Tag Archives: Health

I was recently reading a press release from Nature’s Path Organic about two of their new cereals. The press release made a familiar argument: the cereals “provide gluten avoiders with whole grains… unlike many gluten-free cereals which forfeit nutritional benefits…” The implication is that many gluten-free cereals (and other gluten-free processed foods, by extension) are more highly processed in order to improve taste and texture. But they do so by sacrificing nutritional quality.

There is some truth to this logic. Foods made from whole grains are inherently healthier than heavily processed foods, and I’ll use our good old enemy – wheat – to demonstrate. I compared whole grain wheat flour (less processed) with white, unenriched wheat flour (more processed) across a range of nutrient measures. Not surprisingly, the wheat underwent a profound loss in Read More »

Mary Klinnert, PhD at National Jewish Health

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mary Klinnert, PhD at National Jewish Health. Mary is an expert in child psychology and has numerous previous research studies on the effects of asthma on mental health.  She started her career mostly focusing on asthma, but in recent years, has turned much of her attention to the psychological aspects of living with life threatening food allergies.

While meeting with Mary, she briefed me on a study she is conducting on the psychological aspects of food allergies and how this study differs from the majority of previous studies that mostly focus on quality of life issues related to living with food allergies.  The hope of Mary and the rest of the team is to get to the root of what is happening to families that sometimes contributes to deeper Read More »

Happy New Year Celiac Scoop friends! I hope everyone had wonderful Gluten-Free Holidays! My holidays were filled with family….friends….and delightful Gluten-Free Goodies.

Unfortunately…that means my jeans are now a little too tight, and I’m afraid to step on the scale at the gym. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat right now… But, let’s not get down about it. We all have to “splurge” once in a while… and let’s face it, one of the fun things about the holidays is doing just that. In December, we shop too much, we spend too much money, and we eat waaay too much.

But here it is! A New Year! New possibilities are ahead of us, and its the perfect time to develop healthy new habits. It shouldn’t be about going “on a diet” just to lose the holiday weight…it should be about making permanent lifestyle changes… It’s about living our healthiest! And living Gluten-Free and being healthy should go hand in hand. :)

So, cheers to 2011, and making it the healthiest yet! Who’s with me?!?!Here are some tips on weight loss that have helped me every time I’ve gained a few and want to get back on track asap:

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As we approach Thanksgiving, I encourage you to spend a little time each day reflecting on what you are thankful for. 

It’s easy to get caught up in our life challenges and to start focusing on unfairness and negativity.  We often discount the positive and over analyze and give importance to the negative.  Even when struggling with life’s challenges, if we can Read More »

Once you’ve been diagnosed with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it is easy to become wrapped up in fear and anxiety about food.  This is absolutely normal as now there is an apparent “evil” out there just waiting to get ya. 

However, reality is it’s been getting you on a regular basis prior to being diagnosed or figuring it out on your own.  While the symptoms definitely suck, and for some people, can be debilitating at times, you Read More »

Below is an important letter by Cleo Libonati, celiac disease author and speaker. She explains why you must be your own health advocate if you wish to be healthy and receive optimal care.

Dear Friend,

For the past three years, I have met with HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, politicians, doctors, dietitians, celiac support groups, and patients across the United States. One thing is abundantly clear. Doctors are not recognizing celiac disease and do not realize how little they know about the disorder.

In 2004, the National Institutes of Health called for education of physicians and other healthcare providers about celiac disease. To date, few efforts have been undertaken and none has succeeded.

The result is missed diagnoses, inadequate follow-up, unnecessary surgeries, improperly prescribed medications and needless pain. During my presentations, I meet many people who think they are receiving good treatment and cannot understand why no one has told them their persisting symptoms are due to simple nutrient deficiencies. Read More »