Top 10 Reasons To Go Gluten-Free (Part 1)

The following is Part 1 of the Top Ten Reasons To Go Gluten-Free (in no specific order):

1) To avoid insulin resistance- Here's the harsh reality.  If you consume a high-sugar, high-carb diet for a prolonged period of time you will likely end up with diabetes. Excess carbohydrate consumption in the form of gluten-containing foods (bread, pasta, cakes, cookies) and other grains is one of the major factors in developing insulin resistance.  Dr. Phil Maffetone states, "Problems caused by excess carb intake include heart disease, hypertension, stroke, high blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and diabetes.  The correct term for the problem in its early stages, before these diseases apprear, is insulin resistance.  In my opinion, perhaps half the population is insulin resistant to some degree." 

Because gluten foods are high-glycemic (they break down into sugars quickly), they tax your body tremendously by demanding that the pancreas release large amounts of insulin to control the glucose.  If one consumes a gluten-rich, high-carb diet for a prolonged period of time, the pancreas can no longer keep up with the insulin demands, and this is when diabetes occurs.

However, by eliminating gluten (and other grains if possible), you can avoid insulin resistance, maintain stable blood sugar levels, and resensitize your body's insulin receptors for optimal health.  Don't believe me?  Click here to read a study done in 2007 that showed the Paleo diet (completely gluten and grain-free) to be the most effective in reversing insulin resistance.

2) To have better skin-  There is a very clear, well-documented connection between acne and gluten.  Because gluten is a difficult food to digest, it causes inflammation in the gut, which in turn leads to acne flare-ups.  According to Seppo Puusa, author of Clear For Life,  this inflammation caused by the gluten "triggers hormonal reactions that lead to increased sebum production, blocked pores and overgrowth of acne-causing bacteria."  Clear the gluten from your diet, and I promise you will notice a difference in your skin for the better.  Conversely, once you have cleared the gluten from your diet, you will be amazed at how noticeable your slip-ups are when you look in the mirror.  I call this strange phenomenon "gluten face," and trust me, it is not pretty!  You will typically see the ill effects of gluten ingestion on your skin for 3-7 days after consumption (so...not...even...worth...it).

Want beautiful, blemish-free skin? Just say no to gluten!

3) To be happier- I have to admit that of all the reasons that I knew the gluten-free diet could be beneficial, this one surprised even me. Can eliminating gluten actually make you happier and less susceptible to depression and mood disorders? The answer is YES!  It all boils down to the well-recognized brain-gut connection, that is now a basic tenet of physiology and medicine. We recognize this innate connection when we are very stressed, nervous, or anxious about something and suddenly we feel sick to our stomach. We also understand this concretely when we drink too much alcohol and have subsequent impaired speech or coordination. The brain and gut are intimately intertwined; in fact, many doctors and scientists now refer to the gut as the "second brain."

When the gut is in turmoil, so will be the brain. Believe it or not, serotonin receptors, which are responsible for making us feel happy, are most highly concentrated in the intestines (not the brain).  So it makes sense that when the gut suffers dysbiosis from undigested gluten, these serotonin receptors will be inhibited. This often results in depression, anxiety, or mood disorders.  Dr. Mercola's article does a great job of explaining this connection in more detail. 

Want to be happier? Get rid of the gluten.  

4) To increase focus- Individuals with ADD, ADHD, and forms of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) often describe feeling like they are in a brain fog. Researchers have discovered that this has less to do with the individual's brain than it does with the gut. For the same reason that the removal of gluten can improve a person's mood, it can also increase clarity and focus. Many individuals diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and ASD report a drastic improvement of symptoms on the gluten-free diet.  Here is a great link to more science validating the gluten-free diet in treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

Increase your focus- go gluten-free!

5) To achieve weight loss- By cutting down on your grain and sugar consumption, you will likely drop excess pounds. It all goes back to the importance of stabilizing your insulin levels. By decreasing or eliminating your grain intake, you help ensure that your pancreas does not overproduce insulin.  The overproduction of insulin leads to weight gain, as excess insulin triggers the body to store extra fat.  However, when your blood sugar levels are properly regulated by adhering to a low-glycemic, low-carb diet, your body will let go of the extra fat.  Here is a link to a wonderful article published recently in the LA Times that explains why refined carbs, not fats, are what make us fat. 

(Note: I encourage those of you who want to experiment with the gluten-free diet to try to avoid all grains as much as possible. Due to the high demand for it, there are now many varieties of gluten-free junk food, ie. cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins on the market today.  Clearly, if you consume large quantities of this type of junk food, gluten-free or not, you will not lose weight.  The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is to use the gluten-free diet to wean yourself off of the processed grain foods entirely.) 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Top Ten Reasons To Go Gluten-Free...