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Why I went Gluten Free

For years I suffered with migraine headaches that just seemed to get worse. I wanted to prevent them and I wanted to get off my prescription medication. I became very concerned about the medication I was using when I found out from an insurance underwriter that it was flagged as increasing my risk for stroke.

Getting off gluten was not easy for me and I tried at least half a dozen times before I was able to successfully "wean" myself off. I guess you could say I found that I was addicted to gluten!
 
When you tell people you don't eat gluten many think this GF diet is a "fad". Nothing could be further from the truth. For those skeptics who think there's no good reason to remove gluten (or for those convinced they could not live with out these grains) please let me illuminate some facts.

Why is gluten getting such a bad rap?
First gluten is is very inflammatory and inflammation is the driver of all chronic disease. Gluten is  now being linked to a host of other serious disease states. You don't have to test positive for the antibodies to be gluten sensitive or intolerant either. So there are "degrees" of reactivity so to speak. Celiac Disease is the most severe form and is an autoimmune disease. For Celiac's eating gluten is life threatening. Again, you don't have to test positive for Celiac's disease to be gluten sensitive. I think this causes a great deal of confusion for people. You can (and many people do) react to gluten without having the antibodies (tTG; TGA;AMG; AMA; EMA; ARA) show up on a blood test. This test is useful but it's not the only gauge of gluten reactivity. Food intolerance's (or sensitivity) are what's known as delayed immune system reactions. This means it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for symptoms to present.

Second, many wonder why there are so many people affected now. By one estimate at least one in every 100 people are gluten sensitive! That's a huge number of people. One theory for the rise in gluten sensitivity is that gluten is a relatively new food for humans. If you think back to Paleolithic times grains were not eaten. People ate what they hunted or gathered and grains were not one of those foods. Grains are a farmed crop and as such are commercially grown for use in thousands of products.

These grains contain gluten: 

Wheat – including wheat germ and wheat bran

Rye

Barley including barley malt

Bulgur

Couscous

Spelt

Kamut

Semolina

Triticale

Einkorn

Because Gluten containing grains are used in so many foods we love to eat like pasta, bread, crackers, pastries and desserts. Plus gluten is used as a filler in thousands of products. Grains are also fed to livestock as feed.....so you are starting to see how massively profitable this grain thing is now aren't you? Your probably also beginning to see why eliminating gluten can be a challenge for those who eat many packaged and processed foods or who dine out frequently.

This love affair with gluten grains has Americans in particular eating them at every meal and as snacks, so the sheer quantity of gluten people are now consuming is another reason at least in theory, why we are seeing a rise in gluten intolerance.
 
Common Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance:
The best way to gauge gluten reactivity is by symptoms you notice when you have eaten gluten containing foods. Here are some common symptoms of gluten intolerance:

skin eruptions - acne; rosacea, psoriasis
digestive issues - constipation; diarrhea, gas, nausea, IBS
pain/inflammation - joint paint, muscle pain, head aches (migraines especially!)
Other symptoms: weight loss/gain, depression, exhaustion , itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing

If you have any of these symptoms -
Do a trial of removing gluten and gluten containing products for a few weeks and see if you notice improvement and less symptoms. If you do you'll know your better off with out gluten in your life. It does not support you. You may also find you have less pain and inflammation removing not only gluten but dairy, and corn too. Soy is also very unhealthy (see my The soy deception book review in this blog).

When I removed gluten I stopped having migraines. this was a very big life changer for me as my migraines had become very severe and debilitating. My rosacea also went away once I stopped eating gluten :-) !!!

Auto Immune and other diseases are now being linked to Gluten!
The list of disease states now linked or suspected to be connected in some way to gluten intolerance keeps growing. If you search the PubMed database you will find this is an area of expanding research. Here are conditions that have been shown to be aggravated if not brought on (more research is required for absolute confirmation) - although I have seen enough to convince me to stay off gluten for the rest of my life.

Cancer
RA & OA
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
MS
IBS & IBD
Schizophrenia
Neuropathy
Autism
ADD & ADHD
Epilepsy

And since gluten feeds yeast these are common aliments associated with gluten:
Candida/Yeast overgrowth
Toe fungus
Psoriasis

Bottom line is your better off with out gluten in your diet!

Here are some other helpful links:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/12/gluten.free.diet.improve/index.html

http://migraine.com/blog/expert-featured-article/gluten-sensitivity-and-migraines/

http://drhyman.com/gluten-what-you-dont-know-might-kill-you-11/

Is your Make Up Toxic?

Did you know the cosmetics and personal care industry in the US is self regulated? This means the FDA does NOT require testing on 80% of the chemical ingredients in these products. Women use these products daily and are at high risk because of exposure to endotoxins and other chemicals linked to cancer.

In the Metro Detroit area? You can find out about your risk and what you can do to minimize it at my class Feb. 22. Click the link for more details


http://myemail.constantcontact.com/February-Wellness-Classes-from-Nourish.html?soid=1103840564316&aid=yIYE7YzCEgU

The Heart - Gut Connection

The Heart/GUT Connection

Most physicians don't look at the connection between heart disease and digestion - but YOU certainly should. I am seeing more and more people who have been diagnosed with heart conditions (i.e. high cholesterol, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, TIA) who also have gastrointestinal and digestion problems, so I began to wonder if there was a connection?

Inflammation & Disease

     

Ask any health practitioner and they'll tell you that all disease states arise from chronic inflammation. Ask your   cardiologist and they too will tell you cardiovascular diseases are inflammation driven.   

-Let's take plaque on arterial walls as an example. Plaque is formed as a result of the body's immune responds. In the arterial walls this creates what is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is actually a result of the body responding to healing an injury - patching up a lesion. So, in order to halt or slow this kind of inflammation driven responds we need to discover what is causing it. In other words figure out just where the inflammation is manifesting. 

Conventional medicine would have us believe it's all related to a high saturated fat diet - or genetic or some combination of both. But there is more to it than this. Unfortunately, too few doctors make the connection between poor digestion (which we know creates inflammation) and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.  

Proper & Impaired Digestion

During proper digestion bile secreted by the gallbladder carries cholesterol out of the body. However, with dysbiosis - ( an imbalance of more bad bacteria than good bacteria in the gut) - this process falters or fails. The result is a rise in cholesterol (not to mention estrogen and various toxins). When this happens, a simple gut detox and inoculation with beneficial bacteria will most likely help lower cholesterol, but have you ever  heard of a patient being given a "prescription" to do this from their cardiologist?  (If you have please email me!) 

We also know there is a link between helicobacter pylori infection and atherosclerosis. H.pylori, is a bacterium that is able to survive the highly acidic environment of the stomach. It is almost always present with peptic ulcers, gastritis, and duodenitis.  In researching this topic I discovered that h.pylori also destroys vascular tissue! And, autopsies are turning up h.pylori in the lesions of stroke and heart attack victims too.    

Lack of stomach acid leads to other problems too:

A  healthy stomach has sufficient hydrochloric acid. (HCl) destroys pathogens as soon as they enter. This is essential to a healthy GUT and to proper digestion. It's estimated that 90 percent of Americans are deficient in HCl, and that h.pylori can be found in 50 percent of the world's population.      

  

Proton pump inhibitors; such as Prolosec and Plavixwork by blocking acid production in the stomach. These are commonly prescribed for people with acid reflux, GERD and duodenal ulcers. Well guess what? The stomach is where protein digestion takes place and stomach acid is absolutely necessary for proper breakdown and digestion of protein.   

  

With out proper stomach acid the protein you eat is not digested and this leads to these large undigested particles of food passing through your intestines into the blood stream. When this happens - BINGO! You have an immune response reaction (aka = inflammation). This also impairs your body's ability to absorb the nutrients from your food. With out proper digestion and proper absorption of nutrients the body cannot be nourished properly and is left more susceptible to illness and chronic disease.   

This had me wondering again: 

- How many people who have cardiovascular disease also have had their gall bladders out?

- How many also have hypothyroidism?

- How many people who have CVD are taking PPI's?  

All of these conditions are related to improper digestion and increased inflammation!    

In  a report published just this month in Science Daily new research shows that the types and levels of bacteria in the intestines could possibly be used to predict a person's likelihood of having a heart attack, and that manipulating these organisms may help reduce heart attack risk.  

You can read the report here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193440.htm

   

American Diabetes Association releases New Standards Care & Screening

The American Diabetes Association just released their 2012 Standard of Care including screening recommendations for health care providers to use.

Here's a brief recap of just some of their diagnostic recommendations:

• Recommend use of the A1C to diagnose diabetes as the gold standard, but recommended including IFG.
• Defines impaired fasting glucose as (IFG - Fasting Plasma Glucose) levels 100 mg/dL [5.6 mmol/L] to 125 mg/dL [6.9 mmol/L]), or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (2-h values in the OGTT of 140 mg/dL [7.8 mmol/L] to 199 mg/dL [11.0 mmol/L]). 
• The A1C has several advantages to the FPG and OGTT, including greater convenience (since fasting is not required), evidence to suggest greater preanalytical stability, and less day-to-day perturbations during periods of stress and illness.
• Recommends diagnostic testing of diabetes should be repeated to rule out laboratory error; particularity when diagnosis is not clear.
• It is reasonable to consider an A1C range of 5.7 to 6.4% as identifying individuals with high risk for future diabetes, a state that may be referred to as prediabetes.
• Interventions should be most intensive and follow-up should be particularly vigilant for those with A1Cs >6.0%, who should be considered to be at very high risk

Here is a recap of some of their prevention and delay strategy recommendations:

• Patients with IGT (A), IFG (E), or an A1C of 5.7–6.4% (E) should be referred to an effective ongoing support program targeting weight loss of 7% of body weight and increasing physical activity to at least 150 min per week of moderate activity such as walking.
• Follow-up counseling appears to be important for success.
• Based on the cost-effectiveness of diabetes prevention, such programs should be covered by third-party payers.
• Metformin therapy for prevention of type 2 diabetes may be considered in those with IGT (A), IFG  or an A1C of 5.7–6.4% , especially for those with BMI >35 kg/m², age <60 years, and women with prior GDM. 
• At least annual monitoring for the development of diabetes in those with prediabetes is suggested.
  
  
  It's important to note the ADA calls out the effectiveness in lifestyle change programs: " intensive lifestyle modification programs that have been shown to be very effective". They go on to advise "Based on the results of clinical trials and the known risks of progression of prediabetes to diabetes, persons with an A1C of 5.7–6.4%, IGT, or IFG should be counseled on lifestyle changes with goals similar to those of the DPP (7% weight loss and moderate physical activity of at least 150 min per week)."
  
  
   You can read the entire report here:http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/35/Supplement_1/S11.full#sec-171
  
  

JAMA Commentary Contends Vitamin Therapy Can Still Reduce Stroke

American Medical Association (JAMA) argues that vitamin therapy still has a role to play in reducing stroke.
Good to see JAMA is acknowledging the important role of supplements in prevention!

JAMA Commentary Contends Vitamin Therapy Can Still Reduce Stroke

Cranberry found to have potent anti-cancer properties

In research released today in PubMed Herbal cranberry extract was found to have therapeutic properties which target breast cancer cell angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) as well as its viability. This means they help induce cancer cell death - which is what we want.

Cytotoxicity of PAC-1 was partially based on ROS generation and could be blocked by co-treatment with antioxidant glutathione.Glutathione is our bodies most powerful anti-oxident and helps support our immune system.

These findings suggest that PAC-1 exerts potent anticancer and anti-angiogenic properties and that highly purified PAC from cranberry can be further developed to treat ovarian cancer in combinational or single-agent therapy.

More great news about the healing power of plant foods! Anything that is an alternative to the traditional treatments of poison, cut and burn is good news indeed.

Read the abstract here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21922132?dopt=Abstract

Hypothryroidism - an under diagnosed epidemic

Most of us think of the thyroid as the gland that regulates metabolism and  controls body temperature but the thyroid also helps maintain physiological well being; regulates energy levels and is crucial to a healthy immune system. In fact, health conditions such as chronic pain, diabetes, heart disease, menstrual difficulties, and sleep apnea are all linked to low thyroid function.

The thyroid has been called the master gland. The thyroid is actually one of eight glands in the endocrine system (see diagram). This “system” regulates reproduction; growth and development; cellular metabolism; the balance of nutrients, electrolytes and water and acts to mobilize the body’s stress response. Each of the eight glands in the endocrine system works in concert to initiate or respond to the body’s requirement for hormones. When a dysfunction occurs in one gland, another gland will respond to try and address the imbalance and this is why it is important to look at how the whole endocrine system of glands is functioning when looking at how to address the root cause of the problem.

Chronic stress on the adrenals is also frequently found in combination with thyroid problems. Restoration of healthily functioning to both glands is important.

Conventional lab testing -

When you have your blood work done to check your thyroid most physicians look at three types of thyroid hormone; TSH, T4 and free T3.  Some physicians also check reverse T3/T4. All of these should be checked, however some physicians will only check  one or two of these. Under diagnosed hypothyroidism is extremely common due to many people having either sub-clinical or functional hypothyroidism. Both of these conditions are not accurately detected using standardized serum blood testing. An older test that is called the Broda Barnes Basal body temperature is a test that you can perform yourself, at home. This was the test used for many years until a blood test was developed in the later part of the 20st century. 

*See how to perform this test on yourself at the end of this post.

Another problem with conventional blood tests for thyroid function is that the acceptable (considered normal) diagnostic ranges for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and even T3 and T4 are quite broad. So your physician may read your blood test as normal yet you may be suffering from many symptoms associated with hypothyroidism.

Symptoms that may be related to thyroid dysfunction:

FatigueWeight gain

Heightened sensitivity to cold weather (cold hands & feet)

Increased cholesterol and triglycerides

Edema

Loss of libido

Dark circles under the eyes

Heavy menstrual periods with a shorter cycle

Dry, cracked skin; coarse, dry hair and thin brittle nails

Depression with weakness and or fatigue; forgetfulness & difficulty concentrating

Delayed reflexes

Muscular weakness & joint stiffness & pain

Hyperlypidemia & increased C-reactive protein & homocysteine levels  

Constipation, impaired kidney function

Thyroid dysfunction is more common that most people realize. One estimate is that at least 10 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Women are more likely than men to be effected and as we age thyroid disease seems to be more prevalent. Thyroid dysfunction is one of the most un-diagnosed conditions of our modern day.

Why the increase?

Many holistic health experts and functional clinicians believe we may be seeing more people affected by thyroid deregulation due to sodium restriction advised by the media which has resulted in a reduction in iodine. These experts believe the low iodine intake is then compounded by eating an excess of foods (known as goitrogens) which inhibit the small amounts of iodine ingested from being absorbed and converted from T4 to T3. Plus a commonly prescribed medication used to treat high blood pressure (Inderal) can actually inhibit the T4 to T3 conversion process. Finally, in a society that finds itself chronically stressed and tired the adrenal glands are being strained and this also creates adverse effects on the thyroid.

Personally I believe our stressed out society is also contributing to this condition. Remember that the adrenal glands and the thyroid work closely together and adrenal burn out is at an all time high these days. 

How to perform the Broda Barnes basal Temperature Test:

At night, shake down a thermometer - be sure that it is shaken down and below 95 degrees. Next morning, on awakening, put the thermometer under your arm with the bulb in the armpit with no clothing between it and the armpit. Leave it there for 10 minutes (use snooze alarm if you wake up to an alarm). Just drowse for that time lying still.

After 10 minutes, take the thermometer out and read it, writing down the result right away. (On waking, most people don't think clearly and might forget the reading). This is known as your Early AM Basal Temperature and the "normal" should be between 97.8 and 98.2. This reading taken by armpit is somewhat lower and somewhat more accurate than by mouth.

If you have a low-grade infection this may read higher than your "normal", therefore if it is in that range above, you should repeat the above procedure every other day for a week or so. If a menstruating female, also do it on the 2nd and 3rd day of your period.

If you find your basal temperature is consistently low (under 97.8 F) and you have other physical symptoms listed here you should seek care from a holistically trained physician. 

Unfortunately, the American Medical Association does not teach doctors about this method of testing which is more accurate of sub clinical or type II hypothyroidism. If you do present this information to your MD or DO do not be surprised for them to tell you that they rely on blood tests only and thus they will not b of any help to you. This is exactly what happened to me and I have since begun working with a holistic MD and am now on Armor Thyroid. 

Supportive nutrients for a healthy thyroid:

Natural iodine from Celtic Sea salt

Iodine from sea vegetables such as kelp, kombu, nori, wakame ad dulse

Iodine is also found in most seafood’s such as haddock, cod, shrimp and tuna

Selenium – highest source is Brazil nuts; shrimp, crab, pork, brown rice

Tyrosine – sea vegetables, sprirulina, eggs, turkey, pork, wild game meats, avocado, almonds, dairy products

Zinc- oysters are highest; crab, beef turkey
Vitamins A, B complex, C and E are also required to help make proper conversions in manufacture of thyroid hormones. 

For more information on the work of Dr. Broda Barnes http://www.brodabarnes.org/. Also see:http://www.21centurymed.com/?page_id=12

What happens when you detox?

Detoxification or cleansing is very misunderstood. Cleansing allows the body to eliminate used wastes and toxins and helps improve our health as it removes harmful substances we in-hail, ingest and are exposed to every day.

Most people think of a cleansing program or detox as a way to purge their system of the poor food they have eaten and think of this a away to lose weight. While it certainly helps with weight loss, cleansing or detoxing is also a valuable and healthy process for those who have undergone heavy pharmaceutical intravenous drugs, or who have been hospitalized. It' also a must for anyone who has (or suspects they have) any food intolerance's and always essential if you've been diagnosed with yeast overgrowth (Candida)

What are the benefits?

All detoxing programs that are worth their salt so to speak must include a remove and replace component. This means taking out foods that are really garbage & non-foods as well as those foods that are know to be reactive (those foods like gluten, dairy, soy etc.. that commonly cause an allergic immune responds). These non- foods/toxic foods are replaced with whole foods (think lots of fresh green and brightly colored  produce) healthy fats and proteins and of course plenty of filtered water. This helps your body process metabolites better because your reducing the load on your liver when your doing a detox. Cleansing or detoxing also helps re-balance the body due to consumption of more alkalizing foods. Any safe detox program needs to be done for several weeks and should include specific therapeutic and supportive supplements to ensure proper removal of toxins through the two stages of the process.

More about what actually happens when you detox -

While the body is always naturally detoxing these days our bodies are exposed to many more contaminates than ever before due to commercially farmed food, processed foods, pharmaceutical medications, stuff we put on our bodies and all the pollutants in our environment; both in the home and outdoors. Over time this overload slows down the body's ability to process and remove toxins and they build up - especially in fat stores. 

The skin, lymph, lungs, kidneys and liver are all major pathways of the body for detoxifying, but the liver does the heavy lifting. When the liver is over worked and over burdened by medications, alcohol, caffeine; poor food choices and environmental toxins proper digesting of the food you eat is much more difficult. When you don't digest properly you don't get the nutrients from your food to nourish your body which not only leaves you feeling crummy but also puts you at greater risk from invading pathogens. Anyone who frequently get sick with colds, flu migraines, experiences nausea, constipation or diarrhea will most certainly benefit form cleansing. Likewise anyone who has difficulty with concentration, ADHD, arthritis, GUT issues or allergies should absolutely do a clinically supervised detox program.

Remember that the liver is not only the body's main detoxifying organ it also has a dual role in proper digestion of food. This is why so many people find it very difficult to lose unwanted weight - there livers are overloaded and fat loves to hold on to toxins!

When we detoxify our body’s liver must convert fat soluble nutrients to water soluble nutrients (Phase I and Phase II) before they can be eliminated. It's a complicated process to convert these fat soluble toxins to water soluble ones and involves a number of steps in the metabolic process. And frequently when people move too quickly, or have problems with some part of this conversion process they end up with toxic metabolites that are fare worse than those they were trying to eliminate in the first place. In effect they re-intoxify them self. This is why the Master Cleanse is NOT a safe way to go about cleansing and I do not recommend it to anyone.

Bottom line - if you've been thinking of changing your diet and want to learn how to eat more healthfully a detox can really help you get on the right path. 

Shameless plug:
There is still 7 days left to register for my ReBoot 21 day Group Detox program. This is the most economical way to experience the benefits of a clinical detox program. If you were to work with me individually I'd need to charge you at least $600 for what I am offering for just $358. You'll get three one hour sessions with me; all the clinical strength support supplements you need to make your program safe and effective; a 7 day meal plan, recipes and tons of tips on how to supercharge your experience to get the maximum from the program. Plus you'll meet some other great people who want to get healthy too. Reboot Program Detials & Registration details

Nourish Nutrition Coach Blog Spot: Is there any beneifit to detoxing? & why I detox

Nourish Nutrition Coach Blog Spot: Is there any benifit to detoxing? & why I detox: I used to think detoxing was some kind of ritual reserved for those extreme "health nuts". I simply could not understand why anyone would pu...

Is there any beneifit to detoxing? & why I detox

I used to think detoxing was some kind of ritual reserved for those extreme "health nuts". I simply could not understand why anyone would put them self through what sounded like sheer torture to me.

Now I detox two or three times a year. But hold on - I am not talking about the Master Cleanse or consuming only raw juice type of detoxification program. In fact I have personally seen how dangerous the Master Cleanse can be having helped people recover from the damage caused by this type of crazy detox!

First you need to understand a little about what the body is doing all the time to detox. The body is constantly, naturally removing toxins. This elimination process is done through the skin, lungs, kidneys, lymph and the liver - with the liver doing the lions share of the job. It's a two phase process where (and this is a huge simplification of a very complex process) fat soluble nutrients are converted to water soluble ones so they can be excreted from the body.

If it's happening all on it's own then why, you ask, do you need to do a detox at all? Good question and it's one I wondered too. Quite simply the answer is because our bodies are over burdened these days! With all the fast food, rancid fats, excessive sugar, preservatives and chemicals plus all the environmental pollutants our livers are not able to do both the job of detoxifying and food digestion. Once the liver becomes over loaded these toxins accumulate and re-circulate in many cases becoming more damaging then they were initially. Holistic practitioners believe that this sets the stage for chronic disease states. And in the case of someone who is chronically unwell or who suffers with RA, Lupus, Cancer, GOUT, IBS, migraine headaches, skin disruptions; like acne psoriasis; and even diabetes and CVD, until you clean up the liver your progress to health is impeded.

The best way to help your body do its job of detoxifying better is to reduce your toxic load. Look around your home, office and in your pantry, refrigerator and clear out the processed and toxic products. And don't forget that everything you put on your body goes into it. So pay attention to all the health & beauty products ingredients. If you have a Smart Phone you can down load an app called GoodGuide that will help you know how safe or unsafe a product is. Good Guide App


Want to know more about what you can do now to prepare before you begin a detox program?

Come to my free lecture January 18th, 2011 @ ABC Wellness in Sterling Heights, MI. Contact me here to RSVP:nourishnutrition@comcast.net

And if your interested in a safe, affordable detox program I am leading a Small Group Detox Program January 30, Feb. 6 and 13th. For details and how to register - Click on this link ReBoot 21 Day Group Detox Program info.