Should You Be Gluten-Free? 12 Symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity & What You Can Do About It

If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you’ve likely seen a growing trend in the availability of products touting their “gluten-free” status. You wonder,

“Is this yet another marketing tactic by food manufacturers to lure me into buying these delicious and perhaps healthy cookies, or is there more to it?”

Gluten intolerance, or the more serious Celiac Disease, is indeed, a very real and uncomfortable experience for many. In fact, research shows that it affects approximately 15% of the U.S. population.

While Celiac Disease is a hereditary allergy to gluten that results in damage to the small intestine, there’s not a whole lot of information out there to hypothesize the increased incidence of gluten sensitivity, other than its symptoms being attributed to other ailments that are a direct result of the unhealthy American diet that many partake in.

First things first. What is gluten?

Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat, and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and keep its shape, and often gives the final product a chewy texture.  It is important to note, however, that not all foods from the grain family contain gluten. Some grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, oats, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.

Unfortunately, symptoms of gluten sensitivity can be difficult to determine, ranging from nothing to life-threatening. And often, these symptoms are not consistent from person to person, which makes diagnosis a virtual nightmare for medical professionals.

So you ask yourself,

Was it the burrito that I ate for lunch or could I be one of those unlucky (or more likely, uncomfortable) individuals who are sensitive to gluten?

Symptoms of gluten-sensitivity

The most common symptoms include:

1. Gas and bloating

…especially after eating something with gluten in it. As the sensitivity progresses, the following can develop:

2. Constipation

3. Fatigue

4. Dizziness

Once Celiac Disease is further along, individuals experience:

5. Abdominal pain

6. Severe constipation

7. Severe diarrhea

7. Chronic fatigue

8. Headaches

9. Numbness in hands and feet

10. Increased allergies

11. Asthma

12. Night sweats

Good times – not. So what’s a gluten-sensitive person to do?

First things first – see a physician to get a confirmed diagnosis. I’m not a doctor nor do I play one on T.V.

Second, completely eliminate gluten from your diet – and I mean everything. Check supplements to make sure gluten isn’t used as a filler or carrier and that other unassuming gluten-free products weren’t manufactured in a facility that also processed gluten. This is no easy feat. So many of my my Superwoman Slim Down {Real Food Detox & Cleanse} grads come to the realization that they are sensitive to gluten {and other things} after 3 weeks of  clean eats and many feel reborn once they learn this {and they’re quite a few pounds lighter to boot!}.

The good news is that there are a ton of websites and blogs dedicated to gluten-free (as well as grain-free and paleo) recipes, including some of my favorites:

• And Here We Are…

• Beauty and the Foodie

• Butter Nutrition

• Ditch The Wheat

• Don’t Mess With Mama

• Good Girl Gone Green

• Healthy Living How To

• Loula Natural

• Popular Paleo

• Primally Inspired

• Real Food Kosher

• Savory Lotus

• Small Footprint Family

• Stupid Easy Paleo

• The Sprouting Seed

• Veggie Converter

• Whole Lifestyle Nutrition

Food manufacturers have also become sensitive (no pun intended) to this population’s nutritional needs and wants, and have concocted many food products (both healthy and unhealthy) that are truly gluten-free. Even fast food giant, Burger King, and Italian restaurant chain, Bertucci’s, have jumped on this bandwagon, offering gluten-free menus. It doesn’t stop there, though. Check out the Gluten Intolerance Group’s Gluten-Free Restaurant Database for a complete list of restaurants offering gluten-free menus.

Just remember, “gluten-free” does not always equal healthy. Case in point, Burger King’s French Fries are gluten-free. Need I say more?

Are you sensitive to gluten? If so, what is your best piece of advice for someone just figuring this out?  Please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear!