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5 Steps to Getting Your Mojo Back. Adrenal Fatigue – Part 2

March 23, 2011 – 9:51 pm

Now that I’ve made you totally depressed with how pervasive adrenal fatigue can be in my last post, it time for the good news: repairing your adrenal function is totally possible!  Better yet – you can be in complete control. Below are some of the best tips I have on restoring your energy and vitality, naturally.

Bring on the Happy. Ditch the Downers.

I love the first advice given by Dr. James L, Wilson, N.D., D.C., PhD, in his book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. He recommends making a complete list of all the things that both enhance your life and those that totally drain your energy. I did it and found it very eye opening and liberating. I suggest really getting down in the weeds on this. Good things in your life could be exercise, time with friends and family, meditation or getting outdoors. Negative things could be anything from devouring that weekly chili cheese dog, tolerating a Debbie Downer colleague, spending time in depressing physical environments or just general negative thinking. Be honest with yourself and don’t idealize what you think should be good or bad for you. Once you have your list, be creative in finding ways to add more happy and ditch the downers in your everyday routine.

Get some strategic shut eye.

Quite possibly the most important factor in the road to recovery is not only getting enough sleep, but getting it during the most restorative hours to get in sync with your circadian rhythm (a 24 hour cycle of varying hormone secretion):

  • Be asleep by 11pm (before you get that second wind that keeps you up all night).
  • Whenever possible, sleep until 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning. The most restorative hours of sleep are between 7-9am providing much needed rest for your adrenals and a corresponding rise in cortisol levels.  This may seem self-indulgent, but don’t feel guilty. Your wellbeing is at stake here.
  • Ensure a good nights sleep:
    • Have a balanced snack of protein, carbs and healthy fats before bed to counteract any hypoglycemic episodes in the wee hours of the morning. Almond butter spread on some apple slices or layered on a Just Crust Mini are good options.
  • Lying down (without sleeping) for 15-30 minutes during the day is also very beneficial. Sprawl out in your office if you have to.

Get your sweat on.

Exercise normalizes cortisol, insulin, blood glucose, growth hormones and floods your fuzzy brain with much needed oxygen. Just make sure it’s not too strenuous – we’re not talking training for an olympic triathlon. A brisk walk, yoga, or getting your groove on will do the trick, just aim for at least 30 minutes/day. And don’t forget, knocking boots counts as exercise too and can even improve your moods and immune system. Wink Wink.

Clean. Up. Your. Diet.

According to Wilson, “By the time your body is in adrenal fatigue, your cells have used up much of your body’s stored nutrients and are in desperate need of new supplies just to continue to function, let alone heal…..they are lacking the essential nutrients they need to meet the increased demands their cells experience under stress. In many cases of adrenal fatigue, poor diet is one of its main causes.” So in addition to following my Clean Eating guidelines –consuming lots of veggies, whole grains, essential fatty acids and avoiding food intolerances and refined sugar – integrate the tips below to bring your adrenals back to life.

Balance Blood Sugar:

Eat every 2 hours being sure to get adequate protein, essential fatty acids and good quality (e.g. whole grain) carbohydrates. And avoid alcohol, which is more refined than white sugar.

Avoid caffeine and other stimulants:

When you consume coffee, sodas, chocolate, energy drinks or sugary and fatty processed foods, you temporarily drive your already taxed adrenal glands, further depleting their reserves. This also causes spikes and lows in your blood sugar – causing you to be drained at the end of the day, which can cause you to consume more of this poison. It’s a vicious cycle the can not only affect every system in your body, but also cause weight gain (especially around the middle). And in the case of chocolate, in addition to caffeine it contains theobrine – a caffeine like substance that over stimulates the adrenals leading to further fatigue.

Eat at strategic meal times:

Eat SOMETHING by 10am, eat lunch before noon, and get a good snack between 2-3pm (to combat that cortisol level dip between 3 and 4pm). Eat dinner around 5 or 6pm and have a high quality snack at bedtime (will help you sleep soundly, avoiding low blood sugar, anxiety attacks, and make it easier to wake in the morning).

Stop Dissin’ Salt.

Contrary to popular belief, salt isn’t always bad for you. There is a widespread myth that salt causes high blood pressure; however, only about 15% of the population is salt-sensitive. The majority of people with normal blood pressure do not have a rise in blood pressure with moderate salt intake. And besides, most people with adrenal deficiency have low blood pressure, so stop trippin! Salt can actually regulate blood pressure to within normal range. But be sure you’re choosing sea salt over regular table salt, which retains the much needed trace minerals and are void of the nasty chemical additives. An even better choice is to mix your sea salt with kelp to also get some iodine. Conversely, watch your potassium intake, avoiding high potassium foods such as bananas and dried figs.

Other helpful diet tips:

  • Get enough cholesterol in the form of nuts seeds and oils.
  • Be calm when eating. Deep breathe. Chew thoroughly (30+ times per mouthful) to release digestive enzymes from your saliva. 60-100 times if you have diabetes or digestive issues.
  • Eat higher protein, lower carbohydrate meals if dealing with severe adrenal fatigue.
  • Enjoy Green, Bancha, Twig or Kukicha Tea for antioxidants
  • Make sure your consuming clean eater. Best to have a water purification system installed on our tap.

Supplementation

I won’t get into specific recommendations (lawsuits are not conducive to sustaining small  businesses), but below are a variety of supplements that could be beneficial depending on your specific situation.

§          B-Vitamins
§         Vitamin C with pantothentic Acid.
§         Vitamin E- mixed tocopherols.
§         Magnesium Citrate (especially for PMS symptoms)
§         Calcium Citrate
§         Herbs:

  • licorice root
  • ashwagandha
  • Siberian ginseng
  • Ginger
  • Ginkgo

A Closing Note on Testing

For all of you who love to self-diagnose, there are multiple tests you can perform at home, if you suspect you have some level of adrenal deficiency, including:  the Iris Contraction Test, checking for postural hypotension, and the Sergent’s White Line. However, your best bet is to see a progressive endocrinologist, holistic physician or naturopathic doctor to set you straight on a diagnosis and get you started on the best treatment plan. They will likely perform a saliva test to measure the hormone levels for signs of non-Addison’s adrenal deficiency, which is considered alternative. Most likely, a Medical Doctor will not be familiar with the saliva test (and could even dismiss it since it is considered “Alternative”). However, the Saliva test is the best single lab test available for detecting adrenal fatigue because it is looking at hormones in the cells (where the hormone reactions take place).

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Type A and Tired? Adrenal Fatigue – Part 1.

March 7, 2011 – 7:29 pm

Does this image look familiar? If so, I’m not surprised. It is estimated that up to 80% of adult Americans suffer from some level of adrenal deficiency at some point in their lives, which is most commonly characterized by feeling tired for no reason, having trouble getting up in the morning, irritability and requiring coffee, energy drinks, sweets or salty snacks to keep going.  However, it is one of the most overlooked and under-diagnosed illnesses in the U.S. and can be the underlying issue behind conditions such as of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, alcoholism and food intolerance.

I can already hear many of you warily saying now — “so let’s run this back – being tired all the time, depending on your triple venti latte to be remotely effective during the day, being a little irritable and maybe having an inappropriate fondness for that glass (or  bottle) of Pinot every night — who DOESN’T live like that?” Unfortunately being run ragged seems to be the acceptable norm in this country. As a Mom, entrepreneur and former corporate rat – trust me, I get it. But, I’ve also been down in the trenches of adrenal fatigue and am successfully climbing out and can promise you – it doesn’t have to be this way. Read on to figure out how to stop the madness.

All About Adrenals.

These two glands that sit on top of the kidneys may be small, but they are packing some of the most powerful hormones and neurotransmitters related to energy and stress response. They are chiefly responsible for releasing adrenal steroids, such as cortisol, and the catecholamines (a.k.a. the “fight or flight” hormones) epinephrine/adrenalin and norephinephrine.

Cortisol belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids, which affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. Cortisol’s most important job is to help the body respond to stress. Among its many vital tasks, cortisol helps:

  • maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function
  • slow the immune system’s inflammatory response
  • maintain glucose levels
  • regulate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats

Can you see why you want to do everything you can to keep these two little powerhouses firing on all cylinders?

The Road to Exhaustion.

The progression of adrenal fatigue is slow and insidious. Most commonly, adrenal fatigue is caused by some form of stress – could be physical (e.g. surgery or other serious injury or lack of sleep, excessive consumption of caffeine), psychological (e.g. traumas or chronic stress related to your career, finances, or family troubles), environmental (e.g. toxins from over processed food and other sources) and/or infectious (e.g. a severe case of or recurring bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, sinusitis). Prescription drugs and even pregnancy can also cause stress on the adrenals.

You’re even more at risk if you have multiple stressors simultaneously or one becomes chronic. Your adrenals will never get a chance to come up for air!  Whether you are aware you are under stress or not, your body (and your cortisol levels) is keeping tabs. All stressors are additive and cumulative. At first, stress causes more and more cortisol to be circulating in your system, which can cause weight gain and lower your immune response. But eventually, your adrenal glands throw in the towel and slow or stop producing the need cortisol to combat the stressful situation.

While adrenal fatigue can affect anyone of any age or stage of life, those of us with Type A tendencies can be more susceptible to adrenal fatigue. With attributes such as constantly driving yourself, being a perfectionist and putting yourself under constant pressure, you are putting your poor little adrenal glands into constant overdrive. And so begins the recipe for a lethargic disaster.

Symptoms | Related Conditions

While some people can present without any obvious signs of being sick, they likely experience a sense that things just aren’t quite right and are likely masking their fatigue with caffeinated drinks, sugary foods or other stimulates to drag themselves out of bed and be somewhat effective in their daily lives. While you can’t draw any conclusions by experiencing just one of these symptoms or conditions, if many of these ring true you could be experiencing some level of adrenal deficiency.

Symptoms

Difficulty getting up in the morning Increased time to recovery from illness or injury | bruising easily
Continuing fatigue not relieved by sleep Light-headed when standing up quickly
Craving for salt or salty foods Mild depression/less enjoyment with life
Lethargy – not really awake until 10am; fading at 3 or 4pm, feeling best after dinner Increased PMS – bloating, irritable, chocolate cravings
Increased effort to do every day tasks Worsening symptoms with skipped meals
Decreased sex drive Increased fears/anxiety
Weight gain around the middle Confusion/Difficulty Concentrating/Memory Issues
Decreased ability to handle stress Irritability
Feeling cold all of the time Low blood pressure

Related Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis Respiratory Infections
Fibromyalgia Allergies
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Asthma
Hypoglycemia Frequent Colds
Type 2 Diabetes Cancer
Ischemic Heart Disease Other auto-immune and chronic disease
Alcoholism Food Intolerance

No Love From Western Medicine.

I’ll try not to get too “conspiracy theory” on you here, but the biggest rub with resolving adrenal deficiency is that because it doesn’t fit within the stricture of Western medicine, it can be difficult to find appropriate treatment, or even acknowledgement of the syndrome. First off, medical doctors, during their Big Pharma sponsored programs, are not educated on the etiology or treatment in adrenal deficiency. Even worse, there is no ICD-9 Code for adrenal deficiency or adrenal fatigue until it has become full-blown Addison’s disease. No code for billing = no reimbursement by insurance.

In Addison’s disease, the adrenal glands can have actual structural and physiological damage that could require life long treatment with corticosteroids — powerful, synthetic cortisol which provide a lovely laundry list of side effects including: high blood pressure, bone disease, poor immune system, high blood sugar, vision problems, white patches or sores, acne, swelling of the face, weight gain, and cognitive issues. The failure of Western medicine to recognize non-Addison’s adrenal fatigue is an enormous disservice to Americans, especially in this high stress Petri dish we live in. Dr. James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., PhD explains in his book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, that “with each increment of reduction in adrenal function, every organ and system in your body is more profoundly affected.” When caught early, adrenal fatigue can be easily treated with natural supplements and dietary changes – or even prevented altogether.

Adrenals Role in Food Intolerance & Food Cravings.

Interestingly, there is a lot of crossover between adrenal fatigue and food intolerance.  When you consume foods your body doesn’t tolerate, your body releases histamine causing an inflammation. In response, your adrenal glands release cortisol (a strong anti-inflammatory) to mediate the histamine. The more histamine released, the more cortisol required and the harder your adrenals have to work to pump it out. Chronic inflammation from eating foods you don’t tolerate obviously further taxes your adrenal glands and leads to their fatigue. This in turn reduces the amount of cortisol they’re able to produce, which reduces the anti-inflammatory response and allows the histamine to inflame the tissues more. A vicious cycle.

It’s easy to see why Dr. Wilson claims that eliminating foods that you don’t tolerate is “one of the best and easiest ways to decrease the demands of your struggling adrenals.” For a refresher on common food intolerances and guides on clean eating, please refer to my Clean Eating Guide post from January.

There are many more adrenal specific nutrition guidelines as well as lifestyle changes and testing available that can be immensely helpful in restoring proper adrenal function, which I’ll cover in a follow-up post. For my Type A peeps, try to resist Googling your fingers off looking for answers and just GET SOME REST….

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Gut Check: Could You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome?

February 8, 2011 – 5:08 am

Don’t let this unpleasantly and oversimplified titled condition fool you – Leaky Gut Syndrome could be at the core of your food intolerance(s) and many other unexplained symptoms you’re experiencing. Most people would be surprised to know that a digestion issue could be the culprit for a variety of symptoms outside of the expected gas and bloating — but don’t sleep! Your digestive system is the foundation for wellness for your whole body and can be the source of issues from joint pain to foggy thinking and is related to many chronic disorders.

Leaky Gut Defined

Leaky Gut Syndrome – or to be fancy, “intestinal hypersensitivity” -  indicates a condition where the mucosal tissues in your gut lumen (the space inside the tube of your intestine that regulates the passage of nutrient particles into your bloodstream) is compromised, causing it to be overly permeable, or “leaky”. This allows larger undigested nutrient particles and various toxins to enter your bloodstream, which normally shouldn’t be able to pass through this barrier. These escapees are viewed as foreigners by your immune system and trigger an antibody reaction leading to inflammation. A great example of “larger undigested nutrient particles” are the hard to digest, larger proteins in wheat and dairy — gluten and casein, respectively.

A very simplified (and personal) source of context would be the case of my gluten intolerance and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA):  I consume gluten and because of my very permeable intestinal wall, the gluten gets into my bloodstream > the gluten travels to my joints >  my immune system sees the gluten as a foreign invader and attacks > I wake with aching and burning from the inflammation. Fun stuff.

Symptoms and Related Conditions

If any of the below sound all too familiar, it’s worth looking into Leaky Gut as a possible factor:

Symptoms:

  • Gas and Abdominal Bloating
  • Food Intolerances & Sensitivities
  • Joint & Muscle Pain
  • Cognitive Deficits/ Fuzzy Thinking
  • Mood Swings, Aggressive Behavior
  • Anxiety, Nervousness
  • Diarrhea or Constipation
  • Poor Coordination
  • Skin Breakouts/ Rashes
  • Fatigue
  • Recurrent Vaginal or Bladder Infections
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Poor Exercise Tolerance
  • Asthma
  • Unexplained Fevers

Related Disorders:

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
  • Celiac Disease
  • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Asthma
  • Autism
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Lupus
  • Addison’s Disease
  • Acne, Eczema or Psoriasis
  • HIV
  • Osteoporosis
  • Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Hives
  • Allergies
  • Intestinal Infections
  • Pancreatic Insufficiency
  • Liver Dysfunction

What’s Causing the Leak?

Unfortunately, we are exposed to many factors in our society that can compromise the integrity of our gut and lead to such undesirable symptoms and conditions. Some of the most common causes include:

  • Overuse of Antibiotics (and the imbalance in gut flora this leads to)
  • Overuse of NSAIDS (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories – e.g. aspirin, naproxen, etc) as well as Corticosteroid use
  • Exposure to heavy metals and toxins (e.g. Mercury, which can be found in contaminated fish and other sources)
  • Long-term alcohol use and highly processed foods (see why I saved this post for AFTER the Super Bowl)
  • Inadequate digestive enzyme production (e.g. the genetic deficiency of the enzyme lactase that causes lactose intolerance)
  • Radiation or Chemotherapy
  • Intestinal Infection/Parasites

As I learned about the causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome, I realized my poor intestinal wall never had a chance. Throughout my life, I have had chronic strep throat and sinus infections, making it impossible to even count the number of antibiotic prescriptions I’ve been written. I’ve also had mercury-laden amalgam fillings since I was about 10, and was not really notorious for my clean eating ways growing up (I remember savoring my hearty meal of Cheetos, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Dr. Pepper everyday before high school basketball practice). But what likely really did me in, was my refusal to rest a torn rotator cuff volleyball injury the year before having my daughter (and also receiving my RA diagnosis). I had taken so much Alleve to allow me to compete that summer, that I ended up with a prescription for Zantac to counteract the acid-reflux I started experiencing. How’s that for a case study in how NOT to practice preventative medicine?

Fixing the Plumbing

The good news is that is entirely possible to heal the gut using nutritional measures and other aids that restore the integrity of the intestinal barrier and limit the immune response and chronic inflammation. I’ve followed all of the advice below and have been able to greatly lessen my symptoms, even when I’ve consumed foods I don’t tolerate well.

In a nutshell, you want to eliminate common allergens, reduce inflammation and restore proper gut flora (more good bacteria, less bad)

Here’s the plan of attack:

  • Start eating a clean diet:  eliminate foods you have intolerances for (I’ll discuss specifics of following an elimination diet in an upcoming post), eliminate processed foods (especially sugar) and choose organic whenever possible. Organic is especially critical if you consume meat or dairy – if you’re not, that antibiotic overuse isn’t just coming from a prescription.
  • Start a customized program of a good probiotic and digestive enzymes, if needed. Chewing slowly can also aide in digestion because digestive enzymes are located in your saliva. Additional supplementation to repair the gut could include, Glutamine, Methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, Larch, Kiwi Fruit and Zinc. I highly recommend you do this under the care of a progressive M.D. or a Naturopathic Doctor.
  • Consider a customized Detox plan. I followed one to eliminate heavy metal toxicities, with great results. But again, only do this under the care of a trusted healthcare provider.

Testing

If the existence of symptoms isn’t enough evidence for you, you can receive more concrete information from an Intestinal Permeability Test, commonly known as the “lactulose-mannitol challenge”. This will measure the degree to which these two sugar molecules are able to permeate your intestinal barrier and differentiate between true hyperpermeability and nutrient malabsorption. The testing involves drinking a solution with both mannitol and lactulose and collecting your urine for six hours. This can be ordered and evaluated from a progressive M.D., Gastroenterologist or a Naturopathic Doctor.

A Vicious Cycle

In leaky gut syndrome, your body is caught in a self-perpetuating loop. Without recognition of the issue and proper diet modifications, you’ll find yourself in a vicious cycle: exposure to allergenic foods will continue to increase the permeability, making you subject to further food allergies. This leads to malnutrition and disruption of the proper gut flora, which is the cause of chronic yeast or Candida. There is also an added stress on the liver, compromising its ability to excrete toxins — all of which increase the leakiness. Told you it was vicious.

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Keeping it Real: Easy Ways to Avoid Nutrient Deficiencies on a Gluten-Free Diet

January 28, 2011 – 7:52 pm

There seems to be a lot of “buyer beware” type of messages whenever the gluten-free diet is covered in the mainstream media – for example, the November ABC Nightline segment on “The Dangers of the Gluten-Free Diet”, which I recently viewed from my TiVo archives. And I’ve seen multiple other examples in the past couple of years since the diet has been receiving buzz around Hollywood for its role in weight loss, increased energy and better skin and for its controversial role in treating disorders, such as Autism. It’s always the same old [school] story –  it has no benefit to you unless you have true Celiac Disease and a diet without gluten will lead to nutrient deficiencies.

I admit that it is possible to be deficient in certain nutrients if you’re following a gluten-free, but otherwise unbalanced, diet. But let’s keep it real — Americans as a whole are overfed and undernourished. The standard American, gluten-heavy diet is by no means nutritionally superior. It’s just getting a little back-up from the government.

A Bit of Enrichment

It breaks down like this: The FDA requires that manufacturers of wheat flour add Riboflavin, Thiamin, Niacin, Folic Acid (all B Vitamins), Iron and sometimes Calcium to the product because they were completely stripped during the refining process. This process includes removing the bran and germ from the wheat kernel, so it’s no longer a “whole grain”. It is then bleached, to provide a better appearance to the consumer.  Sounds nutritious, right? Ironically, this process is what the term “enriched” refers to.  There are no such regulations for gluten-free grains, which is why gluten-free flours made from refined grains (e.g. white rice flour, corn/potato flours and starches), can be even more nutrient deficient than wheat flour.

But how about we gain a little perspective here.  Are we only to receive nutrients from bread products? No. Does a gluten-free diet mandate avoiding fruits and vegetables and other nutrient dense ingredients?  Absolutely not. Are we not suppose to follow the same recommendations to “eat whole grains” when we’re choosing a gluten-free diet? No – and  this where I see the biggest source of misconception. As I discussed in my last post, whole grain gluten-free products can be hard to find, but there are some good ones out there that are made with whole grain products such as brown rice, quinoa or millet.  Clean Cravings products, for example, have more than 20 grams of whole grains per serving.

The Biggest Offenders

B-Vitamins (Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate/Folic Acid)

Playing a critical role in cognitive function, energy, metabolism and skin health, B vitamins can be found in wide variety of  fruits, vegetables and nuts. Below is a list of the major players.

All B Vitamins: avocados, legumes (e.g. beans, lentils), gluten-free whole grains (e.g. brown rice), nutritional yeast (look for a brand with B12 if consuming a vegan diet), asparagus, broccoli, spinach, bananas, potatoes, dried apricots/dates/figs,  and nuts (especially pine nuts, coconuts, walnuts, almonds and cashews).

Folic Acid: I’m isolating Folic Acid because of its critical role in the prevention of birth defects. The best clean sources here are: lentils, chickpeas/garbanzo beans (think hummus with some toasted Just Crust Minis), black beans, green leafy vegetables (especially spinach, asparagus and broccoli), avocado, sunflower seeds and oranges. You need 400 micrograms per day, which you could get in 1 cup of cooked spinach, 2 Tablespoons of sunflower seeds and 1 cup of OJ. And if you take a decent multivitamin (preferably made with whole foods), that will give you the 400 micrograms by itself.

Iron

Iron is a critical mineral because of its role in the transport of oxygen to tissues relating to energy and immune function. Good sources include: cooked spinach, lentils, broccoli, quinoa, collard greens, black, pinto & kidney beans, potato, beets, and many nuts and seeds.

Note that I’ve listed vegan sources of Iron. While it’s commonly thought that vegetarian diets are low in iron, research has shown that iron deficiency is not an issue for this population. The reasons are likely two-fold: 1) when you look at the amount of iron by weight, vegetarian foods are a denser source of iron. For example, you would have to eat more than 1700 calories of sirloin steak to get the same amount of iron as found in 100 calories of spinach. 2) Because a vegetarian diet is high in Vitamin C, the absorption of iron is enhanced.

Calcium

Calcium is a structural component of the bones and teeth and also plays a role in hormonal secretion regulation, muscle contraction, blood clotting and activation of some enzyme systems. There’s likely more [unfounded] concern of deficiency in a dairy/casein-free diet than there is for strictly a gluten-free diet, but since both are important elements in clean eating, I’m giving it some air time.

Despite the on-going aggressive milk campaigning, it is not that difficult to get the calcium and other nutrients needed from non-dairy sources. For example, almond milk  has almost just as much calcium as cow’s milk (30% DV vs. 35%) and steamed or dark leafy greens have as much calcium per serving as milk. Moreover, the calcium in kale is even better absorbed than the calcium from cow’s milk.

Other good non-diary sources include: almonds (more than milk), hazelnuts, walnuts, sesame, sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast.

Fiber

There’s no doubt fiber is an integral part of a healthy diet. It lowers cholesterol, increases satiety, regulates blood sugar, encourages proper bowel function and balances intestinal pH. But, I find the idea that a gluten-free diet has to equal a low fiber diet, particularly unconvincing.  As I referred to in my earlier tirade, eating gluten-free puts no restrictions on consuming fruits and vegetables or whole grains, which are the best sources of fiber available. You’d be hard pressed to find any items in these categories without any fiber, but the best bang for your buck is going to be from:  berries, green leafy veggies, sweet potatoes/yams (with skins), quinoa, brown rice, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds.

Keeping it Real

Gluten-free diets, like any other diet, can be extremely healthy or they can be extremely unhealthy. It all comes down to what you choose to eat – choosing whole, real foods are always going to pay off over refined, processed items.

And the sad truth is, it’s unlikely even the healthiest of diets are receiving the proper nutrients needed without supplementation, due to factory farming and soil erosion compromising the nutrient values of our foods. So I recommend that everyone take a high quality, multi-vitamin and mineral supplement made from whole foods just to cover your bases.

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10 Ways Eating Clean Will Get You Lean

January 20, 2011 – 6:57 am

Fit BodyEating a clean diet not only yields significant health improvements for those with food intolerances and chronic health conditions, but can be the key to achieving your weight loss or weight maintenance goals. It’s a paradigm shift from the calorie counting decree we’ve been fed, but trust me, it’s legit. No calculators or food scales required.

This was a pleasant, surprising side-effect for me when I started strictly following the Anti-Inflammatory way of eating for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Being 8 weeks postpartum with about 10 lbs of baby weight to lose, I was amazed at how the weight melted off once I started the Anti-Inflammatory diet. I have maintained a fitter, 10 lbs lighter frame than my pre-pregnancy, calorie counting and even low glycemic index following weight. And I have maintained this weight even during times when I wasn’t able exercise regularly due to injury or just general insanity of life.

1. Lose the Bloat.

If you are consuming foods you have sensitivities to, you likely have excess bloating and swelling in your hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin or around the eyes. This is due to fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones.

If you’re food sensitivities/intolerances are not known, the best option is to follow an Elimination Diet for at least 2 weeks in which you COMPLETELY avoid the suspect food(s) and all derivatives of that food. Reactions to foods are not always immediate – they can manifest hours or days after ingestion. Symptoms of food sensitivity can include headaches, digestion issues, fatigue, depression, joint pain or arthritis, skin conditions like eczema, canker sores, acne; or sinus congestion.

2. Prevent Fat Storage.

With repeat exposure to toxins from food, our bodies can be overloaded with chemicals that need to be detoxified. When the amount of toxins exceed what your body can process, they are either: 1) stored in your liver, which is right there in your belly area (can you say muffin top?) or 2) they are isolated from the body’s systems in additional adipose tissue (aka FAT) as a protection measure. In essence, your body holds on to excess weight to dilute the toxicity.

3. Avoid Beefing Up (literally).

Here’s some food for thought “Cow’s milk, by design, can grow a 90lb calf into a 2,000 lb cow over the course of 2 years.”

This quote is taken directly from the “Diary Disaster” chapter of the book, Skinny Bitch, possibly the crassest, yet eye-opening part of the book for me. When you consume dairy products (and meat), you are consuming the same hormones and steroids those animals were fed to drastically boast production — and profits. Cows are injected with bovine growth hormone. Is further explanation even required to see why dairy (especially non-organic) is not your friend if you’re trying to be lean?

If you (or the kiddies) absolutely can’t give it up (and you are sure you do not have a sensitivity to it), please promise me you will always choose organic, hormone- and  antibiotic-free milk and meat products. For beef, best option is grass-fed (just being organic doesn’t mean they are grass fed). And try to work in some almond, hemp or coconut replacements once in a while.

And no, you don’t need to drink cow’s milk to consume enough calcium (more info on that coming in a later post).

4. Ensure Optimal Thyroid Function.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, author of  The Ultramind Solution and 3 other New York Times bestsellers addressing the root cause of illness, one of the most important factors in hypothyroidism is exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides. Such toxins act as hormone disruptors and interfere with thyroid function.  The other major factor that affects thyroid function, Hyman states, is chronic inflammation, with the biggest source of chronic inflammation being gluten. Of course, consuming other foods you have sensitivities to and highly processed and/or genetically modified foods are also going to keep you in a state of inflammation.

The primary function of your thyroid is maintaining your basal metabolic rate, so let’s keep it in high spirits.

5. Keep Insulin Levels in Check.

Consumed refined sugar and other refined carbohydrates are absorbed very quickly causing a surge in glucose levels (also referred to as having a high Glycemic Index). This requires your pancreas to release a responding level of insulin to combat the high levels of glucose which are toxic to the body. I believe it’s well-known, but worth reiterating, that insulin encourages the body to store up calories as fat. Prolonged levels of elevated insulin also contribute to inflammation, which if you haven’t gathered already is kind of a theme we have going. This doesn’t mean you need to go all Atkins on me to keep your weight in check.  Eating a clean diet includes eating high fiber carbs to slow the absorption into the bloodstream and avoid spikes in that fat storing insulin – choose whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts and lots of whole, organic veggies and fruits (leave the skins on!).

And there is no exception to this rule just because you’re eating gluten-free. I admit, whole grain, gluten-free products are really hard to find, which was a big impetus in the creation of our Clean Cravings line. Many gluten-free bread products on the market are made primarily with white rice, corn, or potato flour or starch and loaded with sugar (not to mention a bunch of other artificial crap) so they have a high Glycemic Index causing that surge of fat storing insulin. So look for the first items in the ingredients list to state “whole grain” and/or use grains like brown rice and quinoa. Here’s the ingredient list of our Just Crust products as a reference:

Ingredients:
WHOLE GRAIN ORGANIC BROWN RICE FLOUR, WHOLE GRAIN SORGHUM FLOUR, ARROWROOT FLOUR, ORGANIC RAW AGAVE NECTAR, GUAR GUM, FRUIT JUICE (GRAPE, PEAR, APPLE), RICE DEXTRIN (A NATURAL AND UNMODIFIED STARCH), ORGANIC OLIVE OIL, SEA SALT.

Read it and weep Glutino!

6. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Refined Sugar.

When refined sugar is consumed, it is stored in the liver as glycogen (blood sugar stored in the liver and muscles). However, if the liver is already overloaded with sugar or other toxins, (which it commonly is due to the prevalent toxins from processed food and environmental toxins), the excess amounts of glycogen get returned to the blood stream in the form fatty acids. The kicker? They are then stored in the less active areas including the buttocks, belly and thighs. One lump or two??

Note: Because this post is focused on weight loss, I will hold my diatribe on the other harmful effects of refined sugar  — for now. In replacement, please refer to the “Sweet Poison” article in the Tribune Spectrum.

7. Maintain pH balance.

A clean diet means a diet that is not highly acidic (e.g., no coffee, dairy, refined sugars and other refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, fried and processed foods, large amounts of animal protein). According to Dr. Linda Frassetta, a Nephrologist with the University of California,  our bodies now produce fat cells when we have an overload of acidic foods,  to prevent the acid from getting to your vital organs. And not only do they add those unwanted pounds, highly acidic foods deplete your body of the alkaline minerals required to neutralize that acid, which include: sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This makes you prone to chronic and degenerative disease. Alkaline foods include: fruits and vegetables (yes, even citrus fruits because once they enter the body they are alkalizing).

8. Fighting Inflammation.

Avoiding inflammation is the common denominator in all of the above points because it is a big contributor to weight gain. But we’re not just playing defense here. While there are many foods to avoid – there are also plenty of foods we can consume to actually fight inflammation.  The key players here are Essential Fatty Acids, which are strongly encouraged in an Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating diet. Essential Fatty Acids can be either Omega-3 or Omega-6 (a debate between the 2 calls for a post all its own), and are found in: flax seed or flax seed oil, fish or fish oil, hemp oil, chia seed, sunflower seeds, leafy vegetables, walnuts. These are “good fats” that are needed by the body to make hormones and maintain the body’s metabolic rate. Essential fatty acids can increase thermogenesis (fat burning) and a deficiency may cause cravings, particularly for fatty foods.

9. Have Satiety Kick in Sooner.

Whole foods high in nutrients, essential fatty acids, and fiber and low in refined sugar will keep your appetite in check by triggering your feelings of satiety earlier than processed foods and artificial ingredients. See how many almonds you can eat vs. bag(s) of Baked Lays….

10. Rule Out the Crap.

I know this is an obvious one, but worth mentioning. When you choose only whole foods, especially if you’re cutting out gluten and dairy, there’s not going to be a lot of donuts and candy bars on the menu. Nuff said.

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Clean Cash $$

January 10, 2011 – 6:58 pm

Piggy BankWas just in my local Sprouts Farmers Market (thank you for coming to my neighborhood!!) and was so fired up on the sales they have on some of my fave clean products that I had to share:

  • So Delicious Coconut Creamer (as mentioned in last weeks post). I think its over $1 off per carton
  • C2O Coconut Water: Coconut water (whatever the brand) is a great substitute for corn syrup & sugar-laden sports drinks when you’re in  need of electrolytes for endurance sports, dehydration, etc. Get  4, 17.5oz cans for $5.
  • Kind Bars: Clean, natural ingredients and tasty. I love the cranberry + almond flavor. Just don’t get too crazy – dried fruits are very high in sugar. If you’re sensitive to fructose, beware.
  • Amy’s Gluten & Dairy Free Frozen Burritos. Yes, I’m recommending a competitors product. They can’t touch us on pizza flavor or texture (I’m just sayin’), but they make a mean, clean burrito.
  • Udi’s Whole Grain Sandwich Bread: Let’s face it, there has never been a great tasting gluten-free sandwich bread on the market. And I think this is a big obstacle in getting people to try out the gluten-free diet. This is the closest I’ve found in regards to texture and flavor. However, it does contain egg whites, yeast and cornstarch, so I limit it. But if you’re a newbie and just trying to rid of the gluten, this is a good transitional product. It’s also expensive, so at about $2 off per loaf right now, its worth a try.  When you’re ready for the real deal, try out our Just Crust Minis as a sandwich bread alternative.

My store also had some great deals on their organic produce. Always love that.

Cha-Ching.

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A Clean Eating Guide to Start 2011 Off Right

January 5, 2011 – 7:39 pm

2011 - A New YearThe start of a new year is a great time for wiping the slate — and your diet –  clean. So if you’ve fallen off the wagon (or have never even managed to climb on) I have some great, practical tips and product recommendations that will make eating clean and gluten-free a snap.

Eating Clean Defined

Before we get into the details of my “starter package” of sorts , let’s first chat about what  it even means to “eat clean”.  It’s become quite the go-to term these days for everything relating to healthy eating. Google “eating clean” or “clean diet” and you can probably find 100 different definitions, but here’s how I break it down in its simplest terms: be most concerned with the QUALITY of the food you eat. This is a paradigm shift from the calorie and fat gram counting methodologies we’re commonly inundated with, but adopting this focus pays much bigger, long-term dividends to your waistline and overall wellness.

It involves enjoying foods that are:

1) without common allergens (e.g. gluten/wheat, dairy, corn, soy, yeast, peanuts, refined sugar). Most people don’t even realize they have sensitivities to such foods because symptoms can be so elusive. But regularly consuming foods  that your body reacts to, even slightly, can put you in a constant state of inflammation. And inflammation is at the the root of many chronic conditions.

2) without artificial preservatives, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones or genetically modified organisms (GMO’s). This subject deserves a blog post (or 10) to itself, but the net net is that regularly ingesting such various toxins causes  free-radical damage (read: premature aging of cells), hampers the immune system, can be carcinogenic, and prevents weight loss.

3) nutrient dense. think organic bright-colored fruits and veggies, whole grains and unsaturated oils that provide critical vitamins, trace minerals, fiber and inflammation-fighting essential fatty acids.

Optimally all foods would be local and and completely unprocessed, but like most of you, I’m a girl on the go and can only do what I can do. So, if there’s a great, respectable company out there whose already done the work for me, I’m gonna take advantage. Afterall, that’s how Clean Cravings was born, and we make good stuff. I’m a little biased of course, but I speak the truth.

Taking Action.

So here you go — some of my best advice and product recommendations to to get you off to a Clean Start.

1. Be Prepared. I can’t emphasize this enough.  When you’re on the go with temptation around every corner and an unfortunate, extreme lack of healthful convenient foods, having appropriate replacements at the ready is critical to avoid slip ups and feelings of deprivation.  Do whatever you need to do – get a cooler for the car or the office, make extra food on the weekends to take during the week, get new equipment required to quickly whip up your favorite dishes, etc – a little prep up front will pay off big time down the road.

2. Educate yourself. I’ll be addressing many of these issues here in the future, but here are some great sources to get started if you are not yet familiar with these topics: gluten-free food guide from NFCA,  dairy-free guides from godairyfree.org, non-gmo information and guidelines from the Non-GMO project, organic food guide from the Environmental Working Group. I’m also a huge fan of the straight shooting and well-referenced books: The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Skinny Bitch for a great introduction to the disturbing situation of our overall food supply and commercialized food industry. I also highly recommend using the services of a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist to guide you.

3. Once you’re knowledgeable on what you’re not suppose to eat, you need to find your clean substitutes. Here is a partial list of some of my favorite products and brands that have helped me make the transition.  NOTE: I have no relationships of any kind with the outside companies/products I recommend –  just lucky peeps I’ve found on my 3 year scavenger hunt for the best products that make the clean-eating lifestyle as simple and tasty as possible.

  • Almond Milk (or hemp or coconut milk)  to replace regular cow’s milk in ANYTHING.  This former dairy loving girl can’t live without it.
  • Clean Cravings Just Crust products. I’m biased, obviously, but honestly I haven’t found a better tasting, cleaner gluten-free bread product. And the Just Crust Minis are so versatile – keep them whole for mini pizzas, breakfast muffin, sandwiches, etc. or cut into 4′s for the perfect pita replacement. Small enough to fit in a regular toaster slot — the whole family uses them for everything. My fave is the rosemary flavor. Plus, they’re made with whole grains, vegan, use organic ingredients and have no common allergens.
  • Brown Rice Tortillas. A little tough for burritos, but perfect for making your own corn-free tortilla chips. Fold into 4′s and pop in the toaster. For extra flavor,  spread with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt before (and use regular or toaster oven). Even better, top with beans, avocado, sliced tomatoes and salsa for the perfect clean nachos.
  • Organic, wheat-free tamari. As ridiculous as it is, regular soy sauce has gluten in it. This identical tasting alternative contains soy, but because its organic its non-GMO. San-J even has individual packets you can buy that can easily be whipped out of your purse or wallet when you dive into that salmon sashimi or California role (made with real crab, of course. Imitation crab also has gluten). Its also sold in regular glass bottles in any health food store.
  • Mary’s Gone Crackers original seed crackers and pretzel twists. Very tasty with a great crunch, high in fiber and quality ingredients (whole grain brown, flaxseed, quinoa). The Pretzel Twists are great for kids.
  • Amazing Grass GREENSuperFood drink powder. Made with raw, organic greens & super foods + probiotics, enzymes and essential fatty acids, this is one stop shopping for your immune & digestive system support. Best of all, it doesn’t have that typical grassy taste of many green drinks and whips up in seconds with almond milk and a hand mixer.
  • Larabars. The simplest bars you can find on the shelf. Dozens of flavors and made with very simple ingredients – primarily nuts and dried fruit.
  • Redbridge Beer. Made with sorghum instead of barley, this won’t disappoint light beer fans. I fancied Amstel Light in my gluten-eating past, and this is a close replacement. There are plenty of other gluten-free substitutes for darker beers, but I’m not yet up on those. Any takers on a taste-panel party?
  • Teecino herbal coffee alternative + So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer. Drinking daily since high school, one of my biggest hurdles was giving up coffee. But but I’m happy to report, I have been successful in kicking the habit. For those days I’m really jonesing for the whole coffee experience, I use this coffee flavored, all natural beverage and sweeten it up with the coconut based creamers (various flavors available, my fave is French Vanilla) . If you can’t yet fathom kicking the coffee habit, at least switch to a low-acid, organic version — check the aisles at your local natural food retailer.
  • Zevia Soda. My biggest, and most shameful habit that remains toughest to kick is diet soda. Its gross, there’s no way around it. But despite my deep knowledge of the harmful ingredients it’s made with, it has some type of crack-like grip on me. I have recently found the all-natural, stevia sweetened Zevia soda (various flavors, including my new fave, “Dr Zevia”). While I’m a huge proponent of primarily drinking water, this is great to have on hand for those critical, about to cross the dark-side situations. I just brought a six-pack to a Sunday Football BBQ and stuck one in my purse yesterday when I went to lunch.

4. Relish the naturally clean foods you can indulge in. When first switching over to a completely clean diet, I discovered foods I had either inadvertently forgotten about or purposely limited because of my former, incorrect concerns over calories and fat grams. For example, baked or mashed yams/sweet potatoes with a bit of vegan butter  are delish and more than satisfy those starchy & sweet cravings. And don’t forget about sweet potato fries (baked, not fried of course)! They beat the flavor of any fast-food fries out there (yes, even the fries at In-n-Out). And then there’s avocados. Whenever I miss cheese (especially with Mexican Food), I just pile on extra avocado and smile. I could kick myself for restricting my avocado intake all these years — what was I thinking?  Also think indulging in nuts and nut butters (raw is best, dry roasted as an alternate) and unsaturated oils like olive, flax, safflower. Let go of the calorie and fat gram counter and let yourself start enjoying these foods again. Because your body will actually recognize these foods (and because they are high in fiber and essential fatty acids), they’ll be so much more fulfilling than that bag of Baked! Doritos. Your sense of satiety will kick in for intrinsic portion control.

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Top 10 Tips for Gluten-Free, Vegan Holiday Baking

December 13, 2010 – 10:23 pm

While my Holiday spirit has waned a bit with this 80 degree weather we’re experiencing in Cali, the thought of baking and decorating cookies with Jordan (my 3-year old, eager helper) paired with a little “Last Christmas” by Wham! is keeping me on track.

My preparations are now underway to heat it up in the kitchen later in the week once the temp falls, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share my top tips for clean holiday baking. For those of you who thought eating clean would mean missing out on your favorite goodies and holiday traditions, think again.

So here goes — my Top 10 products and tips that meet my stringent and overriding criteria: clean. easy. delicious.

First, lets start with the staples to stock up on that can be exchanged for allergy-unfriendly ingredients in just about in any recipe.

1. Lankato Sugar. When I discovered this through a mother of a child with Autism, I knew my sweet tooth dreams had been answered. It is the closest natural sweetener to sugar EVER in terms of its taste and its versatility … but NOT in terms of the risks it poses to your health. Zero calories, zero glycemic index AND zero additives. But, best of all it has the flavor and texture of real turbinado sugar. None of the bitter taste you get from Stevia. Admittedly pricey, but worth every penny.  You can read more and purchase here. The only retail store I’ve seen it at is Erewhon next to The Grove in Los Angeles.

2. Sorghum Flour. Found at most natural food stores with all the other baking flours.  I’ve had success substituting this straight across whenever any type of wheat or other gluten-containing flour is called for in baking. Provides a great texture and lift.

3. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.Full disclosure – it contains soy, which I’m lucky enough to tolerate in small amounts (although I avoid as much as possible,especially when its not organic). However, they work JUST like  regular butter sticks — complete with those little TBSP markers and other helpful metrics which I can never keep straight.

4. Nut, Hemp, Coconut or Rice Milk. Perfect 1:1 substitutes whenever regular milk is called for. I rarely stray from my trusted non-sweetened vanilla almond milk but I’m going to start venturing out with hemp and coconut milk for added protein and nutrients. I’ve found rice milk to have a more watery consistency, but in the small amounts usually called for in baking I’m sure it would work fine.

5. Gluten-Free Oats. While oats themselves are gluten-free, they are typically processed alongside wheat, precluding them from being labeled gluten-free because of the cross-contamination. However, there are now vendors who are getting oats processed alone so that they are officially gluten-free. Again, can be found at any natural food store. Should be either with regular oats or in a special gluten-free section.

6. Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips. Enjoy Life Foods makes a dairy, gluten, corn, egg, soy and nut-free chocolate chip. Perfect for fudge, brownies or cookies. A staple to keep on hand all year.

7. Natural Expeller-Pressed Safflower Oil. This is my oil of choice whenever a baking recipe calls for vegetable oil. Besides having a great flavor, it contains the highest source of polyunsaturated fats than any other type of vegetable oil and contains other essential nutrients such as omega-6 fatty acids and Vitamin E. The “expeller-pressed” refers to being natural processed vs. being chemically processed and depleting its nutrient content.

8. Organic Maple Syrup. A tasty natural sweetener that is commonly called for in the recipe book I detail below. Also great to have on hand for gluten-free pancakes and waffles.

And for those of you that are not so creatively inclined in adapting existing recipes….

9. “Simple Treats” Recipe Book by Ellen Abraham. In all honesty – I haven’t done a recent, exhaustive search on baking recipe books. However, I found this early on in my clean crusade and have tried many of these recipes and not-a-one has let me down, so I haven’t found the need to purchase another.  All recipes are wheat & dairy-free and very straightforward. The most complex it gets is putting your oats in a food processor to prepare a flour consistency. But even with that step, I can still bust out the mixes in under 15 minutes. And as ironic as it is, this founder of a food company is not a natural whiz in the kitchen. My favorites include the Almond Butter and Chocolate Walnut Brownie Cookies. My only note is to use the Lankato Sugar and Sorghum Flour to substitute the sugar and Barley flour, respectively. I found it on Amazon.

10. Clean Baking Mixes. Lets face it, with all the chaos of the holiday season (or any season for that matter), time seems to dwindle away from us all. Sometimes a short cut is just necessary. In a crunch, I default to my fave line of baking mixes– Cherrybrook Farms. I’ve used various flavors of cake and frosting mixes and have been able to fool the biggest gluten-free skeptics with the taste and texture. All the mixes I’ve used are wheat, dairy, soy and corn-free (just picked up the Sugar Cookie mix last week) and can be kept clean by using your nut or hemp milk and vegan buttery sticks for the required milk and margarine additions.  Some mixes do contain sugar (ironically, the “sugar cookies” don’t) but relative to the other gluten-free mixes available [not mentioning any national brand names that have tried to capitalize on the gluten-free market, but produce allergen and preservative laden crap] this is still a great option. They also have a pre-mixed frosting now – a good time saver, but noticed that it contains cornstarch and corn syrup (the mix does not). I’ll let you weigh the cost-benefit on that one depending on your specific situation.

Wishing you all a sweet, delectable holiday season!

p.s. Please share your tips and ideas for other clean baking ideas – just post a comment below to share with us all.

Jordan making cookies

my sugar plum fairy in action

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Gluten Sensitivity and Brain Function

November 23, 2010 – 9:26 pm

There was an excellent article in the Huffington Post on Sunday: Gluten Sensitivity and the Effect on the Brain by David Perlmutter, MD . He profiled a 9-year old girl who struggled in school until discovering a gluten-sensitivity. Upon following a gluten-free diet, she showed dramatic cognitive improvement within 2 weeks. And by the end of the school year her academic testing went from below a 3rd grade level to a 5th-8th grade level.

Cognitive effects are just one of many ways a sensitivity to gluten can manifest. Contrary to what Dr. Perlmutter was taught in medical school (and what I was taught in my Nutrition education), gluten-sensitivity and/or Celiac Disease does not always involve classic gastrointestinal tract (GI) symptoms (no need to go into details). This is why I was so incredulous when I tested mildly positive for Celiac Disease through a blood test done through my acupuncturist (about a month after testing positive for Rheumatoid Arthritis). I didn’t have any of the classic GI symptoms. Instead, the morning after I ate any gluten/wheat,  I would (and still do) wake with very painful, burning and stiff joints, sometimes to the point where it was hard to walk because my feet were so cramped up. After I got moving the symptoms would drastically improve, but that is no way to start your day. Taking Aleve helped even more, but I knew those symptoms were a sign of something intrinsically wrong with my body and to achieve the level of wellness I wanted was not going to be about slapping a pharmaceutical band-aid on it. Not to mention, I would soon learn that Aleve and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – e.g. naproxen, ibuprofen, etc.) actually contribute to the true underlying issue I was experiencing –Leaky Gut Syndrome (this unpleasantly and oversimplified titled condition deserves a post all its own, which I’ll save for after we all enjoy our Thanksgiving meals).

There is one thing I would like to point out in this article, which I think is the source of confusion for many: gluten-sensitivity does not always = Celiac Disease (and to add to the confusion, “gluten-sensitivity” can also be referred to as “gluten intolerance”). Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine which requires a small bowel biopsy to confirm the diagnosis (looking for damage to the lining of your small intestine). However, inconclusive or negative results in these tests do not necessarily mean you’re free from a wheat or gluten sensitivity of intolerance. In fact, most people experiencing legitimate and significant gluten sensitive symptoms have officially tested negative for Celiac Disease. These individuals are categorized as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive, or NCGS (again we’ll dive into gluten-testing later — so much good stuff to to cover, so little time!) Personally, I have not had the biopsy. It is my opinion that whether I have Celiac Disease or just  a sensitivity to gluten, my body clearly isn’t a fan, so why subject myself to such an invasive procedure.  The treatment for both is the same — avoid gluten. Easy, right? Stay tuned for my top tips on getting started….its not as painful as you think.

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Coming Clean

November 19, 2010 – 6:53 am

When I founded Clean Cravings my intention was to help as many people as I could experience the miraculous benefits I have received by following a clean, anti-inflammatory diet.  And while I’m delighted that so many people have adopted and benefited from our products, a girl can only help so much offering pizza and pizza crusts.

I have felt compelled for some time to start this blog as a more comprehensive and intimate view into my experience following this way of eating and addressing the many other steps I have taken in my pursuit for optimal wellness.  I’m not gonna lie — it wasn’t easy to get started. Without the strong motivation I had from debilitating joint pain and extreme fatigue I’m not sure I would’ve have been able to stick to it. Honestly, if you would have told me 3 years ago that one day I would never eat wheat or dairy (the mainstays of my former diet), I would have assured you that you were smoking something. But this diet has been remarkable and worth every pass of my gluten/dairy/corn/sugar/preservative-laden former faves. It has controlled my symptoms from Rheumatoid Arthritis (without medication) and Celiac Disease, virtually eliminated migraines I commonly suffered from, reduced my depression and provided me with the long desired answer to effortless weight management.

Having been on the front lines trying to figure out exactly what it means to “eat clean” and how to do it– I’m here to be your guide. Even with a Masters degree in Nutrition, I had to hit the books to figure this out. So whether you already know of food intolerances you have, suspect you might have some, or are just thinking of cleaning up your diet — hang with me. I’m here to be your guide offering you my story, my insights and my secrets to clean ways to satisfy cravings for all things starchy and sweet.

I’ll address the questions I’m constantly asked:  how did you discover these food intolerances? how do you live this diet in everyday life? what products do you recommend? can you eat out? does your family follow the same diet? what supplements do you  take?  what types of health practitioners do you see? what does it even mean to “eat clean”? and the ever common — what DO you eat? I’ll also weave in info on all good, valid resources I find and offer my thoughts on the flood of nutrition and other health information coming through from the mainstream media  that  isn’t so legit (e.g. the recent claims of the “dangerous” gluten-free diet).  Just as I was frustrated with the gap in the market for clean, convenient food I’m just as annoyed with some of the skewed information we’re fed (no pun intended).

So here we go. I’m coming clean — laying it all on the line. For you.

-Shelly

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