Dispelling Myths Around the Dreaded Gluten-Free Diet

If you want to be a more compassionate human, please give this article a read

Wendy Cohan

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Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

I’ve seen people made fun of for their need to be gluten free on TV, in movies, and up close and personal. “Gluten” and the people who avoid it are often the butt of jokes — which perplexes me because the number one reason people avoid gluten is their health. Gluten makes them feel like shit, or break out in a horrible itchy rash, or simply be less able to think clearly. For some, it’s an allergy to the wheat grain. For others, it’s a sensitivity or intolerance to the gluten protein complex. Exposure to gluten can also trigger the body to produce antibodies that attack the thyroid, causing metabolic issues requiring daily medication; or in others, trigger asthma on exposure to gluten, even airborne particles.

A smaller percentage of folks carry the genes for Celiac Disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder that can cause incredibly severe, even life-threatening illness.

Not everyone knows exactly why they prefer to avoid gluten — they just feel better when they do, and that’s their right. Doesn’t everyone want to feel their best?

But do we make it easy for them? Most of the time, hell no. Is gluten’s affect on the body a little complex to understand…

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Wendy Cohan
Wendy Cohan

Written by Wendy Cohan

Author of character-driven women's fiction, short stories, and essays. Her contemporary romance, The Renaissance Sisters, debuted May 23, 2023.