Gluten-free foods are a hot item nowadays. But is switching to foods without gluten always necessary?
Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts and Avoiding Chronic Illnesses
Fad diets such as the Paleo diet are all about reverting our diet back several thousand years. For some people this diet works well, and scientists have shown that gluten, which is mostly found in wheat and other grains is a fairly recent addition to our diet. Hence the need for things like gluten-free pizza crusts.
In recent years, more people are making the transition from western medicines to finding the root cause of their chronic illnesses. Instead of over-medicating and, suppressing their symptoms, people have seen the benefit of changing their diets in hopes of identifying a food sensitivity, such as switching to gluten-free foods.
What is a food sensitivity? This term has been tossed around in conjunction with other words like allergy and intolerance. What needs to to be understood is that they are three completely different things, that shouldn't be confused.
Gluten-Free Foods and Severe Health Risks
Having a food allergy means certain food/s cause you to have a classic allergic reaction. Making contact with the food can cause anaphylaxis which requires an injectable source of epinephrine.
Unlike an allergy, a food intolerance does not cause a potentially life-threatening situation. An intolerance to food says that you are lacking a digestive enzyme necessary to break down a certain food, thus causing various digestive problems such as diarrhea, bloating, and cramping. A person with lactose intolerance, has trouble processing the milk proteins but it is not an immune response like that of an allergy. Acute food sensitivity and allergies cause such distinct reactions that they are very easy to diagnose, especially in cases like celiac disease.
Unlike an allergy, a food intolerance does not cause a potentially life-threatening situation. An intolerance to food says that you are lacking a digestive enzyme necessary to break down a certain food, thus causing various digestive problems such as diarrhea, bloating, and cramping. A person with lactose intolerance, has trouble processing the milk proteins but it is not an immune response like that of an allergy. Acute food sensitivity and allergies cause such distinct reactions that they are very easy to diagnose, especially in cases like celiac disease.
Food sensitivities on the other hand are a little harder to identify. They can manifest in a wide range of symptoms that include fatigue, acid reflux, bloating, headaches, anxiety and much more. Food sensitivities are not dangerous but they do impede your ability to live life comfortably.
Gluten has earned the reputation of becoming the newest fad diet, destined to fade out like its predecessors because of its now mainstream attention. The truth is, that people are now paying closer attention to the way they feel and are wanting to make a a more proactive approach to healing their bodies. Gluten plays a major role in food sensitivities, it being perhaps the biggest culprit alongside dairy and sugar. People with gluten sensitivity can suffer from brain fog, moodiness, headaches, fatigue, heartburn, acne, rosacea, dark circles, gas, bloating, constipation, anxiety, depression and even joint pain.
So whether or not you are going to switch, remember that healthy food such as gluten-free pizza crusts are a great way to start.
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