Why Eliminate Gluten for Weight Loss?
Symptoms such as weight gain, headaches, gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation and/or diarrhea are all signs that someone may have allergies, intolerances, or sensitivities to food. Sometimes the symptoms can happen immediately and sometimes they may not be experienced for several days after eating a particular food. Many times we do not even associate our symptoms with the reactions we have to consuming sensitive foods.
For many people when they ingest gluten, the body perceives the grain as a dangerous foreign invader. Consequently, the body starts an immune attack to get rid of the attacker by causing inflammation (our body’s way of attacking an antigen). Constant exposure to gluten means constant inflammation and puts a real burden on the body’s defense mechanism. Not only that, the continual need for cortisol (our body’s natural anti-inflammatory made from the adrenals) causes the adrenal glands to burn out. You may recall that your adrenals are also required for blood sugar stabilization (insulin output). So if we are having difficulty managing our blood sugar levels due to Adrenal exhaustion, we are also going to find it difficult to lose weight.
Second to this, is that gluten has an effect on the functioning of your thyroid hormone which is responsible for energy and fat metabolism.
Continually consumption of glutinous foods and the inflammatory response causes your body to go into a state of auto immunity, hence why Celiac disease is an auto- immune disease. The body cannot differentiate between gluten and its own glands and as a result starts thinking that your thyroid gland is a foreign invader.
So those of you, who have had reports of high levels of Anti-TPO (Thyroperoxidase Abs) and have had their doctor discuss an Auto-immune Thyroiditis, please take note; your body is attacking its own thyroid. If this is the case, it is HIGHLY recommended that you exclude gluten from your diet as a faulty thyroid affects your metabolism and how well you can burn fat!
Finally, if your adrenals are exhausted (from daily stressors such as diet, vigorous exercise or poor quality sleep), this will have an effect on your thyroid gland. Excessive cortisol output is also linked with inhibiting your TSH levels and the enzyme that converts T4 to T3 (the active form).
So just by eating gluten may have a double hormonal whammy in your quest to lose weight.
