Nope, Nope, Not I! Not ME!

 Welcome back foodies! I realized that I never really talked about what gluten intolerance is and what the symptoms are! I can tell you that many people are actually living with some form of food allergy or intolerance right now, and they don’t even know it! Yup, food intolerances are often misdiagnosed, or exhibit general symptoms which could really be contributed to any number of things. Often people will ignore or disregard any symptoms that they exhibit, choosing not to seek help or find the cause of something so ‘minor’ that ‘happens all the time’. I implore you foodies, if you exhibit symptoms for a sustained period of time, go talk to a doctor or consider an elimination diet! Elimination diets,  dietary plans devoid of any potential trigger foods, are currently one of the best ways to determine if someone has an intolerance, however there are other methods which you could use as well foodies.

    

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You could have an allergy or intolerance right this instant! This very second your body could be rebelling and undergoing lots of stress, and you might not even know why! (I’m serious foodies! Don’t believe me? Read on!)

                 

Gluten intolerance is the inability of the body to digest a protein called gluten. This protein comes from wheat, rye, and barley, and is used for structure in many foods and other products. Intolerances to gluten develop when the body becomes unable to process something properly. In this case, the body cannot digest gluten, which can lead to malabsorption of nutrients and even dehydration. An allergy on the other hand is when the body actively (although mistakenly) attacks some particle of food or foreign protein. As soon as that item is identified as a foreign and unwelcome object, any particle no matter how small can trigger an allergic reaction (when the body responds to the ‘invasive object’ and attacks it). 

                 

So how can you tell?

                 

Symptoms are broad and varied, but often more than one symptom manifests itself when one is intolerant or having an allergic reaction. If you react in any of these ways to food, I strongly suggest you see a doctor and ask about potentially trying an elimination diet. If you have a particular dislike for doctors (or dentists, or just hospitals and medical facilities in general) number one, I won’t judge, and number two, you can try an elimination diet on your own, just make sure to keep your diet as balanced as possible for the duration!

                 

Common symptoms which may indicate intolerances or allergies to gluten include:

Diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. These symptoms manifest because the body is unable to digest the gluten particles in the food. Severe bloating or irregular bowel movements can cause sharp pain and acute discomfort, especially if these symptoms are chronic and are linked to a commonly consumed food item.

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Chronic headaches, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, extreme tiredness, or exhaustion after eating. I grouped these all together because they have a similar cause. Unfortunately, the body’s inability to digest gluten actually leads to a general inability to absorb nutrients or water at all. This is extremely unfortunate since it can cause extreme stress on the body, and can even lead to severe health problems if left untreated. The body can expend large amounts of energy simply trying to digest indigestible food. This can lead to tiredness and sleepiness after eating, headaches, etc. Doesn’t sound like much fun, right foodies? I agree, that’s why I think that if you are prone to migraines, and notice that often they occur a few minutes to a few hours after eating a gluten containing meal, it would be beneficial to consider cutting gluten from your diet.

Lactose or other food intolerances. Interestingly, a good indicator for gluten intolerance can actually be the presence of some other form of intolerance.  In the case of lactose intolerance (a common companion to gluten intolerance) gluten may actually interfere with the lactase enzymes produced in the body, this interference can ultimately cause symptoms related to lactose intolerance.

Dandruff, skin rashes, lesions, irritation, or eczema like skin irritations can all be caused by gluten intolerance. These rashes can be caused by a lack of nutrients, or by improper nutrient absorption, this could be caused by poor diet, gluten intolerance, or any number of things, however, when the presence of a skin rash coincides with other symptoms indicative of gluten intolerance, it may be a good idea to try eliminating gluten from your diet for a period of time, ok foodies? Keratosis Pilaris is one common example of just such a skin rash. (a very common skin irregularity, keratosis is caused by many things and often goes away on its own. 

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 Joint pain and fibromyalgia are also commonly linked to gluten intolerance and other food intolerances.

If you have experienced these symptoms or have exhibited them for a sustained period of time; by this I mean days, weeks, or months, ok foodies?  Don’t just automatically say “Nope, I don’t have that, that’s not my problem.” Talk to your doctor and see if you perhaps have gluten intolerance. Being officially classified as being gluten intolerant (and more importantly being informed) is extremely important to your continued health and care! If you even so much as suspect that you may have gluten intolerance you should take steps to take care of yourself, and get yourself some support!

Have you exhibited any or many of these symptoms? Try taking gluten out of your diet for a few weeks to a month (it can take up to a month to clear out residual gluten in the digestive system) ((or relief can happen literally overnight, it just depends on the person, the case or the symptoms expressed)) and see what happens!

NaOmi’s random gluten free cooking/baking tip:

Today let’s go for a cooking tip, ok foodies? Corn tortillas are almost always gluten free (read the label!) and can make for a great dinner if jazzed up with just the right ingredients. If you’re feeling particularly nostalgic for flour tortillas however, there are many different recipes that you can try! Including this one. If you are looking for something more nutritious, or more flavorful, try looking for sorghum or a high fiber flour recipe (teff maybe?).  As seen in this recipe, try substituting brown rice flour for white rice four wherever possible since it has a higher nutritive value, and certainly more fiber!