This is a little “research post”, so please answer the title question in the comments.
I will use your comments and thoughts in my post, relating to celiac disease, gluten intolerance and gluten free diet (meaning a gluten free diet that is not needed because of health problems).
Thank you for helping me!
I will add your name to your comment in the post, unless you state othervise.
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Annie's Perception 
The gluten free lifestyle is crucial for anyone with a gluten allergy or celiac disease. It’s not a choice. You can’t “cheat” when you have these conditions. It really can be a life or death situation. I was malnourished and suffering from migraines, diarrhea, and fatigue before I was diagnosed. I’ve have had to have multiple surgeries to correct what damage (undiagnosed) celiac has done to my body and I’m in my early 20s. However, there is very little evidence that the gluten free lifestyle does much of anything for someone without a pre existing condition…gluten free has helped to alleviate symptoms in lupus and multiple sclerosis. But for the average healthy person without celiac, there may not be any benefit to being gluten free.
I don’t like the term “gluten free diet” because it implies weight loss; however, most gluten free foods are higher is sugars and carbs and lack essential nutrients that regular flour is enriched in (folic acid, for instance, which I have to take pills for since I tend to be deficient). Additionally, those on the diet by choice rather than lifestyle do not need to worry about cross contamination or trace amounts of gluten—problematic for those requiring a strict gluten free environment. This causes confusion and lack of understanding for those individuals who truly medically need gluten free.
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I follow a gluten free lifestyle for medical reasons. Before going gluten free I would say get medical advice before committing to it. You can read my experience on my blog at https://kjwilliamswrites.wordpress.com
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A gluten-free diet is a way of life for me. After a very unexpected celiac diagnosis six months ago, my world without gluten has been life-changing. I have never felt better. The fatigue and brain fog have lifted. And yes, I too have encountered the eye-roll from various family members and the occasional wait-staff at restaurants..but I try to let it roll off my back. There is so much misinformation out there. Celiac.org is a great place to start for some solid facts. I will be gluten-free for the rest of my life, and while I have an occasional pang of sadness about it–in the big picture, it’s really a beautiful thing.
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Simply put if you have celiac disease, then it’s vital to your health and well being. If you don’t but find it beneficial, then that’s okay too. If you do choose to proclaim yourself as gluten free then I think one thing needs to be understood: Gluten can be in everything you eat. If your food has been cross contaminated, whether it be because of the preparation or because of the spices, herbs, tea, coffee etc, all of which are at risk of cross contamination, then you’re not eating gluten free properly. If you cut out wheat then just call it wheat-free, but if you claim something as gluten free then know if misrepresented it can do untold damage o a large number of people. There is a gluten free fad, I don’t like that, but there is also a gluten free diet, that many, through necessity or choice, practice rigidly. They’re not the same thing. As someone with celiac disease, nightshade intolerance, histamine intolerance and a smattering of other problems this kind of question needs to be addressed every time it crops up and I’ll always be glad to share what I know. Good luck with your post, I look forward to reading it.
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May I offer a post I wrote? It is at this link https://sabiscuit.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/bread/
I follow the gluten free tag in Reader and have found some posts saying that Celiac Sprue, which I have, does not exist, among other awful things. I find it disturbing that people without medical training can deny medical diagnoses with actual symptoms. Some of my friends are guilty of this awful behaviour and I have had to tell them off. I am scared to eat out because I feel that someone will think I have an eating disorder and add contaminants to my food to prove a point.
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Of course you can! I’ll make sure to point it out, afterall there are too many people who still don’t understand that there actually is such disease.
I really appreciate your answer! Thank you!
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