Gluten-Sensitivity & Celiac Disease – Should You Be Tested?

Gluten free words - tag cloud illustrationTake a look at the list of symptoms below.

Are any of them common for you – or even someone else you know?

  • Digestive Complaints
  • Cramps, Bloating or Gas
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches or Migraines
  • Sinus Congestion
  • Joint Pain
  • Rash or Itching
  • Insomnia
  • Chemical Sensitivity
  • Memory Loss
  • Osteoporosis
  • Weight Gain
  • Mood Swings

While this list is by no means comprehensive, the thing to note is that NONE of these symptoms are NORMAL!

They’re common, yes – but common and normal are NOT the same thing! It’s an important distinction, and one I like to stress – at every opportunity!

Here’s another thing I like to stress:

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How To Find Your Path & Stick With It

Tree blocking the roadHave you stepped on the scale this week?

Post holidays, it’s not uncommon to be 5-10 pounds heavier than you were two weeks ago.

And frustrated (yet again) that another year has passed where you ate all this junky food and are feeling like crap from all the over-indulgence – too much pies and cakes and pastries at holiday parties (or too many cookies, in my case).

And now you’re regretting it!

Chances are your digestive system is also out of whack because you’ve been eating things you normally don’t eat. And you’re paying for it now with daily heartburn & indigestion – along with those extra 10 pounds. 

It’s also the time of year when (after the wave of regret passes) you’re likely thinking about what to do to start losing that weight. (It’s why Gym memberships EXPLODE during January.)

You’re going to start seeing all these Detox and Cleanse programs – with the emphasis on exercising more and reducing calories.

And yet, you already know doesn’t work!

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Let’s Chew On This (or How to Take Care of Your 2nd Brain)

Bread CrustDo you remember the mantra about taking time to chew your food?

Chances are, it was your grandmother who proffered this advice, the idea being that you chew thoroughly, at every meal. (My husband’s grandmother had a hard and fast rule to chew each bite exactly 33 times).

Do you scoff at the very thought? Do you also firmly believe that you don’t have TIME to chew every.single.bite – or you’d never leave the table?

Well, guess what?

It turns out your grandmother was right all along!

Chewing your food thoroughly is such a critical part of the digestive process, because it primes your stomach and your digestive juices for the task ahead.

Not only that, the entry point of your meal – your mouth – is also where the Gut-Brain connection happens!

What do I mean by that?

Your gut and your brain are closely connected – to the point that what happens in your gut affects your brain, and vice versa.  [Read more…]

How To Find Your Path & Stick With It

Tree blocking the roadHave you stepped on the scale this week?

Post holidays, it’s not uncommon to be 5-10 pounds heavier than you were two weeks ago.

And frustrated (yet again) that another year has passed where you ate all this junky food and are feeling like crap from all the over-indulgence – too much pies and cakes and pastries at holiday parties (or too many cookies, in my case).

And now you’re regretting it!

Chances are your digestive system is also out of whack because you’ve been eating things you normally don’t eat. And you’re paying for it now with daily heartburn & indigestion – along with those extra 10 pounds.

It’s also the time of year when (after the wave of regret passes) you’re likely thinking about what to do to start losing that weight. (It’s why Gym memberships EXPLODE during January.)

You’re going to start seeing all these Detox and Cleanse programs – with the emphasis on exercising more and reducing calories.

And yet, you already know doesn’t work!

[Read more…]

The Window Screen In Your Gut

Bread CrustDoes this sound familiar?

You’ve recently eliminated several foods from your diet – such as gluten or dairy – knowing that you’re sensitive to them.

And you’re eating other foods instead.

Maybe you’re even eating a lot of these other foods – they’re ‘safe’ after all.

And the next thing you know, you’ve become sensitive to those foods.

What the heck is going on?

Is this just a part of getting older? Or is there a better explanation?

Well, here’s an analogy I think you’ll like.

If you think of your average window screen, its job is to keep bugs and gnats out of your home – letting in only the good stuff.

The good stuff being fresh air!

However, what happens if there are holes in that window screen?

Next thing you know, a mosquito or two will be buzzing about your head or maybe even a larger insect.

Now compare this to what might be going on your digestive tract.

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What’s Going On In There?

Heartburn SmallI was deep in conversation recently with a young woman, as she explained to me in earnest, how she was struggling with an over-production of stomach acid.

This had been causing her all kinds of problems.

(Since we were at a party, I’m actually not sure how we go off onto that tangent, but we did.)

After listening intently, I gently explained to her that high levels of stomach acid are actually exceedingly rare.

And I went on to explain that the likely culprit was more likely low stomach acid.

She was confused.

It’s a common myth, one you’ve likely heard yourself.

After all, the media bombards you all the time with messages of what you should do for heartburn.

And they always recommend an over-the-counter medication, to ease your symptoms.

The key word here is “symptoms”.

Because in the end, all that medication actually does is ease your symptoms – without addressing why you have this problem in the first place!

In order to find the problem, you need to first back things up – and look for the cause.

After all, there’s a reason you’re experiencing heartburn.

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