Tag Archives: gluten

I’ll Have an Order of Self-Love, But…Please Hold the Gluten

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By Kari Erdman, M.S., CHHC, holistic health coach and CEO/founder of Transforming You LLC 

Ever experienced that bloated, heavy, foggy, sleepy, sick feeling after eating a slice of pizza, a helping of pasta, or a sandwich? Who feels beautiful, sexy, passionate, and loving when you feel that way?

I know that feeling all too well. It wasn’t until I was able to become aware of the effects of wheat and gluten on my body that I was able to find relief.

When I was growing up, wheat was a food that I ate in abundance! It was everywhere: in crackers, cereal, granola bars, cakes, cookies, cereals, and breads. As an adult, I thought whole wheat was the way to go to eating a healthy diet, since the USDA food pyramid promoted 6-12 servings a day of it! Being a passionate foodie, I thought I was making the best health choice possible switching from white bread to everything 100% whole wheat. My college roommates even nicknamed me “Wheatie”!

However, I kept dealing with depression, fatigue, brain fog, PMS, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  I experienced symptoms like these for several years until I learned almost four years ago about how gluten was affecting my body. Within weeks, my brain fog lifted, I had tons more energy, the bloating was gone, and I dropped over 10 lbs. My body had been signaling to me to put the dinner roll down and it responded with a hallelujah the day I decided to experiment living without gluten. I have never gone back sense. The way my body feels now without gluten is what motivates me to choose other foods my body thrives on.

Then, I began learning more about the why so many of us are experiencing issues with gluten and wheat and I was in awe of the information I learned.

I listened to a talk by William Davis, a preventative cardiologist in Milwaukee, WI and author of the book Wheat Belly, who has been doing research on the effects of removing wheat from the diets of thousands of his patients with diabetes and/or heart disease and has seen it radically transform their health. He believes that our modern “mystery” wheat and our growing epidemic of obesity and diabetes are connected. The reason is that wheat has a high glycemic index and allows glucose (sugar) to enter our body rapidly, therefore causing the pancreas to respond with a quick release of insulin. These spikes trigger the growth of visceral fat, which accumulates in the liver, kidneys, pancreas, large and small intestines, heart and the abdomen, which is where the “wheat belly” name comes from. The body sees the gluten as a toxic substance as it destroys the lining of the intestinal tract, which affects your immune system and ability to absorb nutrients. Your body thinks you’re going into starvation mode slowing down your metabolism and causing weight gain. It also acts as an opiate, yes that’s right an addictive drug, and causes the craving for more refined carbohydrates and sugar. Therefore, continuing the vicious cycle of cravings & addiction.

So, how do you know if gluten is impacting your health? The simplest way is to eliminate gluten for at least two weeks. Keep a daily journal of what you are experiencing physically, mentally, and emotionally. After the two weeks, eat a piece of bread or other gluten product and observe the way your body responds. You may experience brain fog, diarrhea, stomachache, fatigue, aches and pains, anxiety, depression, irritability, etc. If so, those are your signals to choose foods free of gluten. By giving your digestive system a time to heal, you will feel healing in other areas of your body, like carb cravings subsiding, weight loss, increased energy, mental clarity, alleviation of sinus allergies, improved digestion, and a stronger immune system. Be mindful too that many of the gluten-free breads, cookies, cakes, etc. have a lot of sugar and unhealthy fat that aren’t helpful for our bodies to have in large quantities, so enjoy minimally.

If you would like to go deeper into your journey of health and self-awareness around gluten and other foods that may be reeking havoc on your health, I encourage you to check out the 14-Day Mind-Body-Soul Cleanse. It is an opportunity to focus on clean, whole foods free of gluten, pasteurized dairy & refined sugar and receive healing from chronic pain issues, increased energy, weight loss, and mental clarity.

Are you ready to experience vibrant health, energy, purpose and joy? Kari Erdman is offering 69% off a 60-minute personalized coaching session to help restore and bring nourishment to your body and soul for a limited time only. 

Kari Erdman, M.S., CHHC, is a holistic health coach and CEO/founder of Transforming You LLC. She teaches a whole foods diet free of gluten, dairy & refined sugar, Yoga, self-awareness techniques and connecting women with their purpose and joy through the 14-Day Mind-Body-Soul Cleanse, writing, and speaking. She lives in White Bear Lake, MN where she enjoys making yummy natural food creations in the kitchen, being in nature, singing, making jewelry & spending time with friends & family.

A Natural Approach to Hypothyroidism

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by Jill Grunewald, Holistic Nutrition Coach, Healthful Elements

Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, is a silent epidemic. A staggering 30 million women and 15 million men suffer from hypothyroidism, many of whom are unaware of their condition. Symptoms – including hair loss, stubborn weight gain, fatigue, low body temperature, and waning libido – may persist for years, but too frequently, aren’t traced to a sluggish thyroid.

Nicknamed “the master gland,” your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck below your Adam’s apple and is the boss of your energy and metabolism. Every cell in your body has thyroid hormone receptors and it’s your thyroid’s job to ensure that your cells are doing their jobs.

In the vast majority of cases – 90-95% – hypothyroidism isn’t rooted in a thyroid problem. It’s rooted in an immune system gone haywire, whereby the body launches a seek-and-destroy mission on thyroid tissue. But unfortunately, many doctors don’t test for the antibodies that show the presence of autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s).

To cure thyroid disease, or any autoimmune condition, it’s critical to treat the source of the imbalance. Focusing on suppression of symptoms with medication is simply barking up the wrong tree, especially when thyroid drugs fail many people.

Making dietary changes is your first line of defense in treating hypothyroidism. Many people with low thyroid function experience crippling fatigue and brain fog, which prompts reaching for non-nutritional forms of energy like sugar and caffeine. I’ve dubbed these rascals “the terrible twosome,” as they can further harm your thyroid.

Sugar + caffeine = trouble. Greatly reduce or eliminate sugar and caffeine, including refined carbohydrates like flour, which the body treats like sugar.

Get fat. Fat is your friend and cholesterol is the precursor to hormonal pathways. If you’re getting insufficient fat and cholesterol, you could be exacerbating hormonal imbalance, including thyroid hormones. Natural, healthful fats include olive oil; ghee; avocados; flax seeds; fish; nuts and nut butters; hormone- and antibiotic-free full fat cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese (yes, full fat, not skim); and coconut milk products.

Go 100% gluten free. The molecular composition of thyroid tissue is almost identical to that of gluten. So for those with Hashimoto’s, it’s (strangely) a case of mistaken identity. Eating gluten can increase the autoimmune attack on your thyroid.

What about iodine? It’s commonly believed that hypothyroidism is always due to insufficient iodine, but this is only true for a small percentage of sufferers. While it’s important to have adequate iodine, if you have Hashimoto’s, taking supplemental iodine is like throwing gasoline on a fire. So eschew iodine supplements and iodized salt and get your iodine from food sources. Primary sources of iodine: sea vegetables and seafood. Secondary sources: eggs, asparagus, lima beans, mushrooms, spinach, sesame seeds, summer squash, Swiss chard, and garlic.

Watch the goitrogens. Goitrogens are foods that can interfere with thyroid function and include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, rutabaga, and turnips. Never fear, as cooking inactivates goitrogenic compounds. Foods that are less goitrogenic are millet, spinach, strawberries, peaches, watercress, peanuts, radishes, and soy.

Do a gut check. A whopping 20 percent of thyroid function depends on a sufficient supply of healthy gut bacteria, so it’s best to supplement with probiotics (friendly intestinal bacteria), eat plenty of fermented foods, and address any digestive issues.

Address adrenal fatigue. There is an intimate connection between your thyroid and adrenal glands and it’s uncommon to have hypothyroidism without some level of adrenal fatigue. The thyroid and adrenals are like Frick and Frack – so tightly in cahoots that it’s not effective to address one without the other.

For a limited time, get $99 off Jill Grunewald’s highly regarded Fire Your Thyroid Homestudy Course. The course consists of four audio files and 15 Action Guides to lead you through the transition toward a thyroid-friendly diet and lifestyle. Learn more and get your deal here.

 

Jill Grunewald is a Minneapolis-based Holistic Nutrition Coach and health and wellness writer. She graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2006 and in 2008, was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune hypothyroidism). Jill is now in unmedicated remission, having incorporated only whole foods nutrition, botanicals, and lifestyle-based therapies to treat herself. Her health coaching practice focuses on teaching women with these same conditions how to emerge from the fog and regain their vitality with sound nutrition and other natural remedies. Learn more about Jill and her services at www.healthfulelements.com. Also, connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

 

Is the Food You’re Eating the Cause of Your Discomfort?

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By Vicky Luedtke, Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner, SuNu Wellness Center

When food allergies come to mind, your first thought may be of extreme anaphylactic shock, epi-pens and NO peanut zones! Well, the reality is that a food allergy can be much less dramatic. Ongoing symptoms may be subtle, yet irritating. Conditions such as fatigue, hormonal imbalance, bowel irregularities, eczema, infertility, low energy, and foggy thinking may be indicators that a food sensitivity is the root to your issues.

 

The old adage, “you are what you eat” really holds true. If you’re feeding your body with foods that are causing a mild reaction on a daily basis, the symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways. Rather than trying to eliminate each food one-by-one in a guessing game, Nutrition Response Testing (NRT), or kinesiology, can determine what foods are causing you problems by how your body responds to them through simple, non-invasive muscle testing. People of all ages can benefit from this process.

 

Meet Max, a 7-year old boy who spent an entire school year lying around like a slug on a couch, feeling terrible from bouts of diarrhea, bloody noses, and general fatigue. After a treatment plan using whole food organic supplements and subtle changes in diet, Max is out on the baseball field playing and happily digesting his nutrients. Now meet Susan, a 26-year old struggling with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Once she found out food and nutrient deficiencies were causing her menstrual issues, she changed her eating habits and started to feel better. Then, with some simple shifts and rebuilding the gut, Susan unexpectedly became pregnant!

An informed approach is key to understanding what’s really going on inside your body. It’s important to find out what foods may be the root cause, so you can play an active role in improving your family’s health and well-being. Nutritional Response Testing is an affordable, non-invasive process that will enhance the quality of life for you and your family.

Do you think you have a food allergy? A sensitivity to gluten or sugar? What are your symptoms and how have you tried to alleviate them?

Find Vicky Luedtke, NRT Practitioner at SuNu Wellness Center in Minnetonka, MN. SuNu Wellness restores health and energy through holistic medicine. They offer ways to refresh the body and restore the mind with chiropractic care, therapeutic massage, nutrition support, life coaching and more. They are present and focused on meeting the wellness goals of each client and their family.

This week, get Nutritional Response Testing, a consultation and follow-up appointment for your entire family at an affordable 50% off. Click here for this week’s deal. You can also find SuNu Wellness on Facebook.