Ode to the Gluten-free Diet Fad
/When I was younger, I had no idea what gluten was. I’m sure many people still don’t. If that’s the case, great! I’m glad there’s no reason for you to know about it. But if you’re like me, you either have celiac disease, a gluten sensitivity, or know someone who does.
In recent years, diets like veganism, keto, and gluten-free have become trendy among people looking to boost their health. And I have to admit, I cringed at those hopping on the bandwagon.
But then I was diagnosed with celiac disease.
A basket of bread and wheat beside salt and pepper shakers
It was hard to adjust. I was never someone who watched what I ate. I liked eating whatever I wanted. I liked not eating what I didn’t want simply because I didn’t like it— not because I couldn’t have it.
Before I go on, I should tell you what gluten is. It’s a protein found in foods that consist of wheat, rye, barley, and most oats. When I explain it to people, I just tell them I can’t have ‘bready’ things. I can’t have gluten because it makes my body literally attack itself. If I do, my small intestine can’t digest the vitamins and nutrients I need to, you know, survive.
So it’s safe to say my world was rocked when my food options became so limited.
As someone with zero sense of discipline, I allow myself to ‘cheat’ now and then. But this doesn’t come without consequences. Short term, my stomach gets super bloated and cramped. Long term, I’m looking at a “2x greater risk of developing coronary artery disease, and a 4x greater risk of developing small bowel cancers,” according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.
You’d think I’d take it more seriously. I don’t say this to discredit the severity of celiac but to prove how hard it is to live with a dietary restriction.
A group of people in motion around a dinner table.
As a Latino, food is a massive part of my culture and identity. Trying to explain this change to my family was hard. Did you know there isn’t even a Spanish word for ‘gluten’?
Transforming your lifestyle doesn’t come without struggle.
And I struggled.
If it weren’t for the rise of fad diets, I don’t think I would have as many options as I do today.
I’ll qualify here— there’s definitely an element to these diets that can be unhealthy, especially the ones based on losing weight fast. Diets like this are a scam and utterly detrimental to our well-being. There’s no diet out there that’s going to cure cancer, I’m sorry. Please seek professional help.
But when eating gluten-free suddenly became all the rage, I witnessed an increase in things I could buy at grocery stores and, to my immense relief, restaurants.
I know it’s mostly a trend based on nothing other than marketing ploys and a lack of scientific basis. I know people who hail their gluten-free diets as the pinnacle of health are mistaken. And I know that eventually, the fad will phase out, and people will go back to their normal, non-restrictive diets.
But damn it, don’t I deserve to have my bread basket at the restaurant too?
Gluten-free foods have gone from an obscure diet to a lifestyle trend. According to the CCA, “The Canadian gluten-free food market is the fastest growing food intolerance category estimated to be $811.5 million and forecasted to grow 10%.”
This trend has been a lifesaver for me. With more demand comes more supply. Now, I get to enjoy foods that most other people get without question. Cereal, pizza, pancakes. I have options that I wouldn’t have had ten years ago.
So I say keep the trend going. While gluten-free diets don’t make you biologically superior, you can still indulge in gluten-friendly foods every now and then. Many foods naturally don’t have gluten anyway.
Do as restaurant servers do when I ask for a gluten-free substitute and embrace the “allergy or preference” mentality.
The worst that can happen is that we raise more awareness and maybe, hopefully, more research for celiac and gluten allergies.
The best that can happen is that people who struggle with these dietary restrictions get to enjoy more of the foods we miss out on.
Amanda Monterroso — is a 2nd-year Professional Writing Student who will try (mostly) any food at least once, has a bookshelf full of unread books, loves writing poetry, and hates writing bios. Follow her on Instagram: @quietsonginthenight
