Gluten free..

I remember when I first heard the term “gluten-free,” I was in college and my roommate tried to convince me that she had suddenly developed an allergy to wheat, rye, and barley. I was very skeptical. We had shared many spaghetti night dinners, breakfast sandwiches, and several other meals which included wheat products, so how was it that suddenly this food ingredient was the cause of her terrible abdominal pain and stomach ailments? Later, when she tried to explain to me that gluten was hard for most people to digest and that we should all try to eat gluten-free products I thought she was just crazy.

At the time, I consumed food products that contained gluten in them daily. Sure I had an occasional stomach and headache here or there, but I attributed more to the greasy burritos, spicy pizza, and lack of sleep than any sort of gluten allergy. As the years went by, and the term gluten-free started popping up more and more, I decided I’d finally do some research and see what gluten-free really meant and what the effects of consuming gluten can have on my body. What I found was that many people are in fact gluten-sensitive.

What my roommate was suffering from was Celiac Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten. Nearly 1% (1 in 33 Americans) of the US population suffers from celiac disease; however, 95% of people with celiac disease go undiagnosed and continue to cause damage to their digestive tract; which can ultimately lead to cancer, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, and other autoimmune diseases.¹Since most people do not realize they suffer from celiac disease, it usually takes someone 6 to 10 years to get diagnosed. Despite it being hereditary, celiac disease is often triggered by stressful events such as pregnancy, surgery, infection, or emotional distress, which may be one reason why it may not appear until later in life. There is no cure for celiac disease and a completely gluten-free diet is the only form of treatment.

Even if you do not suffer from celiac disease, research estimates that 18 million Americans have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.² If you are gluten- sensitive, you may experience abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue, headaches, “foggy brain” and other similar symptoms. This makes following a gluten-free diet a priority for anyone wanting to live an optimally healthy life.

Dr. Wallach has told us time and time again of the harmful effects of gluten consumption, but if you’re new to a gluten diet like I was many years ago, you may not know where to start when going gluten –free. Here are some pointers:

• Always check the labels and avoid anything containing wheat, barley, rye or triticale.
• Familiarize yourself with the different wheat forms (modified food starch, wheat bran, couscous, farina, spelt, etc.).
• Change your diet to include more vegetables, fruits, lean meats, beans, and dairy products.
• Try adding wild rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and amaranth to your diets.
• Use non-gluten baking flours such as rice flour, bean flours, corn flour and more.
• Get creative by checking online for gluten-free recipes;Youngevity’s Pinterest page is a good place to start.

Nutrition is the key to a healthy life and living longer, which means taking proper care of our digestive system. This may mean going gluten-free but also, adding the Healthy Body Digestion Pak™ to your diet. You not only need the 90 for Life for optimal Health, but a dose of Ultimate™ Flora FX™ will give you added digestive support .

Being Healthy and Gluten-Free is not just a fad, it’s the key to living a healthy, longer life!