Dr. David Clark, DC - helps you avoid a common and frustrating mistake when you start a gluten-free diet.
Today I'm going to share with you the first big gluten-free diet mistake that everyone seems to make. And that is, when they stop eating gluten they immediately start eating gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, and other alternative grains.
The reason you shouldn't stop eating gluten then immediately start eating gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, and other alternative grains is that...
You will quickly and easily develop NEW food sensitivities to those gluten-free grains because you have a leaky gut that has not been healed.
So here's what you want to understand about this....
When you develop gluten sensitivity, almost 100% of the time you will develop a leaky gut.
Think of the Great Wall of China lining your intestines, protecting them like a brick wall. Not much is supposed to get across the wall. Some things can get across like small peptides, amino acids, fats, vitamins, minerals etc....but BIG things like proteins are not supposed to get across easily
Now, imagine a hole being punched in the wall or some mortar falling out between the bricks....some things that are traveling through your GI tract now can easily pass through to the other side of the wall
Who's waiting on the other side of the wall? Your immune system--your army, your SWAT team. And they are not going to like these BIG things (proteins) coming through the wall.
An alarm will go off. They're going to see whatever that big thing is that’s not supposed to come through normally--but is coming through now--as an invader and they're gonna try to attack it.
I'm describing a "leaky gut" or increased intestinal impermeability. A leaky gut is a huge source of inflammation.
What causes a leaky gut? Here's a partial list:
- Antibiotics
- Autoimmunity -- Hashimoto's, Celiac, Multiple Sclerosis, Vitligo, Rheumatoid Arthrtitis, Type 1 Diabetes, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Psoriasis etc.
- Hormone Deficiencies
- Alcohol
- Xenobiotics
- Low Glutathione Levels
- High blood sugar
- Low blood sugar
- Food sensitivity
- Stress
And simply having gluten sensitivity very often leads to leaky gut. Now how do you know if you've got a gluten sensitivity problem? You can NOT rely on the presence or lack of Gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, cramping, pain, diarrhea or
Gastrointestinal symptoms are the least common sign of gluten sensitivity.
It doesn’t matter if you've been "tested for Celiac" or not because Celiac disease is only one kind of gluten sensitivity -- not the only kind. (Medical doctors seem to be over-focused on celiac disease).
The best way to get tested for gluten sensitivity is through Cyrex labs.
But beyond that....what I'm talking about is the mistake you make when you think,
"I'll just switch from eating gluten (bad) to eating gluten-free (good)."
When you do that there's a really good chance you have this persisting leaky gut.
And when you have a leaky gut....and you eat these gluten-free grains....and you've still got these holes in your wall, it’s easy to develop new sensitivities to quinoa or teff or millet or potato or rice.
So what do you do?
When you go on a gluten-free diet, do NOT immediately start eating all these gluten-free alternatives. What you should do is completely avoid those grains for 30 days. And you should be working with someone that can help you make sure you've got a handle on the leaky gut.
You do not want to go from eating gluten... to now eating gluten-free pasta or gluten-free bread. You don't want to do that because there's a very good chance that over the course of a month or two you'll develop new inflammatory food sensitivities.
...and then you might think, "You know, I don't really feel that much different on a gluten-free diet. I'm gonna go back to eating gluten."
You don't feel better because you still had a leaky gut and you developed an inflammatory problem with these new things.
You traded one inflammation for another inflammation---and those two weren’t that much different.
For those of you that have already gone on a gluten-free diet and it was a huge improvement....a totally new world....honestly, you probably got lucky and didn’t develop too many sensitivities.
But---there's a very good chance you did develop sensitivities and just don't know it.
I come across people in my practice every day that have autoimmune diseases that have already eliminated gluten---but they're still eating dairy, or they're still eating some other inflammatory foods.
Usually, when those people start back at zero they end up feeling much, much better.
So, the first mistake that people make - and you’re not going make this mistake because I'm telling you now - when they go on a gluten-free diet is immediately start eating gluten-free grains.
That’s not a good idea. You want to make sure you've got a leaky gut handled BEFORE eating alternative grains.
To make transition even smoother, work with someone who's trained in all this stuff I've been talking about, work with someone who understands leaky gut and gluten sensitivity.
Listen to this Post using the Player Below
© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist (FACFN)
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist (ACNB)
214-341-3737
URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182
Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Recent Comments