Excuse me, do you have this in gluten-free?

The other day I posted an article on Facebook about the celebrity Miley Cyrus. In response to the media outcry that she is anorexic, Miley tweeted her fans and told them that she has a "gluten and lactose allergy." My comment along with post was "celebrities frustrate  me." She goes on to say the "gluten is crappp anyway!" This fired me up, because I know that every little girl out there that is struggling with weight will see this and automatically think that they must avoid gluten in their diet to lose weight. Yeah, I tweeted Miley (who knows if it's actually her who controls her account) and told her she looks fabulous and healthy. Which she does! The media  loves to cause trouble, it's their job. But, I also added in to please make her young audience aware that gluten is not "crappp" unless you have an allergy/intolerance.
The 411 on gluten: it is a protein found in grain wheats, barley and rye. A gluten-free diet is essential for those with Celiac Disease-an autoimmune disease. The tiniest bit of gluten that is introduced to their gastrointestinal system cause the immune system to reeve up killing off the gluten as well as the lining of the small intestine-which is where majority of our nutrients are absorb. Many disease states can occur from nutrient deficiencies including cancer, osteoporosis and even issues with fertility. Therefore, gluten needs to be eliminated from the diet to keep the digestive system intact. BUT, only for those effected by this autoimmune disease.

Celiac Video

Symptoms of Celiac disease according to the Celiac Foundation

• Abdominal cramping, intestinal gas
• Distention and bloating of the stomach
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
• Steatorrhea – fatty stools (if your stool floats, this could be steatorrhea)
• Anemia – unexplained, due to folic acid, B12 or iron deficiency (or all)
• Unexplained weight loss with large appetite or weight gain

If you have any of these symptoms PLEASE get to your doctor. Unfortunately, Celiac disease is often diagnosed in later years. I recommend that you keep a very specific food diary for 72 hours. Write down what you eat, how much of it you eat, what time you ate it and any physical symptoms you may be having. A popular diet that is being prescribed by doctors and dietitians is the Fodmap diet (eliminating diet) in order too see what may be triggering those symptoms.

So, what does happen if you choose a gluten-free diet and do not have this disease? Well, first let me tell you, this diet is not easy and takes a lot of work, much like the fodmap diet. Mark DeMeo, M.D., director of gastroenterology and nutrition at the Adult Celiac Disease Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago stated, "there's nothing magical about a gluten-free diet that's going to help you lose weight." What happens is you begin to eliminate simple carbohydrates and other foods that are higher in calories therefore, promoting weight lose.

Heck, maybe this is a good thing. With more and more people (celebrities especially) following a GF diet food corporations and restaurant chains will be forced to produce more gluten-free products, evening out the cost and making it readily available for my clients and patients.  
Bottom line- no research suggests a healthier diet is found when eliminating gluten. A healthy diets consists of Balance! Many fruits and veggies, low-fat dairy products, nutrient-rich fats like olive oil and canola oil, whole grains, lean meat and yes, even an occasional piece of cake!

Continue reading as I continue my mission: Healthy Huggins!!

Read more at Women's Health: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/gluten-free-diet#ixzz1rr0P6UUv
Read more at Fox news: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/10/miley-cyrus-latest-celeb-to-promote-gluten-free-diet/