Every few years there's a fad diet that becomes mainstream and "the answer" to everyone's desire to have an easy way to "get skinny." Gluten free is all the buzz these days. I was in Costco yesterday and actually saw chicken breasts labeled gluten free. I didn't bother checking the price on them versus chicken breasts that weren't labeled gluten free. I can tell you already that there was likely a markup on the chicken breasts with that label. It's frequently somewhere close to triple the cost. See exhibit below from a few years ago.
I was considering making my daughter's cake a few years ago and noticed that Target moved the gluten free items to be placed right by the traditional items, making them easier to find. It also makes it easier to share what the cost difference is between traditional and gluten free. In this case 3x the mark up.
In 2009, my daughter and I were diagnosed with celiac, an autoimmune disease that makes our bodies incapable of properly processing items that contain gluten and actually trigger inflammation in different parts of our bodies. Going gluten free for us has lead to healthier happier immune systems, but it requires detective work, research, awareness, and self advocacy. A few years ago, I was incredibly relieved to hear that the awareness around celiac and the benefits of going gluten free were becoming more mainstream. It meant more products being easily available and less cross examination when I went out to eat at a restaurant. What a relief!
Unfortunately, as more restaurants started offering gluten free options and ensuring that they weren't missing out on this new trend, I started noticing more reactions to these gluten free friendly places. These gluten free options were actually in response to the latest fad diet. Celebrities were sharing more about how they lost weight by going gluten free, so more everyday people started declaring themselves gluten free, claiming they felt better, and some saying they just believe it's healthier. That sounds great until you understand the mass desire to live a "gluten conscious" life means the threshold for understanding gluten free is significantly reduced. The precautions for avoiding cross contamination aren't always taken in these situations and national chains and food manufacturers wanted in on the trend. A few examples that come to mind for "gluten conscious" but not safe for those with celiac: Panera Bread, Dominos, and the wonderful now famous Cheerios debacle. They all touted their gluten free options, but quickly had to pull back their marketing or provide disclaimers because it turns out they aren't exactly gluten free.
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Those with celiac actually have to eat gluten free and we need the food surfaces to be cleaned to the same standards as food allergy precautions.
When people jumped on board with gluten free as a fad diet, it actually had a negative impact on the safety and understanding for those who actually have to eat gluten free. It also can jack up your grocery bill by up to three times as much. So while I love the advocacy and that many people are benefiting, I wish that people weren't quite so open about it at times. There are other negative repercussions to going gluten free if you don't need it.
All gluten free items aren't necessarily healthier. I learned this the hard way when I gained approximately 30 pounds in the beginning, convinced that gluten free meant healthy for me. Processed food is still processed food. Gluten free processed food is a lot like the transition to fat free foods: the sugar content can quickly get out of control. If you look at the glycemic index of the most popular gluten free substitutes, you will see that rice flour and potato starch for example are significantly higher than their non gluten free alternatives. Remember how the fat free food craze has actually managed to make the population fatter? The same can be said if people go gluten free, but don't educate themselves on what's in their food.
Do I believe that there are many people whose gut health has improved by going gluten free even if they don't have celiac? I absolutely do. Dr. William Sears wrote a wonderful book called Wheat Belly, which explains what has happened to the production of wheat in our country and its impact on people's immune systems; but there are ways to make these changes and still keep the threshold up for those who truly cannot have gluten. Learn what is naturally gluten free or wheat free in your case. Don't make a big deal out of it at restaurants. If you want to eat gluten free and avoid the high carb increase in general, you can state that you're eating more in line with a paleo type of lifestyle. That eliminates the refined junk from your menu options without the questionable practices for keeping it gluten free.
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, there are a few ways to help ease the stress of friends and loved ones at holiday gatherings. If you are attending a potluck style meal for a party, Thanksgiving, etc, please make a label of what the dish is that you're bringing and label with the most common allergens that are included in it: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish etc. By having the label on there, people don't have to ask that awkward question and you as the chef don't have to feel on the defense. It really does make things so much smoother.
I also believe in a balanced diet of nutrients. Our typical American diet tends to lean towards heavy carbohydrate intake anyway, so it is rather easy to get in the carbohydrates your body naturally needs. If you're going to make shifts in your diet to eat healthier, a good start is to be aware of what you are actually ingesting. How processed is the food? Is there a good balance of carbs, fats, and proteins? Are the carbs refined? How is your intake of seafood, fruits, vegetables, healthy spices, and water? Does this make up the core of what you are ingesting and feeding your family? Start here and if you're looking for more in depth ways to make healthy changes, I'm here to help. Cheers to good health!
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