I’m not a food nazi but I have become a lot more aware of the types of food groups that some people probably should and shouldn’t eat because of their conditions.
Gluten is one of the ones that I think many women should consider cutting out of their diet to help relieve hormonal issues.
Just to clarify, when I talk about gluten, more specifically wheat, I’m referring to the modern crop which is completely different from the wheat our ancestors ate. It is now highly processed and refined.
I have been gluten-free for over two years now and haven’t really looked back since I made the decision. I’m not coeliac but, like a lot of people out there, I am sensitive to it and can react to it in a not so nice way.
The thing is that most people don’t listen to their bodies and realise that the symptoms they live with are not normal.
They become so used to the feeling of being bloated, sluggish, constipated – to name a few. This is NOT normal. You should feel energised and alive after a meal, not sleepy and grumpy.
Did you know that gluten actually blocks a hormone called leptin in your brain to let you know when you’re actually full?!
According to Wheat Belly author and doctor, William Davis, wheat (which gluten is in) is a potent appetite stimulant.
You might think you’re one of the lucky few to not be intolerant to gluten, but take a look at some of the symptoms and really consider if you are or not.
Gluten Sensitivity Symptoms
- Digestive and IBS symptoms, including abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, constipation or diarrhea
- “Brain fog,” difficulty concentrating and trouble remembering information
- Frequent headaches
- Mood-related changes, including anxiety and increased depression symptoms
- Ongoing low energy levels and chronic fatigue syndrome
- Muscle and joint pains
- Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs
- Reproductive problems and infertility
- Skin issues, including dermatitis, eczema, rosacea and skin rashes
- Nutrient deficiencies, including anemia (iron deficiency)
Dr.Axe.com
Alisa Vitti, functional nutritionist and women’s hormonal expert, found that many of her patients who cut out gluten were relieved of their hormone-related issues. If you have a gluten sensitivity, when you eat it, your immune system creates inflammation in the gut. This makes it hard for you to absorb nutrients and leads to food passing through your gut slower. Slower transit time means that excess estrogen and other hormones and toxins are not eliminated from the body properly. This can lead to a hormonal imbalance.
I am working with a client at the moment who suffers from an underactive thyroid. She has been off gluten for two weeks now and has already vowed that she won’t go back due to how good she feels off it. I challenge you to go gluten-free for even ONE WEEK and see how you feel off it. Be strict on yourself and don’t touch it at all. Then assess how you feel. Were you as bloated? Did you go to the toilet easier and more often? Did you have more energy?
There are soooo many healthy gluten free options out there there’s no feeling like you’re depriving yourself without it.
Remember to go for real whole foods. No processed “gluten-free” packaged crap. They’re worse than eating a fresh baked loaf of sourdough bread that’s been made with good quality wheat.
Never deprived on gluten free eating – A Buddha Bowl of nutritious quinoa, beetroot, beans, cucumber salad + homemade turmeric tahini mayo
Gluten free grains
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Rice (brown, red, wild – try to avoid white as it has virtually no nutrition)
- Millet – my current fave. So cheap and a nice alternative to quinoa. Similar texture and look to couscous, but obviously gluten- FREE (yes couscous is full of gluten!)
- Quinoa
- Sorghum
- Teff
- Oats – although oats do not naturally contain gluten, they are frequently contaminated with gluten because they are processed at mills that also handle wheat. If you are coeliac or very sensitive to gluten opt for gluten-free certified, but many people are actually ok with the standard ones. Best to also soak overnight to make them more easily digested.