There’s really no need.

I sometimes get a little tired of “ I eat gluten-free” people. Look I understand if you have to make a run for the toilet every time you take a bite of spaghetti or apple pie or if you have to leave the restaurant with a swollen throat that it’s better to leave gluten alone. Gluten intolerance does exist, certainly, but half of the people saying they have it are lying. Seriously, gluten doesn’t do any harm (except if you really are intolerant then I’ll keep quiet) and they don’t make you fat. It’s all about quantities. Why for heaven’s sake shouldn’t we be allowed to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? And did you know that a lot of people don’t even know what gluten is? I’ll explain and share my whines and sighs with you. What you do with it is up to you.

What is gluten really?

Simple: protein from grains. When in doubt whether or not products contain gluten, check the label. Think wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats and teff. But the flour and flour products that are made out of these grains like bread, crackers and pasta also contain gluten.

Why is everyone so afraid of gluten?

When surfing around on the Internet I often find that almost no one has a body that can effectively digest gluten. That means there are loads of people out there feeling drained, weary or even sick on a daily basis because they unknowingly suffer from gluten intolerance. Sounds logical; if you eat large quantities of gluten every day it’s bound to get to you. I have that too. If I start off with apple pie for breakfast, eat 6 slices of bread for lunch and sit down to an evening meal of pasta I’ll admit it doesn’t make me feel cheerful. And I will indeed put on some extra pounds if I turn this into a habit. So what do I do? I moderate. Like I do with everything.

I found this video. It provides a really good explanation why we should NOT be afraid of gluten.