Should You Go Gluten-Free?

Hi, I'm Dr. Miller. Are you wondering if a gluten free diet is right for you? Gluten is a plant protein and upto one in seven people don't tolerate it well, and some people have full blown celiac disease which means they can't tolerate gluten at all. If avoiding gluten makes you feel more energetic, relieve on going bloating, gassiness, or cramps, and clears up your skin or mood, cutting out wheat, barley and rice won't hurt, but you need to be smart about it. Get your fiber elsewhere, switch to grains like corn meal, brown rice, chea, buckwheat, flax, tasha, millet, and kinwa.

Also up your daily quota of fruit, vegetables, and beans. Get your B vitamins with a multi-vitamin, you'll be missing all the B vitamins in wheat, and not all gluten free foods are fortified, see your doctor. If you feel dramatically better after cutting out gluten or if celiac disease runs in your family, or you have risk factors for it like thyroid disease or Type 1 diabetes, get a check up.

You want an accurate diagnosis, not a do-it-yourself one. For more ways to nourish your health watch all our Smart tips.