Do You Have A Shag Carpet?

Close up of shag rugWarning: while it’s true that I’ve been known to dabble in interior design, this is NOT a post about choosing the best carpet for your home.

Just saying.

Rather, it’s about those little soldiers that line the entire surface of your small intestine – that have the appearance of little shags because they literally look like shag carpeting!

The medical term for those little soldiers is “villi”, a key part of the immune system in your gut.

Their job is to be super vigilant about any intruders that might enter your digestive tract, and dispose of them immediately.

When they’re doing their job properly, they’re readily visible – waving about in the breeze.

However, as most anyone with Celiac Disease can tell you, what’s happened is that those villi have completely worn down – and totally atrophied.

So now you have Berber.

Berber carpeting is flat – when this happens, the villi are no longer able to do their job.

[Read more…]

Is Removing Gluten Always The Answer?

Celiac Disease concept. Book with stethoscope and pills.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.

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I Is for Inflammation & the Immune System

I - ICE PACK smallDid you know that May is National Celiac Awareness Month?

With that in mind, I bring you:  “I is for the Immune System & Inflammation – which we’re exploring it in depth this week.

I must admit, this is probably my favorite video in A Gluten Primer, Everything You Wanted to Know From A – Z video series!

I even bring in an Army & a Cannon! (Yes really – an Army).

But what is the connection, you might ask? And what does Gluten Sensitivity have to do with your Immune System & inflammation?

Whether Celiac Disease or another autoimmune condition (Hashimoto’s anyone?), gluten sensitivity, food sensitivities in general, or life-threatening allergies – even heart disease – your immune system is involved each and every time.

How do you know if gluten is a problem for you?

[Read more…]

Why Is Gluten Such a Big Deal?

Gluten free words - tag cloud illustrationHave you seen all the gluten-free foods these days?

It seems like a brand new thing but really, gluten-free foods have been around for while. Go into any grocery store today and you’ll see whole sections dedicated to shelf after shelf of gluten-free breads, cookies, cereals and lots more.

It’s literally an explosion of products, the majority of which didn’t exist five or ten years ago.

So what gives?

Is this gluten-free trend just another fad? And why should you even consider taking gluten out to begin with?

 

What’s the big deal?

Gluten is a unique protein, which can be broken down further into smaller proteins, or peptides. The most common of these proteins is referred to as alpha gliadin – or gliadin, for short. But there are many others!

Sidenote: This happens to be one of the BIGGEST problems when it comes to accurate testing, the issue being that most labs are ONLY looking at gliadin – when there are hundreds of other peptides you could be reacting to. That’s why Wheat Zoomer has become my go-to test for accurate results!

[Read more…]

Is Removing Gluten Always The Answer?

Celiac Disease concept. Book with stethoscope and pills.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.

[Read more…]

Is Giving Up Gluten the Key to Weight Loss?

CautionlHave you been swept up in the first-of-the-year battle to lose weight?

Perhaps this has been a year-long struggle for you, but post holidays you’re not only 10 pounds heavier – you’re also bloated and still suffering from indigestion, due to all your holiday indulgences.

Given this common scenario, it’s no surprise that come January 1, a lot of people jump on the weight loss bandwagon.

The media will tell you that weight gain is all about calories and exercise and I’m here to tell you that just isn’t true.

The thing is, I’d like to see you actually lose weight this year!

And also banish those tummy troubles (instead of just talking about it).

Are you up for that?

If you’ve recently vowed that this is the year you’ll finally lose those extra pounds – welcome on board!

However, if you’ve also been told that the only sure-fire way to lose weight is to stop eating gluten, let me break this down for you.

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Is Gluten Toxic?

Do you have Celiac Disease?”

Or, perhaps the bigger question is “ “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? [Read more…]

How To Take Care of Your Inner Child

PlayAs the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect once again, on the past twelve months and assess how far you’ve come.

That means celebrating your successes, for sure!

Perhaps it also means, taking the time to reflect on your “inner child”! (i.e. the part of you that hasn’t quite grown up).

Because no matter your age or how many decades have whizzed by, you’re still “young at heart” – wouldn’t you agree? 

This is exactly why your inner child still needs your attention.

Lots of it!

So let me ask you:

Are you taking care of your “inner child”?

Here are 3 easy things you can do to give her the love she needs.
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Do You Have a Leaky Gut?

health concept - cloud of related words and topicsThe very words “leaky gut” sounds scary, I know.

In fact, for most of us the first time you heard those words, you probably recoiled in horror.

“Leaky gut? No way – not me!”

Well, guess what?

The very fact that you have Celiac Disease, non-Celiac gluten-sensitivity or multiple food sensitivities means you probably do.

It’s actually that simple.

And it’s also very common.

The medical term for leaky gut is “intestinal permeability”.

What that means, quite simply, is that over-sized molecules of undigested food particles are leaking through your gut wall into the bloodstream – wreaking havoc along the way.

(And the reason why, is because those all-important villi that line the digestive tract, aren’t able to do their job).

Of course, this is when you immune system kicks into overdrive,  in an effort to vanquish the unwelcome intruder.

An important note, here:  this does not mean that your immune system has gone haywire – quite the contrary.

In fact, it’s the job of your Immune System to protect you from anything that doesn’t belong in your body.

So in that sense, it’s simply doing what it’s designed to do.

[Read more…]

What Is Your Headache Telling You?

Diagram of health“Non-celiac gluten sensitvity and celiac disease are like two sisters. The oldest is celiac disease, and the youngest is non-celiac gluten sensitivity.”

Dr Umberto Volta

 

Could your headache be related to what you are eating?

As you may have guessed, the short answer to that question is – yes. And it isn’t just your headache, either – any aches or pains you’re experiencing throughout your body, could easily be related to your diet.

Case in point – not too long ago, I tweaked my back, prompting a call to my chiropractor.

I had no idea what I’d done to cause this, but I knew he would set me right again.

During the exam, he asked me “What did you eat the day before?”

“Seriously?” I thought. (I was both surprised and mystified by the question).

A few years ago, I might have scoffed at the mere suggestion of a connection between my diet and a persistent pain in my back.

But if my journey over the past few years has taught me anything, it’s that everything in our body is so closely interconnected, that what might seem implausible on the surface, is often worth a closer look.

In other words, more often than not – our diets really are the culprit behind our physical symptoms.

(Often setting you back several months, in your quest to quell the inflammation in your body, and ultimately feel human again).

Of course, several days had gone by prior to my visit with the chiropractor, and I really wasn’t sure what I’d eaten.

He was very specific, though.

Had I perhaps ingested some gluten? Dairy?

[Read more…]