Who needs to go gluten free?
Experts are having heated discussions about the "wheat epidemic"
The basic grain of our diet for centuries is under attack. Evidence keeps cropping up that gluten is causing inflammation and autoimmune responses in people (even those who do not have Celiac disease), and when removed from a diet, the person's negative symptoms go away. Rather than be tested by expensive and unreliable lab procedures, many people are opting to refrain from eating wheat in order to see if their health improves. This creates inconvenience for the person trying to improve health, and confusion in the people who eat wheat regularly, and some conflict in LDS people's minds who know well D&C section 89, that "wheat is ordained for the use of man." Member and non member alike, theologians, doctors, and even some hard core nutritionists are asking the question "Is it really that bad?"
I heard a debate going on back and forth between Alan Levinovitz (assistant professor of religion and author of The Gluten Lie), Sean Croxton (host of Underground Wellness and nutritionist) and Tom O'Bryan (doctor who specializes in health and nutrition and awareness raiser of the harms of gluten intake), and could see that even experts are grasping for some definitive answer to hold onto. Wheat, with it's chemically altered gluten, genetically modified seed, from pesticide covered fields, and processed down to a simple starch may cause digestive problems for a myriad of reasons (from addiction, to blood sugar, to leaky gut, to autoimmune response and inflammation). That "MAY" is a problem. If it does cause these things we are all need to make some changes and it answers a lot of questions as to why we all feel so tired, inflamed, and moody. If it does not, there is no way I'm giving up my cinnamon rolls and bagels...and what IS causing the problems today and WHY do people with health problems find relief when it's eliminated?
My answer to this debate is that, to quote JJ Virgin, nutritionist, "SUGAR is an accepted national villain." As much as I hate to label any food as bad, its what may well be creating the problem. It is the over intake of sugar over the past 100 years that has compromised our systems, and this has weakened us collectively, to the point that an ancient staple and "Sun God of Grains" (Wendy Cook referring to wheat) has become indigestible. Sugar, in addition to the corruptions of modern day food production, has allowed gluten to permeate our weak guts and affect our brains. When combined with fat it is toxic in one way, when combined with grains it is toxic in another way, when eaten alone...still toxic. Sugar has been accepted as a food for so long rather than a poison it is hard to wrap your head around this. You are not "bad" for wanting it or eating it, but it may be doing "bad" things to our bodies today. I believe when sugar is seen for the drug that it is and dealt with, then we can get back to the question, "Should I eat wheat?"
I heard a debate going on back and forth between Alan Levinovitz (assistant professor of religion and author of The Gluten Lie), Sean Croxton (host of Underground Wellness and nutritionist) and Tom O'Bryan (doctor who specializes in health and nutrition and awareness raiser of the harms of gluten intake), and could see that even experts are grasping for some definitive answer to hold onto. Wheat, with it's chemically altered gluten, genetically modified seed, from pesticide covered fields, and processed down to a simple starch may cause digestive problems for a myriad of reasons (from addiction, to blood sugar, to leaky gut, to autoimmune response and inflammation). That "MAY" is a problem. If it does cause these things we are all need to make some changes and it answers a lot of questions as to why we all feel so tired, inflamed, and moody. If it does not, there is no way I'm giving up my cinnamon rolls and bagels...and what IS causing the problems today and WHY do people with health problems find relief when it's eliminated?
My answer to this debate is that, to quote JJ Virgin, nutritionist, "SUGAR is an accepted national villain." As much as I hate to label any food as bad, its what may well be creating the problem. It is the over intake of sugar over the past 100 years that has compromised our systems, and this has weakened us collectively, to the point that an ancient staple and "Sun God of Grains" (Wendy Cook referring to wheat) has become indigestible. Sugar, in addition to the corruptions of modern day food production, has allowed gluten to permeate our weak guts and affect our brains. When combined with fat it is toxic in one way, when combined with grains it is toxic in another way, when eaten alone...still toxic. Sugar has been accepted as a food for so long rather than a poison it is hard to wrap your head around this. You are not "bad" for wanting it or eating it, but it may be doing "bad" things to our bodies today. I believe when sugar is seen for the drug that it is and dealt with, then we can get back to the question, "Should I eat wheat?"
What IS Gluten?
Gluten (from Latin gluten, "glue")is a protein composite found in wheat and related grains,including barley and ry
Dr O'Bryan advises anyone who doesn't feel great to try eliminating gluten from the diet. He says, "The body has a limited number of options to deal with an unlimited number of insults. We are bombarded by toxins and environmental stress and our immune systems activate inflammatory cascades to attack the toxins coming in. There are too many insults, our bodies response mechanisms (inflammation) is responding so much its causing tissue dysfunction and intolerance. Like never before in history."
From lecture "Extinguishing Inflammation: Putting the fire out with real food.
From lecture "Extinguishing Inflammation: Putting the fire out with real food.
Is all Sugar harmful?
JJ Virgin, author of The Sugar Impact Diet responds that natural sugar, whether fructose or glucose, is anything that is not artificial or man made. Honey, brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, they are all natural sugars and your body will deal with them the same. Agave is an especially high fructose containing natural sugar. They are digested in the liver and stored as fatty acid and cause sugar cravings and an insulin response, and when eaten in excess cause insulin resistance.
Artificial sweeteners are any sugar not occurring in nature (high fructose corn syrup, Sweet'n'Low, Aspartame), and are far worse in their negative effects on digestion, and many research studies have supported the connection between these sweeteners and adverse health.
In between are synthetic sweeteners derived from natural plants, such as Stevia. Somewhat easier on the digestive system, these will still create an imbalance in hormone regulation when eaten in excess. The best way to get glucose is from whole foods.
-From lecture with Marc David in conference "The Future of Healing"
JJ Virgin, author of The Sugar Impact Diet responds that natural sugar, whether fructose or glucose, is anything that is not artificial or man made. Honey, brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, they are all natural sugars and your body will deal with them the same. Agave is an especially high fructose containing natural sugar. They are digested in the liver and stored as fatty acid and cause sugar cravings and an insulin response, and when eaten in excess cause insulin resistance.
Artificial sweeteners are any sugar not occurring in nature (high fructose corn syrup, Sweet'n'Low, Aspartame), and are far worse in their negative effects on digestion, and many research studies have supported the connection between these sweeteners and adverse health.
In between are synthetic sweeteners derived from natural plants, such as Stevia. Somewhat easier on the digestive system, these will still create an imbalance in hormone regulation when eaten in excess. The best way to get glucose is from whole foods.
-From lecture with Marc David in conference "The Future of Healing"
What I suggest: If you feel tired, stressed, anxious, moody, achy, like you can't lose weight, you're forgetting things, your bowels are irritable, but you don't feel bad enough to spend money on a doctor, or the doctor can't find anything wrong with you, try eliminating sugar and gluten for a month and see what happens. The best lab test is your own body. Listen to it, see what happens.
My body had to break down at its genetic weak link for me to learn that what I was eating was not nourishing me, it was causing problems. I'm grateful my health taught me how to take better care of myself. Many of us don't even know what "feeling good" even feels like! Make a change and see for yourself if you benefit from eliminating gluten. "When you fix nutrition, you change everything."
My body had to break down at its genetic weak link for me to learn that what I was eating was not nourishing me, it was causing problems. I'm grateful my health taught me how to take better care of myself. Many of us don't even know what "feeling good" even feels like! Make a change and see for yourself if you benefit from eliminating gluten. "When you fix nutrition, you change everything."
