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My Food Revolution: How I Became Gluten-free & Dairy-free

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.

Bobs Red Mill Chocolate Chip Cookies
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

9 Simple Steps for Successful Gluten-Free Shopping

Shopping for gluten-free foods can be inexpensive and fairly easy. Follow these nine steps for successful gluten-free shopping:

gluten free shopping1. Learn Naturally Gluten-Free Foods. Only foods containing wheat, barley, rye and oats contain gluten. All unprocessed meat, poultry, seafood, fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and grains like corn and rice are naturally gluten-free. This list of Safe Foods will help you.

2. Learn Gluten Code Words. Flour, rye and oat bran are obvious, but learn other names, like seitan, vegetable protein and malt, as well as common hiding spots, like sauces and coatings. Follow this helpful list of Hidden Ingredients.

3. Read Ingredient Labels Every Time. Ingredients can change. You may find a food you counted on for months now lists

Your Pocket Doctor – You Need This

Take the Health Guide Everywhere You Go!
Take the Treatment Guide Everywhere You Go!

Wouldn’t it be great to show your doctor how your symptoms are related, or which nutrient deficiencies are affecting your treatment, while you are sitting right there in his office? What about those disbelieving family members who say it’s all in your head, but suffer from symptoms you know stem from celiac disease? (We all know what that is like!) 

Now you can show them the answers – and the best part is you don’t have to memorize a thing.
 
How?
 
You can take the Gluten Free Works Treatment Guide everywhere you go. 
 
The Gluten Free Works Treatment Guide is fully responsive, meaning you can pull it up on your phone or tablet while you are sitting in your doctor’s office to show him or her information. You can print out any information in printer friendly forms with a click. This means you can print out symptom information for family members or the medical citations listed on each page so your doctor can research further.
 
How does it work?

gluten free taco recipe

Healthy Gluten Free Tacos Recipe

Gluten Free Tacos
Gluten-free tacos with avocado. © 2010 Teri Lee Gruss

Packaged taco seasonings and taco shells can be a source of added gluten. This gluten-free taco recipe uses a homemade taco seasoning mix and organic gluten-free taco shells. Shredded baby spinach, red onions and avocado add vitamins, minerals, healthy fatty acids add vibrant color to this healthy version of a classic favorite.

Ingredients:
•6 gluten-free hard taco shells (See tip)
•1 pound lean ground beef
•1 tablespoon olive oil

Can celiac disease be mistaken as autism? A boy whose “autism” was cured.

A five year old Canadian boy, diagnosed with severe autism, was cured when the true cause of his mental disorder was found to be celiac disease and he was treated with a gluten-free diet and nutritional supplements.

Photo originally posted to Flickr as "Jack"
Photo originally posted to Flickr as “Jack”

His autism was cured because he was never really autistic in the first place. He had celiac disease, an immune response to wheat, barley, rye and oats that damages the intestines leading to malabsorption of nutrients.

Gluten-restricted diets have become increasingly popular among parents seeking treatment for children diagnosed with autism.(1)

What if certain children who are diagnosed with autism actually have celiac disease?

Neurological disorders stemming from celiac disease have been widely documented in medical literature. Some of these conditions include poor balance, tremors, migraines, chronic fatigue, schizophrenia, epilepsy, apathy, depression, insomnia, behavioral disorders, inability to concentrate and anxiety.(2)

Many of these issues are due to nutritional deficiencies resulting from the intestinal damage that celiac disease causes. If caused by celiac disease, they improve once gluten is removed from the diet and the intestine heals and functions properly.

Genuis and Bouchard, researchers at the University of Alberta, recently published the case of the 5-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with severe autism at a specialty clinic for autistic spectrum disorders. After an initial investigation suggested underlying celiac disease and varied nutrient deficiencies, a gluten-free diet was instituted.(1) His diet and supplements were adjusted to secure nutritional sufficiency.

The patient’s gastrointestinal symptoms rapidly resolved, and signs and symptoms suggestive of autism progressively abated.(1)

This case is an example of a common malabsorption syndrome (celiac disease) associated with central nervous system dysfunction and suggests that in some cases, nutritional deficiency may be a cause of developmental delay.

Genuis and Bouchard recommended that all children with neurodevelopmental problems