by Page Buono

In high school, Chelsea Phillips struggled with unexplained, crippling stomachaches. They occurred on a regular basis, without warning or a clear culprit. Her parents, Greg and Jan Phillips, sought medical support, while her younger brother took to calling her “Chelly Belly.”

She went to doctors, had tests, but nothing came up.

Chelsea learned to cope with the aches, at least until she went to college and the pains worsened. At school she was inundated with the typical beer and pizza diet, and eventually wound up in the ER with glass shard-stabbing pain in her stomach.

After another series of doctor visits, a food allergy test revealed she was allergic to gluten.

“We were like, ‘OK … but what’s gluten?’” Jan said, echoing the confusion of many who are diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, or, like Chelsea later was, celiac disease.

According to the NDP Group, an international retail and consumer tracking firm, one in every four adults are signing off on gluten. And more joining the bandwagon every day for reasons ranging from celiac disease or gluten intolerance to weight loss and curiosity.

While the gluten-free buzz has swept the world, the mechanism by which the protein found in foods processed from wheat, barley, rye and other grains works remains a bit of a mystery.

Often referred to just as “celiac,” the disease is an auto immune reaction to gluten. The response occurs in the small intestine, and over time the reaction produces inflammation that can damage the intestinal lining and prevent absorption of some nutrients. Symptoms are generally gastrointestinal, but can include lethargy, depression and skin issues. Additionally, celiac can have a host of latent ones triggered by trauma or stress.

“The problem with silent symptoms is that you may not have symptoms but all of a sudden you have osteoporosis because you haven’t been absorbing essential vitamins and minerals,” Jan said.

After Chelsea was diagnosed, her parents set to work researching the battle their daughter was up against. The two have a background in health education, having moved to Durango in 1990 after starting a company in San Diego called THINK LIGHT!, a weight management and healthy eating program that was licensed to more than 5,000 hospitals, insurance companies, employers and health clubs throughout the country.

“We had a lot of experience in the whole health education and disease management field,” Greg said. “We decided there needed to be some kind of program that would help someone who was recently diagnosed cope with the disease and make the transition. We wanted to teach people how to do this and still eat healthy.”

The Gluten Freedom Project (GFP) is the end result. It is a comprehensive web site with loads of resources for anyone who is making the decision to go gluten free. The site, which provides free recipes, product reviews and articles, also offers members an eight-week educational program for $59. The membership includes gluten-free “lessons” on topics ranging from “elimination diets” to “dating with celiac.” Additionally, paying members have access to an online menu-planner, grocery list, and searchable recipe database. A free, four-day trial is available.

“We’re not advocating that the world need to be gluten free. We’re saying, ‘If you’ve decided to be, or your doctor has recommended you be, gluten free, then we can help you,’” Greg said.

While Jan and Greg hope to reach a national audience, the project has been largely locally based, with contributions from Master Nutritionist Jess Kelly, Registered Dietitian Jessica Mitchell and Naturopath Nicola St. Mary, to name a few.

“A rare client walks out of my office that I don’t put on a gluten-free diet,” Kelly said, adding that going gluten free can help with everything from digestion and balancing blood sugar to inflammation and autoimmune conditions. "There is such a diverse range of benefits. The number one thing I hear from my clients is that they have more energy,” she said.

Although a lot of the general public gets lost in thinking gluten-free is just a fad, Kelly said there is a reason it has become more prevalent in modern times. That’s because the gluten in the wheat grain itself has changed drastically over time and is now much higher in insulin-raising components than in the past.

“The common misconception is that wheat is a health food, and the opposite is true, it’s not a health food any more,” she said. “The changes in the grain have made it a dangerous food to consume because of its inflammatory properties.”

Some good alternative sources for fiber include brown rice, quinoa and vegetables, she said.

In addition to helping those with a gluten allergy, studies have shown that avoiding or limiting gluten can benefit those suffering from a host of other health issues including thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, anemia, autism and cystic fibrosis. It has also gained popularity as a weight-loss program, but there are some common misconceptions about what it can offer.

Perhaps because two proponents of gluten-free are Gwyneth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus, the false perception is that it is inherently healthy and will magically help with weight loss.

 “(Weight loss) typically will occur because you’re more conscious, and it eliminates cookies, breads, cakes, pastries,” Jan said. “They’re all the fun things that people don’t want to give up but that are also pretty caloric.”

However, gluten-free alternatives to bread, cake, pasta, cookies, etc., are often as unhealthy and processed – if not more so – than their gluten alternatives, she warns.

Another health concern of a gluten-free diet is that eliminating traditional wheat-packed foods, which are often enriched, can lead to lower consumption of these essential nutrient such as fiber and vitamins.

As many do, Chelsea struggled with her new diet.

“It’s very frustrating, realizing you had to give up something. There’s loss and anger and denial when you realize you can’t eat something you’ve grown up enjoying,” Greg said.

The GFP offers articles and support about the complications of social engagements like weddings and parties on a gluten-free diet. Dating is another common struggle for those trying to stay away from gluten, especially those with more extreme intolerances or celiac disease.

“Even kissing someone who’s just had pizza or a beer can contaminate someone,” Greg said.

For many, perhaps the majority, of people on a gluten-free diet, eating out is the most difficult.

“A lot of restaurants don’t understand what things have gluten, or the critical importance of how you prepare the food,” Greg said.

However, the Phillips said the majority of restaurants in Durango offer gluten-free alternatives, and are putting more and more effort into careful preparation of those options.

Aside from restaurants jumping on board, a local mom-and-daughter deli, The Intolerant Italian, opened up this February, offering options to ease the baked-good and carb cravings of those off gluten.

Anne Vervaet and her daughter, Roxanne Riccardi, developed the idea in response to Vervaet’s own diagnosis with celiac nearly 25 years ago. Vervaet had struggled for years with her dietary options, and the battle sunk her into a bit of a depression.

Her daughter asked her what she missed most.

The answer: spaghetti and meatballs. Riccardi, who quit gluten about six years ago because of her own health issues, began experimenting with gluten-free noodle alternatives.

“The biggest challenges are the texture and the flavor,” Riccardi said. However, after some experimenting, the two have developed a plethora of baked goods, take-home dinners and treats – all of which are gluten free.

The Intolerant Italian feeds off the two’s inherently Italian desire to feed everyone, and they’re constantly experimenting with new foods at their customers’ requests.

“Come distract us,” Riccardi offered. “We’re happy to try to help people facing issues around the gluten-free diet.”

Another issue that often complicates individual diets is that a lot of people who have gluten or celiac have other allergies as well, commonly dairy, soy or eggs. Dairy intolerance often goes hand-in-hand with gluten because the enzyme that breaks down dairy is produced in the small intestine, which is typically damaged by celiac.

For that reason, the Intolerant Italian serves a variety of dairy-, soy- and corn-free products.

The women serve fresh lasagna every day that can be taken home as well as hot dog and hamburger buns. A store in Boulder carries their pasta; Cyprus Café carries their flatbread; Eno and Durango Coffee Co. carry their carrot cake muffin; and James Ranch their focaccia, just to name a few. Fresh bread, buns and cookies are available at their store Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Phillips, as well as others, said being gluten free in Durango is becoming easier, and in many ways always was easier than other places. To begin with, Durango is a naturally health-conscious place, with numerous alternative grocery stores, restaurants that offer gluten-free alternatives, and active lifestyles.

 “Durango is a very gluten-free friendly place,” Greg said.

May is Celiac Awareness Month. For more, go to celiaccentral.org. To read up on the evolution of modern gluten, check out Wheat Belly by William Davis. For people curious about the changes in wheat, Kelly recommended "Wheat Belly" by William Davis.