I just read another great post from the HealthNOW Doctors on gluten sensitivity called Can You Be a “Little” Gluten Sensitive?.

In Dr. Vikki Petersen’s opinion, gluten sensitivity appears to be “an all or nothing proposition.” Moreover, she points out that just because you don’t have an immediate reaction to gluten does not mean you’re not sensitive to it. While symptoms of gluten intolerance may occur right after consuming gluten, they can also take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to develop. And because gluten intolerance can cause such a wide variety of symptoms, from the more obvious digestive disturbances to more subtle aftereffects such as brain fog, achiness, irritability or depression, people often don’t connect the two.

Petersen recommends that if you know you are gluten intolerant, either from lab tests or personal observation, you should stop eating gluten altogether. Just because you’re not experiencing immediate, obvious symptoms from gluten consumption does not mean you’re not harming yourself.

You can read the post in its entirety on The Gluten Doctors blog. Dr. Petersen is also co-author of the book The Gluten Effect.

I just read a great article on gluten on the Huffington Post called Gluten: What You Don’t Know Might Kill You. The author, Mark Hyman, MD, (who wrote The UltraMind Solution and publishes The UltraWellness Blog) discusses gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, some surprising (and not-so-surprising) diseases that can be caused by eating gluten, testing for gluten sensitivity, elimination diets, and more. I highly recommend this article.

There are several good, short articles on gluten at The Gluten Doctors blog, including Is All Gluten Bad?, Fibromyalgia and its Connection to Gluten Sensitivity, and Gluten Sensitive and the Flu Season. Doctors Vikki Petersen and Richard Petersen of HealthNOW Medical Center in Sunnyvale, California are also authors of the book The Gluten Effect.

And for those of you that missed it (including me), check out this landmark study: The Mayo Clinic Study Finds Celiac Disease Four Times More Common than in 1950s.

To your good health!

After I wrote my last post about my gluten sensitivity and bread and all that good stuff, I came across an article called Bread Dread: Are You Really Gluten Intolerant? from the Native Nutrition blog on Nourished Magazine. In this article the author discusses how in the 1950s, in order to mass produce loaves of bread, bakers developed a “fast loaf”—bread that required a significantly shorter fermentation period. Rather than leaving the loaves to ferment overnight, they could reduce the process to a mere two or three hours.

For all of you who don’t know much about bread fermentation (and I’m right there with you), an article from the Weston A. Price website summarizes the process thusly:

[G]luten in grain is not fully broken down, even by all the digestive enzymes normally present in the digestive track. What does break down gluten…is a bacterial enzyme…just what the bacteria in a sourdough culture are likely to produce! …[W]hy not just apply a little logic to the problem and go back to preparing bread with a long fermentation. This ancient method not only seems to digest or completely break down the gluten…but also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors (that interfere with digestion) and phytic acid (that block mineral absorption).

The author of the Native Nutrition blog post believed that since fermentation increases the digestibility of the grains, those “fast loaves” of the 1950s were actually far less digestible than those that had undergone the more traditional long fermentation process:

Very basic bread that had once been fermented for a healthy 8 hours or more was now brewing in just 2 hours! Yeast levels were increased, accelerants and proving agents introduced. Glutens, starches and malts were not given the remotest opportunity to convert to their digestible potentials, in a sickly anti-nutrient-laden, gluepot stew. Breads are still made this way, even the so-called health breads!

Fast-made bread is one of the most destructive implementations into the modern diet. It has become normal fare, and poorly-prepared and poorly-digested wheat is the chief contributor to the current plague of “gluten-intolerance”, obesity, diabetes, candida diseases and many allergenic conditions.

Gluten (once properly fermented) is a wonderful vegetable protein. It is actually a mix of the two elastic proteins, gliadin and glutenin. So-called gluten-intolerant adults and kids are eating my long-ferment bread with amazement at, delight in, the taste, the clarity and the painless, satisfactory satiety.

Sure, be intolerant of gluten in its under-prepared, expedient form. It most certainly is toxic. Such sensitivity is wise and self-preserving, but do not condemn gluten and wheat via this premise. We are not gluten-intolerant; we are allergic to the accelerating haste of modern life!

Wheat is, yes, potentially one of the most highly allergenic foods on the planet, but like soya beans, converts to a truly great food once it is fermented long enough.

All current breads, pastas, pizzas, cakes, biscuits, and on and on and on, contain complex proteins which have not been given the requisite fermentation time to convert to their excellent, digestible alter-egos.
Wheat also contains a difficult starch and a highly allergenic maltose, but within that same complexity, when correctly fermented, there lies varied and splendid nutrients – 18 amino acids (proteins), complex carbohydrate (a super efficient source of energy), B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium and magnesium, and maltase.

From a demon to a god in one ferment.

One of the reasons I love Grindstone Bakery (yes, another plug!) is that they make their breads in a more traditional way—including a slow, natural fermentation process with no added yeast. Their breads turn out dense and hearty, which I happen to love; they taste healthy and leave me feeling satisfied.

When I went gluten-free about nine months ago, I stopped eating the wheat-free Grindstone breads (made with oats, barley, rye and spelt) and started eating various other gluten-free breads that contained added yeast and ingredients like tapioca starch, potato starch, and all sorts of things I wasn’t used to eating. And guess what? I didn’t feel any better. In some ways, I felt worse.

I find I often feel hungry and unsatisfied after eating many of these mass-produced gluten-free products. Sometimes I even have an addictive response and feel like I want to eat more (and more and more…) But when I eat long-fermented, gluten-free breads such as Grindstone’s, I feel fine. I feel satisfied. And even though these breads aren’t cheap, I’m starting to think they’re worth the extra money, since I feel good after I eat them.

To me it makes perfect sense that these “faster” loaves with all their added ingredients might in some ways be less healthy for me. Certainly my stomach seems to think so. Granted, I don’t have Celiac disease, and I’m certainly not going to recommend that gluten-intolerant folks ditch their gluten-free products and start consuming foods that may be harmful to them. But for those people who, like me, have gone gluten-free and not noticed a difference, maybe we want to take a closer look at what we’re eating.

Gluten-free good health is not simply an issue of not eating gluten. If we want to feel good, we need to consider what’s been added to our breads as a substitute for gluten and even how the breads have been prepared. Many different factors affect the digestibility of our foods. You can trust your gut on this.

* * *

For those not familiar with traditional foods and food preparation techniques, I highly recommend Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions. Fallon provides a wide variety of information about food, nutrition and cooking, and answers questions you never knew you had.

For more information on Grindstone Bakery, how they prepare their breads, and also the fermentation process, check out their website at www.GrindstoneBakery.com.

I fully anticipated writing a post entitled The NAET Experience: Gluten Allergy to follow the post on my NAET B-complex experience. There was a little problem, though. The whole thing would have read something like this:

For 25 hours I avoided gluten. That meant that I ate…just what I always eat. Except for the fact that I avoided my body lotion that contains oat-derived beta-glucan, everything else was EXACTLY THE SAME.

Pretty boring, don’t you think? Yeah, I thought so, too.

After the 25-hour gluten avoidance period ended, I returned to my practitioner who re-checked me for gluten allergy. Apparently, the allergy had cleared from my system. I was…fine.

I bet you’d like to know if it worked, wouldn’t you? Yeah, so would I. I’ve been afraid to test it.

You’d think I’d be raring to go here, running out to buy freshly baked wheat bread from one of our fine local bakeries or maybe just chowing down on some oatmeal. But after living gluten-free for eight months and predominantly wheat-free for the past nine years, well, testing the waters feels a little scary.

When you’ve abstained from something for so long—because you thought it was bad for your health—how do you just start eating it again? How do you not be afraid of it?

When I went wheat-free, I pretty much knew it was giving me problems. During the preceding years, I’d started maxing out my tolerances to certain foodstuffs. Wheat was just the next thing on the list. When a practitioner recommended I go off it, I readily agreed. (This was part of a food sensitivity diet I undertook nine years ago, in which I removed 50 foods from my diet for two months. Since I noticed significant improvements in my health, I chose to stay off many of the foods.)

Having grown up in a bread-loving family, the progeny of wheat farmers on my father’s side, it was a big deal to give up bread. Bread represented family, sharing, nurturing, love. I could no longer break bread with my sisters without worrying how I’d feel afterward. I missed wheat.

Over time, I got used to the wheat-free products, though some of the new flavors were definitely an acquired taste. I quickly became addicted to Grindstone Bakery’s fresh wheat-free breads. At the time, they were not available in the East Bay. So every couple of weeks I’d go on a bread run and drive the 11 miles over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco to Rainbow Grocery or, as part of a nice day trip, up to either a Marin County Whole Foods or Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax to get my Grindstone fix. (Now there’s a desperate bread-lover for you!)

Once in a while, I’d have “bread holidays.” I’d indulge in a little bit of wheat or sourdough bread, a handful of crackers, a cookie, scone or croissant. Nothing major. I didn’t think it was a big deal.

And then a couple of my smarty-pants health practitioners started encouraging me to go gluten-free. I refused. I didn’t think I was having problems with things like Kamut, oats, and barley (though too much spelt or rye did give me stomachaches). I was tired of messing with my diet, tired of my food world getting smaller. I dug in my heels and stuck with my breads. And then—Oh Tragedy!—I had an anti-gliadin antibody test as part of a cortisol test, and the results showed a mild intolerance to gluten. Bummer. My denial fantasy was over.

I also started to realize that wheat had likely been interfering with my mental health, perhaps for a long time. My “bread holidays” seemed to be followed by a few days of increased moodiness and depression, along with brain fog, congestion and fatigue. Since my life at the time was challenging enough, I couldn’t afford anything adding to my problems.

So I bit the bullet and went gluten-free. I hated it. I gave up my beloved 6-ingredient breads for 12-ingredient breads that were nowhere near as satisfying or pleasing to my palate. (I ask you: How can a bread with a bunch of weird ingredients added to it be better for you than fresh whole-grain bread that’s naturally and lovingly prepared? It makes no sense!)

Did I feel better going gluten-free? No. My gut, sensitive since childhood, behaved no differently, and I noticed no improvements in my health. The only difference was that eating these new gluten-free breads had me feeling a whole lot grumpier.

To make matters worse, suddenly everywhere I went, people were either telling me about the evils of gluten and its inflammatory properties or regaling me with stories about the dramatic health improvements they experienced upon going gluten-free. Now I felt grumpy, paranoid about gluten, and jealous. Hrrmmph.

Eventually, I got used to the gluten-free breads (though I’m still not crazy about them). I found Café Mariposa (a completely gluten-free bakery) and their multi-grain bread. And then I decided to start forking over the bucks for Grindstone’s gluten-free bread, a hearty favorite. (By the way, no one said going gluten-free was cheap! Good grief! Try being a gluten-free bread lover on a budget!)

So after all that, I’m supposed to just go out and eat…wheat? Oats? Barley? Kamut? I’m supposed to risk my gut (and possibly my mental health) for…bread?

After the NAET allergy clearing, as much as I wanted to go buy one of Grindstone’s oat-barley breads, I held off. When I saw my practitioner a few days later, I asked her what the best course of action would be. She recommended that I try a little something, then wait three days to see how I felt before eating any more.

Okay. “A little something” sounds like…Nairn’s Stem Ginger Oat Biscuits. I used to eat these gingery oat cookies all the time, and I despaired when I had to give them up. One little oat cookie seems a reasonable way to break the gluten fast, right?

Still, I’ve got to wonder: If I have some kind of reaction to the cookie, will it be due to the gluten or my fear of it? If I’m nervous about eating gluten, how can that not have an impact on my digestion of it?

When we’re afraid of something or think it’s bad for us, we tend to resist it, contract against it. That’s not good for any part of the body, especially not the gut. Can I somehow convince my body-mind that after eight months of abstinence (or, in the case of wheat, the better part of nine years), gluten is no longer a problem? If I eat an oat cookie or a piece of glutinous bread and my pulse starts to race or my belly starts to swell, will it be due to sensitivity or my gut reacting to something that I’m afraid of?

Is there really any way to know the difference?

I don’t know. But I’m going to eat that cookie anyway.

So, you’ve made the decision to go gluten-free. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease, or maybe you’re simply curious to find out if going off gluten will clear up some chronic health issues. Whatever your situation, you’ve made the commitment and now you need to get gluten out of your diet.

The first step is relatively simple. Cut out all of the glutinous grains: wheat and its cousins (spelt and Kamut), barley, rye, and oats. (Some people have a problem with oats, some don’t; only you and your health practitioner can determine what’s truly best for you. Gluten-free oats are available at some stores.)

Next, you get to start playing detective. Yes, you will have to start reading labels on packaged foods (bring your reading glasses if you have them or a magnifying glass—the print can be tiny!). I know that reading labels can be a pain, but unless you’re willing to go cold turkey on packaged and prepared foods, you don’t have much of a choice. Besides, it’ll be good for you. It’ll be an education. You’d be surprised where gluten pops up.

Here are some obvious—and not so obvious—sources of gluten:

All forms of wheat, including bulgur, couscous, faro, and durum, graham, and semolina flours.

Breads, including muffins, bagels, crackers, pasta, noodles, cookies, cake, pie, cereals, scones, pancakes, waffles, pretzels, pizza crust, corn bread, croutons, flour tortillas, stuffing… ANYTHING made with flour that does not say “gluten free” on the label probably has gluten in it.

Anything breaded or battered (fried chicken, fried fish, and even French fries) may contain gluten.

Prepared entrees like crab cakes, fish burgers, and meatloaf often contain breadcrumbs. In some chicken dishes, the chicken is coated with flour before cooking. When in doubt, ASK. Don’t ever assume that a meat, poultry or fish entree is gluten-free.

Thickened sauces and soup bases, including white sauce, gravy, cream soups and anything with a roux, may contain gluten. (Flour is often used as a thickener.)

Seitan

Miso may be made from barley. Choose soy- or rice-based miso instead.

Soy sauce is made with wheat. Choose wheat-free tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos instead.

Beer (some stores now carry gluten-free beer!)

Malt or malt flavoring

Malt vinegar

Seasonings, such as brewers yeast and natural flavorings, may contain gluten.

Additives, such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) and TVP (textured vegetable protein) may contain gluten, unless they’re made from soy or corn.

Coffee substitutes and some teas may contain barley.

Other questionable products:

Distilled (grain-based) vinegar
I’m not sure whether the jury is in or out on this one. Recent research seems to indicate that distilled vinegar should not be a problem for those with Celiac Disease, but you may want to proceed with caution. Avoid malt vinegar altogether. Safer choices include wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar.

Condiments such as catsup and mustard
Many of these products may be okay, but you should check the ingredients. Determining whether or not vinegar is an issue for you will help, since catsup, mustard, mayonnaise and salad dressings generally contain vinegar.

If you’re really sensitive (or really committed to being gluten-free), you will also need to check your hair care products and personal care products. I am seeing more and more shampoos and conditioners that use wheat proteins. Wheat- and oat-based ingredients may show up in lotions, facial products, and perhaps even makeup, so be sure to check the labels if you need to avoid gluten completely.

Starting to feel deprived? The good news is that with so many people going gluten-free, there are many more G-F food products available than there used to be, and they can be quite good. Many packaged foods now state on their packaging if they’re wheat-free or gluten-free, so be sure to look for that.

There are several gluten-free grain alternatives you can try, such as amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, and teff. I have read some conflicting information regarding millet and teff, so, again, work with your health care practitioner to determine what’s best for you.

The above list is by no means exhaustive. For additional information I highly recommend Celiac.com. The website has a wealth of information about living gluten-free, including a Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Forum. The Celiac Sprue Association has a Grains and Flours Glossary which is very helpful. I also found an excellent article by Donald D. Kasarda called Grains in Relation to Celiac Disease, which was very informative.

Have you found other hidden sources of gluten? Leave a comment and share your story!