What Is Gluten And Why Is It Bad For Some People?
4,361 Views
Listen to the What Is Gluten And Why Is It Bad For Some People post on our Live Lean TV Podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast!
5 Sneaky Sources of Gluten That Will Surprise You
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m answering the following question, what is gluten and why is it bad for some people?
I also share 5 sneaky sources of gluten that will surprise you.
But first, let’s discuss the following:
- Are you avoiding gluten?
- Do you even know what gluten is?
- Are you aware that gluten is sneaking into many products you’re probably not aware of?
Before moving on, let me know in the comments below if you are actively trying to avoid gluten.
Going Gluten-Free Has Gone Hollywood
I recently watched the movie, “This Is The End“.
In the movie, Seth Rogen plays a character that had just gone gluten-free.
He then has a hilarious dialogue with his skeptical buddy, played by Jay Baruchel, about why he went gluten-free.
The dialogue between Seth and Jay went something like this:
Jay: You have no idea what gluten is.
Seth: Gluten is a vague term. It’s something that’s used to categorize things that are bad. You know, calories, that’s a gluten. Fat, that’s a gluten. Gluten means bad sh** man, and I’m not eating it.
All in all, it made Seth look like an idiot, not because he doesn’t want to eat gluten, but because he doesn’t even know why he shouldn’t eat it.
Here on Live Lean TV, I don’t just want you to follow everything I say, just because I say it.
I want to educate you, so you can then pay it forward, and educate others.
So before I move on to the 5 sneaky sources of gluten, let me just quickly clarify what gluten is.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in most common grains such as:
- wheat
- rye
- barely
When you’re making a pizza crust, the elasticity in the dough is created from the gluten.
Funny side note: gluten is also the primary glue found in wallpaper paste.
Yummy wallpaper paste.
Damn that’s good.
Are You Gluten Intolerant Or Gluten Sensitive?
Research shows, that potentially up to 1/3 of humans could be gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive.
Here’s what happens to your body when you are gluten intolerant, and to a lesser degree, gluten sensitive.
When gluten is consumed, it mimics a virus or bacteria, that triggers an autoimmune reaction where your immune system accidentally attacks your healthy cells.
This is obviously not good.
Overtime, this causes:
- digestive issues
- joint pain
- and many other serious issues
Even for people that aren’t technically “gluten intolerant”, you may still be gluten sensitive.
People who are gluten sensitive may experience some milder negative effects from gluten such as fatigue and a lack of energy.
So with that said, the next time someone asks you “what’s a gluten?”, you can say it’s a protein found in grains that can cause autoimmune issues.
Cool?
5 Sneaky Sources of Gluten
Alright, now that you know what gluten is, let’s move on to the 5 sneaky sources of gluten.
#1. Chewing Gum
The ingredient used in many brands of chewing gum to keep the gum from sticking, is flour.
Hello gluten.
#2. Flavored Teas And Herbal Teas
Some flavored teas and herbal teas are made with wheat, barley, or malt.
Hello gluten.
#3. Sauces
Many types of sauces contain gluten.
Traditional gravy is thickened with wheat flour.
Also, many brands of ketchup, salad dressing, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce contain wheat.
You know what this means.
Gluten.
#4. Nutrition Supplements
Your favorite nutrition supplements may contain wheat.
This is why many supplement brands will list if they are gluten-free.
If the ingredients includes wheat, hello gluten.
#5. Miscellaneous Items
The following miscellaneous items may also contain wheat:
- the glue on envelopes and stamps
- lip gloss
- lip stick
- play-doh
Hello gluten.
Bottom Line On Gluten
Let me be real.
The 5 sneaky sources of gluten listed above are intended to educate people with serious gluten intolerances, like celiac disease.
If you don’t suffer from celiac disease, but you’re just looking to reduce your gluten intake, don’t worry too much about avoiding these 5 items.
When it comes to reducing your gluten intake, your best bet is to avoid foods containing wheat, such as:
- cereal
- bread
- crackers
- bagels
- pasta
- and all the other packaged and refined carbohydrates
Now if you’re wondering the following:
- How can I eliminate wheat from my diet?
- What will I eat?
You’re not alone.
Try our 21 Day No Wheat Challenge here.
It may seem like a huge deal to eliminate wheat from your diet, because it is everywhere.
However, when you’re armed with the right recipes, that Live Lean-ify everyday meals using gluten-free, whole food ingredients, it makes it a lot easier.
Eat Clean Live Lean Cookbook System
If you want a full grocery list of healthy foods that will get you lean, as well as over 200 gluten-free recipes that you can use, check out my Eat Clean Live Lean Cookbook system.
You’ll get all that and more including over 200 quick, healthy, easy, affordable, and delicious meals that are high in protein, low in fattening carbohydrates, and high super fats.
You also get access to an 8 week meal plan, with recipes, and grocery lists to supercharge your results faster.
You’ll be amazed at the tasty snacks and meals you can come up with, using all real healthy ingredients.
I pity those “dieters” ruining their sustainable chances of Living Lean by eating boring foods.
Click here to get over 200 quick, healthy, easy, affordable, and delicious recipes.
READY TO BEGIN YOUR LIVE LEAN JOURNEY?
Start by taking our FREE Live Lean Body Quiz to get access to the best program specific to your goals, current fitness level, and access to equipment.
Take the Free Live Lean Body Quiz
Did You Enjoy This Post On What Is Gluten?
If you enjoyed this post on what is gluten, show your love by clicking the social media buttons to share this with your friends.
Subscribe to our Live Lean TV YouTube channel and leave a comment below on what you want to see in future posts.
Question Of The Day:
- Are you actively trying to avoid gluten?
- How has cutting gluten from your diet made you feel?
Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Check out our free workout videos here.
Check out my free recipe cooking videos here.
Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
Does rice have gluten??
Brad you rock man. You break things down. Awesome.
THIS IS THE ENNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDD
lmao good video
Yes trying to actively stay away from gluten!
yes because it hurts my belly
I avoid gluten because I have celiac disease !!
Who dont love a bit of wallpaper glue – damn thats good lol lol!!
Great video Brad, keep on educating hun xx
I’ve tried avoiding gluten vor 3 weeks. For me it did not change anything
at all. So right now I am eating my self-made pasta and I will still feel
great (and be lean) afterwards.
Yes definitely! Avoid it like the plague! 😉
I am also on the third week of the afterburn program.
Yes, I have been actively avoiding gluten for over a year now. I did read
about other names that gluten hide under, but I do not if I am taking in
hidden gluten. I feel so much better, but I a still trying to lose my belly
ad it is very frustrating!
I’d love to know your opinion on sprouted grain/ezekiel bread and also
brown rice pasta? Giving up breads and pasta has been tough for me, so I’ve
been using those as substitutes; am I still sabotaging my fat loss?
Apologies if you’ve already answered this question a thousand times!
My body loves gluten.
GLUTEN!
Brad, I quit eating play dough years ago.
Can you make one about healthy cookies?
I dont avoid gluten intentionally but some foods I eat happen to be gluten
free like the kind bars for example. I dont know if gluten is bad for you
unless you have an allergy to it then of course you shouldnt eat it.
If you look at research, you will See that only 1% of the population has a
glutensensitivity. The other 29% are marketing of big companies selling low
gluten products. Current science opinion is: the increasing sensitivity on
what seems to be gluten is most likely caused by genetic modified food. –>
eat organic wheat and you wont have issues (if you are not among the 1%)
Thank you for the info bro…..your killin your videos.
Is sprouted grain ezekiel good to eat?
5 Sneaky Sources of Gluten – do you actively avoid gluten?