It is one thing to hear and agree to doing the grain free, sugar free way of eating called GAPS and it is another to do it. I know it is a powerful way to heal so many serious illnesses and it doesn't work if you don't follow it to the letter.
But where to start? Or if you have started you may find that you are having some difficulties. You may find out that the store bought gluten free ice-cream that you eat once a month, is adding to your risk of heart disease and or it is slowing down your recovery from depression, for example. Now what do you do!
For resources, I have recommended-
1. The book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Campbell-McBride.
2. the web site www.gaps.me
3. GAPS certified (by Dr. Campbell- McBride herself) nutrition therapists in your area, or online, .
And you have another choice.
The Weston A. Price Foundation " Wise Traditions" 2014 conference has finished and you can sign up to on demand access to one of four packages of lectures. All include the "Step by Step Healing with GAPS diet". They are priced at US$ 30.00 up to the full conference at US$ 89.00.
Go to this link to see your amazing choices of high quality lectures from beginner to more advanced needs: http://www.fleetwoodonsite.com/ppSD2/catalog.php?id=14.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Gluten Sensitivity, Vitamin D, and Cavities
Worldwide, 60–90% of school children
and nearly 100% of adults have dental cavities, according to the World Health Organization. What makes this statistic so concerning is that oral health is
essential to general health and quality of life. Something many are unaware about
is the connection between gluten sensitivity, vitamin D, and oral health.
A study conducted in 2012, confirmed that gluten causes the body to produce an immune
reaction against one of the main proteins responsible for producing enamel on the
teeth. The lack of enamel causes excessive cavities, tooth wear and tear, and
thus the premature destruction or loss of teeth.
Vitamin D, on
the other hand, produces two proteins (cathelicidins and defensins) which have antibacterial effects to fight the bacteria that cause cavities. Vitamin D deficiency is proven to be a cause of tooth decay within clinical trials involving 3,000 children. What Dr. Hujoel found was that an increase in vitamin D levels reduced cavities to 50
percent.
Gluten sensitive people, eating a normal diet with gluten have low vitamin D from many different mechanisms, including their skin has trouble making vitamin D. Eliminating gluten from the diet stops further destruction, but does not in most cases heal. For that you need to heal the gut, and do a GAPS diet.
Gluten sensitive people, eating a normal diet with gluten have low vitamin D from many different mechanisms, including their skin has trouble making vitamin D. Eliminating gluten from the diet stops further destruction, but does not in most cases heal. For that you need to heal the gut, and do a GAPS diet.
In light of
this information, I have a few recommendations to improve the quality, mineralization and
health of your pearly whites.
- Commit to a GAPS diet, which
consists of eating fermented foods, probiotics, and foods high in vitamin D
while eliminating grains, dairy, legumes, and sugar. A GAPs diet helps increase the
absorption of nutrients, minerals, and fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamins
K, D, E, and A.
- Take silica supplements that can be
found as liquids, powders, or tablets.
- Drink green and black tea frequently (without any sweeteners, milk, or cream) as it reduces plaque buildup and suppresses bacteria levels in your mouth
- Brush your teeth with baking soda with or without peroxide and then rub a small amount of xylitol powder (corn free, made from birch or any hardwood tree on your
teeth. Commercial toothpaste contains glycerin, which prevents the
mineralization of your teeth.
- “Oil Pulling”, an ancient art
popularized by Dr. Bruce Fife, involves rinsing your mouth with a few teaspoons
of oil. I recommend coconut oil and unpasteurized butter for the oil used, for whiter and healthier
teeth!
- Avoid the “dirty dozen” as described by the Environmental Working Group, which include, seed oils, farmed fish, and chemical exposure of all kinds (creams, toothpaste, tap water with fluoride, ‘Raid’, baby shampoo, etc).
- Keep your vitamin D serum levels above 100. You will need a blood test to determine your vitamin D level.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
The Implications of Low Cholesterol in Depression and Suicide- Dr. Greenblatt, MD
After fatigue, the most common symptom of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is probably
depression if one were to include mild depression. Low levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and essential fatty acids (EFAs) are intimately linked to depression. Understanding the consequences of deficiencies in essential fats and cholesterol is important for the effective treatment and response of depression. Whether low cholesterol is drug induced, genetic, or the result of a leaky gut and poor digestive enzyme production or low bile production from chronic gluten ingestion in a gluten sensitive person, low cholesterol impairs optimal brain function and often prevents successful recovery.
James M. Greenblatt, M.D.
For the last quarter century, we have been told that cholesterol is dangerous for our health and were advised to avoid it in order to live a healthier life. However, cholesterol is essential in maintaining good mental health. The brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body, and depriving the brain of essential fatty acids and cholesterol can lead to detrimental health problems. Lower levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated with a heightened risk of developing major depressive disorder, as well as an increased risk of death from suicide. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that depressed men with low total cholesterol levels (less than 165 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL] or less than 4.14 nmol/l) were seven times more likely to die prematurely from unnatural causes such as suicide and accidents.
Most recently, the continued allegation that cholesterol is dangerous came under scrutiny. A meta-analysis published in the March 2014 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that there's not enough evidence supporting the claim that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. After reviewing 72 different studies, researchers did not find that people who ate higher levels of saturated fat had more heart disease than those who ate less. Researchers came to the conclusion that instead of avoiding fats, which are essential to maintaining brain health, scientists are identifying the real villains as sugar and highly processed foods.
Low Cholesterol and Depression
Several studies have linked low cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing depression. Consider the following examples:
1. 1993 paper published in the Lancet reported, "Among men aged seventy years and older, categorically defined depression was three times more common in the group with low total plasma cholesterol . . . than in those with higher concentrations."
2. 2000 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers compared cholesterol levels to depressive symptoms in men ranging in age from forty to seventy. They found that men with long-term, low total cholesterol levels "have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms" compared to those with higher cholesterol levels.
3. Women with low cholesterol levels are also vulnerable to depression.
 |
| cholesterol |
Some gluten sensitivity researchers say that if a person has low cholesterol, low triglycerides, or low essential fatty acids on an initial assessment, then that is enough to give the person the diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. I have found 50% of people on initial assessment who end up with positive gluten sensitivity diagnosis, have low levels of each, cholesterol or triglycerides or EFAs. Fixed only when the bowel issues are fixed. (Grain free, dairy free, sugar free way of eating called GAPS (www.gaps.me) seems the only way to fix it.)
James M. Greenblatt, M.D.
For the last quarter century, we have been told that cholesterol is dangerous for our health and were advised to avoid it in order to live a healthier life. However, cholesterol is essential in maintaining good mental health. The brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body, and depriving the brain of essential fatty acids and cholesterol can lead to detrimental health problems. Lower levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated with a heightened risk of developing major depressive disorder, as well as an increased risk of death from suicide. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that depressed men with low total cholesterol levels (less than 165 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL] or less than 4.14 nmol/l) were seven times more likely to die prematurely from unnatural causes such as suicide and accidents.
Most recently, the continued allegation that cholesterol is dangerous came under scrutiny. A meta-analysis published in the March 2014 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that there's not enough evidence supporting the claim that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. After reviewing 72 different studies, researchers did not find that people who ate higher levels of saturated fat had more heart disease than those who ate less. Researchers came to the conclusion that instead of avoiding fats, which are essential to maintaining brain health, scientists are identifying the real villains as sugar and highly processed foods.
Low Cholesterol and Depression
Several studies have linked low cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing depression. Consider the following examples:
1. 1993 paper published in the Lancet reported, "Among men aged seventy years and older, categorically defined depression was three times more common in the group with low total plasma cholesterol . . . than in those with higher concentrations."
2. 2000 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers compared cholesterol levels to depressive symptoms in men ranging in age from forty to seventy. They found that men with long-term, low total cholesterol levels "have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms" compared to those with higher cholesterol levels.
3. Women with low cholesterol levels are also vulnerable to depression.
Of note, the reverse seems true, that more cholesterol is protective of depression. In a 2008 meta-analysis, higher total cholesterol was associated with lower levels of depression.
Low cholesterol has other serious health implications such as cancer, infertility and lower immune health and you can get more info here and here.
If you have high cholesterol and are worried about it causing heart disease, see a balance article here describing how cholesterol levels are not the focus of "heart care'' in the recent guidelines.
If it is hard for you to introduce more saturated fats and give up the poly unsaturated fats because you believe they will lower your rate of heart attacks, then you should watch the gripping movie called Oiling of America. Everyone in your family should see it.
To Your Health.
Dr. Barbara
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)