What’s All the Hype About Gluten?

/ Dr. Patty J / Leave a comment

image1Someone recently asked me why there’s such a huge explosion of information and awareness of gluten. “We’ve been eating gluten for years and people have been fine. Why’s everybody on this gluten-free kick? It seems like people just think it’s cool.” It’s true, gluten is getting a lot more attention, but it’s far from a fad. In fact, it’s like any other illness-causing source. Once health advocates find out something may not be good for us, the spotlight shifts so that its harmful effects can be understood and eventually reduced.

Think of all the unhealthy foods that were consumed years ago. We now know that adding a liberal amount of lard in our recipes is not just a fun way to enhance taste, it’s a death wish. We’re also now far more knowledgeable about the effects of diabetes so we make efforts to deter away from choices that may cause it. It’s exciting to know that gluten is attracting more attention because in my humble opinion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome isn’t really a thing. It seems to be more of a catch-all diagnosis, many times qualifying as a diagnosis for someone with gluten-related concerns. It’s gluten at it’s finest. Researchers conducted a study with IBS sufferers in which one group of subjects eliminated gluten from their diet while the other group did not. Not surprisingly, IBS symptoms decreased in the gluten-free group. Sure, other factors might be contributing to folks’ health issues, but I have yet to hear someone tell me that eliminating gluten made them feel worse (well, emotionally maybe, because knowing I can no longer eat a chocolate glaze covered chocolate doughnut with drizzled chocolate chips on top from my favorite bakery almost brings me to tears, but that’s another story).

Naturally Facilitate Digestion

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IMG_4559  You don’t need weird, additive-containing digestive aids to help you get regulated. Try nature’s remedies:

Apple cider Vinegar

Parsley water

Ginger

Mint

Prune Juice

Water

Some Commonly Found Preservatives

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I’m including some commonly used preservatives that you might find in an ingredient list. This isn’t an exhaustive list, because unfortunately there are so many preservatives out there under various guises. If you’re not sure what something means on an ingredient list, its best to do some research before buying it.

BHT (Butylated hydroxyanisole and BHA (butylated hydroxytoluene): used to preserve shelf life, and spotted in a variety of foods, including cereal to foods with high fat content

Sodium Nitrate: mainly used to preserve meat; linked to higher incidences of cancer

Sulfites: used to prevent discoloration in drinks such as wine and beer, fruit juice, fruit fillings and other products; can trigger asthma symptoms

Sodium Benzoate: fights bacteria and fungus under acidic conditions; it is known to contribute to hyperactivity when combined with food coloring

Remember… preservatives are sneaky. Always stay on the look out.

Forgiving the Flesh–In Which I Recount the Ways My Body Has Betrayed Me

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I’d like to share a moving post about one woman’s account of the difficulties with her body and mind and their plight to help and protect, yet sometimes betray. It is a beautifully written piece. I hope we can all embrace and forgive our bodies.

dearlilyjune's avatardearlilyjune

Dear Lily June,

As human beings, we live in the flimsy structures of our fleshy bodies. Our hearts, like birds, are protected only by a cage of ribs; our minds, like yolks, sit inside the bony eggs of our skulls. It is a system designed to be fragile and frail. We are not built to last forever.

In my youth, I felt as if my body was invincible and thus, I treated it as if it were invisible. (In fact, your Grandma Raelyn might recall to you someday how I used to hide my body, as a toddler, under my ratty baby blanket, transforming myself into a makeshift ghost and earnestly believing no one could see me when I was under there.)

When my own Grandmother Mary began the comparison game as I hit my early teens, wondering why I couldn’t “try to be beautiful” like my sister–your Aunt Loren–I…

View original post 1,943 more words

Feingold Diet for Attention Difficulties

/ Dr. Patty J / 2 Comments

salad

The Feingold Diet is a diagnostic tool used to investigate whether elimination of preservatives, dyes and certain foods may decrease symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Even those who do not suffer from ADHD could benefit from the Feingold Diet because the purpose of it is to systematically analyze how removing chemicals from the body can positively influence the brain.

Is the Feingold Diet the solution for ADHD? I wouldn’t go that far. However, research shows that it has marked benefits in some people. By the way, the diet isn’t exclusively for children.

Check out http://www.feingold.org/what.php to find out more. Under the section about dyes, there is a link that reads, “What they can do to you.” There is a detailed list of dyes and their physiological effects. It’s a nice resource to put in the kitchen as a reminder.

Who Me? Gluten-Free?

/ Dr. Patty J / Leave a comment

IMG_4970   I remember my first experience with numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, along with other weird symptoms – a rash around my elbows (yes, just the elbows), stomach pain and breathing problems. After weeks of having symptoms, I began to wonder what was really going on. I saw my doctor, who suggested vitamin supplements and said we’d observe how that went. Kinda sorta saw a minor improvement, which made some sense, but ultimately, I still had frequent symptoms. Check out this article on neurological symptoms and vitamin deficiency to find out more about that:

that.http://brainblogger.com/2014/07/30/vitamin-b12-deficiency-and-its-neurological-consequences/

So anyway, she then referred me to a neurologist who cleared me of all things terrifying. I was very grateful but I still didn’t have answers. With time, I began to learn the connection between gluten sensitivity and its symptoms. I started experimenting. I went off of gluten. Felt amazing. Then, drowning in the sea of denial and bread withdrawal, I told myself my health improvement had nothing to do with gluten and I’d be fine if I ate it. Terrible idea. So I went back off. And on, and off. I did the tango with gluten a few more times before I regretfully came to terms with it. So eventually and very reluctantly – I decided to give up gluten. Bread versus being symptom-free of weird, scary sensations, I decided giving up bread, and pizza, and ugh, cookies was definitely worth it. Painful, but worth it.

I also later realized that although I had to make some food and financial sacrifices, there are a lot of gluten-free options now available. The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) and Other Interventions by Barrie Silberberg is an excellent resource for people looking to switch to gluten-free eating (and casein-free, if you prefer). Despite the title, it is not only for those suffering with autism or ADHD. It’s a great resource for multiple reasons, really, because she also details how gluten and casein affect developmental and overall general health.

Gluten Implicated in Cognitive Decline?

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IMG_4581      Gluten-free diets are sometimes thought to be a fad. Friends have disgustedly asked me, “Ew, you do that? Why?” Believe me, it’s not a choice, it’s a necessity. Other people eliminate gluten because they figure if it bothers other people, it can’t be good for them. Until recently however, no one was really sure why it causes adverse effects.

People who have Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity/intolerance may have reactions from stomach discomfort to neurological symptoms, like tingling and numbness. In a book titled, Misdiagnosed by Jody Berger, she shares how she was misdiagnosed as having multiple sclerosis, but after doing some lengthy research and seeking other sources such as Ayurvedic doctors, she finally discovered she had a gluten intolerance.

There’s increasing research that neurological symptoms of gluten insensitivity and intolerance do actually mimic multiple sclerosis and other neurological diagnoses. Further, there might also be a link between gluten and cognitive decline. Check out this article that details how gluten affects the brain: http://thepaleodiet.com/gluten-brain/ There are some interesting MRI scans that show atrophy in a particular part of the brain that’s thought to be caused by gluten consumption.

By the way, the dish I made in the pic is all gluten-free – noodles by Ronzoni and gluten-free corn meal for the breaded salmon.

Paleo Do’s and Dont’s

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IMG_4893

A quick guide to paleo eating:

EAT

  • Grass-fed meats
  • Fish/seafood
  • Fresh fruits
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Healthy oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

DON’T EAT

Find out more in the Ultimate Paleo Diet: http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-diet-food-list/

The Paleo Diet

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IMG_4859It’s always better to know what we can do versus what we can’t. Hearing what we can’t do makes us want to do it more, in fact. The paleo diet, named after the paleolithic era, is formulated around eating foods that were found through hunting and gathering. Therefore, farming, which only came along a little over 300 years ago isn’t actually completely natural, according to paleo followers. I have to say though, I personally have no problem with farms who follow ethical practices. Organic? Free range? I’m down. Then again, I love food so I’m going to try not to narrow down my options whenever possible.

Anyway, there are many options to choose from within the paleo diet, so you won’t feel terribly restricted in what you eat. Full disclosure: Do I follow the paleo diet strictly? Ummm, sort of. I don’t prescribe to any one diet. Instead, I incorporate ideas about eating based on what I know to be healthy or harmful, research, and my body’s reaction to various foods. So far, the principles of the paleo diet I’ve applied have gone very well.

Why paleo? Find out more… http://thepaleodiet.com/paleo-diet-faq/

Let me know how it’s going with your attempts and success at a paleo diet.

Preservatives and Attention Issues in Children

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As a psychologist who has worked with children for some time, I have sadly seen children suffering with mental illness at young ages. Many times, mental illness is brought on due to environmental stress, genetic disposition or a combination of both. However, I have also witnessed times when a diet change has caused remarkable positive changes in children.

I worked with one little guy who had a rare genetic disorder for which he was receiving rigorous medical treatment. He was taking the treatments with few side effects and was doing well medically. However, he was very restless, had difficulty paying attention, and became very agitated very quickly if things didn’t go his way. Of course his mother wondered the usual things a mother would consider in a circumstance such as this. Is it the medical illness? Is it that she and her husband have been too easy on him because he is ill? Is the child depressed or is he suffering from bipolar disorder. He clearly needed some type of behavioral intervention, which is where we started after double-checking that he was medically stable. His mother and father admittedly allowed him to get away with certain behavior out of guilt, however, they were far more consistent in disciplining him. Behavioral modification was beginning to work effectively some of the time, however, he was still waxing and waning in mood and behavior. After months of working with him, I started to wonder if maybe there was a medical connection. However, we hadn’t yet examined what the child was consuming. While awaiting the next doctor’s visit, we spent the next few weeks examining what the child was eating. His mother began utilizing resources on nutrition and attention difficulties. She increased her son’s omega 3-containing consumption. She decreased preservatives and sugar. She also eliminated milk from his diet for a brief period to see if that would help. After just a few weeks of the diet change, the child began to focus better, was calmer and was able to express his needs more effectively.

Here’s a link for parents looking for information about the relationship between behavior and certain types of food.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEoQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.feingold.org%2Foverview.php&ei=T9kOVfSODMXCggTPsID4Ag&usg=AFQjCNEllJyWQeZ9erIcbNkBGXmOeIBpiQ&bvm=bv.88528373,d.eXY