Help and encouragement for those starting a grain free or GAPS diet

 Over at  the Healthy Home Economist, Sarah shares some really good links to grain free recipes. Her enthusiasm for the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet is infectious. If you've been reading my blog, you know I am convinced it is the way to heal : all other modalities are added to this foundation. I hope you enjoy her blog.




In the meantime, I thought I would get everyone’s enthusiasm going for the life changing, autoimmune healing power of following the GAPS Diet (by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD) by posting a few of my favorite GAPS friendly recipes from around the Real Food blogosphere from this past week.
Be not intimidated nor discouraged!   For the vast majority of people,  GAPS is not a forever way of eating – it is a temporary measure (6 months – 3 years on average) to heal one’s gut from years of abuse by processed foods, pharmaceuticals and other bodily insults so that digestion proceeds smoothly once again.

Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins

Perfection is also not required.   If you follow GAPS the vast majority of the time and really give it your best shot, you will be astounded how your digestive health will rebound and those autoimmune issues will slide into remission.    Poor gut health = autoimmune disease?    Yes, this is the crux of it.
The good news is that you can enjoy delicious real food using grain free flour from seeds and nuts that will delight and titillate your family’s taste buds.    Here are some Real Food recipes to get the creative juices flowing in your kitchen:
From The Coconut Mama, grain free coconut cupcakes.    Great for a kid’s birthday party!
From Cheeseslave, coconut flour recipes.   I just made the coconut flour pancakes this weekend for breakfast and the family LOVED them!
From Divine Health, grain free zucchini bread.    Who said eating grain free was hard with recipes like this?!
From Health, Home, and Happiness, grain free crackers.    A healthy addition to any child’s lunchbox.
From Food Renegade, almond flour banana bread.     The almond flavor goes soooo well with the ripe bananas.
I hope you find these recipes inspirational and a nice change from the run of the mill grain based versions (pun definitely intended)!

5 diseases associated with celiac disease that result from nutrient deficiencies

If you have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease and you have symptoms like fatigue, lethargy, poor balance, sores in the corners of your mouth, depression, bleeding gums, muscle cramps, skin rashes, sun sensitivity, and decreased energy on a regular basis you may have nutritional deficiencies.

 If you are a physician and you have a patient with chronic symptoms think about nutrient deficiencies. Think about pellagra, beriberi, rickets, scurvy and night blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency in well nourished celiac/gluten sensitive persons is caused by poor absorption of fats, which would include carotenes and fat soluble vitamins (like vitamin A, D, E, and K). And caused by poor conversion of what carotene there is to vitamin A. It is treated with animal sourced foods such as eggs and liver that contain pre-formed vitamin A or vitamin A supplements. And digestive enzymes.

The best diet is the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet which takes these and other metabolic weirdness’s into account. 

Nutritional deficiencies are not as uncommon as you may think. I have even diagnosed scurvy in three well educated and well fed gluten sensitive individuals. You won’t find it unless you look for it.

At CeliAct Blog, Zach Rachins writes about:

5 Conditions that Result from Nutrient Deficiencies Celiac disease can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Since your damaged small intestine restricts nutrient absorption and the gluten free diet reduces your chance of getting many nutrients, you’re at high risk.It’s important that you take these nutrients seriously.

Many of you report fatigue, weakness, lethargy, and decreased energy on a regular basis. For some you, even daily.

When you look at what specific nutrients do, in particular the B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D, you learn why these symptoms are common.

Below, I’ll talk about five diseases that are caused by nutrient deficiencies – opposed to celiac disease, which causes nutrient deficiencies.

While your celiac doesn’t put you at risk for any of the following diseases, you’ll see why each nutrient deficiency needs attention.

Nutrient deficiencies are not one broad concept – each deficiency is its own, a part that fits into the big picture problem. My purpose here is to show you how serious each deficiency is.

By understanding the symptoms each of these deficiencies causes, you’ll also understand why you may experience common celiac symptoms.

1. Pellagra – This disease is caused by niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency, and can be extremely serious if left untreated. Pellagra causes weakness, skin sensitivity to sunlight, skin lesions, and various digestive issues. Skin lesions can cover the body, so it severely affects your appearance. To reduce your risk of niacin deficiency, regularly eat foods like tuna, salmon, and ground beef, or snack on peanuts daily.

2. Scurvy – Scurvy is a direct result of vitamin C deficiency. Humans do not have the enzyme to make vitamin C, so it’s a vitamin you must get through diet or supplementation. Scurvy usually begins with fatigue and lethargy, and it can become much more serious. The most serious symptom related to celiac is that it can result in bleeding in the mucous membranes, which line internal organs like your small intestine. This further reduces nutrient absorption. Scurvy is both prevented and treated with vitamin C, so avoiding it is simple (not easy, simple). The best source of vitamin C is citrus fruits like oranges and lemons (this includes orange juice or lemon juice). Other fruits and vegetables like kiwi, strawberries, carrots, broccoli, and spinach are good options as well.

3. Beriberi – Directly caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, beriberi is a serious burden on your nervous system. Thiamine deficiency is more prevalent in developing countries since foods aren’t fortified with thiamine, but on a gluten free diet you don’t eat these foods. The best sources of thiamine in the American diet are processed flour, mandated in the US to be enriched with thiamine mononitrate, and grain cereals. Since you’re not eating either, eat flax, asparagus, pork, and eggs – four naturally gluten free foods high in thiamine. Beriberi usually causes weakness, fatigue, and lethargy, all symptoms that many celiacs struggle to overcome.

Read about rickets and night blindness and more here…………….

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease lowers medical costs

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease lowers medical costs, by an average of US $1,764 per year and will likely benefit patients and health care providers alike, so a team at Mayo clinic determined. They also commented that costs associated with celiac disease pose a significant economic burden, but most startling was the economic burden especially for men with the disease.

The obvious conclusion is that we should increase testing for celiac disease in all but especially in men, especially in those with illness and no obvious cause.

This was reported in this week’s celiac.com by Jefferson Adams.(My emphasis in bold)

To carry out their population-based cohort, the team used administrative data on celiac disease cases and matched controls from Olmsted County, Minnesota.

They compared: 1) direct medical costs one year before and one year after celiac disease diagnosis for 133 index cases and for control subjects; and 2) cumulative direct medical costs over four years for 153 index celiac cases and for control subjects. Their analysis did not include diagnostic-related and outpatient pharmaceutical costs.

They found that a diagnosis of celiac disease lowers the average total costs by $1,764 in the year following diagnosis (pre-diagnosis cost of $5,023 vs. $3,259; 95% CI of difference: $688 to $2,993).

They found also that, over a 4-year period, people with celiac disease faced an average of $1,457 in higher outpatient costs (P = 0.016), and an average of $3,964 in higher total costs of $3,964; (P = 0.053), compared with the control group.

Men with celiac disease bore the brunt of those higher costs, with excess average total costs of just over $14,000 compared to costs of $4,000 for male controls; 95% CI of difference: $2,334 to $20,309).
Costs associated with celiac disease pose a significant economic burden, especially for men with the disease.

The abstract for the research article can be found at Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Volume pages 261–269, July 2010.

Dr Fasano's Insights in Scientific America: Clues to Solving Autoimmunity

Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has been studying celiac disease and has uncovered a process that may contribute to many autoimmune disorders. He makes some interesting comments on the use of probiotics to prevent and treat celiac disease. And he says "leaky gut" in a major pathogenesis of the illnesses, especially autoimmune diseases that complicate this food borne illness.

Tina Turbin reports on Dr. Fasano's article in Scientific American:



This research into the leaky gut of celiacs can explain a question that has been perplexing researchers regarding the disease's pathogenesis: Why do some people not develop celiac disease until later in life? According to Dr. Fasano, this issue could be associated with the microbes in the digestive tract. The microbicrobial population varies among individuals and groups and even over the course of one's life.

"Apparently they can also influence which genes in their hosts are active at any given time," he says. "Hence, a person whose immune system has managed to tolerate gluten for many years might suddenly lose tolerance if the microbiome changes in a way that causes formerly quiet susceptibility genes to become active." Should this prove true, we may be able to prevent or treat celiac disease with probiotics.

Probiotics, supplements and other ways to eliminate "leaky gut" are a foundation in my treatment recommendations for people with gluten sensitivity and celiac diseases. Read Dr. Natasha Campbell- McBride's book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet , for more details.

MSG is a neurotoxin. It's easier now to avoid it!

Canada now has a law that requires food manufacturers to label their products clearly if they have gluten or MSG in it. This information can be found in the ingredients section of the label. 
Since MSG commonly contains gluten, the person who is trying to avoid gluten must be aware of this.

However  MSG is potentially toxic to all persons, it is neurotoxic, crosses the blood-brain barrier which is the protective barrier to the brain and more. 

Some information about MSG is presented by  http://www.dorway.com/msg2.txt


When consumers refer to MSG they are referring to PROCESSED FREE GLUTAMIC ACID. If glutamic acid hasn't been processed, it doesn't cause adverse reactions. MSG is MANUFACTURED (and it has 30 different names... why?) MSG is NOT FOUND NATURALLY IN FOOD or in the human body. MSG is NOT IDENTICAL TO FREE GLUTAMIC ACID THAT HAS NOT BEEN MANUFACTURED.
The glutamic acid found naturally in human beings and other higher organisms is not MSG. MSG enters the body through the mouth, through the nose, through the skin, and through the placental barrier. MSG can enter the brain through the blood brain barrier, which is incomplete through childhood, never intact in certain regions of the hypothalamus, and is easily damaged by things like a blow to the head, high fever, seizures, stroke, and the normal process of aging. MSG is potentially toxic to everyone.

Glutamic acid, also called glutamate is a natural food for the enterocytes, or cells lining the bowel. It is useful to heal the bowel and is found in gelatin. In the Gut and Psychology Diet protocol gelatin is used for this reason. Using gelatin, which is not processed allows the consumption of glutamate without the risk of getting MSG from processed sources.

Persons with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity must avoid MSG !
And ,regularly take some foods with gelatin in it!

“Ultimate” Probiotic Treatment Beats Deadly Superbug, C. Difficile

I've been getting questions about the risks of C. Difficile in light of the news of the recent deaths of patients in hospitals from this super bug. This issue of C. Difficile is especially relevant to persons with celiac/ gluten sensitivity as persons with celiac/gluten sensitivity have abnormally large amounts and abnormal varieties of bacteria growing in their bowel compared to others. There is a higher rate of C. Difficile in persons with CD/gluten sensitivity. And most don't know they have CD.

There are many reasons why this is so: the causes include immunocompromised or weak immune system (10% minimum IgA deficiency, low vitamin A status) which allows abnormal bacteria to grow. And more frequent antibiotic use because of more infections due to being immunocompromised and antibiotics kill the healthy bacteria in the gut that are the directors of our immune system. (C. Difficile is not killed by the most common antibiotics). Healthy bacteria in the gut are sometimes called probiotics and they need to feed on special fibers in our food called prebiotiocs. We need 30 grams a day of fiber to stay well and one reason is that it feeds the good bacteria; they stay healthy and keep out immune system strong.And we need to eat sources of healthy bacteria every day from fermented foods or supplements.

But what to do if you have been told you (or an elderly relative in hospital) have a C. Difficile overgrowth and you know there is a risk of death! Here is a report from an Australian gastroenterologist who has had some success treating C.Difficile with Bacteriotherapy or fecal transplants from the guts of healthy donors directly into the colons of infected patients.

The results, reported in "Sara, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com”, are nothing short of amazing.

 Termed “the ultimate probiotics treatment”, a single infusion of a healthy donor’s fecal material into the infected colon resulted in a cure rate of no less than 97% according to Professor Thomas Borody from the Center for Digestive Diseases in Sydney which so far has conducted over 1500 such transplants.

Robert Silberstein, a 38 year old attorney and father of 3, is one patient quickly cured by this amazing new therapy.   Mr. Silberstein had been fighting a clostridium difficile infection involving severe pain and diarrhea for over 6 months with conventional antibiotics to no avail. Faced with either losing his colon or death, Mr. Silberstein was referred to the Center for Digestive Diseases for a fecal transplant.

“I had the procedure done at midday and I woke that night and felt completely normal.  I was shocked.  I had been so ill for six months and I felt normal.  The transplant was amazing.  It worked.” said Mr. Silberstein. Mr. Silberstein’s doctor agreed.  “It has cured him,” said Dr. Bernie Hudson, a Royal North Shore Infectious Diseases Specialist. Dr. Hudson went on to say that he felt that all New South Wales hospitals should become equipped to perform these transplants in order to save more lives.

Avoiding Clostridium Difficile Infections

Avoiding infection with a dangerous super bug such as clostridium difficile obviously involves keeping the gut healthy with beneficial bacteria dominating over any pathogenic strains.

Making and consuming traditionally prepared fermented foods and drinks is an important way to accomplish this goal.   To source “probiotics” cultures for making these healthy foods in your home, please refer to my Resources page.

Source: Deadly Superbug Beaten Using Poo Transplants from Healthy People

Hopefully, this wildly successful treatment for established C. difficile overgrowth, already practiced in some centers in Canada will quickly make its way to hospitals and become standard of care given the alarming and rapidly rising cases of clostridium difficile infections.

Overwhelmed by the GAPS Diet? Help Has Arrived!

The Specific Carbohydrate diet (SCD) and the updated version by Dr. Campbell-Mcbride called the GAPS Diet is the best approach for healing the gut and putting autoimmune disease of all kinds into remission that I have ever come across. I was first introduced to the Specific Carbohydrate diet by a patient who cured herself of endometreosis by using the book " Breaking the vicious cycle " by Elaine Gottschall.

I, myself have been on the SCD since 2005 and I love it. I even go out to restaurants at least once a week.

Asking my patients to start the GAPS diet can be asking alot, especially if they don't cook for scratch. And it takes 6 months to three years to reverse the symptoms, and there are frequent reversals, especially triggered by prescription medications.

It's a huge change from the way they were eating before – even if they were eating a whole food based, traditional diet. Most people eat the "Standard American Diet" or SAD diet which is based on grains, seed oils and processed sugar. Many say, "forget it, it's impossible!  
But there is help online!

 Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist writes about getting help to succeed managing the transition to a GAPS diet.

My friend Cara, from the blog Health, Home, and Happiness and a fellow Real Food Media blogger has come up with two indispensable resources in the implementation of the GAPS Diet. Cara is a GAPS expert.  She has used GAPS to tackle her children’s autoimmune issues with great success.
I so wish these resources had been available to me last year when my husband and I went on GAPS.  It would have made the transition process so much easier and less stressful on our household!

GAPS Resources

The first resource is a new e-book called What Can I Eat Now? A 30 Day GAPS Intro Meal Plan.
The second resource is Grain Free Meal Plans once you are off the GAPS Intro Diet and into full blown GAPS or if you just want to jump right into full blown GAPS or the very similar SCD (Specific Carbohydrate) Diet from the get go.
The Grain Free Meal Plans include the following:

• Menu plans for 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, plus snacks and sweets
• Kid-tested recipes
• Complete shopping lists
• A Members only forum for questions, problems, encouragement, and success stories

If you are even remotely considering GAPS for your family, make sure you check out these resources! 

Consistency is key on the GAPS Diet – falling off the wagon can really set you back.