What Is The Trade-Off?

Egg & ChickAre 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?

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Are You Losing Your Mind?

AlzheimerDo 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?

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What’s Your Toxic Burden?

Holding water in cupped handsThere’s a lot of talk in the media these days about toxicity – both in the environment and in your body.

What’s that you say – your body isn’t toxic at all?

I hear you!

It’s a hard concept to wrap your brain around – and perhaps, you’d rather bury your head in the sand.

But I invite you to think again!

And yes – I totally get it.

It CAN be overwhelming!

Unfortunately, we live in a time when every single human on the planet has been exposed to environmental chemicals.

There’s simply no getting around it.

Some will argue that the human body is perfectly capable of dealing with these environmental toxins entirely on it’s own – and there is some truth to that.

However, the majority of chemicals that we’re exposed to in our present world, weren’t around one hundred years ago.

(Not even fifty years ago, for that matter).

Why is that a problem?

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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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Are Your Kids Missing School?

Allergy ConceptNot too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that her two-year old grandson had been extremely sick over the past few months.

The poor little guy had been in and out of our local Children’s Hospital, subjected to one test after another.

But there was still no clear diagnosis.

Eventually, his doctors began to suspect that the real culprit was the new carpet recently installed in the family’s home.

As shocking as this might seem, the truth is things like this happen all the time.

Here’s something else that might surprise you:

Asthma in children is on the rise, resulting in a lot of missed school days. (According to the latest statistics, more than 25 million people are affected!)

The culprit?

Once again, these statistics can be traced directly to toxins in the environment, in this case a group of chemicals commonly referred to as VOC’s.

That stands for Volatile Organic Compounds  – even the word volatile sounds scary, doesn’t it?

You know how, when food has gone bad, it typically has a rather awful smell?

Well, think of VOC’s as being the household equivalent to rotten food.

Just as you wouldn’t eat food that has obviously seen better days – you really don’t want to surround yourself with toxins that poison the air you breathe, do you?

(According to recent studies, indoor air pollution can actually be 50% worse than outdoor air).

That’s why paying attention to your child’s sleep environment is such a great place to start!

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