Many people do not have a problem eating food containing gluten, but for people with celiac disease ingesting gluten can make you very ill. Celiac disease is the most common form of gluten intolerance, affecting 1 in every 140 people in the US these days. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, it triggers an immune response that damages their intestines, preventing them from absorbing vital nutrients. And that's not all... more than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten. And 99% of people who have either celiac disease or gluten intolerance are never diagnosed. Now research reveals that proteins in wheat may be detrimental to all humans. As the gluten free diet has become more of a fad and people who don't necessarily have sensitivities to gluten are giving up bread, etc. there have been cases where they have eliminated other ailments. Google search provides millions of results for gluten-free websites with incredible testimonials of miraculous improvements following the adoption of a gluten-free diet in a wide range of medical issues including migraines, joint paint, skin disorders, epilepsy, depression, insomnia, and ADHD to list a few.
So what does it all mean? Being gluten free means that you cannot eat ANY bread, crackers, cookies, cakes, crusts, bagels, things breaded and fried, pancakes, waffles, brownies, even gravy in which they use a gluten based flour to thicken it... the list goes on and on. (Unless these things are made with a gluten free flour). Now, what happens to people who are gluten intolerant and still eat gluten? Well, a few symptoms may be gas, bloating, chronic fatigue, brain fog or feeling very tired after eating a meal containing gluten, migraine headaches, diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, swelling or pain in joints.
What CAN I eat, you may be asking yourself. Well, think about it this way... If your body were a car, would you put gas in it that you knew might be bad for your car? A gluten free diet consists of mainly of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains (that do not contain gluten), and meat (if you eat that stuff).
Working at Jimmy T's, I have realized that many days the average Costa Rican breakfast consists of white bread with cream cheese or some type of sweet bread, cake, or muffins. If only everyone woke up one morning and realized how damaging bread and therefore gluten can be for us all. Goodbye to the days of surviving solely off of bread.
At Jimmy T's we are working on having more gluten free options for people. As we all know, Costa Rica can be fairly limiting on specialty items, especially gluten free items so far. If you or someone you know suffers from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, feel free to contact Jimmy T's to see how we can make your life easier.
Thanks for reading.
