Pizza, pasta and my beloved pretzels are a regular part of my diet, so a life without them feels totally unimaginable. Even though I’m generally fairly good at following a healthy diet and limiting how much fast food I have, generally, it feels like totally banning something has the opposite of the desired effect, with you then having it in excess after initially trying to stop.
So why did I experiment with a gluten-free diet? There are several reasons. For the first time in my life I consulted a naturopath who advised me to do so. And secondly, I had recently met tennis legend Novak Djokovic who has achieved astronomical success on a gluten-free diet.
With that in mind, I set myself the challenge of not eating gluten for a month. What am I expecting from this? Hopefully, I will have more energy overall, as well as less bloating and lethargy.
First off, what is gluten?
Gluten is a protein or storage protein found in many types of grains such as rye, barley, wheat and spelt, as well as oats. In baked goods, the gluten ensures that the ingredients stick together.
The changeover is hard, but not as hard as expected
Any lifestyle change is hard at the beginning, and I have to say, the gluten-free diet really messed with my daily habits at the start because it’s found in soo many products, from cereals and dairy products to sauces, vegetarian substitutes, breaded dishes, ice cream and much more.
Anyone on a gluten-free diet must therefore pay very close attention to the ingredients and study the label on the back down to the smallest detail. Gluten is not only present in barley, barley malt, wheat and its derivatives wheat starch, wheat gluten and wheat protein. It is also found in oats, green spelt, bulgur, einkorn, emmer, triticale, kammut and seitan.
So for the first week I’m doing a lot of research and planning. Can I eat anything? It’s easiest for me when I cook fresh and use lots of foods such as vegetables, fruit and pseudo-cereals, e.g. quinoa.
I am also incorporating more proteins back into my diet. I buy buckwheat bread from the health food store and I largely avoid cheap substitute products that contain numerous additives. After just a few days, the changeover is complete and I’ve successfully said goodbye to all gluten-containing foods in the fridge and pantry.
Gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity?
Gluten intolerance, also known as coeliac disease, is an autoimmune disease. In people with coeliac disease, the consumption of gluten leads to inflammation in the small intestine. The consequences of gluten intolerance are nausea, vomiting and other severe bodily reactions that can only be prevented by giving up gluten completely.
In the case of gluten sensitivity, which has long been a controversial issue, those affected also react sensitively and with similar symptoms to the gluten protein – although no changes to the intestinal mucosa typical of coeliac disease or intolerance have been detected. The only way to find out whether gluten sensitivity is present is to carry out a practical test, i.e. to completely eliminate gluten.