Do You Make These Dietary Lifestyle Mistakes?

Dr Murray Mayo Clinic

Over at Awakening Potentials Dr. Tony and Dr. Marcelle have a gentle reminder to avoid the usual or the most common mistakes people make when they are gluten sensitive or celiac.

This article is so important as we have research that shows that just one or more meals or snacks containing gluten a month increases ones death rate by 6% A YEAR! I see it in my practice and I still have a hard time understanding how the modern wheat is so toxic.

And gluten sensitivity is twice as common and has four times the morbidity and mortality. And see more published research by Ludvigsson and Anderson, here and here.
Gluten Sensitivity is not a fad, it is a fact.

Here is an excerpt: Gluten Sensitivity is finally gaining traction. People are becoming aware of the symptoms of Gluten intolerance, and even some medical doctors are aware of this. So what are the symptoms you ask?
 Migraines and Tension Headaches

 Sore Joints, aka arthritis
 Brain Fog
 Skin Rashes
 Depression
 and of course, Digestive Problems

You can have any or all of the above symptoms, but you need to understand, this is not always a digestive problem.
Here are the common mistakes people make when going gluten free:

1. Thinking they can cheat “a little bit”. You can’t cheat at all!
2. Not reading labels. Wheat and gluten are added to almost everything!
3. Bringing large amounts of “gluten free” products into their diet, too much sugar!
4. Substituting corn, or rice in large amounts for the missing wheat. Leads to more problems!

Want to gain 20 healthy years to your life then go 100% gluten and grain free, like GAPS diet and protocol to remedy the complications that have occurred, remedy the MTHFR polymorphisms that encourage B vitamin, zinc and magnesium deficiencies. And restore the proper microbiota that are so life giving to us. Read the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome to become educated on how rice, corn and other grains cause leaky gut and destroy the healthy bacteria. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Acetaminophen Linked to Increased Risk of Kidney Dysfunction When Combined with Alcohol-from Dr. Mercola

Here is another powerful article on Acetaminophen and how and why you should avoid it.
Besides the many listed natural and healthy alternatives mentioned, I also use Metagenics brand Kaprex.

Also reviewed are simple basics for a pain free life, as well as specific treatment modalities.

I'm discussing this as celiac patients and patients with non celiac gluten sensitivity have more pain issues and are at risk of having more negative reactions to drugs. A couple of the reasons are that the liver enzymes that metabolize our food and ingested chemicals are more dysfunctional, one reason being methylation gene abnormalities ( in the 76% range). And celiacs and GS people have low glutathione levels (also from methylation gene abnormalities and malnutrition).

You have got to watch to watch the video at the beginning of the article by Dr. Mercola as it has an easy to understand explanation as to how the accumulation of toxic by products occurs. It's less than 5 minutes in length and it's entertaining.

By Dr. Mercola

Given the fact that acetaminophen (sold under the brand name Tylenol, among others) is one of the most widely used drugs in the world, you might be surprised to learn that taking just a bit too much, on a regular basis, or taking it in combination with alcohol, can have rather significant health risks.

The drug can have adverse effects on your liver and kidneys, and acetaminophen-containing prescription drugs must now carry a warning about the potential for serious and potentially lethal skin disorders.

Acetaminophen can be toxic to your liver, even at recommended doses, when taken daily for just a couple of weeks.1

Sources and References


1 JAMA July 5, 2006: 296(1); 87-93
2 British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2012 Feb;73(2):285-94
3 Medical News Today November 4, 2013
4 141st annual American Public Health Association Meeting, Online Program
5 Hepatology September 1995: 22(3); 767-773
6 Montana.edu, Complications of Alcohol
7 LEF.org, Acetaminophen Toxicity
8 Lancet 2009 Oct 17;374(9698):1339-50
9 US FDA August 2, 2013
10 US FDA August 2, 2013
11 Altern Med Rev. 2010 Dec;15(4):337-44.
12 GreenMedInfo.com Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Toxicity

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

GI's Announce: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: The New Frontier of Gluten Related Disorders

This blog is to inform people of the high rate of Gluten sensitivity a condition that causes severe conditions not just in the bowel, from eating gluten whether they have celiac disease or not. It causes a 400% increased risk of dying before age 65 while eating gluten, There was a time, until very recently that gastroenterologists argued that the only condition caused by gluten was celiac disease.
Now, in a review published in Nutrition in September 2013, by 23 world experts in Gastroenterology, including Dr. Fasano, they report on Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and it's links to irritable bowel syndrome, and neuropsychiatric conditions like autism, ALS, ataxia and schizophrenia.

What is particularly interesting is their discussion that specific carbohydrates found in food contribute to the symptoms of IBS. They validating the work of Dr. Haas and Elaine Gottschall, who since the '50's have treated people with a diet eliminating these carbohydrates and Dr. Campbell- McBride has updated it and called it Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet and protocol. These low-fermentable, poorly-absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates do more than give GI symptoms, but also inhibit healing of the bowel, proper growth of microbiota and without a both in good condition, people don't thrive.

If you are gluten sensitive, you need more than a gluten free diet to heal: gluten free, and free of specific carbohydrates (grain and sugar free, and no dairy) for as long as it takes to correct the microbiota of the gut.

Here is the abstract of the review:
Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) was originally described in the 1980s and recently a “re-discovered” disorder characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing food, in subjects that are not affected with either celiac disease (CD) or wheat allergy (WA). Although NCGS frequency is still unclear, epidemiological data have been generated that can help establishing the magnitude of the problem. Clinical studies further defined the identity of NCGS and its implications in human disease. An overlap between the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and NCGS has been detected, requiring even more stringent diagnostic criteria. Several studies suggested a relationship between NCGS and neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly autism and schizophrenia. The first case reports of NCGS in children have been described. Lack of biomarkers is still a major limitation of clinical studies, making it difficult to differentiate NCGS from other gluten related disorders. Recent studies raised the possibility that, beside gluten, wheat amylase-trypsin inhibitors and low-fermentable, poorly-absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates can contribute to symptoms (at least those related to IBS) experienced by NCGS patients. In this paper we report the major advances and current trends on NCGS.

Download the full article from this link.


To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

A Word From The Gluten Summit's Dr. O'Bryan: Thank You and Keep December 12th for a Follow Up Webinar

Dr. O'Bryan stated: My Godmother’s death certificate said “Hepatocellular Carcinoma” (liver cancer), but it should have said “Hepatocellular Carcinoma secondary to Celiac Disease.” Year after year, her doctor never considered that celiac disease could have been the cause of her mildly elevated liver enzymes. He didn’t know to do so. What might a gluten-free diet have done for her? How much more time might we have had together?

Before she passed she said to me, “Tommy, You tell ‘em,” And I replied, “I will, Aunt Emily. I will.”

I’m on a mandate from my Godmother to prove to the world that we must ask the question, “Could gluten be the cause?” Just ask. That’s all.

115,000 people attended “A Grain of Truth: The Gluten Summit”--the world’s first Gluten Summit. 115,000 now understand the importance of considering gluten as the cause of symptoms early in the evaluation of one’s health. But…

The Gluten Summit is only the beginning of the conversation.

I know this to be true. Know it. Because we cannot simply stop here, satisfied that we’ve done enough. I know that you've watched the interviews and read the transcripts, and that you will take what you’ve learned to your families, patients, friends, doctors, and you will turn that 115,000 into one million, and then one hundred million. Why? Because it is imperative that more people know that a gluten-related disorder could be the cause of their ailments.

I know that you will tell the world your stories because so many of you are already doing just that--from your heartfelt thank you letters, we see that you are the ones changing the world NOW.

We will reduce the 17 years that it typically takes for groundbreaking research to reach patients and practitioners, but it will not be an easy act, and resistance can come from many places:

As frustrating as it may be to deal with those who have placed their fingers in their ears to silence the sound of this important conversation, I know we will persevere. \

“Congratulations, Dr. O’Bryan. In a matter of a few days, the Gluten Summit moved the conversation forward by 5 years.” -The president of a major medical university

We never imagined that in 10 days we’d get the attention of over 100,000 people; it still wonderfully boggles my mind how an important message can leverage technology to quickly reach so many.

I cannot thank my team enough. They, literally, worked around the clock with very little sleep for an entire month. They had Skype open 24/7, text messages blazing back and forth, kick-off calls each morning and spoke on the phone with each other 5-6 times each day to ensure that you got as seamless an experience as they could provide. Thank you. 

To our Sponsors, who accepted the risk of associating themselves with an event that had no precedent: not only were they there at the beginning, but offered even more items for our drawings than we initially anticipated when they recognized that we were moving the needle so tremendously. I know hundreds, if not thousands, of you have personally reached out to thank them. I thank them, too.

And finally, to you, the attendees of the world’s first Gluten Summit--you are pioneers forging a path for the world to understand gluten-related disorders! Your stories shared via comments, emails, Facebook and Twitter kept us all buoyed with energy. You proved to us that we were changing the conversation about health for you, for your parents, for your friends and for your children. So, I cannot thank you enough! 

And, I want you to know…

Our time together has not ended. The conversation has only just begun.

I invite you to continue the conversation on our Facebook page, where you can:
Post the questions on our wall that you’d like to have me address at the “Now That You Know, Where Do You Go?” webinar scheduled for December 12-15, 2013;
Share your stories with others who have been through or who are going through exactly what you are experiencing; 

Stay tuned for information about future summits and follow-up events!

SAVE THE DATE! December 12-15, 2013!
“Now That You Know, Where Do You Go?” Webinar

Now that you have the information from the summit, are you wondering what to do next? My coming webinar from December 12-15, 2013, will address that very question--stay tuned for your free invitation to attend! 

I appreciate each and every one of you.

Sincerely,
Dr. Tom O’Bryan
Founder, The Gluten Summit and theDr.com

Gluten Summit Discount Price On Recordings Ends Tomorrow...You Still Have Time To Get Your Copy!

My mission is to get high quality information about gluten induced disorders to as many people as possible. The Gluten Summit reached a lot of people and there was something it in for everyone.

I don't want you to miss out on an amazing deal offered by the team at the Gluten Summit. Until midnight U.S. EST, Thursday November 21st, you can get the recordings at a discounted price.

The digital downloadable package now $67.00 US will go to $97.00 US and the Library package now $499.00 US will go to $697.00 US.

The Gluten Summit was packed with life- changing information from 29 experts. In either format you can study the interviews: audio with powerpoint presentation at your leisure.Or share it with friends and family when it is more convenient.

The purchasing information is here.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

PS I don't have any financial ties to the "Summit" or to any company that sponsored the Summit. Nor to EnteroLab.

World's First Gluten Summit Ending Today, But Still Time To Register and Buy a Recording

The Gluten Summit has been amazing!

This is what it is all about-  THE EVOLUTION OF BETTER HEALTH as pointed out by Dr. Tom O'Bryan and his group of 29 outstanding speakers.

If you missed this important, and revolutionary summit, which ends today ( and can be heard until 10 am EST tomorrow) you are still able to order the entire 30 hours for your convenience by clicking here.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

 

 

Edible Gluten Free No Cook Play Dough Recipe. Have Some Fun!

This looks like a great EDIBLE gluten free salt free play dough recipe. I'm sure those of you who have children who are gluten sensitive or who have a high risk of having gluten sensitivity (as they have a close relative with the diagnosis of celiac or gluten sensitive) are looking for a recipe like this.  


From www.funathomewithkids.com, it's "safe for babies and toddlers to taste (NO salt!) and it's also ready in less than three minutes. If you know anyone who's got gluten sensitive kiddos - we think this playdough is AWESOME!

Oh and PS - hidden benefit of being salt-free? Your hands feel awesome, soft, and moisturized after playing with this dough!

http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2013/11/edible-gluten-free-no-cook-playdough.html




To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Benefits of Chicory and Recipe for Pumpkin and Cranberry Cookies, from Beyond Celiac

To continue on the Thanksgiving theme, here is  a Pumpkin and Cranberry Cookie
recipe from Suzanne  at Beyond Celiac. And the best part is that the sweetener used in it is made from chicory root. The recipe and benefits of chicory are listed below and here. 

Suzanne wrote:I found a new sugar to add to my sugar free list. "Just Like Brown Sugar" is a great substitute for real brown sugar. I found a recipe athttp://mariamindbodyhealth.com/the-best-chocolate-chip-cookie/

I used Craisins which were pomegranate sweetened with some elderberry syrup and pumpkin seeds.
I wrote about health benefits of chicory in a previous blog so I am glad that this sweetener is made from chicory.
Maria says that she reserves JUST LIKE SUGAR and JUST LIKE BROWN SUGARfor special recipes due to the expense. The cookie was crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Perfect! Just Like Sugar contains no sugar alcohols and does not cause the laxative effect of some of the other sweeteners. It is composed of natural fiber obtained from Chicory Root, Calcium and Vitamin C.

BENEFITS OF CHICORY ROOT:

1. CHOLESTEROL: It decreases the levels of serum LDL cholesterol in the blood.
2. INFLAMMATION: It contains vitamin C, one of the most powerful antioxidants.
3. DIABETES: The inulin content is not digestible, so its lack of glucose can help promote optimal blood sugar levels while also increasing stool bulk and consistency.
4. CONSTIPATION: It provides soluble fiber, which improves digestion.
5. GALL BLADDER ISSUES: It builds your body’s resistance to gallstones and liver stones. By increasing the flow of bile, it assists the body in digesting foods and liquids. The extra bile also helps break down fats in the body.

There are more benefits of Chicory root listed at her site. 

Watching what we eat, avoiding grains and their toxic proteins and eating traditional foods made in the traditional way is the foundation of health. Build on that foundation would be the additional nutrient supplements to remedy problems from the environment and polymorphism, those pesky but dangerous variants on gene expression that need more vitamins to express better health. More on that later. 

To Your Health.

Dr. Barbara

THE WORLD’S FIRST GLUTEN SUMMIT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Today is day four and you can listen to it until 10 am tomorrow. It's Not Too Late to Register

The Gluten summit has something for everyone. 

And it is not too late to register. 

There are a lot more interviews of world class gluten experts, so why don't you register today for free.

Registration and speaker information.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

Day Three of The Gluten Summit- Register Here for Free- Don't Miss It!

Day 3 of the Gluten Free Summit is here. Day 1 and day 2 's interviews were just excellent. You can tune in for free to listen to functional medicine expert, Dr. Mark Hyman MD, Dr. Natasha Campbell- McBride who wrote The Gut and Psychology Syndrome , and more.

 

One of the items he talks about is how grain can contribute to diabetes and other chronic diseases.  How do grains, even rice and other gluten free flour lead to chronic illness? Facts...

 

• Two pieces of whole grain bread contains 2 tbsp of sugar
• Gluten free flour substitutes contribute to diabetes
• Rice flour is worse for blood sugar than wheat flour

 

 

You can access this lecture today for free.  Please share it with your family and loved ones.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

  

THE WORLD’S FIRST GLUTEN SUMMIT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE! It's Not Too Late to Register

The first two days of the Gluten Summit have been exciting, informative and motivating!
This information really can change your life for the better. It will save lives.

There are a lot more interviews of world class gluten experts, so why don't you register today for free.

Registration and speaker information.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

Celiac Brain's Best Pumpkin Pie Ever!

With the cold weather approaching and the gifts of the harvest on our tables, we sure have lots to be thankful for. 

This time of year, I always make a pumpkin pie for a family dinner, usually Canadian Thanksgiving dinner and this recipe makes the best pumpkin pie ever. Even a person who said pumpkin pie is not their favourite, liked this pie, because the pumpkin taste is a bit milder because of the coconut milk. 

If you don't like it too sweet, I have made it with half the amount of maple syrup and honey and it was very nice too.

Pumpkin Pie (GAPS, Grain free, Dairy free, Paleo)

Serving Size: Makes one 10 inch pie.

Ingredients for pie crust

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup of pitted Madjool dates

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preheat oven to 450 F and adjust rack to middle position. Line 10 inch springform pan with parchment.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine and until the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers. Press the crust firmly into bottom of the pan.

Bake crust until golden about 10 minutes. Cool.

Ingredients for filling

½ cup honey

¼ cup of maple syrup

¼ tsp. of ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1 Tbsp. organic gelatin (one package)

4 large eggs

2 cups of coconut milk (without carrageenan, sulphites or starches)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into baked pie shell. Place pie dish on a large baking sheet in center of oven with ¼ inch of water in it. Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 F and bake for an additional 20 minutes until edges of pie are set. Cool to room temperature before serving. Serve alone or with whipped coconut cream ( cool a can of coconut milk, scoop out the thickened cream part and leave the more liquid milk and whip the cream as you would whipping cream). 

Enjoy All year round. 
To Your Health
Dr, Barbara
PS Thank you to my niece Leah, for taking the picture.

THE WORLD’S FIRST GLUTEN SUMMIT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Do you want to know more about gluten and how it creates disease? Do you want to learn how to heal from gluten damage?

If you answered yes to both you need to register, free of charge for The Gluten Summit.
I am happy to promote more conversation regarding this hidden and dangerous cause of early illness and early death. This exciting event starts tomorrow, November 11th. To have so many of the cutting edge gluten experts in one place is amazing. You have heard of quite of few of them right here at "celiacbrain". Now hear them interviewed.

Dr. Tom O’Bryan of theDr.com has gathered 29 of the world’s experts and opinion leaders on the topics of gluten-related disorders, nutrition and healthy living for a series of online interviews taking place for FREE from November 11-17, 2013.

During the summit, you will:
Learn about the latest research on gluten-related disorders;
Understand why we MUST call more attention to them;
Gain improved knowledge of proper diagnosis/treatment methods;
More frequently ask, “Could this health issue be due to gluten?”

The goal of The Gluten Summit is to shift the scientific discussion and clinical recognition of gluten-related disorders forward by five years. Meaning, [Dr. O'Bryan as well as all of us want] the conversation between patients and doctors that will be happening five years from now to happen now.

Time is growing short, the Gluten Summit begins November 11th. If you haven't signed up yet, you still have an opportunity to do so, just follow the link below: 



Registration and Speaker information






To Your Health.

Dr. Barbara

.

What's Tylenol Doing to Our Minds?- The Atlantic

As you know I am very concerned about mental symptoms and emotional matters and how they pertain to our metabolic processes especially when those metabolic processes are affected by external factors. Most external factors are easy and cheap to avoid there by preventing mental illness of any degree. Gluten and grain toxic polypeptides produce strong negative effects especially to those who are gluten sensitive and can be avoided.

I caution strongly those with gluten sensitivity to avoid chemical exposure because they are more likely to get a worse side effect. You will still get some, but you will lower the toxic load and be more able to tolerate what you do get exposed to. Avoid chemicals: on skin (like chemical washing detergents and commercial makeup and moisturizers), eating, drinking, even medication unless there is a life threatening situation. There are safe natural alternatives for most.  

Here is an interesting article at The Atlantic, reviewing scientific studies showing how acetaminophen causes changes in our perceptions of important life events.
Acetaminophen appears to blunt the same pathways that help with pain and those that seem to moderate existential distress.  Dumbing us down. Scary.

If you are interested in keeping mentally sharp and having good judgement, if you are an artist trying to make a statement, you should know of these possible effects of acetaminophen on your mind. 

To Your Health.
Dr. Barbara

Call for a Standardized Report Scheme for Pathologists Reading Small Bowell Biopsies

Small intestinal biopsy is the "Gold standard" diagnostic test for celiac disease within the medical community.

There are lots of controversies in the diagnosis and classification of the observations found in a sample of small bowel. To aid in more accurate diagnosis, there is a call for a standardized report scheme for pathologists.(1)

Dr. Marsh made such an attempt back in 1995 or so and the March protocol was adopted by some. It was updated and simplified. This protocol looks not just for whether the villi are absent or shortened or normal length, but also for the condition of the intraepithelial area. And the criteria are different for the different parts of the bowel. I have never seen a Marsh scale on any SB biopsy report.


I recommend that if you have had a small bowel biopsy, that you get a copy of the pathologists report. It may state how many samples were taken. The American Gastroenterological Association recommends at least four samples are taken because that has proven to double the diagnostic rate for celiac disease.

The report may state the condition of the villi and should state something about the condition of the intraepithelial area and what kinds of white blood cells are found in this area if any at all. The picture above is of a biopsy sample viewed under the microscope, and it has a lot of white blood cells in the intraepithelial area of the broken down villi. They show up as black dots.


The following report from Stanford on Celiac disease: surgical pathological criterion, shows you how complicated it is for the pathologist to make a report and an impression which will help the treating doctor make a diagnosis.

Celiac Disease
Definition
Chronic enteritis secondary to gluten sensitivity
Alternate/Historical Names
Celiac sprue
Coeliac disease
Gluten sensitive enteropathy
Non-tropical sprue
Diagnostic Criteria
Villous atrophy in small intestine
     May be variable and patchy
     Most symptomatic patients have total villous atrophy
     Defined as completely flattened villi
     Partial atrophy more common in pre-symptomatic or post-treatment patients or in relatives          being screened
Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes in small intestine may be seen with or without atrophy
Cutoff varies by location
     Duodenum >30 / 100 enterocytes
     Alternative proposed is 6-12 / 20 enterocytes at the tips of villi
     Jejunum >40 / 100 enterocytes
     Occasionally seen in stomach and large intestine
T cell phenotype
     CD2+, CD3+, CD8 70-90%
     Gamma delta T cell receptor
     CD3 stain is useful for identification and counting
Intraepithelial lymphocytes evenly distributed from bottom to top of crypts or increased at tops
      Normal distribution is decreasing from bottom to top
      Villi must be well oriented to be certain that what appears to be the top is not a semi-           tangentially cut section of mid-villus
      Identification of an abnormal distribution or of more than rare lymphocytes on H&E is a clue that it may be worth staining and counting cells
Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes in the absence of villus atrophy is suggestive of latent or partially treated celiac disease but not specific, as it can be seen in:
       Infections (Giardia, Helicobacter, Cryptosporidium, viruses)
      Food allergy
      Drug reactions (NSAIDS)
      Immune system abnormalities

There is a lot of good information in the whole report here,


Of note, I disagree the the serum anti tissue transglutaminase IgG is 95% sensitive and 98% specific. Dr. J. Abram from Columbia showed that the test, when used in real life was closer to 51%-71% sensitive and 69%-100% specific.

1.
Ensari A. Gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease): controversies in diagnosis and classification. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2010 Jun;134(6):826-36.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

GAPS Nutrition Counselling Available In Ottawa, Certified by Dr. Campbell-McBride

It is with great pleasure that I share Diane Trumbles' GAPS web site with you. She has training and certification from Dr. Campbell- McBride, the author of The Gut and Psychology Syndrome. With an appointment, Diane can guide you through the GAPS diet and protocol.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

I'll be away for a week attending the international ISNN 2013 conference about Nutrigenomics and Epigenetics in Quebec city. It should be a really exciting time. My particular interest is in a common genetic problem which is even more common in gluten sensitive persons called methylation or one carbon metabolism (above 76%). 


Understanding something about one carbon metabolism explains some of the issues around why some people get sick and why quite a few people don't get better on a gluten free diet, let alone a grain free diet. This problems leads to hundreds of medical problems and it can be remediated with proper food and nutritional supplements! 

I have witnesses some incredible reversals of  bad health to good health just with the right food and the right supplements. 

I can't wait to share what I learn.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

The Connection Between Pain and Grains: The Gluten Free Warrior

A lot of people have pain, don't know they are gluten sensitive and are unwittingly eating foods that cause pain. 
And a lot of people eating a gluten free diet which includes grains, don't know the connection of pain with all the grains. 
Here the Gluten Free Warrior writes about this connection. Good article. 


To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

GRAIN BRAIN By Dr. David Perlmutter: Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar - Your Brain's Silent Killers

The gluten brain/chronic disease connection is very strong, as I have been teaching since 2005. I wish to congratulate Dr. David Perlmutter, one of my favourite neurologists, for putting together his cutting edge health promoting  thoughts it into a book, "Grain Brain", a New York Times bestseller. It is sure it empower you to take charge of your health. 

This is what he says about Alzheimer's: My bold

“This is a disease that is highly revenue-producing for mega factories of various so-called Alzheimer’s drugs,” Dr. Perlmutter says. “The point is there is no meaningful treatment in 2013. It is a disease predicated on lifestyle choices primarily, because of the high amount of carbohydrates/sugar that we now, as Western-culture individuals, are consuming.It’s a preventable disease. It surprises me at my core that no one’s talking about the fact that so many of these devastating neurological problems are, in fact, modifiable based upon lifestyle choices.”(like diet, exercise and caloric restriction)


“They've been talking about it for years and years (which is now just gaining traction in mainstream medicine) that our health really depends on maintaining a barrier of the intestine from the bloodstream,” Dr. Perlmutter says.


“We now understand that the so-called blood-brain barrier, or that barrier that keeps things out of the brain where they don’t belong, is also affected by gluten, according to new research. It’s a very exciting time when we recognize that our biggest exposure to the environment is actually the lining of our intestines – not our lungs, not our skin. We are in fact very much dependent on the microbiota, the bacteria living in the gut, to maintain our health.”

Food, including the microbiota, is information to our cells. It tells them what to do. You can change your genetic destiny with the food choices that you make. Even the brain can get more healthy, because of something called neuroplasticity. See what Dr. Perlmutter has to say about neuroplasticity.  I see it in my practice everyday.

If you would like to know more about Dr. Perlmutter here is his Facebook page.

Time to cut back on the grains for all people. Find out if you are gluten sensitive because this will tell you how strict you have to be, because if you are GS, even eating small amounts of gluten, even once a month will increase your risk of dying by 6% a year.
Also increase your consumption of good fats like butter and real olive oil, eat traditionally fermented foods like sauerkraut, and get out side and exercise... these are the fundamentals of a GAPS diet and protocol. And it works.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Latest Cold and Flu News- Garlic

Cold and flu symptoms are a sign of vitamin D deficiency, but once you think you have these symptoms, what do you do? Besides taking extra vitamin D3, take garlic.

Garlic, raw garlic, is an all round health promoting herb.It can be very powerful at preventing and treating colds and flu symptoms. Because it is anti-viral, it can be used against warts. 

See what Cochrane Summaries, ( a newsletter that is part of Cochrane Library, a source of "Independent high-quality evidence for health care decision making") says about garlic.

Read what Dr. Mercola writes about garlic and about commonly offered medical management: ( my comments are in bold)

Cochrane Database—which has repeatedly reported that the science does not support the use of flu vaccine as a first-line defense for those persons over 65 years of age—has also reviewed studies on the alternatives, such as the use of garlic.15

They found that those who took garlic daily for three months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo, and, when they did come down with a cold, the duration of illness was shorter—an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the placebo group.

While this may not seem overly impressive, it’s still better than the results achieved by the much-advertised flu drug Tamiflu. If taken within 48 hours of onset of illness, Tamiflu might reduce the duration of flu symptoms by about a day to a day and a half. That's the extent of what this $100-plus treatment will get you. It’s virtually identical to just taking garlic on a regular basis!

However, some patients with influenza are at increased risk for secondary bacterial infections when on Tamiflu—a risk you won’t take by eating garlic... Other adverse events of Tamiflu include pediatric deaths, serious skin reactions, and neuropsychiatric events, including suicide committed while delirious.



Read the whole article to find out the best way to take garlic and why. And what lifestyle issues lower your immune system and how to make changes for better health.

I can't forget to mention the finding, by Canadian scientists, in 2010, reported by the Vancouver Sun, that getting the seasonal flu shot appeared to increase the seriousness of a future flu illness. A new study by US government investigators reported in Science Translational Medicine August 28,2013, may have found the explanation. They did confirm the finding by the Canadian researchers, lead by Dr. Danuta Skowronski.


Get ready for flu season by building up your immune system.


To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

A Hot Weather Favourite: GAPS Friendly Maple Walnut Frozen Dessert!

For those hot summer days I've developed a dairy free GAPS friendly recipe for a frozen dessert. It really hits the spot!

But you can eat it anytime.

Ingredients for a double recipe enough for 6-8 servings:

2 cup coconut milk free of sulfites, carrageenan and starches like guar gum.
1 1/2 cup maple syrup (less maple syrup may suit your taste)
Two pinches of sea salt
10 tsp coconut flour
2 tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups organic coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups walnut pieces

In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, maple syrup and salt, simmer for 30 minutes until thick like table cream.
In a small bowl, combine coconut flour and water to form a smooth paste.
Pour smooth paste into saucepan. 
Whisk the contents of saucepan vigorously and bring to a boil, briefly.
Remove pot from heat and gradually blend in coconut oil
Blend in vanilla
Place pot in freezer for 30-40 minutes, until dessert solidifies and turns white. 
Remove from freezer and blend again, until fluffy, then stir in walnuts

To make a smaller amount, just halve the amounts.


Enjoy your maple walnut frozen dessert.

To Your Health,

Dr. Barbara

Dr. Tom O'Bryan on The Existence of Gluten Sensitivity

Dr. Tom O'Bryan is an internationally recognized speaker and workshop leader specializing in Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease. He is a DC who has studied functional medicine and I first heard him speak in 2009 at the American Academy of Environmental Medicine Annual General Conference in Phoenix. 

On his website  he states the following:

"In the last 3 years, the acceptance of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) in the medical community as a distinct clinical entity has gone from that of being an orphaned child crying in the world for recognition, to an accepted, unique component of the triad of gluten-related disorders."

His web site has some very informative articles well worth reading.

In future issues I will provide a summary of the major scientific articles that have shown distinctive differences between celiac disease and non- celiac gluten sensitivity, which I shorten to gluten sensitivity. 

To Your Health.
Dr. B

Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values—2008

People will want to know more about the glycemic load (GL) which is a way to count the impact of the allowable carbohydrates in a GAPS diet on ones glucose blood levels and eventually on ones waist size. Lets face it, if you go on GAPS diet and you have carbohydrate cravings you may load up on the allowable foods that are primarily carbohydrates, and you can get more symptoms and even gain weight. If you were overweight, and you were hoping to lose weight, you would say the diet doesn't work, and you would give up. The higher the blood glucose, the higher the insulin goes, and the higher the IGF a hormone that promotes inflammation, the basis of most of the symptoms and symptoms complexes/diseases associated with celiac and gluten sensitivity. 

There is a limit to how much carbs are allowable.To stop the cycle of inflammation, and carbohydrate cravings, I advise people to eat less than 25 points of the GL list, over the entire day. 

Thanks to a naturopathic doctor colleague  Dr. Mireille Fanous, I have been introduced to a definitive table produced by Professor Jennie Brand Miller of the University of Sydney. This work is an extension of the work of Dr. Jenner of the University of Toronto, Canada who is credited with the development of the glycemic index (GI), or impact of food on blood glucose.

David Mendosa works to defeat diabetes and has published Prof. Brand Millers' list of  2,480 food products and their GI and GL. This list will help guide you on choosing foods and their amounts that would be healthy.

He writes:

This is the definitive table for both the glycemic index and the glycemic load. I am able to reproduce it here courtesy of the author, Professor Jennie Brand-Miller of the University of Sydney. It is based on a table in different format but no more foods published December 2008 in Diabetes Care. However, only the abstract is free online there.

GI of 55 is low; GL of 10 is low.

This table includes the glycemic index and glycemic load of more than 2,480 individual food items. Not all of them, however, are available in the United States. They represent a true international effort of testing around the world.

The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers–the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. So a low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a dramatic spike. A list of carbohydrates with their glycemic values is shown below. A GI of 70 or more is high, a GI of 56 to 69 inclusive is medium, and a GI of 55 or less is low.

The glycemic load (GL) is a relatively new way to assess the impact of carbohydrate consumption that takes the glycemic index into account, but gives a fuller picture than does glycemic index alone. A GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar. It doesn't tell you how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food. You need to know both things to understand a food's effect on blood sugar. That is where glycemic load comes in. The carbohydrate in watermelon, for example, has a high GI. But there isn't a lot of it, so watermelon's glycemic load is relatively low. A GL of 20 or more is high, a GL of 11 to 19 inclusive is medium, and a GL of 10 or less is low.

Lots of foods on the list are packaged foods and not sold in Canada, however it gives you an idea how a similar food product would impact your health. 

If you want to know more about how carbohydrates including fructose found in fruit causes chronic illness, watch this superb video by Dr. Lustig from University of California, San Francisco, called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth!"

To Your Health.

Dr. Barbara

GAPS-Friendly Fig Newtons!

Here is another, in a series of dessert recipes that are GAPS friendly: Fig Newtons! It's a sweet, delicious and filling snack! 

A little bit goes a long way. I suggest most people keep their glycemic load total to less than 25 points total a day to stay well. Three figs totals 16 points. 1/6 of this recipe is 16 points. There is not much room for much fruit for the rest of the day, but it's so worth it!

For more information on the glycemic load and how to calculate your food's impact on your insulin level, see http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

Ingredients:

Fig Spread:

1 pack of cut up dried figs (18-20 figs)

1 cup water

Cookie Dough:

2/3 cup tallow or butter

1/3 cup honey (it can be replaced with stevia to taste)

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

2 cups almond flour or other nut flour, like coconut

½ tsp salt

freshly ground nutmeg (optional)

Soak 1 pack of cut up dried figs in water over night and/or simmer until soft and process until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F and combine butter, honey, vanilla, baking soda, almond flour, salt, and nutmeg (optional) in food processor until they form a ball. Wrap in wax paper and cool in refrigerator for easier handling.

Roll out half of the dough (or press) into a pie pan or cake pan for the bottom layer.

Spread the fig spread on the layer and roll out the rest of the dough for the top of the crust between two pieces of wax paper floured with your nut flour, for easier handling.

Flip on top of fig filling and bake for about 12-15 minutes until light brown.

Take a break and enjoy your GAPS friendly Fig Newtons!

To Your Health,
Dr. Barbara

A GAPS Friendly Very, Berry Cream Flan!

The theme for the last few blogs have been recipes for desserts. Here's another one, no one will ever guess this flan/pie is made with coconut milk, it's so rich. 

You can personalize your flan by choosing the berry of your preference. I have made one with blueberries and the other with raspberries.

Raspberry Cream Flan

Ingredients for two flans:

Crust enough for two flans:

1 1/2 cup flaked or shredded, unsweetened coconut (without sulfites)

6 pitted Medjool dates

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Topping for two flans:

4 cups coconut milk

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

¼ cup honey

10 drops stevia

Blueberry Cream Flan

4 tsp grated lemon and orange rind

2 tsp vanilla

1 pack of gelatin

1 1/2 cups organic berries of your choice

 Crust:

In food processor, combine the ingredients for the crust, in the order written, pulsing after each addition. Press into bottom of a square cake pan, springform, or flan pan. Sprinkle with berries. 

Topping:

Using the same food processor, add all ingredients and blend until smooth and slightly fluffy. Pour over berries.

Bake in 350°F/180° oven for 60-70 minutes or until golden.

This berry cream flan can be served warm or cold. One pie makes 12 servings. 

To Your Health, 

Dr. Barbara

No Bake Chocolate Strawberry Un-Cheesecake! Sweet Summer!

DR POWELL'S NO BAKE UN-CHEESECAKE

This cheesecake, which has no cheese in it, is so easy, and so tasty you will be making this for every social event you go to or arrange. It requires no baking, but does requires some advanced preparation: 1 hour to soak the cashews and 2 hours in the freezer. Let it thaw slightly before serving. This is a real hit!

This recipe can be made GAPS friendly for those of you who are doing GAPS and have not yet controlled all the inflammatory symptoms. For some people, it can take years of eating GAPS, or there has been an insult to the bowel and one has to start GAPS "level one" all over again. 

To make it GAPS friendly or if you are avoiding cocoa, maybe because you are allergic to chocolate, you can replace cocoa with more organic strawberries and it will still taste fantastic.

Ingredients:
Crust
1 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup pitted Medjool dates
Filling
2 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup 
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced organic strawberries - or 1 package Swanson's Organic Strawberries soaked until soft.
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup cocoa powder or 1 cup sliced organic strawberries if avoiding cocoa.

Instructions
Place cashews in a large bowl and cover it with cold water. Soak for 1 hour. Drain.
Grease 8 inch spring form pan with coconut oil
Place walnuts, shredded coconut, and salt in blender and pulse to combine. Drop dates in one at a time. Make sure to take the pits out of the Medjool dates. Continue processing until the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers. Press the crust firmly into bottom of the pan.

Filling

1. Combine the cashews, coconut oil, maple syrup, water, vanilla and salt and process in the same blender without cleaning, until smooth and creamy.
2. Divide between 2 bowls
3. Pour half back into the blender, add strawberries and lemon juice and process until smooth.
4. Stir the cocoa powder into the other half of the filling
5. Drop 2-3 tablespoons of the filling into the crust, alternating between the strawberry and chocolate in a checkerboard fashion. Tap the pan on the counter from time to time to keep it level. Continue until all the filling is in the pan. If you like, insert a butter knife into the filling and give it a quick swirl.
6. Place into freezer until cheesecake is set for about 2 hours. 
7. Remove from freezer, remove the ring from spring form pan and store in refrigerator before serving!

For true GAPS, avoid cocoa:  Ignore step 2,3,4 and 5. After step 1, add 2 cups of organic strawberries, blend and pour the blended mixture into the prepared pan. Proceed to step 8 and 9.

I hope you enjoy your no bake strawberry un-cheesecake as much as I did!

To Your Health.
Dr. Barbara