When Did Gluten-Free Become Trendy?

For real, when did that happen? When did the grocery stores start stocking entire aisles of packaged crackers and cookies with big ‘Gluten-Free’ labels? When did so many people start developing an intolerance to gluten?

I don’t want to debate the seriousness of Celiac disease or gluten-intolerance, or negate the importance of gluten-free diets for those people that struggle with those conditions, but I would like to talk about what the big deal is for the rest of us. Should we ‘go gluten-free’ too? Should I avoid wheat and gluten-containing grains at all costs?

Gluten-free Aisle at the Grocery Store

Gluten 101

Here’s the deal. Gluten is natural. The factories don’t inject gluten into their packages of bleached flour.

It’s the part of the grain found in wheat, rye, barley, among others, that is responsible for the elastic nature of dough made from those grains. It’s the sticky stuff that holds cookies together and retains gases to make bread rise.

But when you remove the bran and the germ (the other nutrient-rich, high in fiber components of a grain)-as is done with processed and refined grains-you’re left with a nutritionally unbalanced, excessively starchy, extra glutinous, chemical laden product.

And so you see . .

Gluten is Not the Enemy

Processed grains are.

If you have developed an intolerance to gluten from an over-consumption of processed gluten-containing grains (or if your immune system has become thoroughly confused by all the ‘fake food’ and has now turned against you-as happens with Celiac disease), then by all means, I’m not telling you to try adding it back into your diet. But if that’s not the case with you, the real enemy is not necessarily the gluten. You can’t decide to go gluten-free one day and expect all your health problems to disappear. Especially if you’re still eating a bunch of processed, packaged (albeit gluten-free) foods.

What about refined sugar? What about the lack of healthy fats in your diet? Are you eating a wide variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables?

To Trend or Not to Trend

Going gluten-free might be the trendy thing to do, but it’s not the end-all be-all for healthy living. When people nix gluten from their diet, they often feel about fourteen times better than they did before. Indigestion, stomach cramps, and bloating vanish in a matter of days.

But think about what else is going on with their new gluten-free lifestyle. By default, the grains they do consume are less processed, more nutrient dense whole grains that are lower on the glycemic index. It seems you will naturally be eating a healthier diet by getting rid of gluten. But that doesn’t make organic, soaked or sprouted, freshly ground whole wheat flour the devil incarnate.

Wheat

If you haven’t developed an intolerance or allergy to gluten, don’t discount gluten-containing grains as the enemy to health. When prepared in traditional methods, grains are hunky dory. (But don’t go crazy gorging on the bread. Don’t forget that there are several reasons why grains aren’t as good as many other foods.)

But it is the sad truth that a vast majority of the population is now gluten-intolerant or deals with diseases like Celiac. If that’s you, or if you simply label yourself a gluten-avoider (like I do), there are heaps of references for gluten-free living done right. Some of my favorite gluten-free blogs are:

If you’re looking for recipes that include traditionally prepared glutinous grains, try these on for size:

What has been your experience with a gluten-free diet?

This post is linked to Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday