Ask JJ: After years of painful bloating, skin breakouts, and joint pain, I finally figured out that I'm gluten intolerant. How do I go gluten-free?
Not only do you not need gluten nutritionally, you're better off without it! Eating gluten-free can positively affect your energy, weight, and focus, plus reduce your risk for common inflammatory diseases.
If you're ready to ditch gluten, the five strategies below can make the transition easier. In fact, you'll be amazed at how quickly you adjust your habits and food choices.
Just remember that there's no going halfway when you're eliminating gluten. Even trace amounts can cause symptoms.
If you're unsure about whether gluten is a problem for you, check out the tips below, then commit to going completely gluten-free for at least 21 days. That's long enough to decide whether a gluten-free life is right for you.
- Don't fall into the gluten-free junk food trap. Just because a food is gluten-free doesn't make it healthy! A cookie is still a cookie, even if it doesn't contain wheat, and many gluten-free processed foods are just as full of sugar and artificial additives. Even if you're going gluten-free, it's still important to eat plenty of clean, lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Watch your sugar intake, too.
You can do this! I'm betting the transformation is so obvious after you get rid of gluten, you'll wonder why you ever chose whole wheat bread and pasta at all.