Gluten Free Diets And Fertility

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are both known to be important causes of infertility and miscarriage which can easily be remedied by a gluten free diet. Celiac disease can be tested for with a blood test which is relatively accurate as long as you have been consuming gluten regularly in the month or so before the test day. As soon as you cut gluten out of your diet, the volume of of anti-gluten antibodies that your body produces drops, which can make the test misleading.

Many women are sensitive to gluten containing grains, but do not have an autoimmune reaction to gluten making testing even more tricky. Gluten sensitivity testing can be expensive and is not usually covered by health insurance. Many women simply decide to try a month or two on a strict gluten free diet to see how they feel. Many times they are pleasantly surprised by both how easy - and enjoyable - a gluten free diet can be, and by how good they feel often in unexpected ways.

The most common health changes women often notice when going gluten-free are:

* Weight loss (if they are overweight)
* More physical and mental energy
* Resolution of abdominal bloating and gas
* Resolution of constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel,
* Less depression
* Simply feeling better - and more clear-headed - than usual!

Recently one of my fertility coaching clients relayed how she had had a series of unfortunate miscarriages - all preceded by uterine growth retardation - and yet had also had one successful pregnancy which she carried to term. When I raised the issue of celiac testing (uterine growth restriction is common in celiac pregnancies) it turned out that this one miraculous pregnancy was conceived - and carried - during a period on a gluten free diet pursued as a health kick. Gluten can be a powerful saboteur of fertility and fertility can quickly return when it is removed.

If you are contemplating going gluten free, you won't get results from sticking your toe in the water, it has to be a head-first dive - total immersion - for your body to experience life without gluten continually passing through your gut. Here is a simple primer on how to get started making gluten-free, fertility-friendly food choices.

One caveat here is that not all gluten free foods are healthy - or fertility promoting - many are made from white rice flour, refined corn starch and other nutrient depleted foods, laced with too much sugar and salt. The goal of your gluten free diet should be to maximally nourish your fertility, not simply replace gluten with a bunch of processed, pre-packaged, sugary, gluten free foods of which there are many.

A gluten-free diet is a great opportunity to have less flour-based foods and up your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and good quality proteins. Think, a hearty bean and vegetable soup instead of a sandwich - an egg and vegetable omelette with a whole-grain corn tortilla and salsa or whole grain oatmeal with steel cut oats instead of cereal - and whole-grain pilafs as an accompaniment to meals.

The grains that you need to avoid are wheat (bulgar, semolina, cous cous, seitan), spelt, triticale, kamut, rye and barley. Oats are technically gluten-free but are often contaminated during processing and may contain traces of gluten.

These grains sneak into many foods / beverages such as beer, malt vinegar, malt flavoring, soy sauce (you can buy a gluten free kind), communion wafers, imitation crab, gravy and sauce mixes.

You check out any questionable foods and food additives at www.celiac.com the link is below.

Here are some great gluten-free choices and sources to get you started:

Bread - Yes you heard right! Bread can still be part of your diet, but you need to find a good gluten free bread that you like, Wholefoods sells a few, and Trader Joe's sells a nice brown rice bread, both are good to keep in the freezer and use when you need toast. Neither are ideal for sandwiches. And of course you can make your own from a gluten-free recipe or mix.

Wraps - Most are wheat based, but you can buy a brown rice wrap. A good substitute is 100% corn tortillas which are great heated with refried beans, cheese and roasted vegetables, warmed with eggs or omelette for breakfast or shredded in a soup.

Pasta - Surprise! You don't have to give up pasta. Trader Joe's make great brown rice penne, spaghetti and fusilli pasta. Most large health food stores sell a variety of gluten free pasta -even lasagne - but it is best to choose a whole grain one to make sure that you are being well-nourished. Many are available mail-order too.

Pizza - Yes, you can even buy gluten free pizza and pizza bases! They tend to cost more but at least you CAN still eat pizza if you have an irresistible desire to do so. You can of course make your own if you have a little extra time.

Cookies - Yes you CAN still eat cookies! Most large health food stores have a variety of gluten free cookies - as with most cookies they are best kept for a treats and many are surprisingly good especially Trader Joe's gluten-free ginger snaps.

Pancakes and Waffles - You can buy a variety of pre-made gluten free pancake / waffle mixes to which you just add eggs and milk and you can still enjoy pancakes and waffles too. Just add a handful of blueberries or a mashed banana and some crushed pecans for extra taste treat.

Crackers - This is another easy substitution to make, check out your local health food store, whole-grain brown rice crackers are often very good or puffed rice cakes if you like puffed rice.

Oats - Most celiacs can tolerate oats well, but they may have some contamination from processing. It's always best to buy steel cut and avoid the instant / quick cooking varieties as they release sugar into your body very quickly which is not very fertility-friendly, especially if you have PCOS.

In short, you can buy most of the things that you are used to in a gluten-free form, and there are an abundance of gluten-free cook books if you like to cook from scratch. However, I like to think of a gluten free diet as an opportunity to switch from an American style refined-carbohydrate / bread rich diet to an eating style based on plant foods.

There is a whole world out there of beans and grains that you may never have tried before. Good gluten free choices include - but are not limited to: all beans and lentils, many grains - such as millet, rice (try whole grain), quinoa, tapioca, sourgum, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, garfava, chick pea or garbanzo flour - all dairy, meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

Bon voyage! If you have gluten-free questions along the way - need a specific gluten-free recipe? - post in the forums and I'll do my best to help out. Our house is mostly gluten free and I have had plenty of experience learning - by trial and error - to bake without gluten before the advent of great gluten-free cook books and the bonanza of gluten-free mixes and pre-made foods that make gluten free diets a breeze. Good luck.

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