Have you noticed the common dialog on diet-related issue in recent years? Prior to 5 or 6 years ago, almost no one talked about gluten or peanut allergies or the concerns that went with them. Now these are in regular usage and becoming topics for general discussion. I've shared in previous posts that it was in 2012 that Jennifer and I became aware of gluten and dairy as triggers for joint and muscle pain, and eliminating these from both of our diets has been an incredible relief and blessing. Literally, dairy and gluten free equals pain free; add these back in and back come the aches and pains.
While dairy is fairly easy to understand and control or eliminate in our food choices, gluten may be more difficult. So what is gluten, where does it come from, and if I limit or stop gluten-containing foods altogether, what can I eat?
Gluten is "a protein composite found in wheat and related grains, including barley, rye and spelt..." according to Wikipedia; and 'gluten' is from the Latin root that literally means glue. The proteins in gluten are what bind together in strands in dough to give bread its shape and texture. With air pockets created by yeast activity in dough, the dough rises, takes shape, and through baking, becomes bread. To avoid gluten, then, you need to avoid anything which has wheat, rye, barley, spelt, or any of their by-products or derivatives... and that can be a tall order.
Here is a comprehensive listing of sources of gluten from the Celiac Disease Foundation:
It is reported that 1 in 133 people in developed nations has a sensitivity to gluten (and it should be noted that gluten issues are defined as a sensitivity, or intolerance to the proteins that form gluten, not an allergy.
If you decide to avoid gluten, you may be wondering what you will be able to eat, because it seems like wheat and gluten-containing foods are everywhere. Here are some grains you can eat which don't contain gluten proteins: corn, soy, millet, rice (white, brown, wild), some oats (there are trace amounts of gluten in plain rolled oats, so gluten-free oats must be sought to totally avoid gluten). Note well, though, that many multi-grain products contain wheat and/ or wheat derivatives, so you need to read labels carefully and be ready for corn, oat or rice products to also contain forms of wheat gluten.
Limiting or eliminating gluten from our diets may seem like a difficult process and a tall order. It is very doable, though, and when the creation of pain or elimination of pain is on the line, it is much easier to invest the effort in going gluten-free.
By the Way
If you're going to take on this challenge, I'd suggest doing it with a buddy. Have an interested friend or family member track progress with you, and go through the gluten-reduction or elimination as well. You'll have accountability to the process, and who knows, maybe you'll both find relief from joint pain and aches.
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