Gluten Free products are sprouting up everywhere and it’s no wonder why since there has been a 400% increase in Celiac’s Disease. Holy crap, say WHAT?! Ok, let’s back up.
What is GLUTEN?
Gluten is a substance in grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. Gluten basically acts like.. GLUE. So when you mix flour, water, and salt to make play-dough? Well that sticky-gummy like substance is what gluten also does inside your intestines when you consume it.
What is Celiac’s Disease?
Celiac’s is a digestive disease that wreaks havoc on the lining of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients. People with Celiac’s Disease cannot tolerate Gluten (source).
Why the Increase in Gluten Allergies?
Turns out that yet again, GMOs are to blame (what are GMOs? See video here). In the case of wheat, it was genetically modified with the promise of feeding millions of starving people world wide. The result? There are now “30% more obese people than undernourished in the world.” (source)
Genetically Modified Wheat
The wheat in our food today is drastically different from the wheat our grandparents or even parents had growing up. According to Dr. Mark Hyman’s fascinating article here, some facts about the wheat of today:
- It contains a Super Starch – amylopectin A that is super fattening.
- It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory.
- It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more.
Crickies! What’s a DD to do?!
I know, you’re totally scratching your head right now, wondering WTF you can do and eat that’s still delicious and doesn’t tear up your intestines and make you sick and fat, right?! Or something like that. Fear not- you CAN take action.
- Eat Organic
- Eat Gluten Free
- Demand the government label foods with GMOs so that you are no longer shopping in the dark and can make the individual choice to eat GE food or not. (If you live in California, that’s a YES vote on Prop 37).
Eat yummy, stay healthy! Together, we’ll learn how. 😉
Awesome information HD!
I read an interesting article months ago that the no-carb diets may also play a role. The increase in gluten allergies and other related intestinal disorders increased significantly in a Post-Atkins diet craze. Lots of debate about the underlying cause, especially when you layer the gmo forms that came into our diets at the same time.
The whole GMO issue basically pisses me off. Why in any form of conventional wisdom do we think it is okay to alter the biochemical structure of a primary food source that has generations of human adaptation built around its consumption? What did they think would happen??!! Imagine eliminating carbs from your diet for several years and then the first slice of bread you have is made with GMO wheat. Talk about a kick in the gut!
[…] here), GMOs (see here), Growth Hormones in diary (see here), sky rocketing Gluten Problems (see here), Antibiotics in Chicken, toxins in Farmed Fish, Fecal Contamination in Pork (see here), etc and so […]