Gluten Free Society Blog

Gluten Free Diet-Pitfalls and Mistakes

If you are new or inexperienced to the gluten free diet, you might feel a little overwhelmed. There is a lot of information to digest (pun intended). Mistakes and misconceptions about the diet are rampant. So it is important to take some time to get properly acquainted with the potential pitfalls and mistakes people make when going on a gluten free diet. Keep in mind that even small doses of gluten can create inflammatory damage that can last for months. If you are trying to recover from an autoimmune disease, small mistakes can delay your progress tremendously.

Grab you notepad (you will want to take notes) and push play below.

Click here for video transcript.

Top 9 Reasons Why a Gluten Free Diet Fails

There are many reasons a gluten free diet fails. Make sure your diet is on track, because the frustration caused by a lack of improvement is one of the biggest reasons people prematurely quick the gluten free diet. Also keep in mind that it can take up to two months on a gluten free diet for symptoms to start improving. The following is a synopsis of the 9 most common mistakes people make when going gluten free:

Grains like oats, corn, and rice are still being consumed.
- This is a common cause of gluten-free whiplash. Going on a gluten free diet in the strict sense of the definition means not eating any grain.
- If you are only wheat, barley, and rye free, you’re going to feel better for the first few months, but then symptoms are going to come back and many old and new problems will develop.
Shopping the gluten free aisle.
- The most toxic aisle in the store.
- Gluten-free products are 99% highly processed, highly refined, and contain added hydrogenated fats and added sugars.
- These products contain corn (GMO), oats, and rice. For a detailed break down on grain induced damage read this post.
Gluten mimicking foods are being consumed.
- Dairy containing GMO casein is being consumed.
- Recombinant bovine growth hormone (GMO cows) is contained in some dairy products.
- Meat glue, microbial transglutaminase, can be found in many dairy products and in processed meats.
- Instant coffees contain gluten based fillers.
Hard to digest foods like nuts, seeds, and legumes are being consumed.
- Chemicals in seeds and legumes will shut down digestion and irritate the gut lining.
- Coffee is a gastric irritant.
- Food gums and additives can cause gut inflammation and digestive problems.
- FODMAPS, carbohydrate-based agents that can be very hard to break down.
Your Microbiome is disrupted
- Alteration of the gut’s normal flora is a common side effect of gluten consumption
- Long term antibiotic use can strip the gut’s healthy bacteria.
You have other food allergies
- Gluten is a known cause of leaky gut, the precursor to developing food allergies and sensitivities
- These food allergies cause persistent inflammation.
- Know which foods to avoid.
You Have Nutritional deficiencies
- Deficiencies can be in result of grain consumption and medication use.
- Supplementation will allow the body to repair damage and accelerate the healing process.
Grains are exposing you to – Environmental Chemical Toxicity
- Pesticides (Glyphosate)
  - Serotonin and Melatonin deficiencies
  - Inability to fall asleep
  - Molybdenum deficiency
  - Cobalt deficiency
- Atrazine – a common weed killer
  - Estrogenic – causes chemical sex change in smaller animals
You Body is in a state of chronic inflammation and your tissues are damaged
- Long term gluten exposure causes multiple tissue inflammation. This can leave your body in a state that challenges healing and repair.
- You may have been suffering from chronic pain for years and are on multiple medications.
- You have developed several nutritional deficiencies linked to grain consumption or medication use.
- Your gut is already damaged which interferes with proper absorption of nutrients.