Why Gluten-Free?

Gluten Free Honey Millet Bread

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in the following grains: wheat, rye, and barley. Wheat is one of the "Top 8" allergens. Many people have to avoid gluten because they have Celiac disease or have been diagnosed with a gluten allergy, like our family. Current estimates are that 1 in 133 people have celiac disease, and according to recent research, approximately 1 in 22 people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

If people who have celiac disease (whether they know they have it or not) eat gluten, the villi in the small intestine become damaged. The damaged villi are unable to absorb nutrients properly, which can lead to malnourishment and leaky-gut syndrome. If celiac disease is not treated, further complications may arise, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, and anemia.

A great website to look at for more information is Celiac.com.

Why Get Rid of Wheat?

Today's wheat is extremely hybridized, and the gluten content has increased greatly since the 1950s, which may be why we are seeing so many people with health problems. Many people are discovering that eating wheat makes them feel bad (depression, irritability, joint pain, muscle cramps, stomach discomfort, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, etc.), and removing it from their diet helps them feel better.

Refined wheat has little to no nutritional value or fiber. Wheat is an inflammatory agent, since it acts like sugar in your body it increases the body's insulin levels, which causes inflammation at the cellular level.

What Foods Are Gluten-free?

• All fruits
• All vegetables
• Meat/fish/poultry
• Eggs
• Most dairy (watch out for blue cheese, and Blue Bell ice cream contains wheat!)
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes (and potato starch)
• Non-gluten grains such as millet, sorghum, buckwheat, white and brown rice, corn, quinoa, tapioca, and amaranth
• Certified gluten-free oats (oats are often interplanted with wheat)