Tri-Valley Psychotherapy

The Annoying Gluten-Free Craze: For many years, I was annoyed by the gluten free craze. I could not understand it at all. Humans have been eating grains for 10,000 years, and processing and refining gluten products for hundreds of years, so why suddenly is everyone scared of gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oat products and can trigger reactions in people with celiac disease, a rare condition affecting only .7% of the population. If only .7% of the population is affected by this disease, why are the rest of us questioning our diet or worrying about the dangers of wheat, rye, barley, and oats?

The importance of Thinking Outside-of-the-Box: I was really against this gluten free craze until February 2012. So what happened that I suddenly eliminated gluten from my diet? My pregnancy. Three months into the pregnancy I began experiencing a variety of digestive problems such as heart burn, gas, and constipation. I also felt tired and sluggish. My doctor told me every pregnant woman has this problem and there was nothing I could do to change it.  But deep down, I felt there was something wrong with my diet, so I decided to run some experiments on myself.

Finding the Clue: One morning, I was given a clue as to what might be wrong with my diet. When I woke up, I thought bread was one of the grossest things in the world. I could not figure out why I had such a thought about my precious bread. Then I started to notice whenever I ate bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, or anything made with gluten, I felt sick.

Starting the Gluten-Free Experiment: So how much gluten was I actually consuming and why was it causing me digestive problems and making me tired? I discovered that I ate gluten at every meal, just like everyone on a traditional American diet. I decided to run a gluten free experiment on myself and live like I had celiac disease. I wanted to see how hard it would be to live this way and if I would would regain my energy and improve my digestion without gluten in my diet.

The Results of My Gluten-Free Experiment: Within two weeks of eliminating all gluten from my diet, I no longer had heart burn, gas, and constipation, and my energy level increased. The reason I had such a vast improvement is that gluten can slow digestion and increase inflammation, which is the last thing a pregnant woman needs or anyone needs! Living on a gluten free diet is very challenging. Every where we turn gluten is there.  It seems to be in everything. Reading the labels at the grocery store, observing menus at restaurants, and going to social events made me realize how much we consume gluten products.

After witnessing such a vast improvement in my physical functioning, I doubt I will return to my regular diet. Sometimes, I wonder how much gluten was affecting my body prior to the pregnancy.


If you would like to run a dietary experiment on yourself to see how gluten might be affecting your health, eliminate it for 21 days from your diet. Please note: before making a change to your diet, it is important to consult with a medical doctor.  

• Udi's Gluten Free Foods: This is an amazing brand. Try their white bread and frozen pizza crust (You can find it at Trader Joes & Fresh & Easy in Pleasanton)
• Deboles Gluten Free Pasta: I love their lasagna noodles. It bakes just like regular lasagna noodles- no need to boil them before baking. (You can find it at Nob Hill or Raley's Grocery Stores in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• Glutino's Gluten Free Foods: To die for yogurt covered pretzels and other great snacks. (You can find it at Nob Hill or Raley's Grocery Stores in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• Bob's Redmill Gluten Free Flours: I love their biscuit and baking mix, which is great for making pancakes, plus they have Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, which is great in cakes, and Gluten Free Cake and Cookie Mixes. Just follow their recipes on the back of the bag. (You can find it at Nob Hill or Raley's Grocery Stores in Livermore and Pleasanton.)
• Amy's Gluten Free Frozen Meals (You can find it at Safeway, Nob Hill and Raley's in Livermore and Pleasanton.).

My favorite Gluten Free Products that made the transition a little easier: