When I was in my late teens, I was sick to my stomach all the time. It started small, just after a meal here or there, but eventually progressed to just crippling illness. I couldn’t eat and then do something afterwards because I knew I’d get sick.
At the time I was working two jobs – in the mornings I was a manager at a retail store. I had a routine: after dropping off the nightly deposit I would swing by the Einstein’s Bagels for a bagel and coffee to start my day, since it wouldn’t end until 10 or so that night. It got to a point that by the time my store opened, I would feel miserable.
Eventually, I discovered what was making me sick was gluten – and, not to sound dramatic, but my life hasn’t been quite the same since.
What is gluten?
I’m sure you’ve seen the packages for shelf-stable gluten-free bread or crackers. Or the upcharge at a restaurant – $2 extra for the gluten-free pizza crust! But you might not know what gluten actually is.
Gluten itself is a protein found in some grains, but primarily wheat, rye, and barley. It is what gives bread and pasta that lovely elastic texture. It’s very, very difficult to bake anything delicious without gluten. It is very literally the binding glue that holds everything together.
I have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that only affects about 1-2% of the population. According to some sources, up to 10% of the population may have what is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which is basically the medical way of saying, Gluten clearly makes you ill but you tested negative for celiac so good luck.
Within the last 10-15 years, positive diagnoses of celiac disease have risen significantly. It’s unclear, however, as to why. Some people point out the wheat we grow, and how we process it, is very different from the way it used to be. Others just think there is more knowledge and acceptance now – 30 years ago you just suffered until you died. Now, you don’t have to.
“I would die without bread.”
If I had a quarter for every time someone said that to me, I would have a good bit of cash today. And in their defense, I used to think the same thing.
I refused to get tested or cut gluten out of my diet for a long time because I didn’t think that bread could possibly be the problem! I would come home from work and make pasta before bed. I’d eat bagels for breakfast. My favorite fast food meal was The Wreck from Potbelly’s (a local sub chain), toasted with extra pickles. I ate gluten at almost every meal.
It was also trying to kill me, so you know. Not great.
Not eating gluten certainly isn’t easy, but it’s not the end of the world. Nowadays there are plenty of replacement products – pastas, pretzels, doughs, and more.
Eating out is a whole other story because cross contamination in a kitchen is a real worry. If my burger is cooked in a pan that cooked, say, French toast just before, I will get sick. If my fries are dropped into a shared deep-fryer basket with wheat-breaded ingredients, I will get sick.
Gluten isn’t just found in wheat
Although wheat is certainly a problem if you’ve got issues with gluten, it’s not the only grain you need to be wary of. It’s also barley and rye, and a few other things, too. That cuts all ‘traditional’ breads and pastas out, can’t have them.
Most soy sauces also have gluten in them; due to the way they are processed, wheat is an ingredient. Have to spend extra money to get fermented, gluten-free soy sauce, or Tamari, instead.
My mother-in-law accidentally made me incredibly ill the second Christmas I spent with them because she put the turkey and the roast in broth that contained wheat. She had no idea some broths could even have gluten, and I spent two days feeling miserable and bloated.
Crackers, pretzels, and many cereals contain gluten. Store-bought cookies have gluten. Pizza dough, too. Some dressings. Processed lunch meat often contains gluten. So do some potato chips (looking at you, Pringles), malt flavoring for milkshakes, beer, some wines, medications, supplements like vitamins… the list goes on and on and on.
I read every label, check every ingredient. Google every brand, just to see. It’s exhausting, but the longer you do it, the easier it does get.
Why you shouldn’t go gluten free
A lot of people are pushing the gluten-free diet to lose weight, or feel better, or eat ‘healthier.’ And for some of us, that’s great! If you have real, actual issues with gluten that make you ill, cutting it out could help you a lot.
After all, people with gluten sensitives or celiac disease can suffer from headaches, nausea, upset stomach, achy bones, migraines, skin inflammation, bloating, irritability, hair loss, malnutrition… seriously, the list is long.
If you have a health problem and go gluten free, good for you! It’s not an easy decision. But if you don’t have a health issue that revolves around gluten, well, you might want to reconsider.
Some studies have shown that going gluten free when you don’t need to can actually hurt your body. If you’ve adjusted to not eating gluten, when you go back to eating it, it can have negative consequences.
It’s also… not really healthier.
Look, if you’re eating naturally gluten-free foods, yeah, it probably will be healthier! Fruits and veggies and meats and nuts and seeds? Delicious. But if you’re thinking you’re choosing the healthier pasta because it’s made from chickpeas or whatever, or that gluten-free sandwich has fewer calories, think again.
Gluten-free replacement products have a lot of extra stuff in them to make them similar to their gluten counterparts. Because remember, gluten binds things – it makes doughs sticky, dense, or airy, depending on how you prep them. To replicate that without gluten takes a half a dozen different flours, a binding agent like xanthan gum, and a lot of practice and patience.
Gluten-free products don’t even taste good
Here’s the thing – 90% of gluten free replacement products, like bread, pretzels, and crackers, don’t even taste that good compared to their gluten counterparts.
Turns out, gluten is really important, and it’s really hard to bake without them. When you swap one flour for eight, you get a different taste. Beyond that, the texture is wrong.
Gluten-free bread is crumbly and dry. Pasta is weird, chewy, or falls apart. Crackers and pretzels are too crispy and shatter when you take a bite. Don’t even get me started on pizza.
I’ve been gluten free for over ten years now. I genuinely don’t remember what regular pizza or pasta is supposed to taste like. I don’t know what texture it’s supposed to have, or how tender a crumb sourdough should have.
Don’t get me wrong – I do a lot of cooking and baking in my daily life. I’ve talked a lot about my love for the Instant Pot, or how meal prep saves me money and time. But it’s all gluten-free ingredients. I have exactly two non-gluten-free ingredients in my whole house: a bag of bread flour and a bag of all-purpose flour, carefully stored in an air-tight container in the back of the pantry for emergency gift situations when cookies are required.
Otherwise? I’ve got almond flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, three types of all purpose replacement gluten free flour, oat flour, sweet rice flour, masa, arrowroot flour… so many things needed just to make cookies.
If you have health issues, going gluten free can be a game changer. It literally gave me my life back.
If you don’t? Just cut back on processed foods and baked goods, but don’t cut gluten out entirely. You’re not doing yourself any favors by switching to a rigorous gluten-free lifestyle if you don’t need to for medical reasons.
