How to Overcome Gluten and Dairy Sensitivities

If you’re anything like me and have been avoiding gluten and dairy for any length of time, you are fully aware of the challenges and feelings of missing out that come with it. Social gatherings, holiday get-togethers, and eating out at restaurants can all be so incredibly challenging. You’re limited on what you can comfortably eat and, if I’m being honest, I experience incredible FOMO watching others indulge in bread and cheese while I simply can’t. Sound familiar? Well, what if I told you there might be better way – a way where you can enjoy the savory goodness of gluten and dairy again without experiencing unwanted reactions? 

Before I go on, let me introduce myself. My name is Nicole and I’m a Certified Holistic Nutritionist who specializes in helping others live anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, low-toxin lifestyles. If that resonates with you, then you’re in the right place. 

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, we may receive a commission.

I will begin by saying this: this information is for those who experience sensitivities, not allergies, to gluten and/or dairy. If you experience allergic reactions, especially life-threatening allergic reactions, to these foods, this information is not for you, and you should consult with an allergist if you have an interest in attempting to reintroduce these foods. However, if you have sensitivities to these foods, which can include more mild symptoms such as gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, or mild skin issues, this information could be beneficial to helping you enjoy these foods again without the unwanted symptoms.  

First off, let’s get clear on why avoiding foods that cause unwanted symptoms is important. Some people might argue that unless you’re experiencing a true allergic reaction, eating these foods isn’t harming you, and that’s simply not true. Any sort of adverse reaction is your body’s way of telling you that the food is causing harm and your body wants it out of your system. Ignoring these signs can lead to an inflammatory response that can become chronic overtime and can also interfere with your body’s systems – in this case, your digestive system – which can lead to other serious health issues over time. Your gut is, after all, strongly connected with your immune system. You should always listen to the way your body responds to the foods you put in it. 

Now, let’s break down why you may be experiencing sensitivities to gluten and dairy, starting with gluten. Gluten is a protein found in certain grains such as wheat, barley, and rye to name a few. Cases of gluten sensitivity have been on the rise in recent years and while some experts attribute this to more awareness around gluten sensitivity, others believe these cases aren’t related to gluten itself, but rather the way it’s grown and the way many gluten-containing products are produced. 

All conventional grains, gluten-containing or not, are sprayed heavily with pesticides, usually just prior to being harvested. Pesticides, in short, are chemicals that crops are sprayed with to prevent them from being eaten by insects and animals. The problem is that these chemicals are highly toxic and stick to food, so when we eat food that’s sprayed with them, we get a dose of toxic chemicals along with it. These chemicals can cause reactions in the body as our immune system tries to protect us and this reaction to the pesticides can lead us to believe that we're having a reaction to the gluten itself. If you notice you have a reaction to gluten as well as some other gluten-free grains or if you're eating non-organic gluten-containing grains, consider this as a possible culprit. Continuing to eat these on a routine basis can lead to chronic inflammation in our systems.

The other problem with gluten is within the grain itself. You see, the wheat that’s being grown today is not the same wheat that our grandparents were eating. Wheat has been heavily hybridized to improve the taste and texture, and in this process the gluten index was greatly increased, specifically to improve textures of breads and other baked goods. This means that when we eat the wheat that’s grown today, our bodies are having to digest significantly more gluten - a level of gluten that nature didn’t intend for.

So, what’s the solution here? First and foremost, you want to make sure you’re buying organic. This is going to ensure that the grains have not been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides that could cause harm in your body and trigger an immune system response. Second, you want to opt for organic Einkorn flour. Einkorn wheat is the only wheat that humans have eaten for over 12,000 years and hasn’t been altered or hybridized. The gluten index is significantly lower and it’s known to be easily digestible for those with gluten sensitivities. You can find Organic Einkorn flour here.

Now, let’s discuss dairy. Dairy, specifically cow’s milk, has been consumed by humans for thousands of years and, yet, recently sensitivity to cow’s milk is on the rise. Of course, we can likely attribute some cases to an increased awareness that a sensitivity to cow’s milk can exist at all, but it’s also important to take a look at the differences in the milk on the shelves today versus what it used to be. 

First, let’s look at what the cows producing the milk are eating. Cow’s milk used to come from cows on small, family farms that grazed on grass all day long. Today, we have cows that are factory farmed, eating non-organic feed containing grains instead of organic, pesticide-free grass. The living conditions and diets of the cows are inevitably going to cause issues with the quality of the milk. Second, we have to look at what’s happening to the milk after it leaves the farm. In order to kill bacteria and preserve shelf life, the milk is pasteurized (a process of heating the milk to a high enough temperature to kill bacteria). Milk is supposed to be a living food, with bacteria and living enzymes that assist with the digestion process. Removing these essential components of the milk causes the body to have to work harder, thus putting more stress on the body, to digest it. When we remove key components of any whole food, the body has a hard time recognizing it as real food and can potentially see it as a threat. 

So, how can we possibly overcome dairy sensitivities? For starters, only buy milk that is organic, coming from grass-fed cows. Often, this milk will be sourced from small farmers instead of large factory farms. The second thing to look for is raw milk. Raw milk is milk that hasn’t been pasteurized and is still a living food. It will have a shorter shelf life but will have the enzymes and bacteria necessary for the body to accept it as a real food. And this doesn’t just go for milk. The same principles should be applied to all milk-based products, including cheese and butter. If you’re feeling skeptical, look at the dairy in other, particularly European, countries. You will find that organic, raw dairy is common and associated with less sensitivity.  

So, to recap, we want our gluten-containing items to be made from organic whole wheat einkorn flour. We want our dairy products to be organic, raw, unpasteurized, and come from grass fed cows.

I hope this information has shed new light on the gluten and/or dairy sensitivities you’ve been experiencing, and I hope these tips allow you to reintroduce these foods in a healthier way without the unwanted symptoms. If you haven’t already, click here to learn more about how to fight inflammation with food or click here to learn more about what inflammation is.

Until next time…

-       Nicole