On Being Gluten-Free (Which We're Not)

A Facebook friend of mine posted this article last week and I can't get it out of my head.  Essentially, it's on the popularity of the gluten-free diet these days.  The author, comparing it to the popularity of MSG-intolerance a while back, postulates that in many cases, gluten intolerance is mainly psychosomatic.  You get the idea that certain foods are bad for you, then you start noticing symptoms ranging from indigestion to the inability to breathe - which he believes is a result of the placebo effect.  You may be experiencing real symptoms, but they're created by your mind.

Interesting, no?

First of all, I do agree that gluten-intolerance is somewhat of a fad right now.  I suspect not everyone off gluten is actually intolerant of it.  Second, I think that's a great thing for those who actually have celiac's disease or are allergic to wheat.  There's a whole industry giving them more options!  And the increased awareness means that eating with others is an easier experience (sometimes).

We're not gluten-free.  Our diet is not too far from it - most allergy-friendly recipes automatically cut out gluten.  Regardless, Kekoa's dairy and egg allergies make a similar point.

Consider the classic church potluck.  This is what Kekoa and I can't eat:

• Potato Salad
• Macaroni Salad
• Fruit ambrosia
• Salads and slaws with creamy dressings (caesar, Ranch, Blue cheese, etc.)
• Almost any Mexican or Italian dish (usually have cheese)
• Fried foods
• Some hot dog and burger brands (some contain eggs)
• Some hot dog or burger bun brands
• Some deli meats
• Flavored chips (sour cream and onion, nacho, etc.)
• Cream based chip dips
• Sweet breads
• Cakes
• Cookies
• Brownies
• Ice cream
• Chocolate (dark only...but who brings dark chocolate to a potluck?)

And this is what we can eat:

• Veggies
• Salads and slaws with oil, vinegar, or citrus based dressings
• Fruit
• Tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole
• Baked Beans
• 100% Beef Burgers (with condiments other than mayo)

You get the idea.  THAT'S the power of the gluten/egg/dairy-free diet.  We don't gorge on potluck foods.  We can't walk down the aisle of convenience foods.  We don't help ourselves to baked goods at a friend's house. 

I make no claims to being dairy- and gluten- intolerant.  But I feel better after eliminating or cutting back on those foods because that automatically eliminates 90% of accessible junk food (you can, of course, buy or make your own junk food alternatives, but they're expensive and/or time-consuming).  

Additionally, even though I don't think dairy is all bad for you, it is heavy and can be difficult to digest (wheat is the same).  And I never realized HOW MUCH the typical American diet includes until we cut it out. 

I can completely understand someone kickstarting a diet by going gluten-free. Dieting based on self-control is too personal.  It requires too much work, and carries with it a sense of shame if you fail.  Dieting based on a medical condition - or heck, even just a hard-to-digest food - is so appealing.

Not only is a medical condition easier to diet with, but people are much more understanding.  I would feel like such a high maintenance little princess asking our host to accommodate a dairy-free diet based on my personal opinion of "healthy."  I'd probably be labelled an obsessed, misguided health nut.  But people are happy to accommodate allergies.  

Why is that important?  Because I can attest that the absolute, most difficult part of dieting - for allergies or otherwise - is watching people eat the foods you love and not being able to eat them.  I rather enjoyed our diet until we had to leave the home.  Eating at restaurants can be torture, as you pick from your tiny store of bland options ("sorry, you can't have anything on the dessert menu") while others feast on rich, creamy dishes.

It also matters how people react to your food choices.  Even I have gotten flak: "Well, why don't you just wean him?  Then we could give him baby food or something and cook normally for everyone else."    We're trying to do a healthy thing here - but people don't like to be inconvenienced by our choices.

*sigh*

Anyway, that's my semi-rant.  Yes, I do agree with the article - I think that gluten intolerance is sometimes not actually initiated by the body.  But going gluten-free, at least for a time? Well, I don't think that's such a bad idea.  We've learned so much more about what we put in our mouths, how it affects our bodies long-term, and how little variety the Western diet actually has.  

I hope to once again have dairy and eggs grace our kitchen, someday.  But in the meantime, we're learning how to incorporate different foods in our everyday diet.  So maybe next time, some of those not-so-good foods will stay out for good.