Attitude Organic had the chance to work with Denise Guray, the nutritionist that started Yummy Gluten free. As a coeliac, she had to go Gluten Free, hence her business idea, a website where you can find delicious gluten free products and recipes. Denise is however not a gluten free advocate for everyone and she kindly explained to us, from her specialist point of view who should go gluten free and how. Read below to discover her ideas!
This is a very hot and controversial topic! Everyone seems to have an opinion.
I will give you my opinion; my view however, comes from a standpoint of a nutritionist.
Who is Denise?
I am a new nutritionist but have much life and other work experience. I feel it is very wrong and narrow minded to eliminate gluten from your diet without the input and advice of a trained practitioner or medical doctor. Let me be clear, if you have been medically diagnosed with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance it is crucial that you adhere to a gluten free diet. I am referring to the many people who for whatever reason; they feel a bit bloated, their friend is gluten free, they think it is healthier, who take it upon themselves to be gluten free.
I am a coeliac, I have been living with coeliac disease and a multitude of other dietary issues for many years. I have always been a keen cook and passionate about optimising health. I truly believe food is medicine. It was a natural progression to start my business; Yummee Gluten Free, three years ago. My product range is organic, gluten free and vegan. Go to www.yummeeglutenfree.com for information about my products, recipes and online shop.
Should you go gluten free?
Eliminating gluten from your diet means eliminating essential nutrients too! It is not always easy to make informed decisions regarding diet. Your body is an amazing machine, designed for optimal function and reliant on a broad variety of nutrients from many food sources.
A trained holistic practitioner requires time, asks lots of questions, takes notes and gives much thought and expertise, to get to the core of any health issue; whether it’s avoiding gluten or a myriad of other health issues. This consultation covers the many aspects of a whole person, the emotional, mental, physical and dietary habits and then leads to a protocol specially designed for that individual. It is only then, that an educated decision can be made. Alternatives, meal plans and monitoring of symptoms will follow. Changes may need to be made with the wealth of knowledge a practitioner has at its disposal.
Designing your own diet with a whole food group missing is a tricky business and best left to qualified practitioners to advise. I hear you say there are many gluten free products available in the supermarket and health food shops and so it is easy to be gluten free and still eat, for example, bread. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming commercial products; gluten free or otherwise have your health’s best interest. Many commercial products are highly processed, contain sugar, additives, preservatives and other ingredients that need a dictionary to understand. They may even be genetically modified!
Many studies have been administered and much evidence has emerged to support eliminating gluten in the diet. For example, for many individuals suffering certain conditions such as leaky gut and chronic inflammation (Bredesen,2017,The End of Alzheimer’s,p.46-48). Eliminating gluten from your diet can have a positive impact on your health but please, do so on the advice of a trained practitioner.
Other options
Another “food group” to eliminate from your diet with positive impact is processed food. No need to see a trained professional, however, often there are sneaky ingredients in food that you would normally consume and assume to be healthy, so maybe guidance is warranted.
We hope you learn a lot about gluten free diet thanks to Denise. We surely did! If you decided that you gluten free is not for you, you may refer to our healthy food articles. Perhaps you will find there something that suits you better.
Let’s be healthy together!
XOXO
Attitude Organic
