I talk a lot about how our microbiota, the living organisms in and on us, protect us from all sorts of illnesses. Research has found that some probiotics protect us from depression, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, C. Difficile, cancer, vaginal discharge, and so many more things. The microbiota can be damaged by lifestyle choices and the newborn's microbiota is mostly determined by it's mother's lifestyle choices.
Watch this entertaining and informative video (5 minutes, 28 seconds) about gut microbes from National Public Radio (NPR). This is a CRITICAL concept if you want to understand how to move toward optimum health.
You have the power to improve your health enormously, one way is to grown great microbiota.
The Gut and Psychology Syndrome book is a practical manual to stop the damage and to recover health.
As a physician who aims to help people by healing their bowel and microflora, and subsequently reducing inflammation over the whole body, I am frustrated as to how hard it is.
Even with a pure gluten free diet, so many people have signs of inflammation, malnutrition and bowel malfunction.
What do I suspect is going on when the person is following a pure true gluten free diet. Well there are lots of food additives that can cause problems such as carrageenan. Drugs can be a hinderance to healing, such as NSAIDs. However, the one prime suspect seems to be GMO in or on vegetables, grains, legumes, and in commercial meats and meat and dairy from animals fed the usual commercial feed with GMO corn and soya.
Earlier this year, Russia’s plan to stop importing GMOs went into effect. According to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Russia has the means, and the space, to cultivate organic food, and therefore has no need for GMOs.
In a statement, the Vice President of Russia’s National Association for Genetic Safety, Irina Ermakova, asserts:
“It is necessary to ban GMOs, to impose moratorium (on) it for 10 years. While GMOs will be prohibited, we can plan experiments, tests, or maybe even new methods of research could be developed.
It has been proven that not only in Russia, but also in many other countries in the world, GMOs are dangerous. Methods of obtaining the GMOs are not perfect, therefore, at this stage, all GMOs are dangerous.”
Ermakova continues:
“Consumption and use of GMOs obtained in such way can lead to tumors, cancers and obesity among animals. Bio-technologies certainly should be developed, but GMOs should be stopped. We should stop it from spreading.”
Aside from imports, Russia does allow the production and trade of GMO foods within the country. If a certain product contains more than 0.9 percent GMO material, however, it must be labeled by the manufacturer.
Along with Russia, much of the world is fighting against the continued proliferation of genetically modified foods. China has repeatedly refused imports from the United States, due to the potential for GMO contamination, and last summer decided to end its production of GMO corn and rice altogether.
The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico refused to allow the planting of Roundup Ready soybeans earlier this year. Northern New Zealand is working to ban GMOs, and, Bhutan has announced its plan to become the first fully organic nation on Earth. These are just a few examples among many.
In the United States, we're far from banning GMOs – we’re still working on labeling. Seems we’re a bit behind the times on this front.
Dr. Thierry Vrain, formerly a head of research science at Agriculture Canada, shares his understanding of why the science behind genetic engineering is flawed -- the assumption that one gene makes one protein has been outdated since 2002 and the actions of foreign proteins in the genome are unpredictable and unknown.
We have proof that there was a 400% increase incidence of gluten sensitivity in those persons who were born around 1930, young service men who donated blood in 1948, blood that was studied by Dr Joseph Murray, Mayo Clinic in 2009. The upswing of the incidence occurred, in North America between 1930 and 1945. As a result of the lifestyle changes such as reduced exposure to "UV B giving" sunlight in daily life,( and the start of global vitamin D deficiency) and serious chemical/environmental changes.
Vitamin D is the number one protector of the positive reading of genes and low vitamin D influences "Epigenetics", how genes are expressed. Chemical also change the way genes are expressed. By 1996, most of the population in North America was preprogrammed to be sensitive to any new environmental manipulation.
There are many people blogging and otherwise linking the increased incidence of celiac disease with the introduction of GMOs in 1996.I do believe GMOs with glyphosate, and the use of glyphosate as a "desiccant" contributes to the morbidity, incidence and consequently mortality of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
In searching for better health we can only change what we can change!
And we can get more sun exposure and supplement to make sure our vitamin D serum levels are in a health promoting range of 100 -200 nmol/l, or 40-60 ng/ml.
We can lower our exposure to chemicals of all sorts including GMOs.
Want to learn more about the wider impact GMOs in agriculture, and why all wheat is toxic (and barley, seeds, sugar cane, non organic beets, beans and peas)? Then read todays Healthy Home Economist. Be prepared to cry. Enough said.
Who, doing a GAPS diet (www.gaps.me)and lifestyle low in chemical exposure doesn'tneed a lot of focus and energy to keep on track? You may become aware that you have an "addiction" to sugar, or to rice, or to corn chips, or to artificial sweeteners, or to wine or other alcoholic beverages! It is a tug of war between impulse and self control. First, recognize if you are have having trouble with self- control. Recognizing this struggle is the first step to conquering it. Maybe we can find some tips on improving self control from the personal habits of successful people.
Dr. Travis Bradberry TalentSmart, whose interest is in business performance, has tested more than a million people and found that the upper echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence (90% of top performers, to be exact).
The hallmark of emotional intelligence is self-control—a skill that unleashes massive productivity by keeping you focused and on track.
Unfortunately, self-control is a difficult skill to rely on. Read his whole article on 13 ways successful people stay productive and in control. If you apply these actions, you will find changing your lifestyle to a "cleaner", low inflammation lifestyle a whole lot easier. Here is an excerpt (my bolds):
They Meditate
Meditation actually trains your brain to become a self-control machine. Even simple techniques like mindfulness, which involves taking as little as five minutes a day to focus on nothing more than your breathing and your senses, improves your self-awareness and your brain’s ability to resist destructive impulses.(Some people pray as meditation) Give it a try.
They Ride the Wave
Desire and distraction have the tendency to ebb and flow like the tide. When the impulse you need to control is strong, waiting out this wave of desire is usually enough to keep yourself in control. When you feel as if you must give in, the rule of thumb here is to wait at least 10 minutes before succumbing to temptation. You'll often find that the great wave of desire is now little more than a ripple that you have the power to step right over.
They Squash Negative Self-Talk
A big final step in exercising self-control involves stopping negative self-talk in its tracks. The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts. When you find yourself believing the negative and pessimistic things your inner voice says, it's time to stop and write them down. Literally stop what you're doing and write down what you're thinking. Once you've taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity.
You can bet that your statements aren’t true any time you use words like “never,” “worst,” “ever,” etc. If your statements still look like facts once they're on paper, take them to a friend or colleague you trust and see if he or she agrees with you. Then the truth will surely come out. When it feels like something always or never happens, this is just your brain’s natural threat tendency inflating the perceived frequency or severity of an event. Identifying and labeling your thoughts as thoughts by separating them from the facts will help you escape the cycle of negativity and move toward a positive new outlook.
Putting These Strategies to Work
The important thing to remember is you have to give these strategies the opportunity to work. This means recognizing the moments where you are struggling with self-control and, rather than giving in to impulse, taking a look at these strategies and giving them a go before you give in.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Travis Bradberry, Ph.D.
Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book,Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests, emotional intelligence training, and emotional intelligence certification, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.
First recognize issues with self control and try on the 13 ways you can improve on it.
The second step is to always have your reason "why" you are buying back 20 healthy years. ( Celiac and gluten sensitive persons have a 400% increased risk of dying before age 65, especially if you were born in North America, and that equates to 20 less years life expectancy, and an average of 14 years of chronic illness in your last years.) Undiagnosed and improperly treated gluten sensitivity is a public health issue. (a quote from Dr. Joseph Murray, Mayo Clinic). More on this in another issue.
PS If you don't know if gluten is affecting your health, or if you suspect, and you want to know, I recommend doing a minimally expensive test, the genetic test from www.enterolab.com. It's a convenient and fast way to cut through the confusion of diagnosis without changing the diet, or the pitfalls of elimination diet for one month (Even trying 100%, one gets exposure to gluten because no one can learn all the sources of gluten in one month of trying an elimination diet, I couldn't!) or the blood tests (50% accurate) or the biopsy (probably only 30% accurate).
Thanksgiving holiday is just around the corner. A great opportunity to count our blessings and to let our loved ones know how much we appreciate them. Even if we can't be together for a meal we can celebrate so many different ways. If a turkey dinner is in your plans, you will be making it with a gravy. There are no gravy making kits that are safe. So how can you do this in GAPS, SCD or Paleo and be safe, without losing any deliciousness? Here is a GAPS gravy that is easy, delicious and never lumpy.
I experimented a lot (as I've been teaching, cooking and eating SCD/GAPS since 2005), but found my inspiration from my mother who is an excellent self taught home cook, and Elaine Gottschall and her book Breaking the Vicious Cycle, a book I still use quite often. The aim is to find flavour and thickening. The onions have flavour and they have pectin, which thickens hot fluids without lumps. The reserved vegetables that were roasted under the meat, turkey or chicken, are caramelized and very flavourful. I view the water left behind from boiled vegetables as a secret ingredient for flavour boosting, not something to throw out. The dehydrated vegetables found in "Herbamare" or "Mrs. Dash" are commonly used as a salt substitute because they give flavour without relying on salt, so the end product is lower in salt but just as delicious if not more so. (This is the way to go for those who are looking to lower their salt intake.) And it is easy, because there are no special ingredients you don't already have in your kitchen. Except maybe the dehydrated herbs and vegetable powder which you can pick up later as an important part of your GAPS, SCD,or Paleo pantry. All you need is a stand or immersion blender. GAPS GRAVY Ingredients for stock used in gravy: Start while poultry (or any meat) is roasting. 1 litre or 1 quart of homemade chicken or turkey or vegetable stock 2 large onions with or without poultry giblets Ingredients for gravy: Stock with soft cooked onions Reserved roasted vegetables (onions, carrots, garlic, celery or any herbs) from under the roast Roasting pan drippings, reserved Seasoning from 'Herbamare' or 'Mrs. Dash', NO SUBSTITUTION, to taste, 1-4 tsp, optional Sea salt and pepper Extra filtered or pure water to make up consistency to your liking
While the poultry is roasting I make the stock by cooking the onions. I almost never have homemade turkey or chicken stock available so I try to save
all the vegetable water from any veggies I cook on that day or in the few days before. This is something my mother taught me. I may have potato, or cauliflower, or green bean, or celeriac or
carrot water for the stock. You need about 1 quart or 1 litre. Add 2 large onions (and giblets if available) and simmer the onions, uncovered until
they are very soft, 20 minutes to 2 hours.
The next step, the making of the gravy takes place in the roasting pan or the pot used to cook the onion, and basically you put all the gravy ingredients listed above in one pan, puree and heat, on top of the stove.
When the roast is finished cooking it needs to be set aside about 10-15 minutes to rest. Now I loosen every last bit of pan drippings and mix them with the onion/veggie water. You could also use the pan drippings from any vegetables you have roasted as a side dish, such as brussels sprouts, or acorn squash, and put that in too. I usually pour the onion
water into the roasting pan but you could pour the drippings into the pot with
the onions. Then I add the vegetables that were roasted under the turkey into the
same drippings pan, with 1-4 tsp of “Mrs. Dash “ or organic 'Herbamare' (both gluten and carb free) and salt and pepper to taste. You can also use fresh herbs, but I can't vouch that bottled spices are gluten free and may contain MSG without you knowing it. Then I use an immersion blender to puree. It should be smooth and thick. Add water to make the consistency to your liking.
Heat when ready to serve, so it is hot and at its best.
If it needs reheating it does not go lumpy or limp.
I always get good comments on this gravy. It is has a nice
look about it, rich in colour, and thicker than “au jus” and can be almost as thick as
wheat flour gravy. It goes nicely over mashed garlic cauliflower or mashed celeriac
root, both always a hit around here.
My focus to help people maximize their health is to heal the bowel and grow a healthy microbiota, which, in my mind is the root of health.
Lately I have recognized that my patients and myself included are not attaining a full recovery of a healthy bowel and microbiota in one to two years nor ever, even on a carefully planned program of GAPS, probiotics, vitamin D levels above 120 nmoles/l,proper amounts of good fats in the diet, maximization on the absorption of nutrients, good cholesterol and triglyceride levels, getting rid of chemical exposures of all kinds, detoxing with sauna and maximizing B vitamins. This is compared to reports of thousands of people being cured on a Specific Carbohydrate diet (SCD) (first developed in the 50's) by Dr. Haas and Elaine Gottschall) in one to two years. Not so now.
So I have been searching for the compounding reasons why this may be so. The environment has changed greatly from the 50's.At last count we are exposed to 84,000 new chemicals since the discovery of the first 'never seen on earth' chemical was manufactured in 1854 by Perkins. And we are exposed to natural toxins like lead which has no safe level for humans. Or poorly understood or researched bio-technology products, GMOs being one of them.
Continued bowel inflammation, old, not healing or new damage can be linked to:
- use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, NSAIDS, like ibuprofen
-use of prescription antibiotics.
-low vitamin D serum levels, below 120 nmol/l.
-cheating on gluten even once a month, even invisible amounts such as MSG in a salad dressing or soup, sometimes called natural flavouring.
-eating oats (I have an upcoming article on why you should never eat oats, not even "gluten free" oats).
-ingestion of GMO containing foods including commercial meat/products causing 65 know human health risks. This link includes the American Academy of Environmental Medicine's position paper on GMO foods. With mounting evidence that GMO containing foods damage the bowel and cause a "celiac" like condition with massive malnutrition and sulphur deficiency the question arises, why don't we have GMO labelling laws and why do we even grow these crops? Scientist from all over the world have been researching these crops and the link to human health for decades and because of the bans in other countries (European Union and Russia to name two jurisdictions), one must think these scientists and governing bodies must use a precautionary principle and have found evidence that does not warrant putting large numbers of people at risk. Not just people are becoming ill, but also livestock fed GMO grains. Here’s the first paragraph of an article from Organic Connections on the effects of genetically modified feed on pigs. This is not an isolated observation.
“A new, peer-reviewed study has just been released detailing adverse effects of genetically engineered (GE) feed on pigs. Center for Food Safety has long advocated for more robust safety testing prior to introducing GE foods into the food supply. Currently, no GE safety testing is required in the U.S. The long-term study revealed that pigs fed a GE diet suffered higher rates of severe stomach inflammation and had on average heavier uteruses. The findings were biologically and statistically significant and mirror what many farmers have been reporting anecdotally for years. The study was performed over the course of five years by independent researchers in Australia and the U.S.” Read More. The paper: “A long-term toxicology study on pigs fed a combined genetically modified (GM) soy and GM corn maize diet” by Dr Judy Carman, Howard Vlieger, Dr Larry Ver Steeg,Verlyn Neller, Dr Garth Robinson, Dr Kate Clinch-Jones, Dr Julie Haynes and Dr John Edwards has been published by the Journal of Organic Systems, Vol 8. No 1 (2013) and is available for free download from http://www.organic-systems.org/journal/. Or cut an paste into your browser if you are having trouble reading it.
A top Swiss GMO researcher's comments have been recently reported in "Food Navigator" :
We the consumer can influence the manufacturers of our food, according to Hans Johr of giant Nestle. We have to become informed consumers and vote with our pocket books. Here are two examples of how the people of Germany have said they don't want GMO foods and where they have been listened to. Firstly the German Grocery association has listened and it has demanded a return to GMO
free fed poultry as of January 2015. There is enough non-GMO poultry feed
available contrary to the complaints of the producers.
And Secondly, there is a movement among the German Federal states to openly be recognized as GMO free and set standards. From August 2014,GMO Free News for Germany (my bold):
GMO-free regional governments: 9 out of 16 German federal states (among them 3 city states) signed the Charta of Florence and thereby joined the European GMO-Free regions network.......
By the end of August 2014, 212 GMO-free-regions, 343 GMO-free-municipalities and 30.458 GMO-free-farmers, i.e. 1.106.156 ha (2.733.371 acres), were declared in Germany. Definitions, lists and maps can be accessed at the English section of the website GMO-free regions in Germany.
There was no commercial cultivation of GMOs in Germany since 2012 and no deliberate releases since 2013. Lastly, GM potatoes (0.3 ha) and GM sugar beets (0.5 ha) were planted for experimental purposes in 2012.
The commercial cultivation of the GM corn MON 810 has been banned on April 14th 2009. BASF’s genetically modified starch potato “Amflora”, approved on 2nd of March 2010, had its approval withdrawn December 2013 by the EU General Court due to procedural error during the approval procedure. Until then it was grown on 15 ha in 2010 and ultimately on 2 ha in 2011.
Based on German biotech law food manufacturers and –retailers can label their products GMO-free since May 2008. The GMO-free label (“ohne Gentechnik”) is for animal products (meat, eggs and dairy products) derived from animals fed without GM plants. Licensee partners and advocates for a food production without GMOs are organized in the Association Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).
As I have said, we need to take responsibility over our own health and become informed about food, natural over chemical, and food supply chains. We can't do this effectively without good labels on our food or supplements informing us whether there is GMO present in the product or not. Without labelling laws we still have choices. We can grow some of our own food, buy real food and the "dirty dozen" should be avoided or bought as organic, and make your own from scratch or belong to a community organic farm association sometimes called CSA. If it is not clear, I also contact manufacturers about the ingredients of their products (gluten or corn or soy or canola) and the sourcing of their products especially if it is from GMO or not. I hope this information helps you in your decision to chose your food wisely, GAPS is best, remove chemicals from your life, add probiotics for the sake of the microbiota, but also to take a look at one of the most common food sources that reverses all the good you are doing, and putting you at risk for 65 known health problems. I don't see eating a GAPS diet alone overcoming the effects of commonly ingested drugs or chemicals or GMO products. Is eating GMO meat or cheese, or soy or canola worth the risk? To Your Health Dr. Barbara
Along with Russia, much of the world is fighting against the continued proliferation of genetically modified foods. China has repeatedly refused imports from the United States, due to the potential for GMO contamination, and last summer decided to end its production of GMO 
