Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a female menstrual disorder that occurs regularly around ovulation and subsides within a few days of the onset of menstruation. PMS affects up to 75% of women during their childbearing years.
Symptoms. Most women with PMS will have abdominal cramps, be anxious, irritable, sad, emotionally unstable and feel bloated and uncomfortable in the days leading up to their period. PMS symptoms commonly worsen in the years approaching menopause.
Diagnosis of PMS depends on 5 or more of the symptoms listed below with at least one symptom being one of the first 4: (more…)
It can be challenging enough on gluten-free diet, but what if you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet?
It’s well established that there are health benefits to reducing the amount of meat in the diets of most Americans, and the lifestyle has appeal for some people based on ethical and/or environmental reasons. Fortunately, with extra planning, a well-rounded and delicious gluten-free vegetarian diet is possible.
The good news is that many vegetarian staples, like beans, lentils, tofu, dairy, nuts, seeds and eggs are already naturally gluten-free. And some of the best sources of vegetarian and vegan protein are gluten-free pseudo-grains, such as quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. Also, grains, such as millet, teff and sorghum are very nutritious. In addition to protein and fiber, they all have other vital nutrients, like (more…)
I met Gina through the Celiac Sprue Association, Denver Chapter 17. She helped me get involved in volunteering at last years ‘Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food Fair™!’ She has been part of CSA for several years and is a member of the Board. She has a lively personality and is willing to share her thoughts with others. I am so excited that she was willing to sit down with me and talk about her experiences of living with Type I diabetes and Celiac disease. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. The overall message I took away, was that neither Diabetes nor Celiac disease define who Gina is, because she is so much more and has never let either one stop her from living the active life she was meant to have!
Interview
Jenn: Hi Gina! It’s great to be with you today and to have the opportunity to get to know you better. So, tell me…how old were you when you were diagnosed with Type I diabetes?
Gina: I was 17 years old.
Jenn: And how old were you when you were diagnosed with Celiac disease? (more…)
When you see gluten-free fruit and nut bars in the airport newsstand, you know we’ve come a long way in our society’s awareness of food sensitivities. In my mere two years without gluten, I’ve gone from stuffing my suitcase with Larabars to ensure I don’t starve while away, to, well, still packing them, but knowing that I likely won’t be completely reliant on them the whole trip.
In addition to newsstand snack options, I recently discovered a Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport restaurant having a gluten-free menu. I was thrilled! I would sooner have expected to see a glatt kosher dining area!
The dramatic increase in gluten-free offerings makes me wonder: why the recent influx of news about gluten? Is it that so many more people are getting tested for celiac disease? Are more people questioning their ailing guts and attributing it to gluten? (more…)
Every morning my freshman year in high school, I felt sick. I would miss a lot of first period class & summer swim workouts as a consequence. My mother and I could not figure out what was wrong.
Bob’s Red Mill chocolate chip cookie mix using soy free Earth Balance
Every day shortly after breakfast, I would get nauseous and have to lie down. One morning, I told my swim coach, who was frustrated with me missing so many workouts, I had “morning sickness.” At the time I was 14 and clueless to the usual context in which that phrase in used. Mom was mortified. I had to clarify to coach that I was not actually with child, and then it was off to the doctor, who confirmed I was likely lactose intolerant, so I stayed off dairy.
Down the road in college, I started getting sick after many meals, and after a few years of searching, I finally got a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. First milk, now (more…)
Low stomach acid is common in celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. It is also common in the general population, as well, affecting 50% of people age 60 years and about 80% by age 85 years. Nevertheless, low stomach acid is not generally looked for as a cause of acute and chronic disorders that rob health with far-reaching effects.
Is Low Stomach Acid New?
No. Low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria), has been well investigated much of the past century in both the general population and those with gluten sensitivity. For example, a 1985 study investigating gastric acid secretion in 116 subjects with dermatitis herpetiformis found that 41% had low stomach acid and 26% were achlorhydric (no acid). Of those older than 50 years, 47% were achlorhydric. When compared to subjects with celiac disease, the frequency of achlorhydria was significantly higher in those with dermatitis herpetiformis than in those with coeliac disease. There was no correlation between achlorhydria and small intestinal villous atrophy (damage).
Why Is Low Stomach Acid Overlooked?
Failure to understand nutrition and malabsorption…an area of science that is barely taught in medical schools is a big factor. Also, (more…)
This video from the Food Allergy Initiative is a great representation, straight from the parents mouths, of how food allergies have impacted the lives of their children and themselves. It reinforces how important it is for people to really understand how food allergies affect children and their parents. (more…)
Researchers in Switzerland have made the welcome discovery that the essential nutrient zinc effectively inhibits gastric acid secretion in humans.
The researchers were investigating whether zinc could lead to a rapid and sustained increase of stomach pH (more alkaline) in both animals and humans and provide a rapid acid suppression therapy. They demonstrated that zinc offers a new and prolonged therapy for (more…)
In the first double blind randomized placebo-controlled study of gluten and symptoms in people without celiac disease, researchers from Australia have confirmed that gluten is a trigger of digestive symptoms and fatigue. They concede that “non-celiac gluten intolerance” may exist.
The researchers challenged and re-challenged people with IBS in whom celiac disease had been excluded whose symptoms were controlled on a gluten-free diet. These individuals were randomized to gluten-free diet with daily supplements of muffins and bread with a standard amount of gluten added or not added. Both the patients and the (more…)
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