Are you one of the approximately 20% of consumers who has purchased a gluten-free product? If so, why? Is it because you think you are completely intolerant to gluten? Or do you have an allergy to products that contain it?

Are you really as sensitive to gluten as you think? And what is the difference between intolerance, sensitivity and allergy? Is gluten to blame for conditions as varied as asthma, arthritis, autism, epilepsy and depression?

What science so far knows--and there’s a lot still unknown--about gluten is that three separate medical problems exist when it comes to gluten: celiac disease, wheat allergy and intolerance to gluten.

Celiac Disease

Considering that celiac disease is a very strong immune reaction, whereby gluten binds to the small intestinal wall, causing white blood cells to freak out and overreact, destroying the part of the intestine (villi) that helps absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, you’d think that this is a sure sign of an allergy. But celiac disease is not a true allergy (why it’s not in just a bit); it can be considered a severe intolerance that can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea, iron deficiency and other problems.

Approximately 3 million Americans are believed to have celiac disease, but many of them are undiagnosed. Sometimes, people with celiac disease are misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel syndrome or other conditions. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the body attacks itself, which is not necessarily the case with an allergy.

Wheat allergy

Wheat, along with soy, peanuts, milk, shellfish, tree-nuts and eggs, is one of the most common food allergies. What classifies a food allergy is when an antibody (specifically an immunoglobulin E or IgE) attacks an antigen (which the body perceives as a foreign invader, in this case gluten, the main protein in wheat).

A true wheat allergy, considered rare, can include any of the following symptoms: rashes, wheezing (or what’s called ‘Baker’s asthma’), hives, sneezing, or in extreme cases, anaphylaxis.

Unlike testing for celiac disease, which is considered quite accurate and involves a blood test and a biopsy of the small intestine to verify the destruction of the nutrient-absorbing villi (called villous atrophy), testing for wheat allergy is not as reliable because the testing protocol also tests for other food allergies; false positives are sometimes the outcome.

Gluten Intolerance

Also called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, gluten intolerance is neither an autoimmune disorder like Celiac nor is it an allergenic response that emits an IgE reaction. And unlike testing protocols that exist for celiac and wheat allergy, though as unreliable as wheat allergy testing might be, non-severe gluten intolerance (anything other than celiac disease) simply relies on the observations of the subject after consumption of gluten.

Feel bloated, sluggish or mentally foggy after eating gluten? Convinced this happens nearly all the time after consuming the spongy protein that makes bread rise? You may indeed then be intolerant or sensitive to gluten.

Listening to your body is the wise. Whether or not you receive scientific validity that you are gluten intolerant or allergic to wheat, if you frequently observe that after eating gluten, negative side effects result, then it might be a good idea to refrain from gluten, though keep in mind that it could be the sugars in wheat products--not the gluten itself--that is causing the problems.

Miracle Noodle: naturally gluten-free

Many gluten-free products have conventional counterparts that contain gluten. Think muffins, cookies, brownies and other pastries. But Miracle Noodle, the only shirataki calorie-free and carb-free all-natural pasta substitute, is naturally gluten-free.

Derived from the root of a species of yam plant, Miracle Noodle is comprised almost entirely of fiber, which naturally contains no gluten.

Though many people who have opted to go gluten-free might not even have a true allergy or have a severe intolerance to wheat, or one of the main proteins in it (gluten), no doubt they feel better on a gluten-free diet. And that has to count for something. For pasta lovers, it’s comforting to know that there’s naturally gluten-free Miracle Noodle to get your noodle fix.

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Carbohydrates are scientifically proven to be addictive, triggering the same response in the brain as valium and other tranquilizers. So if you’re carb crazy, it might not be your fault. But there are some high-carb foods, and sugar-free foods that you should avoid at all costs.

How do you know which ones to avoid? Perhaps some of these golden rules that nutritionists often dispense to their clients may help:

• --If the food wasn’t around 1,000 years ago don’t eat it.

• --As the legendary health guru, Jack Lalanne said, “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

• --If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label, don’t eat it.

• --If the amount of ingredients on the label exceeds more than a handful or so, don’t eat it.

• --If it doesn't run, swim, fly, or come from trees, plants or the ground, don’t eat it.

Don’t eat non-food foods!

Perhaps you’ve heard dozens of times to avoid processed food. But what exactly is a processed food? After all, even meat that is considered generally healthy, such as pasture-raised, grass-fed beef is processed; ground beef doesn’t exactly grow in trees.

There’s also a process involved in the cultivation of nuts and seeds, two other types of foods that are considered very healthy.

But these foods are minimally processed and provide nourishing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

The term ‘processed foods’ refers to non-food foods, which offer little, if any nutrition. These are foods that have been loaded with extra sugar, or in some cases, they may even be sugar-free, though they also may contain artificial sweeteners.

Take the examples of fruit roll-ups and an energy/meal replacement bar. If you look at the wrappers of both of these foods, you may notice that they actually contain several vitamins and minerals. Many people think fruit roll-ups and energy bars are healthy foods. But they are heavily processed. Refer to the above golden rule of nutrition, “If it doesn’t come from the ground or a plant or tree, don’t eat it.”

Both these foods are heavily processed and added with sugars like high-fructose corn syrup. Also avoid canned fruit, another example of a food you may think would be good for you, but instead, has a high-glycemic load and will spike your blood sugar due to added syrup. Eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice or eating a fruit roll-up.

--Here are some other non-food foods you should avoid:

• --Packaged lunch meats

• --TV dinners

• --baked goods (cakes, cookies, pastries)

• --Watching TV snacks (pretzels, potato chips, most commercial crackers)

White flour: only slightly less evil than the devil?

Before the upper classes of Europe emerged in the late 19th century, bread was dark and loaded with vitamins and minerals. But the wealthy, elite societies, particularly in western European countries, wanted to distance themselves from the poor masses. One way they did this was through nutrition. Modern food processing techniques of the late 19th and early 20th century gave birth to white flour and white bread. The upper crust started throwing away the dark, hearty crust, opting instead for more “sophisticated” white bread.

Today’s white flour products, including white bread should not be allowed to be called ‘food.’ The definition of a real food is something that provides nourishment. The refinement of white flour devitalizes--or strips--the food of several nutrients, including:

• --iron

• --B Vitamins

• --calcium

• --fatty acids

• --Vitamin E

Old-world breads, the healthy kind of carbs, was processed very, very slowly. Mills would grind the flour in a process that took much longer, thus the healthy nutrients were preserved. By contrast, modern milling techniques is a warp-speed process using high heat that kills most of the nutrition. In addition, much of the flour that’s found in wrapped baked goods and breads is treated with chlorine, to whiten the flour.

You wouldn’t eat a baked good while submerged in a swimming pool, would you? Well, if you eat highly refined foods loaded with white flour, that’s essentially what you are doing.

The processing of wheat into flour, especially white flour, strips the plant of its healthy components, including the germ and bran of the seed. This heavy processing also produces toxins which can destroy the cells in your pancreas that produces insulin, leading to diabetes.

Are highly processed, non-food, high-carb products really worth a lifetime of medical problems? Hopefully, you’ll think not. In fact, if you want to see a noticeable improvement in your health, avoid all wheat products for at least 2-4 weeks to let your body heal itself from the inflammation caused by the modern processing of wheat flour.

Why high-carb foods lead to obesity and diabetes and what carb lovers should do about it

Eating large amounts of high-carb foods, many of which contain highly processed flour, results in greater fat storage in the body.

Some high-carb foods, though, actually take longer to burn than, say, baked goods loaded with white flour. Pasta is one example. Does this mean it’s ok to feast on pasta if you’re carb-crazy? No! If you’re trying to lose weight and improve your diabetes, you should be consuming as many all-natural foods as possible that do not raise your blood sugar levels at all, preventing the conversion of carbohydrates into fat storage.

One easy way to enjoy your favorite noodle and rice dishes is to cook with Miracle Noodle products, which are all comprised of a high-fiber flour that contains zero net calories and zero net carbohydrates. The Japanese have used this special flour for over 2,000 years. It’s one reason why the Japanese, despite seemingly eating lots of noodles, seldom suffered from obesity, diabetes or other chronic health conditions caused by high-carb non-foods. (That is, until very recently, when Western, fast-food restaurants opened chains in Japan.)

In fact, cooking with Miracle Noodle is so easy, you don’t even have to cook it! Dice up some vegetables (organic, preferably), remove Miracle Noodle from the eco-friendly packaging, rinse it real quickly, drain, and throw in the skillet with the veggies. Miracle Noodle soaks up the sauces, spices and herbs and will provide you with the same sensuous taste and texture of your favorite high-carb meals, all without the guilt and health problems associated with high-carb fare.

Add a fist-sized portion of fish for a perfect, healthy meal. Try Miracle Noodle today and help improve your diabetes.

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