While it’s obvious building dry stone walls all day sometimes makes you tired and a bit achy, I’ve had a problem with feeling unusually stiff and very achy for a long time now
so, on the recommendation of a doctor I am experimenting going on a 'gluten free diet'.
I’ve learned that apart from a lot of other disorders, gluten can cause the immune system to literally attack the muscle and joints leading to chronic pain and inflammation. A prolonged immune system attack contributes to chronic degradation of these tissues and subsequent atrophy of the muscle and arthritis in the joints.
Sounds like it might just be my problem.
Gluten acts like glue. It is part of the elastic, rubbery protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It binds the dough in baking and prevents crumbling. Gluten can be found in breads, cakes, pastries, cookies, biscuits, crackers, battered foods, cereals, snack foods, pastas and pizza and yes, beer.
I’m thinking of gluten now as the food counterpart to Portland cement - kind of the equivalent to masonry 'devil’s cream’, only this time it's the 'devil’s glue’, sticking things like bread, pizza and muffins together in a rather unhealthy way.
So now, for the next three months at least, I'll be spending my days walling without mortar and doing without gluten too!
