Celiacology

Since recently making a switch to a gluten free diet for my sons, I’ve had to start searching for foods that are free of gluten. Finding gluten-free foods isn’t always an easy task. I’ve discovered some gluten free food items that are sure to be hits. Finding foods that a person with Celiac Disease can eat is just half of the goal. You also want something that isn’t just filling but also tastes good.

Check this out the list for breads, pasta, pizza crust dough, and more.

by Dr. Rita Louise

Celiac Disease, celiac sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestines. In our bodies, the small intestine is responsible for the absorption of the foods we eat. When someone with Celiac Disease ingests foods that contain gluten, the body produces antibodies that attack the small intestines and in particularly the villi.

The villi are tiny hair-like projections that line the small intestine that allow nutrients to be absorbed into the blood stream. Without healthy villi, the body is unable to absorb the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals we need, regardless of how much we eat or how high the quality foods we eat are. Without our ability to absorb nutrients, over time, it can lead to malnutrition and/or secondary health concerns.

The cause of celiac disease is unknown but it is thought to have a genetic association. It can appear at any time in a person’s life, but has been known to be triggered for the first time after pregnancy, childbirth, surgery or severe emotional stress. Because of it’s potential genetic association, it is strongly suggested that family members of individuals diagnosed with celiac disease take a simple antibody test to rule it out, even if they have no symptoms.

Recognizing celiac disease can be difficult because many of the symptoms are similar to other diseases and disorders. Because of this, it is commonly misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Some common symptoms of celiac disease can include abdominal cramping, intestinal gas, bloating, chronic diarrhea or constipation, fatty stools, anemia, weight loss or weight gain.

Because of its interference with our body’s ability to absorb nutrition, conditions associated with nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, osteoporosis, or vitamin K deficiency can occur. Other more varied symptoms can include dental enamel defects, bone or joint pain, fatigue, weakness, infertility - both male and female, depression, irritability, behavioral changes, muscle cramps, seizures or digestive disorders.

Although there is no cure for celiac disease there are a number of natural and alternative health remedies you can incorporate into your life to help restore health and eliminate further damage to the intestinal tract.

Recommendations For Wellness
Adhere to a gluten-free diet. Avoid foods that contain grains, including wheat, spelt, kamut, einkorn, faro, rye, barley and triticale. Make it a habit to read all food labels and learn to identify ingredients that may contain hidden gluten. When adhering to a gluten-free diet, most people begin to experience improvements in their symptoms within a few weeks.

Avoid milk and milk products until your symptoms have started to clear. Individuals with celiac disease often find themselves lactose intolerant as well. Over time, dairy products can slowly be reintroduced into the diet.

Have your bone density checked. It is very common for individuals with celiac disease to experience bone loss and osteoporosis.

Take a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement to help restore any nutritional deficiencies that may be present. Be careful to ensure that the supplements you are taking don’t contain hidden gluten. Many companies, for example, use wheat starch as a binding agent in tablets and capsules.

Supplementing with colostrum and other probiotics can help to heal the lining of the intestinal tract.

Add a digestive enzyme to your health routine. Studies have shown that people with celiac disease often do not produce sufficient amounts of pancreatic enzymes.

Fish oils, such as those found in omega 3 oil has been shown to help reduce inflammation of the intestinal lining.

About the Author
Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physicianm Medical Intuitive & founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics and the host of Just Energy Radio. Let Dr. Rita assist you bringing health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or listen live online to Dr. Rita on http://www.JustEnergyRadio.com.

by Sandra Kim Leong

It’s important to select the type of foods that you can safely consume, if you are a sufferer of celiac disease. A celiac disease diet warrants some effort and time in terms of planning. While it appears as if there is no cure, it is possible to make some food and diet changes in order that you can reduce the frequency and severity of your symptoms.

Celiac disease refers to the condition whereby you suffer reactions from consuming gluten containing foods. When you eat such foods, the consumption of gluten triggers a reaction that damages the lining of the small intestines. When the lining of your intestines is damaged, it can affect the level of absorption of nutrients by your body. Celiac disease is also known as an autoimmune intestinal disorder.

If you do not seek treatment for your Celiac disease, then the consequences can be vast. Because the intestinal absorption is impacted, your body becomes deprived of essential nutrients. Nutrient and vitamin deficiencies can cause all kinds of illnesses that affect every part of your body. Hence, it goes to show that careful food selections for a Celiac disease diet will be of help.

Gluten is the protein found in some grains; for example, wheat, rye, and barley. There are other grains that do not contain gluten, such as oats, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. However, these grains are often contaminated with gluten during processing. Hence, you should look out the labeling on your food products to make sure that they are 100% gluten free.

Unfortunately, all the mentioned grains make up many common foods. Hence, you may find it a challenge to do grocery shopping for foods that do not contain grains. Still, you should make an effort by checking out specialty shops while planning for a celiac disease diet. It is important that you eliminate gluten from the diet in order to allow intestinal inflammation to come down and for the intestinal lining to heal.

Fortunately, there are foods that are allowed in a Celiac disease diet. There are flours without gluten, such as rice, soy, corn, and potato. In fact, as compared to a couple of years back, there are now more gluten-free products on the market. As more people realize that they have a sensitivity or allergy to gluten, more providers are offering substitutes.

You can also turn to certain supplements for assistance in the healing of your intestinal tract. However, do make sure to check the labeling on all supplements, to verify that there is no gluten present. Additionally, multivitamin and mineral supplements can help in countering of deficiencies caused by malabsorption while the healing process takes place. Omega 3 oil is helpful in fighting intestinal inflammation. You can obtain Omega 3 in fish oils.

Herbal remedies can ease inflammation and support the healing process. Evening primrose, slippery elm, and burdock are used to ease symptoms of Celiac disease.

The crust of a traditonal pizza contains gluten and you may find it hard to resist it. However, you should stick to your Celiac disease diet as much as possible, in order to reap the benefits of improved symptoms. If you are unable to get enough food choices from your local grocery store, then there are products that are available on the internet that you can find.

About the Author:
Sandra Kim Leong writes about the importance of improving bowel health. She recommends adopting a detox diet to help relieve digestive diseases. For free research, please sign up to her newsletter at http://www.Detox-Cleansing-Diet.com.