Of course gluten sensitivity is real, and as an individual with lifelong health problems that were never believed by a single doctor (each who told me I clearly had a leaky gut), it is so hard to see people told that a problem is not a problem. My experience caused me to become a healer. My body was so compromised I turned to the only thing I could to keep me alive. I turned to healing my body without a diagnosis. It was only moderately successful.
Why Do We Pay Doctors Who Treat Us With Such Disrespect
All of my children were born with issues. Some more serious than others. I have been told I am a hysterical mother, an over protective mother, a controlling mother, a worrier. As a patient I was a hypochondriac (even though I clearly had no immune system, constant infections and intestinal pain with no real reason). I have been laughed at, chastised and ignored. Only to find out there was something genuinely wrong each time. For me, doctors are something only consulted when absolutely necessary.
With that being said, all three of my children have type 1 Diabetes and they go to the doctor like clockwork and I would never consider anything but a medical approach for them. Which is why I get so aggravated when doctors (who are pretty important to our health) deny anything they do not know about. That leaves people with obscure problems/diseases with no where to turn.
Gluten Sensitivity Is Real
As a long term metaphysical healer, I have absolutely supported people with gluten sensitivity. The first I worked with was a young girl who improved rapidly once gluten was removed from her diet. Her mom was great at making it work on what is a very hard limitation. So I was shocked when she was told she did not have to avoid gluten any more. Yes, by a doctor, and no she is not the only one.
The medical community does not believe in gluten sensitivity and so, the information out there is just as bad as it is for those of us with Celiac Disease. Although great strides are being made in research, it is not filtering into the offices of doctors, and therefore not into the minds of patients. Gluten sensitivity is not a transient kind of thing. You will not outgrow it. It will simply become a bigger problem.
Even Research Now Shows Gluten Sensitivity Is Real
Research now shows that those with gluten sensitivity like those with celiac disease that within twenty minutes to an hour of ingesting gluten, an abnormal reaction occurs in the lining of the small intestine. The reaction does not destroy the villi, but it clearly causes damage. This is tremendous progress.
However, this progress is steadily undermined by both the general public and by the medical community. Those crazy gluten Ladies (yes, I am one now) started the path for us, but also damaged it for us. Like the boy that cried wolf, those poor gluten ladies were not believed and so now our general public thinks gluten free lifestyle is a joke (or even more insidious is the belief that going gluten free is dangerous to our health).
One doctor summed it up best, “If a patient goes gluten free and they feel better, why disagree? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Research from Johns Hopkins is pretty sobering. When they began to look at gluten issues not from a DNA standpoint, but rather from an RNA standpoint, it looks like the numbers for gluten sensitive people is closer to 35-55% of the population. And yet, somehow it is still a joke. It is not something to take seriously.
Oh God, How I Love My Mom!
For me, I was lucky. My mother believed in whole foods before they were called whole foods. She did not believe in processed food very often. Bread & Pasta were staples, junk food was not. Due to her absolute understanding of nutrition, I fared better than most with undiagnosed Celiac Disease. With that being said, I was sick from October until April of every year I went to school. By the time I was 8 they wanted to yank my tonsils to cut down on the infections. My parents fought it for two years and once they were gone, I had nothing to prevent the infections from going deeper.
I lived on antibiotics and was horribly anemic by 15. By the time I was 52, I could no longer fight off disease effectively and ended up with septicemia. I was not sure I was going to survive. So, I get a little freaked at the thought that this is all fake. That these things which are clearly a problem are not a problem.
Some days I want to scream to the world, as hard as it is, get off gluten!!! I say that on a day where I have not gone to the store, there is not much to eat here, and getting off gluten in many ways means goodbye to convenience and ease in your life. Yet, I still want to scream it.
It Won’t Get Better if We Ignore It
My biggest concern is that people will continue to poo-poo the idea of gluten sensitivity. There are so many articles out there which truly just laugh it off as a fake disease, but is it not. My two youngest daughters and myself have Celiac Disease. My oldest daughter was told she does not have the antibody, and so then she definitely does not have celiac, but I cannot get her to consider going gluten free. This girl has about every issue I had – issues only going away on a gluten free diet.
This is why I worry. I know in my heart, and based on research that her issues will only deepen and worsen. I know for many people with ‘mystery disease’ that no one can figure out, a gluten free diet is all that will improve their life. But when research shows 35-55% of the population truly may be gluten sensitive and our medical community does not believe there is a problem, then a great many people will be walking around ingesting something every day that is actually hurting them.
Do I recommend everyone go gluten free? Hell no, have you tasted most of the stuff sold these days? I didn’t start making gluten free baking mixes because it was all so delicious. But for someone who has lots of aches and pain, brain fog, mood swings and digestive problems, yes I would recommend an attempt to change their diet to see if it would work.
It worked for a few of my clients. One is now biking all over the country happily entering competitions because she no longer has ankle, knee and hip pain with every step she takes.
Article Resources:
Non Celiac-Gluten Sensitivity
Beyond Celiac – NCGS
NCGS More Serious Than Celiac Disease
Don’t live near us? You can buy our mixes online in our gluten free baking mix store