GLUTEN FREE ELIMINATION DIET….
BETTER THAN TESTING!
No, I am not against being professionally tested for Gluten Sensitivity (Cyrex is definitely better than Enterolab). The newest tests are far better than standard medical tests which only tell you if you have Celiac Disease (small intestine damage upon biopsy). The problem is that one can be incredibly Gluten Intolerant without ever having a positive biopsy — or even a positive blood test. If you show a negative biopsy, your doctor will likely tell you that Gluten is not your problem (HERE). 1 in 80 to 100 people have Celiac Disease, while 1 in 3 exhibit some degree of Gluten Intolerance (stats from the founder and owner of Enterolab). However, if you are extremely careful and methodical, you can test yourself for Gluten Sensitivity over the course of about six weeks time using a Gluten-Free Elimination Diet.
Going Gluten Free is not as bad as you might think. For those of you who are pathologically addicted to carbs and sugar (HERE), it could be a bit tougher, but stick with it. It usually takes about a week or two for the cravings to abate. For those of you with Glutomorphin addictions (HERE — Glutomorphins are gluten fragments that act as morphine by binding to opiate receptors), it could be a bigger challenge. Hang in there. And remember, if you can get through the first week, it gets much easier (HERE).
- FIRST: Eliminate all Gluten-containing foods from your diet. Remember that much Gluten is hidden in processed foods, sauces, spices, etc. Oh yeah; unfortunately it’s also in other things like shampoos and soaps. There are any number of free smartphone APs that will read bar codes and tell you if products are truly Gluten Free.
- SECONDLY: Eliminate all GLUTEN CROSS REACTORS and GRAINS (and at least initially, BEANS / LEGUMES). Because foods are recognized by your body according to their shape, there are about thirty or more foods that are sometimes recognized by the body as Gluten even though they are not actually Gluten. This is a critical step because you might be reacting to Gluten Cross Reactors even though you have gone “Gluten Free”. This leads people to think that Gluten is not their problem even though it is. All grains are Gluten Cross Reactors —- yes; even the “Gluten Free” grains like corn, oats, and rice. DO NOT EVEN THINK OF GOING GLUTEN FREE UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND GLUTEN CROSS-REACTIVITY. If you fail to do this step properly, you will very likely fail in your attempt to find your reactors. You will then tell yourself that Gluten is not your problem, and your ill health will continue unabated. This means you will need to stay far away from from products labeled “GLUTEN-FREE“.
- THIRDLY: Eat a diet of REAL MEATS / POULTRY / fish (no HORMONES, ANTIBIOTICS, etc —- no lunch meats or processed meats) and real (fresh or frozen) vegetables. Drink filtered (UNCHLORINATED / UNFLUORIDATED) water or well water. That’s it. No SODA, coffee, tea, etc. For most people, this is a very non-reactive diet. This is essentially a PALEO DIET and you need to do this for a month. As a side note, some of you are sensitive to NIGHTSHADES and have no idea — particularly those of you dealing with all-over joint pain or IBD — I would suggest that you cut them out during your Elimination Diet as well. And if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), it is critical for you to understand and eliminate something called FODMAPS from your diet as well.
- FOURTHLY: After four weeks (maybe three weeks if your symptoms are minor and your health is good), you can start adding foods back. Add them back every other day — one at a time — and not in an absurd quantity. DO NOT ADD BACK GLUTEN-CONTAINING FOODS OR GRAINS FIRST. For example, you could add back eggs on the first day, coffee on the third day, American Cheese on day five, potatoes on day 7, etc, etc. The truth is, many people feel so good that they refuse to add back the grains. Note that if WEIGHT LOSS or BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION is an issue, you will want to stay away from all of the starchy foods regardless.
- LASTLY: Keep track of everything on paper, and pay attention to how you feel and how you react to certain foods. It would be a shame to go through the process and not to remember what you reacted to. The whole purpose of this diet is to figure out what foods are driving INFLAMMATION in your body.
Once you understand how the body works, an Elimination Diet makes a lot of sense. For a bit more information on why I like it better than testing, you can GO HERE. If you are dealing with LEAKY GUT SYNDROME or AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (HERE is a list), you owe it to yourself to get started today!
