Now days there are a number of reasons people choose to eliminate gluten from their diets. Most commonly because of Celiac disease, that is an autoimmune disease where gluten triggers an immune response that causes damage to the small intestine and can lead to other serious consequences including skin rash, diarrhea and depression. Only your doctor can tell you for sure if you have celiac disease.
Sadly, even those without the disease can still have an allergy or sensitivity to gluten and may experience symptoms including upset stomach, lethargy and joint pain. Cutting gluten from your diet and allowing your body to detox will help eliminate these symptoms, but you should be prepared for some negative side effects of withdrawal.
Cut All Gluten From Your Diet
Fist and most important step is to eliminate all foods containing gluten from your diet, such as any foods containing wheat, barley and rye (find the full list on the link). Common foods containing gluten include breads and pastries, cakes, pizza crust, dumplings, pretzels, malted drinks, beer, bran, oats and yeast.
Read Nutritional Labels Carefully
Always read food labels carefully for less conspicuous sources of gluten. Many times happened to me at the beginning, that I would never imagine something could contain gluten, and I bought the product without reading the label then I got sick from it. What is very surprising for me, even as a vegetarian, how many meat products contain gluten. Always check gravies and sauces too, they may contain flour, ground meat products, anything breaded or fried, condiments like mayo, soy sauce and mustard, pre-packaged soups and soup mixes, nutritional drinks and supplements, pie fillings and salad dressings. Basically anything. I found frozen potato wedges once that also contain gluten. How insane is that?!
Choose Healthy Gluten-Free Foods
Eat a diet of nutrient-rich foods that will leave you feeling full and satiated and help you avoid cravings that result from gluten withdrawal. Choose lean sources of protein, such as tofu, starchy vegetables like squash and beets and fiber-rich dark leafy green vegetables. When changing to a gluten free lifestyle it’s easy to fall into the mistake of buying too much processed gluten free food, but that is not the best option either. Highly processed and refined and contain other unhealthy ingredients that can either mask detox symptoms, prolonging gluten withdrawal, or make symptoms worse. Always be prepared and have gluten free müsli bars or dried fruits in your bag, so you don’t end up being in a situation when there’s no food option for you and you end up starving.
Drink Lots of Water
Drink plenty of water to flush your system and help curb cravings. At least 8 glasses of water per day is a good benchmark, but I like to go for more, at least 3 liters a day. You should also drink more if you live in a warm climate or if you exercise a lot.
I drink alkaline Kangen water for it’s health benefits and it helped me a lot when it comes to dealing with Celiac disease. My symptoms are less harsh and I heal faster, my digestion improved a lot since then.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KANGEN WATER and Kangen Machines?
Email me on imolatoth.healthcoach@gmail.com for more information.
Stay Physically Active
Regular exercise helps combat the negative effects of stress and withdrawal and to stave off hunger pains and cravings. Exercise promotes good circulation and a healthy lymphatic system and helps remove toxins from the body as well.
Warning:
Always consult your doctor first before cutting gluten from your diet, especially if you don’t have celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten. When done incorrectly, eliminating gluten can result in nutrient deficiencies.
