I get asked this question all the time- I’m not Celiac, do I really need to give up gluten?

My answer is- do you feel better when off gluten?

The best way to know if gluten is playing a role in your health is to take it out of your diet for 3 months, yes 3 months.

Removing all gluten means hidden gluten to- check my post here about Where To Find Hidden Gluten.

Notice if while off gluten you are feeling a little less tired, perhaps  a skin condition has cleared up or that bloated tummy isn’t bothering you as much.

Then one day re-introduce gluten, eat some whole wheat pasta, a pizza or a couple of sandwiches, see how you feel.  Do you feel different after eating it for a few days? Are you more tired, do you have the odd stomach issue or feel tired or unwell after eating? Then it could be gluten.

The only problem is that sometimes gluten can be doing damage on the inside of the body and not giving you any signs.  Since 1 in 3 are sensitive to gluten its important to know if gluten is causing inflammation and or leaky gut- this can lead to auto immune diseases and even cancer. By the time you figure out if gluten is a problem you might be really sick.

Some of my clients ask me if their thyroid issues, arthritis, multiple food allergies or anxiety may be due to gluten, and it may very well be. If you have an auto immune disease you need to be tested for gluten sensitivity. Make sure your doctor knows the difference between a test for Celiac Disease and a test for gluten sensitivity, they are not the same. For more information listen to my interview with top allergist and gastroenterologist Dr. Rodney Ford. Click here for video

There are also other foods that can cause similar reactions to gluten- these foods have similar protein make up to that of gluten. When you eat these foods the immune system reacts the same way it does when you ingest gluten.

Dairy, soy, egg, yeast, oats and other grains like corn,amaranth, buckwheat, and rice can sometime illicit reactions as well.

If you find you are still feeling unwell after removing gluten, you might have other food intolerances and may wish to have testing done or try an elimination diet. Listen to my audio here on elimination diets.