. Two ounces of pasta instead of four. Smaller tortillas. Then I switched from wheat tortillas to corn tortillas. Later, rice replaced bread.

I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, which tastes even better! I snack on peanuts instead of pretzels. I make meals with rice noodles in lieu of wheat pasta. Spaghetti squash is now my “noodle” of choice to pair with meat sauce simmered in red wine and chopped tomatoes. Fruit smoothies, toasted oats with berries and coconut flakes, and raw vegan desserts are now my sweet treats instead of traditional baked brownies and cookies, made with butter, flour and sugar.

Why did, and why do I go through all the trouble? Are processed foods really that bad? Dr. Weil’s explains, “When you process a grain into a flour, you drastically change the carbohydrate in a way that promotes inflammation…and convert that to sugar. This causes spikes in blood sugar…there are abnormal reactions between sugars and protein that result in pro-inflammatory compounds.” Inflammation in the body makes us more prone to health problems. It’s hard giving up, or even cutting back on foods that we love and have been eating for years, but living with a disease is much worse than a craving. Try the steps I used to make the switch.

Source: Dr. Weil. “Tips for Anti-Inflammatory Eating.” Gluten Free & More. April/May 2017 issue. 66-67. Print.