A core element of any nutrition plan or 'diet' in my opinion is to address any issues with the gut. If the gut is inflamed, your ability to reach your goals will be hindered. Sure you will still get lean even though you eat gluten or other inflammatory products like dairy, but how long will this last? When you're 50 and you can't squat because your knees creak and hurt so much maybe you'll think twice about the next bit of bread you eat.
Gluten gets a pretty bad wrap in the media and for go reason - personally, I've seen a fair few issues when eating gluten:
Nausea
Stomach pain
IBS
IBD
Depression and mood disorders
Joint pain
Neurological issues
Fatigue
Gluten is found primarily in gains including wheat, rye, barely and oats. Typically, with every meal individuals will consume some form of gluten:
Breakfast – cereal, oats or toast
Lunch – sandwich, bread roll or crackers
Dinner – pasta, crumbed protein or sauces
So if you eliminate all forms of foods that contain gluten, you're left with a lot of holes in your diet (but not in your gut which is the whole point of this article). If you have no idea what to replace the gluten with then read the Healthy Eating Guide.
Gluten is now being found in more than just food though. Individuals that are gluten sensitive or allergic to gluten find that they still have symptoms even though they’ve removed offending foods. Some items that contain gluten you may not be aware of include:
Lip stick
Foundation
Toothpaste
Mouth wash
Shampoo and conditioner
Body was
Body lotions
Dog food (you inhale it when you feed them)
My personal take on gluten
Avoid it at all costs. I have seen neurological disorders present themselves for 3 days after a high intake of gluten, joint pain where there was previously none, mood disorders and depression, and chronic nausea to the point of hospitalisation. I don't care too much about what the calorie value of the food is or what the macro content is - the first thing I always look for is the presence of gluten or wheat - once I've established what's in it, then I'll look at the calories and the macro breakdown downs.
Health is always number one - take care of your gut and you will get lean, you will build lean mass and you will feel a million times better.