Avoiding gluten if you have celiac disease or just a sensitivity doesn’t have to be difficult. And there are so many delicious gluten-free foods available these days. But first, it's important to understand the basics.
To some people, eating gluten-free is still a very misunderstood dietary choice. Whether you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, it’s important to know what gluten is and does to your body.
Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, like wheat and barley. It helps to bind together ingredients when baking, like in breads and cakes. It’s often thought that a gluten-free diet is one that promotes weight loss, but it’s more often for people who have issues with gluten, such as celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergies.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to the consumption of the protein gluten. When people with celiac disease consume gluten, it leads to damage to the small intestine. A body with celiac disease will send an immune response to attack the small intestine when it senses the gluten protein. This will damage the system that absorbs nutrients and affects how your body takes nutrients in.
Celiac disease is hereditary, so if someone in your family has it, you could be more likely to have celiac disease as well.
The best way to treat celiac disease is to stay on a strict gluten-free diet, and in some cases to avoid gluten in other everyday products, including makeup, lotions, and shampoos and conditioners.
Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Not everyone will develop symptoms of celiac disease. Also, symptoms can present themselves differently in children compared to adults. Anyone who tests positive for celiac disease will be at risk for developing later on in life health problems.
Children with celiac disease might experience more digestive issues - some common symptoms are:
- Constipation and/or chronic diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Painful abdominal bloating
- Irritability and fatigue
- Iron deficiency
- Weight loss
- Shorter stature or delayed growth
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Adults who are dealing with celiac disease are less likely to experience issues with their digestive symptoms. Adults are more likely to experience the following symptoms:
- Iron deficiency
- Fatigue
- Arthritis, bone, and joint pain
- Bone density loss
- Depression or anxiety
- Seizures
- Migraines
- Missed menstrual cycle
- Canker sores inside the mouth
- Peripheral neuropathy, which is tingling and numbness in the extremities
It’s important to be able to recognize the signs that you or someone you know might be suffering from celiac disease, but not everyone shows severe symptoms. The best way to learn if you have celiac disease is to go to your doctor for a blood test.
Gluten Intolerance
Some people may not have celiac disease, but they can still be gluten-intolerant or gluten-sensitive, or more formally known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). NCGS is a gluten-related condition that affects people without gluten or wheat allergies and is often diagnosed through a process of ruling out other conditions. If you are not allergic to wheat and test negative for celiac disease, you could be diagnosed with NCGS.
In order to diagnose gluten intolerance, doctors need to rule out the other conditions related to gluten. A great way to help your doctor understand your sensitivity to gluten better is to keep a food journal where you log the foods you are eating and how they are making you feel.
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
Some symptoms that you might experience if you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity are:
- Mental fatigue
- Exhaustion
- Frequent headaches
- Abdominal bloating and gas
Some not-so-common signs of gluten sensitivity are:
- Severe stomach pain
- Joint and muscle pain
- Confusion and disorientation
There are several autoimmune disorders that are linked to gluten sensitivity, including thyroid disease and Raynaud’s Phenomenon, so it’s important to understand your symptoms to help your doctor better diagnose you. On top of establishing what the blood tests say, it’s important to monitor your own eating habits to make better decisions for your health down the line.
Those with gluten intolerance can find comfort in using different supplements of digestive enzymes to help the symptoms or work on lowering the amount of gluten from their diet. Depending on the severity of your sensitivity, you might want to consider removing it altogether. Talk to your doctor about what the best option for you can be.
How Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease Differ
The main differences between celiac disease and gluten intolerance are that the doctors don’t quite understand what causes gluten intolerance, if not as a result of celiac disease or a genetic component.
If you are having issues related to eating foods with higher amounts of gluten in them, it’s important that you rule out celiac disease first. If it’s not celiac disease and your body just reacts negatively to gluten, then you can begin to formulate a plan on how to combat the symptoms.
Some people with gluten sensitivity will be able to consume smaller amounts of gluten in foods like cake and bread, without feeling symptoms as severe as someone with a gluten allergy. This means that your diet may only need to be slightly modified, and that you are just more cognizant of the food you are consuming.
Those with celiac often follow a more strict diet to avoid any unwanted symptoms and have to be more cautious of what they are consuming so as not to disturb their body’s functioning.
Eating Gluten-Free With Thistle
Having to adjust your way of eating can seem overwhelming at first. But gluten-free foods are more available and more delicious, now more than ever.
Using Thistle’s services, you’ll find that all of our meals, juices, and snacks come gluten-free, and they’re all plant-based and delicious.
You can feel confident knowing that our meals are gluten-free already so that you don’t have to scan through the lists of ingredients. And we deliver meals right to your doorstep to make it even easier to eat gluten-free.
Regardless of whether you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, knowing what foods hurt and help you can be essential when it comes to sustainable eating and health.
Talk with your doctor if you believe you have an issue with gluten so that you can be diagnosed and begin your path to a healthier life. You should understand what your body needs more and less of, and how to adjust your diet and lifestyle accordingly.
Know that here at Thistle we’re always creating new meals to make eating plant-based and gluten-free easy and flavorful! From breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, we strive to make eating healthy delicious and convenient, so don’t miss out! Sign-up today.
Sources:
What is Celiac Disease? | Celiac Disease Foundation
Associated Autoimmune Diseases | Gluten Intolerance Group
Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Intolerance (Infographic) | Northwestern Medicine
Avoiding gluten if you have celiac disease or just a sensitivity doesn’t have to be difficult. And there are so many delicious gluten-free foods available these days. But first, it's important to understand the basics.
To some people, eating gluten-free is still a very misunderstood dietary choice. Whether you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, it’s important to know what gluten is and does to your body.
Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, like wheat and barley. It helps to bind together ingredients when baking, like in breads and cakes. It’s often thought that a gluten-free diet is one that promotes weight loss, but it’s more often for people who have issues with gluten, such as celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergies.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to the consumption of the protein gluten. When people with celiac disease consume gluten, it leads to damage to the small intestine. A body with celiac disease will send an immune response to attack the small intestine when it senses the gluten protein. This will damage the system that absorbs nutrients and affects how your body takes nutrients in.
Celiac disease is hereditary, so if someone in your family has it, you could be more likely to have celiac disease as well.
The best way to treat celiac disease is to stay on a strict gluten-free diet, and in some cases to avoid gluten in other everyday products, including makeup, lotions, and shampoos and conditioners.
Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Not everyone will develop symptoms of celiac disease. Also, symptoms can present themselves differently in children compared to adults. Anyone who tests positive for celiac disease will be at risk for developing later on in life health problems.
Children with celiac disease might experience more digestive issues - some common symptoms are:
- Constipation and/or chronic diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Painful abdominal bloating
- Irritability and fatigue
- Iron deficiency
- Weight loss
- Shorter stature or delayed growth
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Adults who are dealing with celiac disease are less likely to experience issues with their digestive symptoms. Adults are more likely to experience the following symptoms:
- Iron deficiency
- Fatigue
- Arthritis, bone, and joint pain
- Bone density loss
- Depression or anxiety
- Seizures
- Migraines
- Missed menstrual cycle
- Canker sores inside the mouth
- Peripheral neuropathy, which is tingling and numbness in the extremities
It’s important to be able to recognize the signs that you or someone you know might be suffering from celiac disease, but not everyone shows severe symptoms. The best way to learn if you have celiac disease is to go to your doctor for a blood test.
Gluten Intolerance
Some people may not have celiac disease, but they can still be gluten-intolerant or gluten-sensitive, or more formally known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). NCGS is a gluten-related condition that affects people without gluten or wheat allergies and is often diagnosed through a process of ruling out other conditions. If you are not allergic to wheat and test negative for celiac disease, you could be diagnosed with NCGS.
In order to diagnose gluten intolerance, doctors need to rule out the other conditions related to gluten. A great way to help your doctor understand your sensitivity to gluten better is to keep a food journal where you log the foods you are eating and how they are making you feel.
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
Some symptoms that you might experience if you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity are:
- Mental fatigue
- Exhaustion
- Frequent headaches
- Abdominal bloating and gas
Some not-so-common signs of gluten sensitivity are:
- Severe stomach pain
- Joint and muscle pain
- Confusion and disorientation
There are several autoimmune disorders that are linked to gluten sensitivity, including thyroid disease and Raynaud’s Phenomenon, so it’s important to understand your symptoms to help your doctor better diagnose you. On top of establishing what the blood tests say, it’s important to monitor your own eating habits to make better decisions for your health down the line.
Those with gluten intolerance can find comfort in using different supplements of digestive enzymes to help the symptoms or work on lowering the amount of gluten from their diet. Depending on the severity of your sensitivity, you might want to consider removing it altogether. Talk to your doctor about what the best option for you can be.
How Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease Differ
The main differences between celiac disease and gluten intolerance are that the doctors don’t quite understand what causes gluten intolerance, if not as a result of celiac disease or a genetic component.
If you are having issues related to eating foods with higher amounts of gluten in them, it’s important that you rule out celiac disease first. If it’s not celiac disease and your body just reacts negatively to gluten, then you can begin to formulate a plan on how to combat the symptoms.
Some people with gluten sensitivity will be able to consume smaller amounts of gluten in foods like cake and bread, without feeling symptoms as severe as someone with a gluten allergy. This means that your diet may only need to be slightly modified, and that you are just more cognizant of the food you are consuming.
Those with celiac often follow a more strict diet to avoid any unwanted symptoms and have to be more cautious of what they are consuming so as not to disturb their body’s functioning.
Eating Gluten-Free With Thistle
Having to adjust your way of eating can seem overwhelming at first. But gluten-free foods are more available and more delicious, now more than ever.
Using Thistle’s services, you’ll find that all of our meals, juices, and snacks come gluten-free, and they’re all plant-based and delicious.
You can feel confident knowing that our meals are gluten-free already so that you don’t have to scan through the lists of ingredients. And we deliver meals right to your doorstep to make it even easier to eat gluten-free.
Regardless of whether you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, knowing what foods hurt and help you can be essential when it comes to sustainable eating and health.
Talk with your doctor if you believe you have an issue with gluten so that you can be diagnosed and begin your path to a healthier life. You should understand what your body needs more and less of, and how to adjust your diet and lifestyle accordingly.
Know that here at Thistle we’re always creating new meals to make eating plant-based and gluten-free easy and flavorful! From breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, we strive to make eating healthy delicious and convenient, so don’t miss out! Sign-up today.
Sources:
What is Celiac Disease? | Celiac Disease Foundation
Associated Autoimmune Diseases | Gluten Intolerance Group
Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Intolerance (Infographic) | Northwestern Medicine
