We normally think gluten is this substance akin to caffeine, or fat, or saturated fat: it’s bad, bad, bad. Well, it can be. What is gluten? Plainly misunderstood as we’ve been seeing the countless ads and instructional videos about how gluten-free is the way to go, but the message gets lost:

It’s Not Because Gluten’s Bad for You — It’s Because Your Gluten’s Not “Right” for You

It’s all about diet. Cut your diet down to one fried egg, and it can mean the world for you. But gluten? What is gluten anyway? It’s nothing more than the “glue” binding certain proteins together, and it’s a substance so common that you’d be shocked to know what common foods actually have it. It just so happens that many people don’t have much tolerance for it (almost like an allergy, it seems), and doctors would instruct a gluten-free diet.

You see, it’s not bad. It just may not be good for everyone. Luckily there would be alternatives to this list of 3 (and a couple more) common foods that have a plethora of gluten —

• Wheat — You heard correctly. Wheat. As in everything from bread, to cereal, pasta, baked goods, and even salad dressing! Think about it. It’s what keeps all of that food together, keeps it from breaking apart when you cook it. It’s almost necessary.
• Barley — Yes, barley is on this list of the Big Gluten 3 for good reason given just how much pressure barley’s put under. Think malt milkshakes, syrup, vinegar, and beer. Even food coloring falls under this category.
• Rye — We hate to burst your bubble on this, but a lot of rye products contain it, everything from cereals to specific breads. Yes, they’re good for you. But if your body can’t tolerate it, better stay away.
• Triticale — We’re willing to bet not many have heard of this particular grain, similar to wheat but capable of growing in much harsher conditions like rye can. Yes, if your body can’t tolerate it, best stay away from this one as well.
• Oats — Now for the final nail on the coffin, bursting your happy bubble. No more “Honey Bunches of Oats” for breakfast. No more oatmeal it seems. The good thing, though, is you can get all sorts of oat products that are gluten free…. Whether or not they’ll be tasty? That’s up to you and your expectations….

Think About What This Could Mean for Your Diet….

And then think about what kind of benefits you receive for cutting all of it out. Sure, you don’t get to eat all sorts of bread. Yes, cereal’s out of the question as well. You definitely can’t enjoy that cold one with a friend during a hot summer either. But remember this:

There are alternatives through research, and if you contact us, we can help. Just because you can’t manage gluten, doesn’t mean you can’t manage all the foods you love. That’s the best part about organics: anything’s possible!