HEALTHY AGING

The Alzheimer’s Myth

July 7, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

A few days ago, I had a conversation with a friend who was speaking of her aging mother who was showing clear signs of dementia.

She explained further, that the family had just moved her into a retirement home.

I mentioned the tendency we have, as a society, to believe this is simply what happens as we age – that it’s normal for your body to fall apart.

Or, that you might lose your mental faculties completely.

“Well, it certainly SEEMS to be increasingly normal” she said in response.

“It’s COMMON, yes” I answered, “But it’s not normal.” (I could see the ‘light bulb’ go off, as I spoke those words.)

It’s an important distinction, by the way – as you’re talking about two very different things!

Bottom line: It’s your behaviors that matter more than anything.

By that, I mean your diet, and your lifestyle (managing stress, exercise, plenty of sleep) as well as reducing your exposure to environmental toxins as much as possible – especially in your home.

It’s NOT only about your genes! (Scientists have known this already, for close to 20 years!)

In other words, your genes do NOT determine your destiny! [Read more…]

Filed Under: HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTHY AGING Tagged With: Alzheimers Disease, autoimmune disease, chronic disease, dementia, diet, environmental toxins, environmental trigger, epigenetic, genes, genetics, gluten, Human Genome Project, old & sick

Gluten & the 80/20 Rule

June 25, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Have you heard of the 80/20 Rule?

Also known as the Pareto principle – it’s the understanding that, in the grand scheme of things, roughly 80% of results come from just 20% of your efforts.

You can think of it in terms of economics, but it also plays out in other areas of your life. For example:

At home or the office – it’s usually 20% of the people, who are typically doing 80% of the work

It’s likely that you wear only 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time

If you analyze a day in your life, it’s possible that only 20% of your achievements really matter

In your home, you might spend the majority of your time in just 20% of the available space

At mealtime in Japan, a popular rule of thumb, is to stop eating when you’re 80% full

More recently, I’ve noticed a disturbing new trend – which appears to be the “80/20 Rule with a Twist”, in regard to food and nutrition.

K Is For Kidding Yourself

June 2, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

I’ve been thinking a lot this past week about STRESS – mostly the fact that I didn’t think I’ve been under that much stress.

At least, no more than anyone else. (I was wrong).

I mean, who DOESN’T deal with stress, right?

This is where Kidding Yourself comes in. As in “K is For Kidding Yourself”.

I totally get it. After all, it’s something we all do!

You tell yourself (just like I did) that you’re no worse off than anyone else.

You insist you don’t have sensitivity to gluten – because your digestion works just fine, thank you very much.

Yet, have you considered the myriad other symptoms and medical conditions that have gluten sensitivity at their root?

What about the headaches, migraines, mental fogginess, chronic skin issues, acne, fatigue, or tingling and numbness in your extremities? (Click here for a full list)

If you still believe it’s all a myth – you might just be KIDDING YOURSELF!

Get the FACTS! In “A Gluten Primer – Everything You Wanted to Know From A-Z” – I share it all. It’s fun, it’s FREE (mostly) & informative – & brought to you by a Certified Gluten Practitioner.

Don’t let your symptoms get the better of you!

Are You Losing Your Mind?

May 26, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you ever have days where you’re feeling super forgetful?

Like not remembering the name of your favorite book, or movie, or that ‘thingy’ you’ve been meaning to buy for weeks – what was that called again?

Maybe you’ve realized that the lines have blurred over the sequence leading up to an event that – even though it happened years ago, used to be so clear in your mind.

A ‘Brian Williams’ moment, if you will.

Then again, maybe you’re thinking one thing, but the words don’t come out quite right.

What the heck is that all about?

Are you losing your mind?

What Is The Trade-Off?

May 15, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Are you committed to eating a healthy diet?

If so, you already know that being a diligent label reader is helpful.

When you add a special dietary protocol to the mix, it becomes all the more crucial. Whether you’re contemplating a gluten-free diet – or you’re already gluten-free – rest assured that it quickly becomes second nature, as you become ever mindful that gluten can often be sneaky – showing up where you’d least expect it.

At the same time, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword! What not-so-great choices could you be making instead?

What is the trade-off?

Let me share what I mean.

Back when I first became gluten-free, I started eating a lot more eggs. I was baking my own gluten-free bread, and the standard recipe called for three or four eggs per loaf – and since eggs are gluten-free, I thought nothing of it.

At least once a week, we’d have omelets for dinner – or even breakfast. On occasion, I’d even whip up a soufflé. (Sounds fancy, I know, but soufflés are actually pretty easy to make).

Then almond meal hit the market, and it seemed like a wonderful alternative to gluten-free flours.

Being an almond lover myself, I was ecstatic!

In a given week, I poured almond milk on my breakfast cereal and snacked on almonds by the handful. And before I knew it, I started experiencing many of the symptoms I’d had BEFORE going gluten-free.

What was that all about?

Is Your Immune System Attacking You?

April 28, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you have days when your body seems like a bit of a drama queen?

Perhaps you were sick with the flu, you’ve been fighting a migraine, or you’re feeling sore and achy all over for no particular reason. Other days, it might seem that you’re no longer able to tolerate the foods you used to eat with abandon – you’re dealing with a major case of indigestion and you’re carrying around an extra twenty pounds (that you can’t seem to lose, no matter what you eat).

Does any of this sound familiar?

I call these on-going annoyances “mimics, marauders and masqueraders” – because that’s basically what they are – but what I’d really like you to take away from this, is that it’s an important part of your immune system and how it functions.

The good news is that your immune system is beautifully designed to deal with these pranksters at a moment’s notice, and it’s exactly that on your behalf so 24/7 – even though it might seem at times that your body is working against you.

Sometimes your immune system DOES get confused. However, even though you might think it’s making a mistake, the reality is that it’s simply doing what it’s designed to do – protect you. Consider too, that 70% of your immune system is in your gut! But because it’s inside, and you can’t see it, and you can’t necessarily feel it – you’re not at all aware that anything is wrong.

The symptoms are often subtle.

What’s really happening, though, is that some of these invaders are actually very clever, mimicking or masquerading as something other than what they really are.

Let me explain.

Cross-Reactivity

As you may already know, gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat and is therefore present in any foods that are made from wheat – although it can sometimes appear in other guises, as well.

Autoimmune Disease & You

April 14, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Did you know that Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition?

Did you also know that autoimmune diseases are on the rise?

In fact, statistically, if you’ve already been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, your chance of acquiring two or three more is extremely high.

Kind of sobering, isn’t it?

By its very definition, autoimmune disease means that your body – specifically your immune system – is attacking YOU.

It isn’t something that’s supposed to happen.

(And doesn’t, as long as your immune system is functioning properly).

But right now, we’re actually in the midst of an autoimmune epidemic – that’s how common autoimmune diseases have become.

Yet, here’s something else that might surprise you:

Is Removing Gluten Always The Answer?

March 17, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

Should you remove gluten from your diet? (I get asked this question a lot).

The short answer is “It depends”.

What do I mean by this? In a nutshell, it depends on what’s going on in your body.

It depends on the signs and symptoms you’re experiencing.

And it also depends on your test results!

Of course, if your tests come back negative, then you’re in the clear – at least for the time being – more on that later.

But it’s super important that you get the RIGHT tests!

You don’t want to stop there, either.

D is for Donut

February 24, 2017 By Karen Leave a Comment

As always, I’m here to teach you about all things gluten – including certain environmental toxins you might not have thought about before.

Yes, food is part of your environment!

In this #4 video of my new series: “A Gluten Primer, Everything You Wanted to Know From A – Z” – we’re exploring the biggest social challenge of all:

Dining Out!

If you’ve already been doing this while, then it isn’t news to you that knowing how to navigate the social landscape when living a gluten-free, allergen-free lifestyle can be especially hard. And no surprise – it’s often the one area where people cave, despite their best intentions.

Why is this important?

If your goal is to minimize your symptoms and turn your health around – it all starts with what you’re putting into your body. Understand, too, that what works for one person, might not be the best thing for you – no matter how seemingly healthy it might be.

Introducing: A Gluten Primer – Everything You Wanted to Know From A-Z!