Bloating. Gut issues. Body pain. Skin problems. Poor sleep. Anxiety. Moodiness and irritability.

Any of that sound familiar?

If you experience any of these issues on a regular basis, it might be time to ditch gluten. Gluten proteins most commonly affect the gut, damaging the gut lining and impacting virtually all other body systems. Fortunately, embracing a simple, healthy, gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t have to be a struggle. Working with a dedicated Nutrition Coach can help you cut through the noise and provide you with a customized gluten-free nutrition plan that supports your health and allows your body to heal naturally.

Here are the 5 essential steps you need to take to start your gluten-free journey off on the right path.

Step 1: Understanding the Basics of Gluten

Gluten is a type of protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye (these are the “official” sources, but some amount of gluten is found in all grains, which is why we teach our clients that a grain-free diet is the safest way to go gluten-free).

Gluten-containing ingredients are included in most of the foods that make up our modern diet. In sensitive people, this protein damages the gut lining and creates the bloating and digestive upsets that we’re all-too familiar with. But gluten can impact all body systems and unleash a myriad of other unpleasant or downright miserable symptoms, including skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis herpetiformis, sleep disorders or insomnia, mood swings and anxiety, body aches or headaches, and inflammation (just to name a few).

While the gluten-free diet is certainly popular, it might not be right for everyone. Before deciding to break up with gluten, it’s important to understand your symptoms, check in with your healthcare professional, and make an informed decision about your health.

Step 2: Creating a Safe Kitchen

Having a gluten-safe kitchen is essential for your health and mental wellbeing. Getting rid of the gluten in your home creates a safe space where you don’t have to think about protecting yourself from accidental ingestion or cross-contact.

If you live alone (or have a supportive partner), then gluten-proofing your home is pretty easy:

• Step 1: Get rid of all gluten-containing foods and kitchen items that cannot be properly cleaned.
• Step 2: Restock your kitchen with gluten-free foods and a few new kitchenware items.

For those who cohabitate with gluten-eaters, keeping a safe kitchen requires more effort. It’s not fair to demand that everyone around you stop eating gluten, but it is important to talk to the people you live with and let them know what you need. Work together to create safe kitchen routines and procedures for cleaning up. Most importantly, organize your kitchen so that there is a designated space for gluten-free foods and purchase multiples of any kitchen items that can’t be properly cleaned.

Step 3: Understanding What to Eat

It’s important to remember that some versions of a gluten-free diet are healthier than others. While there are hundreds of gluten-free alternatives to the breads, pasta, cereal, snacks, and baked items we’re used to, these alternative versions contain added starch, sugar, fat, and salt to make them taste and feel like the gluten-containing originals they’re meant to replace. As a result, these products lack nutrients and are harmful to your body (and your waistline) if they’re consumed in excess.

It’s best to avoid relying on the gluten-free alternatives to modern convenience foods. Instead, opt for healthy whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, legumes, organic oils, honey, vinegar, and herbs/spices. These foods are naturally gluten-free and provide the nutrients essential for healing your body.

When in doubt, remember that foods should be:

• Real – if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, put it back on the shelf
• Non-GMO (always) and organic (when possible)
• Minimally processed or not processed at all
• Free from chemicals, hormones, and steroids
• Low in calories, high in nutrients

Step 4: Dealing with Detox

Within the first ten days of going gluten-free, many people report experiencing withdrawal or flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, body pain, fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, or mood changes. Your risk of gluten detox, and the severity of your symptoms, depends on several factors, including how gluten proteins affect you and the symptoms of your gluten sensitivity.

Step 5: Supporting Gut Health

Gluten most commonly attacks the gut, so it’s important to support your gut and digestive tract with healing nutrients and gut-healthy foods.

Damage to the gut lining can disrupt the gut microbiome and destroy populations of “good” bacteria in the gut. In addition to a good probiotic formula you can support healthy gut bacteria with fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, brined pickles, kombucha, and apple cider vinegar. These foods provide essential probiotics to help support your gut but should be accompanied by prebiotic-containing foods like garlic, onions, leek, asparagus, apples, and flaxseeds. These foods contain prebiotic fiber to feed the good bacteria and help them thrive.

Other ways to support gut health include drinking lots of water, eating a fiber-rich diet, avoiding hard to digest foods (like dairy, starchy foods, and legumes), practicing daily movement, reducing stress, and getting adequate sleep.

It’s also recommended that you work with a Holistic Nutritionist or Nutrition Coach who can help you determine which nutrients are most beneficial for your specific situation. Ideally, your coach will customize a nutrition and supplement program for you that can support your body where you need it most.

For more information, visit www.practicalwellnessteam.com/blog