After watching a family member struggle with some health issues and largely coming back from them after changing her diet, I decided for my future health I would do the same.

My family used to feel like organic wheat and organic dairy were good for our bodies. We believed the US government food pyramid that has now been retired for something called "My Plate." The pyramid, though, told us that we needed 6-11 servings of grains daily! I sometimes wonder how much the wheat/grain industry paid our government for that advertising slot. That gave Americans permission to chow down all day long on yummy, steaming, soft rolls and pizza, because, hey, the government told us, too. They even fortified wheat with fake folic acid to up the health benefits. But guess what?

Almost half the US population has a mutation or two on the MTHFR genes....look it up for yourself...and this makes it nearly impossible to convert the fake folic acid into a more useable form. In other words, half of us are storing the fake in our bodies because our bodies don't know what to do with it. We need methylfolate which is bioavailable. The natural form can be bought in the form of vitamins (but look for methyl) or found in natural foods like broccoli and avocado.

Before about 10,000 years ago, when people got serious about harvesting wheat, wheat was not as widely consumed and was not the mainstay of people's diets. Since then and recently there has been a surge in celiac disease for the simple reason that wheat is so "ingrained" in our society. However, NOBODY can digest gluten. How do I know this? Because wheat is by its very nature an indigestible protein.

Some people's immune systems are geared to see this indigestible protein and accept it as a friend. Other people's immune systems see it and fire away causing runaway inflammation and a negative cascade of events. We have a much larger percentage of gluten in our baked foods than even our grandparents did. Gluten in Latin means "glue." So when your muscles and joints don't want to move, you can picture them being glued together by the foods you eat. I am going to say that whatever health problems you have, you should try giving up wheat and perhaps dairy for six months and see how you feel and what your labs look like. You will be pleasantly surprised.

I have to add dairy to the no-no list because the protein in dairy looks to the body much like gluten and the body reacts the same. Some people can tolerate dairy. Some people can't. But if you just give up gluten and don't feel better, it may be because your body is reacting to the dairy or another food intolerance. And, by the way, there is no cheating on a gluten-free diet. Something as small as a breadcrumb totally negates your efforts. It's all or nothing.

It can be a little overwhelming in the beginning but when you see how much better you feel, you won't want to go back. Many autoimmune diseases are caused by or made worse by food intolerances such as wheat and dairy. There have been people that have literally been able to release themselves from their disease simply by changing their diet. How do I know? I have watched it with my own eyes with family members. So I have been gluten-free for five years, and I feel like I am not being used as a replaceable pawn in the big wheat industry.

Hopefully, my body has been able to shed the unwanted folic acid at this point and is using the natural form right this very minute. Try it for yourself. Then you can tell someone else your experience and help them feel better, too!

There is lots of information on the internet if you are interested in learning more. I feel as though this article sums up everything pretty precisely and is a good place to start: http://www.nutritionalecleanse.com/blog/2015/3/9/just-say-no-to-gluten