#gluten is evil

[evilwriter37]

bread

You mean POISON???

[maliciouslycreative]

So my boyfriend has celiac disease. He tells me "you don't have to suffer and eat gluten free things with me" and encourages me to buy things he can't eat because it's not fair to me. I don't usually buy wheaty things because I am not COMPLETELY heartless and don't want to taunt him. BUT LIKE FOR FUCKS SAKE THE ONE TIME I BUY CHIPS AHOY COOKIES BECAUSE I HAD THE SHITTIEST DAY AND THE GROCERY STORE HAD NO ICE CREAM ON SALE I COME HOME TO AN EMPTY PACKAGE 2 DAYS LATER BECAUSE HE ATE THEM. AND I AM LIKE "YOU DESERVE THE SEVERE STOMACH PAINS AND HORRENDOUS DIARRHEA. DON'T EAT MY FUCKING COOKIES." This is why I suffer and eat weird gluten free crap that I don't even like.

[kittystorms]

Rants about gluten

If you are an actual, medically-diagnosed celiac, then this rant is not for you.

There are so many fad diets out there - egg diet, low carb, high carb, no fruit, paleo, juicing, etc. But the diet that annoys me the most is the gluten-free diet. 

While the availability of gluten-free products has helped those who (really) suffer from celiac disease, wheat allergies, etc., too many people jump on the "gluten is evil" bandwagon and claim they are gluten intolerant, gluten sensitive, etc. 

Quick fact: cutting out gluten will not solve all your health problems. In fact, it can harm your health if you don’t manage it correctly. By cutting out grains and the like, you are depriving your body of much-needed vitamins, like B vitamins, and iron. A lack of iron in your diet will lead to anemia, which leads to things like depression, lethargy, etc.

Additionally, not all gluten-free foods are healthy for you. When food manufacturers cut out one ingredient, they replace it with another (low fat? check the sodium). Gluten-free foods can be higher in cholesterol, saturated fat or calories.

Will going gluten-free help you?

It depends.

If you are having, ahem, tummy issues from foods, it could be related to a number of other foods - dairy (most adults are somewhat lactose intolerant), chocolate, alcohol (in addition to ruining your social life with embarrassing pictures on Facebook), artificial sweeteners, etc.

A lot of gluten-free diet followers mistakenly believe that gluten = carbs = bad. That's complete and utter bullshit. You can still consume lots of carbs while being gluten-free, and switching to a gluten-free diet will not help with weight loss, the same as any other fad.

Want to know how to lose weight?

Portion control. Stop eating out. Track your calories/fat/sodium/etc. Measure your food while cooking. Read food labels.

Is it annoying? Yes. Is it expensive? A lot less expensive than going completely-gluten free.

If you believe you are gluten intolerant, celiac, etc., go to your doctor. If your doctor says you are not gluten intolerant, etc., then ask them to help you find out what doesn’t agree with your system. Your doctor may refer you to a dietician to ensure you have the healthiest diet, while staying away from bad foods.

But never, ever, ever switch to a gluten free diet without consulting someone who spent more time in medical school than you.

I am not a celiac, however, I am pre-diabetic. This means that there are certain foods that I need to stay away from - not cutting out entire food groups altogether, but limiting some common ingredients, such as processed flour and sugar. Whole grain bread (with naturally occurring gluten) is good for me, wheat bread, not so much. Applesauce with high-fructose corn syrup? Bad. Unsweetened applesauce? Tasty and good for me.

Because of my need to avoid flour, I’ve been looking at the gluten-free section (sob) at the grocery store. And that has gotten me thinking about the gluten-free followers, the self-diagnosed celiacs, etc. It makes me angry - these followers are making it hard from those who are truly diagnosed with gluten disorders to be taken seriously.

So please, think of the celiacs.

Good link to read - gluten-free myths debunked (image credit, too.)

[dietcokeandreds-blog]

celiac sprue disease

i just saw a random statistic that about 95% of celiacs go undiagnosed... this isn't measurable obviously, but I'd believe it. It's so "rare" that doctors never think they should test for it. 

[paleodrama]

Were you aware that every time gluten is ingested in these cases that the immune system launches an attack, not only against gluten, but also on the thyroid gland. This immune response can last up to 6 months each time it is ingested.

Commenter Lydia

As to where she got this idea, I have some ideas (the usual woo crew), but overall just