Gluten-free diets are becoming more and more popular these days with things like Paleo, Keto and other low-carb meal plans taking the stage. It might have you wondering if quitting gluten is right for you. There are plenty of health benefits that come with giving up gluten, even if you don’t have an allergy or intolerance.
What to Eat
The first thing that deters many people from switching to a gluten-free diet is that they aren’t sure what in the world they’re supposed to eat. It seems like gluten is in everything, so it can be overwhelming to figure out how to restructure your normal meals. You might find yourself at breakfast wondering, “are oats gluten free” or at lunch thinking “Is rice gluten-free?” A good rule of thumb on any gluten-free diet is to be wary of all grains. Most grains, like wheat and oats, do contain gluten naturally. Other items, such as corn and rice, don’t naturally contain gluten but might also upset digestion if you have other gut problems.
Gluten-free diets are typically rich in whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and meat. You can get all the carbs you need in a day from deliciously prepared vegetables. Or if you’re really missing your favorite baked goods, you can try alternative or nut flours for gluten-free baking.
Benefits
The first thing most people notice after starting a gluten-free diet is that they have much more energy than they did before. This is because gluten can damage your intestines and gastrointestinal tract, which means your body has to spend energy constantly repairing itself. It can also cause the malabsorption of important minerals and nutrients, such as iron. When you support your body with healthy foods it can easily digest, you’ll start reabsorbing iron and regain all that energy and feel better overall.
Less Bloating
Especially for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating foods that contain gluten can cause uncomfortable bloating and stomach cramps. This is the body’s reaction to food that it can’t properly digest. When you cut out gluten from your diet, it allows inflammation in your gut to calm down so you don’t feel pain when you eat. It also helps your body to properly process your food, so you don’t end up bloated and uncomfortable after every meal.
Joint Pain Relief
Because it’s part of an immune response, the inflammation that afflicts your gut can also affect your joints. Relief from joint pain is a common—yet often unexpected—benefit of quitting gluten. Allowing your body time to heal and relax gives your muscles a break too. When your gut feels better, the rest of your body can also return to its natural state, which can relieve tension in the muscles and inflammation in your joints.
Improved Mental Health
Scientists have recently discovered what they’re dubbing the “gut-brain connection.” They’ve seen that the gut and the brain are actually intricately connected and the health of one can affect the other. For example, there have been studies that showed the type of bacteria and the balance of flora in the gut can directly impact someone’s emotions and cause things like anxiety and depression. When you remove gluten from your diet, you take away many of the foods that feed bad bacteria and have a chance to restore the proper flora balance and help your mental health in the process.
Gluten-free diets can also help people who experience frequent headaches. You might not have thought to ascribe your headache to the food you eat, but in many cases, a change in diet can relieve your pain or decrease the frequency you experience headaches.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the common benefits many people see when they switch to a gluten-free diet. It can help you to feel better and resolve some problems you may have been suffering with for years that you never thought could be caused by food.
