7 signs of gluten intolerance

7 Signs Of Gluten Intolerance, Everyone Ignores!

It’s been said that the vast majority of people who have a gluten intolerance will never be diagnosed and that as much as 15% of Americans have some type of gluten sensitivity or intolerance, if not celiac disease. Are you one of them? Here are the 7 subtle signs to look for:

1. Keratosis Pilaris

• Otherwise known as “chicken skin” that’s commonly found on the backs of arms and your thighs is the result of fatty acid deficiency caused by gluten damaging the gut.

2. Persistent Headaches

• Migraines and persistent headaches is another potential sign of gluten intolerance. They can also be signs of dehydration and other disorders. See a physician if your headaches don’t stop.

3. Autoimmune Diseases

• Certainly not in all cases, but in some cases, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Scleroderma, Multiple Sclerosis, and Psoriasis have been found to be rooted in gluten intolerance.

4. Routine Digestive Issues

• Gas, diarrhea, bloating, and constipation that persists seemingly without cause is one of the most obvious signs. Constipation is a common sign of gluten intolerance in children.

5. Dizziness

• Dizziness and feeling off balance is yet another sign of gluten intolerance.

6. Chronic Fatigue

• Chronic fatigue can be caused by something as easy to fix as dehydration and as severe as HIV. If you have chronic fatigue, see a doctor about it. Fatigue, brain fog, and feeling tired especially after meals that contain gluten are another clear indicator.

7. Fibromyalgia

• Some people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue actually have gluten intolerance but don’t realize it. If you’ve been diagnosed, consider gluten as the potential cause.

Source: http://bit.ly/1SmSzwA

Going Gluten free has certailnly changed my life.  No pain, no pain meds, I sleep, no brain fog, and my arms don't look like that anymore. I'm now able to walk a 5k.  It has been an amazing transformation.  You really should try going gluten free. I went on a Comprehensive Elimination Diet Nov. 4th 2010 and was pain free after a week and a half.  I didn't add food back to my diet for 2 1/2 years, because I was afraid of the pain coming back. When I finally added the foods back one at a time, I found that I have several food allergies.  All grains, all nuts.  Sugar has a huge impact and so does dairy.  I eat mostly Fruits and vegies, organic chicken and wild caught Salmon.  I make my own seasoning mixes or I use Wildtree Seasonings,

Here are a couple of links to the comprehensive elimination diets.  I did the top one, but the other has different recipes plus meal plans for the week.

http://www.isismedicine.com/EliminationDiet.pdf

http://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195371109/pdf/00_Mullin_Appendix_3.pdf

Happy Scrappin',

Janice

Fibromyalgia is not psychosomatic. Well I could have told you that.

I found this article on Fibromyalgia and wanted to share the information.

WASHINGTON, October 17, 2013— The National Biotechnology Information Center (NBIC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently released the findings of research funded by grants from Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals and Forest Laboratories that claim to have discovered a causative pathology (the science of cause and effect)  for fibromyalgia.

The cause of the disease escaped researchers for years. In fact, the condition was considered by many in the field of medicine as psychosomatic (in the mind) because of the variety of symptoms that could not be clinically pinned down and patient reporting was the primary criteria.

Dr. Frank Rice writes of findings at Integrated Tissue Dynamics that has made a major discovery of the cause of fibromyalgia, making diagnosis more certain and explaining the multitude of varied symptoms and effect.

Research has identified alterations in our core body temperature is a culprit, as our blood acts as a coolant in much the same fashion water does in the radiator of a car. Our major organs and active muscles require a constant temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit but sufferers cannot maintain a steady temperature.

If we lose too much heat (hypothermia) or gain too much heat (hyperthermia), our body’s primary thermostat, the hypothalamus, struggles to maintain balance. Our blood is the means by which our body and brain get nutrients, oxygen and takes away waste and blood flow is disrupted.

When we use our muscles, particularly the hands and feet, blood flows between the skin and muscles and must be kept in balance. We have internal thermostat controls distant from the hypothalamus called aterio-venous shunts or AV shunts that act as valves between arterioles or veins that supply the good stuff and venules which carry away waste.

Much as the body as a whole, these must be in synch for homeostasis.

The smallest part of our blood supply system is the capillaries which are tiny vessels that act as temperature regulators (among many other functions) and either conserve or release heat. Capillaries run throughout or bodies and are highly concentrated in our hands and feet.  It has long been known that when malfunctioned from injury or another pathological issue, capillary function is diminished causing problems for diabetics.

Now it has been discovered when the AV shunt is defective in function and interferes with capillary function, muscle and skin tissue cannot get proper nutrition or waste drawn away. Additionally, temperature regulation becomes an issue affecting nerve fibers.

One result is a build-up of lactic acid in muscle and deeper tissue affecting the muscular system and causes pain that can seem to ‘travel’ from areas of the body one day to the next and cause fatigue, commonly reported from victims of fibromyalgia.

The sympathetic nervous system which uses the spinal cord for communication and the sensory fibers or nerve fibers that carry signals to the central nervous system, can have their communication disrupted by the results of AV shunt disorder and hypersensitized nerves send pain signals that can ‘travel’ as well. 

The American Academy of Pain Medicine featured this research on its front cover accompanied by a laudatory editorial from Robert Gerwin of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. To date, the research is confined to women since women seem to suffer from fibromyalgia in greater numbers than men.

According to this research, Fibromyalgia has pathology and is not psychosomatic so those who suffer from this ‘syndrome’ can now rest assured it is not all in their minds.

 Paul Mountjoy is a Virginia based writer and psychotherapist.

Those of us who suffer from Fibromyalgia know that the pain is not psychosomatic.  It irritates me when I read articles with comments like this.  I know he means well, but he should choose different words. 

I am getting ready to celebrate 3 years of being PAIN FREE!!!  It is so Awesome.  I am enjoying every moment that I can.  Now my goal is to be a thinner person.  

I hope that in some way my blog helps and inspires everyone who reads it.  
Happy Scrappin',

Janice

P.S. I didn't forget about the blog candy.  I will be posting pics of Blog Candy in the near future.  So keep leaving me Blog Love. (comments) 

On my way to a Healthier me.

As you know, I started a Comprehensive Elimination Diet on November 4th 2010.  At first I didn't know what to expect, or what to eat for that matter.  After being on the diet for a week and a half, I felt so much better that I stopped taking my pain pills and muscle relaxers, they weren't working anyway.  I've not had to take them since.  I lost 42 lbs, which felt so good. I started sleeping all night again too.  I was able to do more than I was used to doing and everyone around me kept saying don't over do it, slow down, take it easy.  Do you have any idea how long it's been since someone told me to slow down?  Years.  Even my grandchildren were having a hard time keeping up with me because they were used to having to go slow for Grandma. Well not any more.  I felt free and alive again. 

It took me almost 2 years to add foods back into my diet as I was afraid the pain from my Fibromyalgia would come back.  I started adding foods back in sometime in September 2012, since then I have learned that I am VERY sensitive to peanuts, Soy, Gluten and Eggs.  I have found so many great recipes and created some of my own, however I have gained almost all of the weight back that I lost.  I found that all grains cause weight gain so take it easy on the grains.  You should also go Gluten free for at least 1 month before you try any of the gluten free grains, like Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat and others, as you can develop sensitivities to the Gluten free grains as well.  Dr. David Clark suggests that you might have leaky gut syndrome and you should correct that before adding in the Gluten Free grains.  I am trying to loose the weight again and have found some very interesting books that I think will help me do just that.  If you know me, you know that I am not one who gets lost in books, however I have been trying to change our eating habits and trying to get both of us healthier, just because I want to keep Steve around a lot longer to torture him, and so he can enjoy the grandchildren as they grow.  Steve has Dementia on both sides of his family and I am hoping I can lessen the effects on Steve so that he can enjoy more of his life. Whether he wants to or not.

In reading the following books, I see how you can reverse most illnesses just by changing your eating habits.  The more fruits and vegetables we add back into our diets the healthier we will be.  Over the last 50 years we have been eating so many prepackaged foods that are literally killing us. So many grains have been Genetically modified to be a more dense, low growing crop to make it easier to harvest and make the harvest more bountiful and more disease resistant.  They didn't worry about long term effects on us.  I was watching a YouTube Video on how to make Gluten Free Baking powder biscuits the other day and they were talking about wheat originally had 14 

Chromosomes and now it has 42.

Dr. Daniel Amen has a book called Change your Brain Change your Body, which I am reading.

• The Craving Solution — Use Your Brain to Increase Your Willpower and Calm the Urges That Prevent You From Achieving Your Goals
• The Weight Solution — Use Your Brain to Achieve Your Optimal Weight
• The Nutrition Solution — Feed Your Brain to Look and Feel Younger
• The Focus and Energy Solution — Boost Your Energy to Stay on Track toward Your Goals
• The Stress Solution — Relax Your Brain to Reduce Your Wrinkles and Improve Your Immune System
• The Heart Solution — Use Your Brain to Strengthen and Soothe Your Heart

Dr. Amen also wrote Change your Brain Change your Age. 

• Boost your memory, mood, attention, and energy
• Decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia
• Eat to live longer
• Reduce the outward signs of aging and make your skin more beautiful
• Promote the healing of brain damage due to injury, strokes, substance abuse, and toxic exposure
• Dramatically increase your chances of living longer and looking younger
• And much more.

Steve's cousin suggested a book by Dr. Fuhrman called Eat To Live. The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss.  

Dr. Fuhrman suggests that you eat; 

2-5 servings of raw & cooked vegetables a day, 

3-5 servings of fruit, 

1-2 servings of beans,

1-3 servings of nuts & seeds,

1-3 servings Whole grain products/Potatoes

Only 2-4 servings per week of Animal products, which includes white meat foul, fish, eggs and low fat dairy. Absolutely NO processed meats, cured meats, barbecued meat or full fat dairy.

1200 mg or less of sodium per day.

1-2 Tablespoons Fats/Oils, olive oil or acceptable substitute. Includes;non dairy spreads without trans or hydrogenated fats. 

In his book he talks about the value of nutrient dense foods. And has created a ANDI food scoring guide.  So I purchased both, Eat to Live and the Nutritarian handbook.  I purchased all the books that I have mentioned on Amazon since they were less expensive than on both Dr's websites.

I am happy to say that I have finished the Nutritarian Handbook and am about half way through Eat to live.  They are very interesting to me and I am learning a lot.  I am planning on planting lots of green leafy vegetables in my garden soon, using what I have learned from these books. 

I've started eating a lot more green leafy vegetables and more fruit.  I know that I am not up to his minimums yet but hopefully soon and then to see the results.  I will try to keep up posting on the progress and hopefully I will start to see results very soon.  

If you are reading the same books or have found other great books on the subject and are trying to get healthier I would love to hear from you on your progress.

Happy Scrappin',

Janice

My Gluten Free Egg Free Cinnamon Rolls

As you know I have been searching for recipes that I can eat and my family will love too.  I found one on the Baking Beauties Blog, here http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/2011/01/best-gluten-free-cinnamon-buns-or-rolls.html  Their Cinnamon Buns are delicious.  I changed the recipe a bit so that I can eat them too.  Here is my recipe.

My Gluten Free Egg Free Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from The Baking Beauties Blog

posted by Jeanine on Jan. 25, 2011 

Ingredients:

Topping:

·         4 Tbsp. butter (or margarine)

·         1/2 cup brown sugar

·         2 Tbsp. Cinnamon

·         1 tsp. vanilla extract

Over low heat, in a small saucepan, heat 4 Tbsp. butter (or margarine), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. Cinnamon, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan with high sides

Filling:
Combine:

o    4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, very soft

o    3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

o    2 Tbsp. cinnamon

NOTE: Once thoroughly blended, you may add 1/2 cup re-hydrated raisins or pecans (optional). Set aside until the dough has been rolled into a rectangle.

Dough:

o    3  cups all-purpose gluten-free flour ( I use Bob’s Red Mill)

o    1 Tbsp GF rapid rise yeast ( I used regular GF yeast)

o    3 Tbsp granulated sugar

o    1/2 tsp salt

o    1 Tbsp xanthan gum

o    1 tsp baking powder

o    4 Tbsp butter

o    1 cup milk(you can use any kind of milk)

o    1 egg, room temperature( I mix 1/3 cup water and 1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed for an egg substitute)

o    1 tsp cider vinegar

o    2 Tbsp oil (I used Olive Oil)

o    1 1/2 tsp vanilla

 Directions:

1.      In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix all dry ingredients until combined. Set aside.

2.      Put margarine in a glass measuring cup and microwave just until the margarine has melted. Remove from microwave and stir. Add milk, stir. Add other wet ingredients and whisk to combine.

3.      With the stand mixer running (using the paddle attachment), pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrap down the bowl if you have to.

4.      Allow to mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Dough will be very thick and sticky.

5.      Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out on a slightly damp counter top, so it covers an area bigger than 8″ x 16″. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of sugar on the wrap. Lay ball of dough on top of that. Gently lay another piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough. Pat the dough down into a roughly rectangle shape. Lift and reposition the top plastic wrap whenever you need to. Roll the dough out (with the plastic wrap on top) to a rectangle approximately 8″ x 16″.

6.      Remove plastic wrap. Spread filling mixture evenly across dough’s surface. Leave 1 1/2″ along one short end without any filling, this is where your cinnamon rolls will be sealed.

7.      Starting along the short end, use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to lift the edge of the dough and roll it up, forming a cylinder. Start with the edge that has filling on it, that will be the center of your finished rolls.

8.      Using a long piece of dark thread (light colors can be lost in the dough), cut the “cinnamon bun log” into 12 pieces, about 1" wide. You can do this by placing the thread underneath the roll, crossing it at the top, and pulling the threads so they cross each other, pulling it through the dough. This way, you won’t be squishing your dough down by cutting with a knife. Place rolls in prepared pan, with cut side up.  

9.      Allow the cinnamon rolls/buns to rise in a warm, draft free place for about 30 minutes, or until nearly double in size.

10.  Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are a nice golden brown.

11.  Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before inverting on a serving tray, and let the syrup run down over the rolls.

12.  These are best served warm, however, I had great success with reheating them in the microwave for a few seconds when they were a day old as well.

I added Cream Cheese Frosting to the tops of mine.  I made it using 4 oz Cream Cheese, 1 Tbsp Maple syrup and 1 Tbsp Milk.

Gluten-free AND Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls

o    REPLACE 1 cup milk with soy milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

o    REPLACE all of the butter/margarine with vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

If you try this recipe, I hope you let me know how yours turns out.  

My husband asked me last night when I was going to make more.  He really liked them, so did the rest of my family who doesn't have to eat Gluten and egg free.  I am so glad, I really don't want to continue to make separate meals.  

Happy Baking'

Janice

Living with Fibromyalgia

I have recently posted on face book about Fibromyalgia and realized that I have hidden the About me page where I had this story.  I am re-posting it to share my story about living with Fibromyalgia.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 1992 and struggled with pain control for years.  I had been using Vicodin, Tramadol and muscle relaxers.  I was also using 1200mg of Guaifenesin twice a day, which is a mucus thinner, I purchase it at Costco (Mucus Relief).  Click here to see the Guaifenesin protocol.  The Guaifenesin worked for a while, but I couldn't get my doctor (at the time) to talk to me about increasing it.  In 2010 I found a new doctor who knows about Fibromyalgia and believes in alternative medicine.  Dr Tyler suggested that I try a new approach to my pain control.  Dr. Tyler explained that body fat stores inflammatories and that certain foods do too.  He had me start a Comprehensive Elimination Diet, which is also called an Allergy FREE diet.  You remove all the foods that are possible allergens, like Gluten, peanuts, soy, milk and eggs.  Dr. Tyler said that for the diet to work you must follow it at least 90%.  He also suggested that I double my dose of Guaifenesin to 2400 mg's twice a day.  I started the diet November 4th 2010.  It was difficult at first trying to find food that I could eat, but then I realized that if I went back to basic cooking it would be much easier.  You have to read every label to see if the manufacturer adds sugar, soy or gluten etc.  to the ingredients.  You are not looking for Carbohydrate sugars you are looking at the Ingredients list, they add them to all kinds of foods you wouldn't think would have them.  I make my own seasoning by combining spices that I like together and putting them in a small jar with a shaker lid, then I don't have to pull out all the spices and add them one at a time.  I make my own Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing which the diet has a recipe for.  Within a week and a half I was pain free, and off all my prescription pain medicines and muscle relaxers.  I am still on the diet and am able to do so much more than I have been able to in years.   I feel so much better that I don't plan on going back to eating all the foods that are not allowed.  I do miss a few things like Coffee, chocolate, cheese and Ice Cream, but not enough to go back to having all that pain.

I have recently added Dairy back in to my diet.  I have found that I have a reaction to Gluten, Soy and Eggs, as I have tried to add them back into my diet also, but do not like the blistery mess on my face that they leave within hours of eating them.  I am still pain free which now has been 26 months.  I have started working on a cook book of the recipes that I have been using and making up as I go along, like Pumpkin Pie, no egg, Maple Syrup and Almond milk, with a gluten free crust.  My Family loved them too.  I also made a recipe for Spinach & Feta Ravioli.

If you try out the diet please let me know how it is working for you, I would love to hear your story.

Janice