Why Avoid Gluten?

Only about 1% of the population has celiac disease.  Most people tolerate gluten.  Many people, something like 10% of the population have something referred to in the published science as non-celiac gluten sensitivity- these people develop a multitude of problems related to gluten exposure including but not limited to: high inflammation levels (measured by HS-CRP and CRP), neurological problems, insulin resistance, fibromyalgia, IBS.  I believe that more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but that is not the point here, the point is that even though the chances are that YOU are tolerate gluten I suggest you AVOID it because:

+ the foods which contain gluten tend to lack nutrient density and contribute to inflammation; one is better off eating vegetables, fruits, wild seafood, properly-fed animal foods, nuts, seeds and many legumes instead of the industrialized foods and/or grains which have gluten in them.

+ these foods may also contribute to, or in some cases cause a FODMAP-intolerance in which the gut has serious problems digesting certain classifications of carbohydrates, often times leading to systemic inflammation, IBS symptoms and potentially even dys-regulation of the immune system.

+ wheat products may also have a slight residue of glyphosate (RoundUp) within them which is the used by large-scale wheat farms just before harvesting to boost production. I suggest avoiding this stuff, as we have no way to know exactly what it does in the human body, even at small doses.

+ you may be non-celiac gluten sensitive and not even know it because in something like half the cases the people have no digestive or bowel issues.

Personally, I am not religious about avoiding it.  I might eat a wheat product once a month or so, and I tolerate gluten and wheat in general pretty well.  But, I know that if I eat regularly that I will likely develop higher levels of inflammation, less energy and also eat less of the nutrient-dense foods that I eat now.  Make your own decision.  Love you all.