Celiac disease

About one month ago, I put out my Breakfast Millet article to rave reviews. I had gotten so many emails thanking me for putting out the article and most of them requesting that I put out another one for a savory millet dish. As I am not one to disappoint may I just say…..the millet saga continues.

I seriously never get tired of talking about millet. Delicious, healthy and versatile millet is a lot like rice and can be the vehicle to transform even the most mundane dish into something exciting.

In my last article, I made a bold statement saying “you will find that if you look up recipes for basic millet as a savory dish on the internet, that everyone seems to say it is 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup
uncooked millet (3 to 1ratio). I am here to tell you that this is WRONG.” This brazen statement still holds true. I went on to say that I do what I call “starving the grain” to make it light and fluffy every time and I added my cooking tip which was; the amount of liquid needed to cook the grain depends on your desired outcome of the dish. This is also still true, and here is why.

Just like rice, too much water and you have a goopy mess of rice that is too sticky to be separate and fluffed. Too little water and your rice will not cook all the way through. Millet is no different. I like a little give in my millet (and in my rice). I want the grains to be fluffy and separate so when you combine it with other ingredients (or eat it plain), the end result is not a big sticky mess. To accomplish this all you need to do is follow a few simple rules, and they are; rinse your grains, dry/toast your grains, leave the lid on the pot until done and do not peak….you see, that wasn’t so hard now was it?

Peaking and not rinsing are the biggest killers of grain dishes. You will notice that when you rinse your millet, that just like rice a cloudy film rinses off. If you rinse the millet under cold water a few times you will yield a much better end result after it is cooked; this also makes it easier to digest and for your body to absorb all the health benefits of the grain. Peaking is another common mistake as you are letting out the steam that the millet needs in order to cook properly.

Millet is actually one of my favorite items to serve at a party. Like a bulgur salad, it can be stretched really far when adding lots of delicious, healthy veggies to it. It’s perfect for a room temperature salad and can be made well in advance. In fact, I just had my friends, Patrice and Joy over this past weekend. They are a little more health conscious than the average person and are getting ready for the grand opening of their day spa in NJ called, Indulgence Day Spa. So, this dish was party ready and healthy to boot.

So on to it! This dish is seriously one of my favorites. I never get bored of eating it and it can be made to anyone’s particular tastes. Do you prefer dill over scallions, no problem! Do you like peas over corn, dump it in there! Today though, I am going to give my favorite recipe for warm millet salad (room temperature). So here we go!

Warm Millet Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Millet; rinsed about 2 or 3 times and drained
• 2 cups of Water
• 1 – 8 oz pkg of Shiitake Mushrooms
• 1 orange or yellow Bell Pepper; diced
• ½ of an Onion; diced
• 1 – 15 oz can of Corn; drained
• 2 small  or 1 large Scallions; green and white parts
• 1 cup of Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Basic Mustard Vinaigrette
(Mix all ingredients below and whisk thoroughly to combine)

• 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• A pinch of Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. In a large pot (or wok), add the rinsed millet and dry it out from the rinsing over a medium low heat; keep it moving in the pan so it does not burn.
2. After it is dry (about 2 minutes), add 1 tbsp of olive oil and continue to stir to coat the millet for about 1 more millet; remove the pan from the heat.
3. In a second large pot with a heavy or a snug fitting lid, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil.
4. Add the millet to the pot or water and bring the pot back to a boil; place the cover on and lower the heat to low. Set a timer for 25 minutes (do not uncover or touch the millet again until it is done).
5. While the millet is simmering; in a large sauté pan or wok, sauté the onions and bell pepper in about 3 tbsps of olive oil over a medium low heat for about 4 minutes until the peppers and onions are slightly tender.
6. Now add the corn and the shiitake mushrooms to the pan and raise the heat to high and continue to cook mixture for about 3 minutes; you are only looking to warm the corn and mushrooms through at this point. After the mixture is done, set aside and cover the pan to keep warm.
7. After 25 minutes when the millet is done, shut the heat off, uncover the pot and set the timer for 10 minutes (do not touch or stir the millet). This will allow the millet to dry out a bit and fluff up nicely.
8. After the 10 minutes, use a fork with large tines and fluff by raking the fork through the millet.
9. Dump the millet into a large mixing bowl (big enough for the millet and vegetable mixture), add the vegetable mixture to the bowl along with the scallions and gently fold to combine.
10. Add all of the vinaigrette to the millet mixture with your desired amount of salt and pepper and again fold gently to combine.
11. Place millet salad in the fridge for about 20 minutes so the flavors have a chance to combine.
12. Take the millet out of the fridge after the 20 minutes and zap it in the microwave for about 30 seconds or so just to bring it back to a warm temperature (but not hot).
13. Serve.

I find that letting the millet sit for a while really allows all of the flavors to come together and to intensify. Of course you can eat the millet right after you make it without refrigeration, but the full impact of the flavors will not be present without a little resting. In fact, you can let this chill in the fridge for quite a few hours if you want to make this before hand for a party.

Serving suggestions; this millet salad pairs really well with a fresh tomato and shallot salad on the side (as seen in the picture above). I like grape-tomatoes and shallot with a dash of balsamic vinegar and some dark green olive oil the best.

Side Note: this recipe was for a “millet salad” and not millet as a side dish like a rice pilaf. In order to get the right consistency for a dinner side dish, you would need 2 ¼ cups of water as opposed to the 2 cups of water I used for this salad recipe. My recipe above calls for the addition of a good amount of extra liquid by way of the vinaigrette. This goes back to what I said, “the amount of liquid needed to cook the grain depends on your desired outcome of the dish.”

Variation: sick of fried rice, why not make a “fried millet” instead? Use leftover plain millet just like you would rice to make a healthier version of this favorite Chinese side.

I must preface this recipe with the fact that up until this point, I did not think I liked quinoa. The main reason for my dislike of this seed was that I had a poorly prepared dish with it last year and thought that no matter what, the little gluten-free gems could never taste good. Welp folks, I was wrong. This easy quinoa recipe can be used as an alternative to gluten-free pizza dough and will rock your taste-bud’s world.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

Read More »

Research shows celiac disease can cause brittle bones in children. Can a gluten-free diet correct it?

A teenage gymnast is completing an exercise at the US Nationals gymnastics competition. At seventeen years of age, she is one of the top athletes in the country, physically strong and incredibly fit.

Both her wrists fracture during the dismount.

Doctors test her bone density to find out why her bones broke so easily. Although she is just a teenager, she is diagnosed with osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis and a bone disorder that normally afflicts people over 55. She has never had gastrointestinal issues, but her doctors test her for celiac disease anyway because something is obviously wrong with the way she is absorbing and/or metabolizing calcium. Read More »

Find out what your nails are telling you about your health in this important video tutorial. These nail problems reveal underlying causes that need to be corrected – and are usually simple to fix – even if you have had them your entire life! Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN shows you what you need to know!

Visit our Treatment Guide to find out how to fix hundreds of health conditions related to gluten sensitivity and celiac disease!

“An estimated 40 million adult Americans suffer from anxiety disorder.” (1) These 40 million people total 18.1 percent of the United States that are at least 18 or over. (2)

According to “Recognizing Celiac Disease” anxiety is common in people with celiac disease and may be the only manifestation. Celiac disease patients showed high levels of state anxiety in a significantly higher percentage compared to controls – 71.4% vs. 23.7%.(3)

Chronic maladaptive anxiety is characterized by vague uneasiness or unpleasant feeling of apprehension and dysfunction. It is marked by anticipation of danger and interference with normal functioning, ranging from mild qualms and easy startling to occasional panic, often with headaches and fatigue. Deficiency of amino acids and vitamins implicate reduction of synthesis of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and could be linked to immunological disregulation in celiac disease patients. Anxiety itself causes depletion of vitamins and minerals. Deficient nutrients could be B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, tryptophan.(3)

A medical study evaluating bloodflow in the brain showed evidence of significant blood flow alteration in the brains of people with celiac disease who had only anxiety or depression neurological symptoms and were not on a gluten-free diet. Single photon computed tomography (SPECT) scan showed at least one hypoperfused brain region in 73% of untreated celiac disease patients compared to 7% of patients on a gluten-free diet and none in controls.(3)

Therefore, bloodflow in the brain and nutritional deficiencies play a large part in anxiety. If nutritional deficiencies are the source of the problem, then medications will be less effective requiring increasingly strong doses because the body and brain do not have what they need to utilize them.

The good news is that studies showed state anxiety improves and can usually disappear in people with celiac disease after withdrawal of gluten from the diet and improvement of nutrient status.

Consider celiac disease if you or someone you know has anxiety.

Related medical studies are referenced in “Recognizing Celiac Disease, by Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN.”

Celiac disease is a multi-system, hereditary, chronic, auto-immune disease estimated to affect 1% of the human population (3 million in the US) that is caused by the ingestion of wheat, barley, rye and oats. It is treated by removing these items from the diet. Signs, symptoms, associated disorders and complications can affect any part of the body and removal of the offending foods can result in complete recovery.

“Recognizing Celiac Disease” is a reader-friendly reference manual written for both medical professionals and the general public that specifically answers the call from the National Institutes of Health for “better education of physicians, dietitians, nurses and other healthcare providers.” It has been endorsed by top medical professionals and professors at Harvard, Columbia, Jefferson and Temple Medical Schools as well as the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and the Celiac Sprue Association – USA. “Recognizing Celiac Disease” is being hailed as the complete guide to recognizing, diagnosing and managing celiac disease and a must-have for physicians, dietitians, nutritionists, nurses, patients and anyone with an interest in this complex disorder.

Editor’s Note: Recognizing Celiac Disease has been expanded upon and converted into an online resource, The Gluten Free Works Treatment Guide.

Click here for more information.

Sources:

(1) ADAA Brief Overview. ww.adaa.org/GettingHelp/Briefoverview.asp
(2) Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety
(3) Libonati, Cleo. Recognizing Celiac Disease, Gluten Free Works Publishing, 2007.

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Author Information: John Libonati, Philadelphia, PA
Publisher, Glutenfreeworks.com.

Gluten Free Works Treatment Guide.
Editor & Publisher, Recognizing Celiac Disease.
John can be reached by e-mail here.

Editor’s note: Promising research published January 8, 2007 shows that adequate levels of vitamin D in the elderly are important to maintain cognitive function or thinking skills that include use of language, awareness, social skills, math ability, memory, reasoning, judgment, intellect, learning, and imagination. This study is called a retrospective review because the researchers did not actually examine anyone. Instead they reviewed data from records of 32 older adults who had been examined for memory Read More »

The article below discusses that similar genes are found in people with celiac disease and Type 1 Diabetes.  This supports the findings of a Danish study that showed 12.3% of children with Type 1 Diabetes tested positive for celiac disease.

Published: March 4, 2008 at 5:48 PM

Print story Email to a friend Font size: LONDON, March 4 (UPI) — London researchers suggest celiac disease and diabetes may have common genetic origins.

David van Heel of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry demonstrated that of the nine celiac gene regions now known, four are also predisposing factors for type 1 diabetes.

The team of researchers, which also include Irish and Dutch scientists and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, performed a genome-wide association study in celiac disease. Genetic markers across the genome were compared in celiac disease subjects versus healthy controls. The researchers identified seven new risk regions, six of which harbor important genes critical in the control of immune responses, highlighting their significance in the development of the disease.

Celiac disease, triggered by an intolerance to gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye can lead to anemia, poor bone health, fatigue and weight loss.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Genetics.

If you’ve ever lived with undiagnosed Celiac Disease – chances are you’ve been to a psychologist at one time or another.  Perhaps your doctor told you that you had severe depression, bi-polar disorder, anxiety, or simply that it was “all in your head.” Believe me – I’ve been there, done that. I had even convinced myself as an undergrad in psychology, that with all the knowledge I was gaining, I would not only be able to fix my own problems, but that I’d some day be able to help everyone else fix their problems too. I would become so mentally tough that nothing could conquer me. The problem was -something was wrong … and it wasn’t really in my head. No amount of “positive thinking” could get me out of what I was going through. I didn’t want to be depressed – and yet I had depression. I didn’t want to feel anxiety, didn’t have any reason to be anxious – and yet, I had anxiety all the time. I knew who I was – but when I looked in the mirror, I wasn’t that person. Something else was going on- and it was beyond my control.

During my time as a psych student, I had begun to realize that what I was putting into my body had a direct effect on my mood, energy level, and overall happiness. I started paying close attention to what I was eating and how I would feel afterwards – which eventually led me to walk into my doctors office and ask for a blood test for Celiac Disease. When I finally got some answers – I thought, “Wow, no wonder I felt horrible at school all the time” because I would eat a Gordita or Mexican Pizza just about every day on the way to class at our campus Taco Bell. (Just for the record, Gluten + addicting Taco Bell cheese opiates = not a good combo ;) I began to truly understand that what I was putting into my body had a direct effect on my mind. (The GUT-BRAIN connection).  Read More »

Weight loss, fad, miracle cure…there is an enormous amount of misinformation concerning the gluten-free diet in the news, on the internet and even in the medical community.

One of the worst ideas being perpetuated is that following a gluten-free diet can somehow be bad for you.

Dr. Stefano Guandalini, Founder and Medical Director of Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, answers the important question – Could following a gluten-free diet lead to other diseases?

Read More »

I was sitting in the waiting room at the Honda dealer last Friday and a middle aged woman next to me mentioned she had celiac disease after hearing me turn down a complimentary pastry. We got to talking and it turns out she was diagnosed 17 years ago.

She started asking questions once she found out what I do. She said she cooks 100% gluten-free, but is sometimes anemic and used to get vitamin B12 injections which made her feel great. I asked how often she ate out. Twice per week.

I asked to see her fingernails. They looked like the image here, spoon shaped and upturned.

Looking up her nail symptoms on our Gluten Free Works Treatment Guide on my phone, I told her it was koilonychia, from iron deficiency. She said they had always looked that way as far back as she could remember.

Neither her gastroenterologist, nor her endocrinologist picked up on it. After telling me she was on Prevacid and Gaviscon, I told her why her hair was thin and how the acid reflux drugs she had been taking were impairing her nutrient absorption. She thought she had high acid.

I told her my opinion based on her history and symptoms was low acid. Her doctors knew none of this, but it was all in our Treatment Guide. Doctors don’t know and Google is unreliable. The Gluten Free Works Treatment Guide will help you. It can be as simple as looking at your nails.