gluten-free

Mimics, Marauders & Masqueraders

October 31, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Sounds like a lot of drama, doesn’t it?

Halloween, or not – these mimics, marauders and masqueraders are present in your body all the time!

And even though your body is beautifully designed to deal with these pranksters at a moment’s notice, sometimes your immune system does make mistakes.

Or rather, we think of them as mistakes, but in all actuality, your immune system is simply doing what it’s designed to do – which is to protect you.

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

And the immune system gets confused.

Let me explain.

Cross-Reactivity

As you know, gluten is a protein found in certain foods.

Many of the foods you eat contain proteins, all of them different. And this is why the immune system can get confused – because the proteins (even though they’re different) can look very similar.

For example, the proteins in dairy products – more specifically casein, – look almost identical to the proteins in gluten.

The Noise In The Room

October 3, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

“Every part of your body & every cell in your body communicates with every other part of your body & every other cell. Everybody’s talking at the same time.”

Mark Hyman, M.D.

Have you ever found yourself in a crowded room full of people?

Did you happen to notice the cacophony of voices as you found yourself speaking as loud as possible to the person seated right next to you – trying to be heard above the din?

Well, that’s the kind of noise that’s going on in our bodies all the time.

The above quote illustrates this perfectly!

It makes sense, of course, since everything’s interconnected.

Of course, we’re not aware of this noise in our bodies.

It’s more like a low hum in the background, so faint we really can’t hear it at all.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: HEALTH & WELLNESS Tagged With: gluten-free, GPS, inflammation, interconnectedness

Are Your Genes Talking to You?

September 26, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Did you know that your genes are constantly talking to you?

Not only that, you’re also talking to your genes through every choice you make, and every decision.

Especially when it comes to diet and lifestyle!

How’s that even possible?

Truth is, you can’t change the genes that you were born with.

However, you do have the ability to control how your genes are “expressed”.

What does that mean?

Throughout a typical day, the foods you choose to eat, the amount of sleep or exercise you get and any number of things that you might be exposed to, are signaling to your genes.

They’re having a conversation.

And these signals, or triggers, are either turning your genes “on” – or “off”.

Pretty cool, huh?

But what does this have to do with the health of your gut, not to mention your sensitivity to gluten and other foods?

Can Juicing Make You Fat?

September 5, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

I’ve been making a lot of smoothies lately.

If I’m not in the mood for a smoothie, I’ll chop up a bunch of veggies and juice up a tall glass of green juice.

Whipping up a green smoothie, or juicing a tall glass of veggie goodness, seems to be all the rage lately.

And yes, I’ve been caught up in the excitement!

Do you have a preference?

For myself, I often prefer a smoothie to juicing – I like that the fiber stays intact (am I the only one who hates throwing all that nutritious fiber down the drain?) – plus I find it easier to clean a VitaMix than a juicer

Sometimes it’s a Green Smoothie, other times it’s a little less green, depending on the ingredients – it’s a little like mixing a palette of paint, to see what color you end up with.

On the flip side of things, there are many detractors to the juicing craze.

Bottom line – while certainly delicious, juicing may not always be the healthiest choice.

According to the experts, when you drink a glass of juice – especially if it’s mostly fruit – you’re really drinking nothing but a glass of sugar.

Are You Getting The Nutrients You Need?

August 22, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Did you know that up to 50% of people with Celiac disease have multiple nutritional deficiencies?

This often holds true as much as ten years post diagnosis!

And it doesn’t even include those who are merely gluten-sensitive (as opposed to someone with Celiac disease) or allergic to other foods, such as dairy, nuts or eggs.

Yet, I know from personal experience, that it is, in fact – true.

One thing about being gluten-free, or following any kind of special, medically prescribed diet, is that you may not be getting the nutrients you need.

So, you definitely want to make sure you are!

How do you know where you stand, nutrition-wise?

Take time to review each of the following, and you will have a better idea of your present habits, and what likely needs a bit of work.

Eat a High Quality Diet

Hands down, good health begins with a whole foods diet.

Is Gluten Toxic?

August 15, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

The bigger question, of course, is “Do you have Celiac Disease?”

Or, “Do you have a gluten-related disorder, most often referred to as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity – or Gluten Intolerance?”

Did you answer “yes” to either question?

In that case, gluten certainly is a toxin, at least to you.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t appear to have a sensitivity to gluten – that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re completely off the hook.

According to Dr. Tom O-Bryan, who refers to himself as the Gluten-Free Doc, “Everyone should be checked for a gluten sensitivity. And if you have the celiac gene, you definitely want to be checked every two years or so. You might be fine now, but at some point you will likely cross the line.”

Why is that?

The New Rules for “Gluten-Free” Food Labels

August 8, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

The long-awaited FDA food labeling rules – specific to gluten-free products – went into effect earlier this week!

That’s right – as of August 5, 2014, any packaged food that claims to be gluten-free, must conform to these new regulations.

What does that mean to you?

On the one hand, it will probably make life a lot easier. (Especially as you navigate your grocery store).

On the other hand, it can also come with its own set of problems.

In a nutshell, here’s what you need to be aware of:

20 PPM – The New Guideline

Any packaged food that is labeled “gluten-free” must contain 20 ppm (parts per million) – or less – of gluten. In other words, a food can actually contain gluten and still be considered safe to consume.

In truth, this has always been the case.

What is different now, is that the FDA has placed a very stringent cap on the acceptable amount.

Why 20 PPM?

The 20 ppm guideline was settled on, because the available research, while limited, indicated that most people with Celiac Disease could tolerate gluten in very small amounts.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT Tagged With: 20 ppm or less, Celiac disease, FDA, food labels, gluten-free, packaged foods

A Cooling Summer Soup

August 1, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

I’ve been eating a lot of blended foods over the past few months – things like smoothies, soups and purees.

At the same time, I’ve cut waaay back on raw foods and salads, unless they are blended into said smoothies or soups.

Why?

This little foray into an alternate way of eating has been in the interest of my own health issues, and also on the advice of my nutritionist.

Yes, I do work with a nutritionist.

The way I see it, it isn’t any different from working with a coach. In both cases, their job is to help keep you on track, and offer plenty of support along the way.

Just knowing you have someone on your side can make a huge difference to your success!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, RECIPES Tagged With: avocado, broccoli, coconut milk, dairy-free, functional medicine, gluten-free, nutition, summer

Is There A Frat Party In Your Gut?

July 25, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Truth be told, while I’ve been to a number of Frat Parties in my day, I never actually drank the beer.

That’s because I never acquired a taste for it – not even to this day.

(As you can imagine, I was the life of the party.)

Perhaps this was my body’s way of telling me that gluten wasn’t my friend – long before I knew the first thing about Celiac Disease or gluten-sensitivity.

As you likely know, Frat parties have a reputation for being a bit on the wild side, with lots of drinking and misbehavior.

So, what does a Frat Party in your gut look like?

The key word, here, is “misbehavior”.

With that in mind, let me share with you 3 things I’ve learned about my own body over the past year:

Extremely low Stomach Acid

A Leaky Gut

Yeast Overgrowth

Sounds like a Frat Party for sure, doesn’t it?

Well, here’s the thing.

Meet Your Anti-Nutrients

July 22, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Why anti-nutrients?

Because they rob nutrients from your body:

Gluten
Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
Processed Foods
Stress
Lack of Sleep
Overly processed Oils
Antibiotics
Eating the wrong foods for your unique physiology
Toxic overload
Over exercising (excessive exertion)

Does that last one surprise you?

The fact is, strenuous exercise is very stressful on your body. Not that surprising, really – we often feel the after-effects of exercise on our joints or muscles – a sure sign that we’ve overdone it.

It’s simply another type of stress that you might be dealing with – but it’s one you might not think of as stress.

Filed Under: HEALTH & WELLNESS Tagged With: alcohol, anti-nutrients, digestive healthy, gluten-free, processed foods, sleep antibiotics, stress, sugar

Mimics, Marauders & Masqueraders

The Noise In The Room

Are Your Genes Talking to You?

Can Juicing Make You Fat?

Are You Getting The Nutrients You Need?

Is Gluten Toxic?

The New Rules for “Gluten-Free” Food Labels

A Cooling Summer Soup

Is There A Frat Party In Your Gut?

Meet Your Anti-Nutrients

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