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9 Basic Need to Know’s About Gluten

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What you usually find when searching  information on Celiac Disease, is a picture of a nice, big, beautiful loaf of gluten filled bread.
Or fluffy pizza crust.
Or doughnuts.
It’s almost like you can taste that doughy texture you miss so much.

Are you kidding me!?  Why do people do that!? We’re so not going to do that to you! No pictures of gluten in this post- Ok?
Here are some basic “Need to Knows” about gluten : )

gfa-question-1-what-is-gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, & spelt.  Gluten is the substance responsible for the elastic texture of dough. It helps dough rise & give shape to the chewy end product.

gfa-question-2-what-is-gluten-in
Gluten is in anything that contains Barley, Rye, & wheat. Gluten is most commonly found in the following foods:

  • Breads
  • Basically ALL Chinese food
  • Cakes & pies
  • Candies
  • Cereals
  • Costco Poppy Seed Muffins
  • Cookies & Crackers
  • Croutons
  • Cinnabon 
  • French Fries
  • Gravies
  • Gold Fish Crackers
  • Imitation Meat or Seafood
  • Krispy Kreme 
  • Matzo
  • Pastas
  • Macaroni Grill bread
  • Processed Luncheon Meats
  • Oreos
  • Red Lobster Rolls 
  • Salad Dressings
  • Sauces Including Soy Sauce
  • Seasoned Rice Mixes
  • Seasoned snack foods such as potato & tortilla chips
  • Self-basting Poultry
  • Soups & Soup Bases
  • Pretty much all of your mom’s best recipes
  • Vegetables in sauce
  • Ok…. We added a few of our most coveted gluten food items in there. We miss them :’(

gfa-question-3-why-cant
If you are Gluten Intolerant, when you eat gluten, it damages the lining of your small intestine.  Over time this prevents the absorption of important nutrients to your body, whether there is gluten still in your system, or not.

gfa-question-4-difference
Celiac disease is the most severe form of Gluten Intolerance. Every person who has Celiac is Gluten Intolerant. However you can have a slight or medium sensitivity to gluten & not have Celiac.

gfa-question-5-symptoms
Symptoms include but are not limited to :

  • Pain & discomfort in the digestive tract
  • Constipation &/or diarrhea
  • Anaemia
  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Cavitites
  • Diagnosis of IBS or Lactose intolerance
  • Chronic runny nose
  • Acne break outs
  • Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings & ADD/ADHD
  • Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips
  • Limp, shine-less, thinning hair
  • Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
  • Migraine headaches
  • Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility
  • Neurological symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance
  • Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis
  • Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten

gfa-question-6-where-do-i-start
If you have a Good Earth, Whole Foods, Sprouts, or any other natural health foods stores, we recommend starting there first. They usually have a bigger selection than most stores. If you don’t have access to those, Walmart has started carrying gluten free items, so look at your local grocery stores. Some stores have a “gluten free” section, so most of the GF items are within that specific aisle. Other stores have gluten free products mixed in with regular items, so it makes it a little harder to find.

gfa-question-7-why-dont
It’s such a bummer but depending on the severity of your intolerance & how long you’ve been undiagnosed, it usually takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for your poor body to heal. A lot of damage has been done to your digestive system over time, so you need to literally heal everything in there. When you first go gluten free, you might feel a little relief. But it isn’t until you’ve been off gluten for a few months that your gut has had sufficient time to start to heal itself. It’s also hard to know if you are really & truly off gluten.  Unfortunately there is no getting around accidentally getting “glutened” when you’re  just starting out. Lets face it, you don’t know everything there is to know about being gluten free and  sometimes without even realizing it, you’re being glutened.

gfa-question-8-is-there-a-cure
There isn’t a cure to Celiac disease. However, following a strict gluten free diet can help manage your symptoms a little better & encourage intestinal healing.

gfa-question-9-will-i-be-happy
Yes! You will! It feels like you just got banished from all that’s good & decent in this world but we promise, you will be happy again! After being off gluten, you will feel more alive than ever!  You’ll get back to feeling like you could run a marathon at three AM holding your 24 pound baby under each arm. But hey, maybe Brooke’s the only one that feels that way sometimes!

gfa-motto-baby4-edited gfa-b-and-b-sig

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