The Truth About Going Gluten-Free: 8 Things You Should Know

'Gluten-free' has become one of those phrases that is both revered and despised. There are those that must actually avoid gluten at all costs because they have have been diagnosed with celiac disease, then there are those that avoid gluten-containing foods because it may help with weight loss, or perhaps they have noticed some benefit in digestion, mood, or even skin. Some are even giving gluten-free a shot because it seems to be working for the latest top model on the diet. We get it--inspiration comes from the darnedest places. Adapting a gluten-free diet, however, does not automatically mean that our diet is clean and healthy. The gluten-free food industry is booming, and with it comes a long list of junk-food-like gluten-free products that are indeed "gluten-free," but packed with goodness knows what else. We hear it often: "I tried a gluten-free diet, but it didn’t work." Simply replacing gluten-containing baked goods with gluten-free versions often isn't enough to see a whole lot of improvement. Often gluten-free diets work because when we remove gluten from our diets, we remove many refined and processed foods in general. What we are left with are whole fruits, vegetables and grains, without any of the processed or refined additives that cause many of our digestive and mood related symptoms. The tricky part with going gluten-free is that if our bodies are unable to recognize a new food in our diets, we may not be able to properly digest the food and we will not benefit from or absorb the food's nutrients. Gluten-free grains can still be highly processed and refined, creating inflammation in the body, and contributing to the symptoms. Below are some of the top trouble spots in the process of going gluten-free. Watch for these ingredients and issues and share them with your gluten-free curious friends...

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