The AZ of Gluten Allergy

If you were looking for “gluten free” foods 10 years ago, it was hard to find many options. However, the gluten-free food industry has dealt with several athletes who have been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and need alternative foods to increase variety in their meal planning. It was not an easy task at the time. However, as the search for nutritional options and education has emerged, many athletes are choosing to embrace a once-restrictive diet with open arms.

If you were to adopt a “gluten-free” lifestyle 10 years ago, a variety of food selections may not have been in the repertoire at that time. However, this niche market has gone mainstream in the last 5 years, growing into a multi-billion dollar industry. Whether out of necessity or choice, gluten-free living now offers a variety to its cohorts. Athletes seek nutritional options, and as our drive grows to provide our athletes with an education to make informed decisions about their food choices, gluten is one of the most frequently talked about topics. Questions often arise during nutrition seminars about what exactly gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in many different types of cereals/breads.

How many times do we feel the effects of gluten after a night of eating out? Drinking that pre-dinner beer with the bread that almost every restaurant brings to the table, as well as the pasta dish, leaves us packing in the car bloated and uncomfortable, suffering from what can be considered a Gluten Buzz. Now, there are many reasons to feel bloated, but gluten may be to blame. Only 1 percent of the population has been identified as gluten intolerant, but as more people try the gluten-free lifestyle, many of us have noticed a much more pleasant feeling after food consumption.

Athletes’ quest for supremacy and the drive to improve their quality of life has broadened the scope of topics frequently discussed with athletes. Whether out of necessity or choice, gluten is one of those topics that gets discussed repeatedly.

Gluten is a protein found in many different types of grains. This protein provides elasticity to the dough and a spongy texture to the bread. Foods that contain gluten are barley, couscous, wheat, rye, malt, durum wheat, spelt, etc. Oats are known to have some gluten cross-contamination, as they are usually processed in wheat factories, so they are not recommended for people with true gluten allergies. Celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, ADHD, and autism are some of the disorders that can be avoided by adopting a gluten-free lifestyle.