For so many years, I heard people say they were going gluten-free. I wondered why people would put themselves through such torture. Imagine not being able to enjoy chapatis anymore. This was before it actually happened to me.
I developed gluten intolerance that had me bedridden for one week and a half earlier this year. I thought it was a joke until the doctor handed me a bag full of medicine and told me to let go of anything with gluten. I became depressed because bread and pastries were my happy place.
Just think about it. Mandazi, samosa, shawarma, mahamri, pizza, pancake, cakes, pasta. What do they have in common? They all contain gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. This just shrank all my food options to a few food options but I was determined to find a way around it.
I started by googling gluten-free bread because I really wanted to make sandwiches. The first option was from Greenspoon, an online food store showing gluten-free buckwheat bread going for Sh579. It is more than seven times the price of the Sh60 Festive bread I was used to buying. I opted to stick to sweet potatoes and arrowroots but I easily became bored.
I walked into the Healthy U store in Nairobi's Central Business District, hoping to end my misery only to be shocked even more. The gluten-free section had plenty of options and I got a little excited until I saw that 250 grammes of gluten-free muesli was going for Sh1,199. Next to it was pancake mix at Sh899. The shelf below this had small bags of penne pasta at Sh599.
“I developed gluten intolerance that had me bedridden for one week and a half earlier this year. I thought it was a joke until the doctor handed me a bag full of medicine and told me to let go of anything with gluten. I became depressed because bread and pastries were my happy place.” Journalist Sylvia Muia pictured above.
Photo credit: Pool
I took to my socials to lament when an old friend from my primary school told me of gluten-free flour that was Sh680. This was cheaper than all the other imported goods I perused through at the food store. One of my friends joked that being gluten-free is a billionaire kind of problem. I did not understand this before until I stood in front of that gluten-free aisle and walked away empty-handed.
My only hope was my friend, Suleiman Tomno who told me that he had been living a gluten-free life for seven years. Similar to my situation, his reason was due to medical reasons.
“Whenever I ate anything with gluten, I felt bloated and developed skin issues. I had bad acne in high school but when I stopped taking wheat, it reduced drastically. Also, sugar is another culprit so I quit it last year,” he said.
He struggled during the first years of his transition especially when eating out. He usually orders African dishes that have rice, beans, vegetables or ugali, which are the safer options.
If the restaurant does not have them, he just orders fries. Some people think going gluten-free means not eating any carbohydrates, but this is not the case. Lots of foods that contain carbs, such as potatoes and arrowroots, do not contain gluten.
Most natural foods are gluten-free such as fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, legumes and nuts in their natural, unprocessed forms, eggs, most low-fat dairy products, lean and non-processed meats, fish and poultry.
“Gluten-free flour is notably more expensive compared to regular wheat flour. For example, a kilogram of wheat flour costs about Sh90, whereas the brand of gluten-free flour I frequently use for baking and other gluten-free products is priced at Sh680 for 750 grammes.
This significant price difference is a clear indicator of how gluten-free alternatives can impact my grocery budget,” he explained.
This change in his lifestyle has his monthly food budget set at around Sh8,000 to Sh10,000. This includes buying gluten-free products and vegan alternatives since Suleiman is also vegan.
A 2019 study by a group of nutritionists revealed that the overall cost of gluten-free products was 183 per cent more expensive than their wheat-based counterparts. The staple items of a traditional diet, such as bread and pasta also had significant price differences compared to their wheat-based counterparts at 229 per cent and 227 per cent more expensive, respectively.
However, Suleiman still believes that the benefits to his health and well-being make it a worthwhile expense. He just learnt how to budget well and find cheaper options through local small businesses that make gluten-free allergen-friendly products and alternatives.
“I have found several supermarkets and restaurants that cater well to gluten-free needs. Artcaffe, Soul Vegetarian, and Homechef are great for finding gluten-free flour and cookies. Supermarkets like Chandarana, Greenspoon and Carrefour also offer a good selection of gluten-free alternatives, including rice flour, cassava flour, and tapioca flour,” he explained.
The reason most people choose the gluten-free diet is usually because of health problems such as Celiac disease, gluten intolerance and wheat allergy. Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten that causes the body to attack the small intestine, causing belly pain, nausea, bloating or diarrhoea.
It is genetic and a gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment. Gluten intolerance, on the other hand, can develop at any age but will have similar symptoms as celiac disease.
People who adopt a gluten-free diet often lose weight but it is usually because they also cut out a lot of processed foods and refined carbohydrates that contain gluten.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that people actually go through ‘withdrawal’ when they stop eating gluten. Some people report feeling dizziness, nausea, extreme hunger and even anxiety and depression when they suddenly go from eating a lot of gluten to being gluten-free.
“Being gluten-free has significantly improved my overall health and well-being. I have experienced considerably less bloating, which has been a huge relief. I have noticed a positive change in my skin's appearance, which has been an unexpected but welcomed benefit. The dietary change has led to a more comfortable and healthier daily life,” said Suleiman.
Pascolina Ishenyi, a nutritionist based in Nairobi, confirms that cutting out gluten from your diet will improve gut health, and increase focus and well-being as some people have reported improved mental clarity and boosted energy levels. She warned, however, that there are some shortcomings in cutting out gluten from one’s diet.
“Most foods that contain gluten are also good sources of fiber, iron, calcium, Vitamin D and B. The best ways to address these potential problems is by considering adding multivitamins to your diet, eating more whole unprocessed food such as millet, quinoa and nuts, and looking for gluten-free bread and cereals fortified with iron, calcium and Vitamin B,” she said.
In the past few weeks of my new lifestyle, I have had to get used to reading labels when I shop. I was surprised that one of my favourite breakfast drinks, Milo, is made from barley which makes it a no-go zone. Some alcoholic drinks such as beer, lagers, stouts and ales also contain gluten. Gluten-free alcohol includes cider, wine, spirits and liqueurs. It is not all doom but this might be a chance to experiment in the kitchen with other ingredients you have never thought of before if you decide to go gluten-free.
