Check out my new blog: Gluten Free Health Quest

I have created a new blog that I would like to invite you to follow. The new blog address is http://glutenfreehealthquest.blogspot.com/

I wanted to expand the scope of my blog by changing the name. I felt like "Gluten Free in Panama City" was too limited, so I chose "Gluten Free Health Quest" because that name better describes what I'm doing. I will continue to post on this blog when it pertains to topics close to home in Panama City, but will probably more often post on the Gluten Free Health Quest site. Please be patient as I re-post some of the same information on the new blog that I've already posted here. I promise there will be new posts soon. Please follow me and invite others whom you think might be interested as well. Thank you all for your support and encouragement as I move forward on my quest toward optimal health.

~Michelle

Oven Roasted Eggplant (vegan and gluten free)

Oven Roasted Eggplant (vegan and gluten free)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons tamari sauce (gluten-free soy sauce)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch slices

I leave the skin on the eggplants for 2 reasons: 1. it's easier than taking the time to peel them and 2. the peel is high in fiber and anti-oxidants, helps prevent cancer and improves skins tone.

Mix together olive oil, tamari sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss sliced eggplants in marinade and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and put eggplant slices on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 35-40 minutes turning them over half way through. Serve with remaining marinade.

So delicious!

10 things to eat everyday

If you have issues with gluten, then chances are you have absorption issues as well. If you are unable to absorb enough nutrients from your food, then the nutrient deficiencies you incur as a result are likely causing you trouble physically, cognitively and emotionally. And if you're eating a typical American diet, then your nutrient deficiencies could be pretty severe. The older we get the worse it gets. I know this is a problem for me, so I resolved recently to try to include 10 things (listed below) in my daily diet to make sure I get enough micro-nutrients to maintain my health as best I can. And I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel and function since beginning this about a week ago. It's easier than I thought it would be.

10 things I try to include in my diet everyday to make sure I'm getting enough micro-nutrients:

Beans

Berries, plus 2 additional fruits

Cilantro

Green vegetables

Garlic

Mushrooms

Nuts/seeds

Onions

Probiotics/Fermented food

Turmeric

It doesn't require a lot of each of these things to get what you need. A small serving of beans, berries, greens and nuts or seeds and a really small amount of cilantro, garlic, turmeric and onions is all you need. Just one small mushroom is enough, but I never eat just one -- I love mushrooms. And if you don't like fermented foods, which a lot of people don't, and I've had to force myself to acquire a taste for them, then just take a good probiotic supplement. For the fruit, I usually make one a citrus fruit for the vitamin C and the third one is often a banana or a glass of merlot. I don't know if I should count wine as a fruit or not, but it's easy for me to justify -- it's made from grapes and has antioxidants and resveratrol, so why not count it? Some nutrition specialists may agree with me and some may not. But until I decide otherwise, I'm counting it as good for me.

Scrambled eggs are a great place to add onions, mushrooms, garlic, turmeric and cilantro. I can get all that in with breakfast and take a probiotic capsule, and then all I have to worry about later are the beans, greens, fruit and seeds or nuts, and I have two more meals to get those into. Lunch could be a salad that includes sunflower seeds, berries and mandarin orange pieces with a side of beans or maybe just throw the beans on the salad. And dinner might include some sauerkraut, capers, pickles or olives. If I have a banana as an afternoon snack, I've got all 10 items on the list. 

Or I might make a bean soup that includes mushrooms, onions, garlic, kale, cilantro and turmeric and eat that for lunch all week at work, have berries and yogurt for breakfast and sauerkraut with link sausage for dinner with sesame or flax seeds on top of it. If I squeeze lemon or lime into the water I drink throughout the day and eat another piece of fruit as an afternoon snack, that's all 10. 

It's not always easy get all 10 into my diet every single day and some days I may not be able to do it. Life gets busy, and I don't always have time to make sure it happens. It requires planning and sometimes the plan goes out the window and that's ok. I just try again tomorrow. No big deal. But the better I do, the better I feel.

Gluten-intolerance and heat sensitivity -- is there a connection?

As I approached Atlanta on I-20 Thursday, about 4:45 p.m., on my way home from vacation, traffic suddenly came to a complete stop -- I know you're quite surprised -- traffic? in Atlanta? -- but yes, it's true. As I sat idle, in the Georgia heat -- here's another surprise -- that is hotter than 900 hells, my car started to over heat and the air conditioning started blowing warm air. So I pulled off the road, rolled down my windows and turned off the engine to let it cool off -- as impossible as that might be with a heat index of what they say was 108 degrees, but I think was actually much hotter.

After a few minutes, I noticed that my face was beet red. This has been a cause for concern most of my life, as it was the first indication that I was over heated and needed to be in a cool, air-conditioned place, if not a cold shower, as soon as possible. Very soon after my face turned red, I would get very sick and lethargic, I would throw up violently and then I would sometimes pass out, depending on how quickly I was able to cool off. This would happen in conditions that others found tolerable. I would get so hot so quickly that I am surprised I never died of heat stroke, but I usually got myself out of the heat as soon as I realized I was getting over heated.

This time, as I sat on the side of the road with traffic beside me standing still, I saw no way out of the heat. People were pulled over and blocking the shoulder, so there was no possibility of moving the car along the shoulder to the next exit. There was no where to go to get out of the heat either by foot or vehicle. Even if I called 911, an ambulance wouldn't be able to get through the traffic in time. But then I realized I didn't feel sick -- I just felt hot. Thank God I'm on a gluten-free diet. I have not had, what we used to call "sun sickness" since before I went on this diet over 5 years ago. And as I got hotter and hotter waiting for traffic to clear, I continued to not feel sick.

Serbian tennis champ Novak Djokorvic, who went on a gluten-free diet in January 2011, after his nutritionist discovered he was intolerant, suffered for years with heat exhaustion and trouble breathing during practices and games. His teammates thought he was (and called him) a big baby. But after going gluten free, he no longer gets over heated, and has since defeated Rafael Nadal four times, and had a 43-match winning streak, the third longest in Open history. Roger Federer even lost two matches against Djokovic in the last year. Who would have expected that in a million years? I wonder how Novak Djokovic was able to get as far as he did while still eating gluten. He was a Grand Slam champion and No. 3 in the world before going gluten free. He's obviously an amazing athlete despite the handicap gluten created until he gave it up.

Djokorvic and I can't be the only ones who suffered from heat exhaustion in conditions others found tolerable. I would love to hear from (or about) anyone who had similar experiences before going gluten free. Please share your comments below.

Gluten Withdrawal

Beginning a gluten-free diet can be physically challenging as you will experience withdrawal symptoms. Hopefully, the symptoms won't be too bad  and won't last long -- everybody is different and will experience different levels of discomfort. But be aware that whatever you go through is only temporary, and you will come out on the other end a healthier, happier person if you are able to stay on course. Plan your meals for that first week ahead of time so that it will be easier for you to stay gluten-free during that stressful withdrawal period.

When I came off of gluten five years ago, nobody warned me that I would feel like crap for a few days, but I could tell it was clearly withdrawal, and although I was tempted to eat something carby and sugary to feel better, I knew it would just prolong the process and I'd have to start all over. I suffered through and am so glad I did. The withdrawal symptoms only lasted about a week and included fatigue, irritability, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea and a monstrous headache (if you take something for the headache, take Aleve rather than Advil -- Advil is not always GF. Aspirin is also GF but may upset your stomach even more). I didn't go totally carb-free, so that helped a little with my energy level. Rice and potatoes are naturally gluten-free, so I included both in that first week meal plan. 

Side note: if you want to feel really great, you should consider going totally grain-free and avoid rice and other grains as well as gluten. I haven't taken that step yet. I know I would feel even better if I cut out all grains, but I get so exhausted without carbs. So I'm still somewhat dependent on rice, although it  is only a small percentage of my diet.

Anyway, back to withdrawal...

The third day is the worst, so if you can plan it this way, start it on a Thursday (assuming you work a Monday through Friday schedule) so that the third and forth days land on a Saturday and Sunday. That way you can just stay in bed all weekend if you want. Remember, your body is protesting. It is addicted to a poison, like any other drug, and it is rebelling against your decision to deny it what it has become accustomed to receiving at regular intervals. This is normal, and it will pass in a few days, but you will be tempted to eat gluten during this withdrawal period, so be strong. You can do it.

Flawed biopsy-testing for Celiac Disease

http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/biopsy-testing-for-celiac-disease-completely-flawed/

Detrimental health effects of gluten

When you are sensitive to or intolerant of gluten, your body reacts as if it is being poisoned when you ingest it. Different individuals have different levels of sensitivity, and not everyone has the same symptoms. Below is a list of possible symptoms that some who don't realize they are gluten intolerant might be experiencing. Those people usually feel better within a few weeks of going totally gluten free, but they will see these symptoms start to subside within only a few days. I was so swollen that I lost half a shoe size within 5 days of going gluten free and my face looked 10 to 15 years younger as the swelling went down -- that's pretty drastic! If you are experiencing any of these issues, you may want to try cutting gluten out of your diet for about four to six weeks and see if gluten is the cause. 

Intestinal discomfort/bloating/gas
Heartburn/acid reflux

Nausea/Vomiting

Irritable bowel

Leaky gut
Anemia
Severe vitamin deficiencies

Blood sugar issues

Joint pain/arthritis

Headaches/Migraines

Depression and other mental health issues
Neurological conditions

Moodiness/irritability

Anti-social and Impulsive behavior

Memory loss/possible brain damage

Confusion/lack of focus/ADD

Auto-immune issues/Lupus/Fibromyalgia/MS

Weight gain/weight loss

Inflammation/swollen face, nose, throat, feet, and internal organs including your brain

Skin problems -- acne, hives, psoriasis, rashes, eczema, dermatitis herpetiformis (aka skin celiac)

Asthma

Fatigue

Dizziness/trouble with balance

Anxiety
Osteoporosis/bone loss
Infertility
Cancer
Dental problems/gum disease

  

I'm sure this is not an exhaustive list. Generally speaking, gluten weakens your immune system and the inflammation damages every organ in your body if you are gluten intolerant. As the inflammation persists and your immune system weakens, you will start to suffer from chronic conditions. For me, going on a totally gluten-free diet diminished and/or reversed many of my symptoms.