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The Dark Side of Wheat: New Perspectives on Celiac Disease & Wheat Intolerance Part 3 of 3

Editor’s Note:
Click here to see Part 1.
Click here to see Part 2.

WHEAT: AN EXCEPTIONALLY UNWHOLESOME GRAIN.

Wheat presents a special case insofar as wild and selective breeding has produced variations which include up to 6 sets of chromosomes (3 genomes worth!) capable of generating a massive number of proteins each with a distinct potentiality for antigenicity. Common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), for instance, has over 23,788 proteins cataloged thus far. In fact, the genome for common bread wheat is actually 6.5 times larger than that of the human genome!

With up to a 50% increase in gluten content of some varieties of wheat, it is amazing that we continue to consider “glue-eating” a normal behavior, whereas wheat-avoidance is left to the “celiac” who is still perceived by the majority of health care practitioners as mounting a “freak” reaction to the consumption of something intrinsically wholesome.

Magnesium Deficiency in Celiac Disease – Common and Dangerous

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, providing an indication of just how important this nutrient is for the body.

Magnesium keeps us moving, thinking and behaving normally. Magnesium is a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes involved in the metabolism of food components and many products such as protein synthesis. It balances calcium in the body to maintain normal muscle and nerve function and works in concert with calcium to keep bones strong. It keeps heart rhythm steady and supports a healthy immune system. Magnesium is required for parathyroid hormone secretion, helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes normal blood pressure.1

Studies show that magnesium deficiency is common in those with celiac disease.

Kay’s Naturals Gluten Free Cookie Bites – Nutritious, Delicious & Satisfying

Gluten-free snack foods are often lamented to be nutritionally lacking as many are packed with sugar and empty starches. One company has consistently bucked the trend by providing tasty, healthy, nutrient-rich snack foods and cereals that are also low fat and high in fiber.

Kay’s Naturals has built their reputation on providing all natural, nutritionally balanced snacks that are also gluten-free.

Now the company is adding Kay’s Cookie Bites to its best-selling lines of gluten-free snack foods and cereals. The Cookie Bites come in two flavors, Cinnamon Almond Cookie Bites and Honey Almond Cookie Bites, and are available in 5 oz. boxes or 1.75 oz. snack bags.

Kay’s describes their Cookie Bites as ultra nutritious, totally delicious and absolutely satisfying.

We agree.

When we tasted them, we found them to be sweet, flavorful and crispy. Gluten-free, casein-free, protein rich, fiber rich and made from natural ingredients makes them a good (and worry-free) snack during work or travel and perfect for those times when you’re running late and need something more filling than crackers or carrot sticks.

Gluten Free Food Savings with Mixes From the Heartland’s New Buying Club

is making mealtimes healthy, easy and normal for gluten-free families across the country. Now people can save when shopping by joining their new .

Teri Whisenhunt, the owner of Mixes From The Heartland and a celiac herself, says her goal is to provide people high quality, affordable gluten-free foods. With the Gluten Free Buying Club, Mixes From The Heartland is doing just that – providing members with the largest selection of approved (under 5 parts per million of gluten) quality mixes and ingredients at affordable prices. And their shipping prices are among the best in the industry – just $10 for orders under $100 and free on orders over $100.

Feeling Fluffy? Take a Gluten Free Bite out of Plush Puffs Marshmallows

Marshmallows remind many of us of our childhood – whether it was roasting them by the fire or adding them to a steaming cup of hot chocolate. But Plush Puff takes marshmallows to a whole new level.

These marshmallows are not only gluten-free, they contain no corn syrup and use brown rice syrup instead. Plus, they are fat free so you know that they can’t be too bad for you.

Hummus: An Easy Healthy Homemade Gluten Free Snack

 

Hummus is full of nutrients, tastes delicious and it is naturally gluten free. Its a great option for dinner parties or snacks, and best of all its easy to make at home with a food processor.

You can serve it with veggie slices as well as pita slices to appeal to everyone’s dietary needs.

The veggies I chose to serve it with were jicama, bell peppers and celery. Try to buy local veggies at any of the San Francisco Farmers Markets. Buying local produce is the easiest and cheapest way to get the freshest veggies.

What you will need:

The Dark Side of Wheat: New Perspectives on Celiac Disease & Wheat Intolerance Part 2 of 3

(Editor’s Note: Click here to see Part One)

OUR BIOLOGICALLY INAPPROPRIATE DIET

In a previous article, I discussed the role that wheat plays as an industrial adhesive (e.g. paints, paper mache’, and book binding-glue) in order to illustrate the point that it may not be such a good thing for us to eat. The problem is implicit in the word gluten, which literally means “glue” in Latin and in words like pastry and pasta, which derives from wheatpaste, the original concoction of wheat flour and water which made such good plaster in ancient times. What gives gluten its adhesive and difficult-to-digest qualities are the high levels of disulfide bonds it contains. These same sulfur-to-sulfur bonds are found in hair and vulcanized rubber products, which we all know are difficult to decompose and are responsible for the sulfurous odor they give off when burned.

There will be 676 million metric tons of wheat produced this year alone, making it the primary cereal of temperate regions and third most prolific cereal grass on the planet.