Gluten Intolerance Symptoms And What You Can Do

If you have ever noticed a cramping or bloating feeling after eating such things as bread, pasta or cereals, you might want to consider if you are gluten intolerant or not. A lot of people have mild to more severe gluten intolerance symptoms.

What is gluten intolerance?

First of all, let’s explain what gluten is. It is the protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye, therefore, found in pasta, breads, crackers and cereals. Often when people think they have wheat allergies, it sometimes can be more specifically, the gluten they are intolerant to.

Basically, when one has mild gluten intolerance symptoms, their gut cannot digest it properly, so if it is eaten, the person will feel poorly for awhile. These side effects usually disipate after awhile.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance

• bloating and gas
• cramping
• diarrhea
• headaches
•  eczema

If you are not sure if you have these symptoms, then avoid eating any wheat for a few days and add it back to your diet and note any changes in your body. For example, people with eczema will notice it start to clear up when wheat is avoided, but as soon as wheat is eaten, it comes back quickly.

Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance in Children

It can be a little harder to detect these symptoms in children, but again, a good way to test is to have them avoid anything with wheat and then introduce it and watch for signs. Some of these can be:

• Irritability
• Headaches
• Cramping
• Constipation or diarrhea

It has been found that when nursing babies seem to have colic, sometimes it can be a sign of gluten intolerance and when the mother avoids wheat, the babies tummy is no longer upset. This is due to the fact of the baby already having some form of gluten intolerance.

Gluten Intolerant or Celiac Disease?

There is a difference between gluten sensitivity and the more serious, Celiac disease, which affects the immune system and causes severe implications if wheat is not avoided. These are not just fleeting side effects but the person’s health and wellbeing can be seriously affected. Due to the bodies’ inability to absorb nutrients, malnutrition can even happen.

See your doctor if you think you might have celiac disease and they can run some blood tests to determine if you might have it. Best bet, if you know you don't feel well when consuming any kind of wheat...avoid it!

Dietary Changes

It is imperative that all things with wheat be avoided if you suspect you have some form of gluten intolerance. It can seem a little overwhelming and limiting at first to think of avoiding wheat. Of course if one has Celiac disease then that person would need to avoid it at all costs but those with gluten sensitivity can sometimes get away with sneaking a bit in here and there.

It is easier to stay away from wheat nowadays thanks to the addition of breads, pastas and cereals made from rice, soy, potato and tapioca. If you are baking muffins, for example, you can make your own “flour” mixture from rice, potato and tapioca flour. Pizza crusts, breads and other baked goods can be made from this mixture.

Of course, it is important that one eats lots of fruits and vegetables anyway so there is no worry about wheat in these, along with lean meats, legumes and such things as corn, oats, quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat.

Here are some other items that might have hidden gluten in: (It is important to always read the label and know that some ingredients will say spices and it will have wheat in!)

• Salad dressings
• Beer
• Luncheon meats and sausages
• Canned soups and soup mixes
• Broth mixes
• Baked beans
• Some egg substitutes
• Imitation crab
• Gravy mixes
• Soy sauce
• Some flavored potato chips
• Licorice
• Malt vinegar
• Cheap brands of chocolate
• Some spices such as curry
• Dry mustard powder

Eating Out

When you are eating out be sure to ask for them to look at the ingredient list on the salad dressing if it is not homemade. Better yet, just ask for olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that is better for you anyway.

Ask if the soups have a homemade stock or powdered stock as the stock you buy in powder form often has wheat in it.

If you enjoy Italian food and think you will miss your pasta, ask for risotto instead. This is an Italian rice with a nice creamy texture and combined with meats or porcini mushrooms is wonderful and will satisfy any carb craving.

Healthier Bodies

We could probably all use to avoid some wheat, since the North American diet contains so much processed food, which is not good for us. So, even though it can seem daunting at first to avoid wheat, your body will love you more for it and over time you will find substitutes that can do the trick.