Gluten Informative Speech

Over the last decade the term gluten-free has gone from an obscure diet that few knew anything about, to a “buzz” phrase that’s been endorsed by celebrities and plastered over products, cookbooks and magazines. While the term is certainly more popular now than it was ten years ago, the truth is there’s still a lot of confusion around gluten, what it is, how it affects your body and who should avoid it. So, if you’re looking for an easy to digest (no pun intended) breakdown, keep reading, this one’s for you.

What exactly is gluten and why is it bad?
Gluten, is one of the most heavily consumed proteins on earth and is created when two molecules, glutenin and gliadin come into contact and form a bond. This family of proteins naturally occur in all forms of wheat (bulgur, durum, semolina, spelt, farro and more) as well as in barley, rye and triticale (a wheat-rye
The classic and most immediately noticeable symptoms of gluten intolerance are bloating, flatulence, diarrhea. However, we know today that there are other symptoms that may occur outside of the digestive system like joint pain, skin conditions, migraines, mood issues and fatigue.

Here’s the part where you’re thinking, I’m experiencing one or more of these symptoms and I want to get tested. It’s also the part where it gets a little complicated. Physicians can establish a diagnosis for Celiac disease simply and easily by testing for antibodies. However identifying and diagnosing non-celiac gluten-free sensitive (NCGS) patients remains a challenge. More extensive tests exist through Cyrex Labs, but these tests are not standard practice.

So, what’s an easy way for you to find out if you’re sensitive to gluten without getting tested? Simply remove it from your diet completely for at least three weeks and see how you feel. If your symptoms improve, it likely indicates that your body has an adverse reaction to gluten.

Embracing a gluten-free