Jul 30 2008
Gluten: Friend or Foe?
There’s been a lot of talk about gluten lately, and I know that reducing gluten intake is one of the goals in this book, but with all the talk, I still don’t understand what the big gluten deal is.
I know that those afflicted with celiac disease have gluten intolerance, but what does that mean exactly?
The short answer is that gluten is a protein contained in the grains wheat, barley, rye, and oats, and is often used in breads and other baked goods.
For people with gluten intolerance, a reaction occurs by the immune system of individuals in possession of certain genes that recognize gluten as foreign and toxic.
Typical symptoms of gluten intolerance include abdominal bloating or pain, diarrhea, constipation, gaseousness, or nausea with or without vomiting.
Typically, testing for gluten sensitivity and celiac sprue is done via blood tests. The defining difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac sprue is that while gluten sensitivity implies that a person’s immune system is intolerant of gluten in the diet and is forming antibodies or displaying some other evidence of an inflammatory reaction, only when these reactions cause small intestinal damage visible on a biopsy is the condition elevated to celiac sprue, celiac disease, or gluten sensitive enteropathy status.
I’m not a big gluten consumer to begin with, but I guess once I get through my cleanse I will know for sure if gluten is my friend or foe.
Green Festival™ hits Washington, D.C., November 8 & 9 at the Washington Convention Center, and San Francisco, Calif., November 14, 15 & 16 at the Concourse Exhibition Center.
Green Festival is a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America, is akin to a walk through a sustainable community.
The festival features more than 125 renowned authors, leaders [...]
If you’ve ever contemplated going vegan, now’s the time during World Go Vegan Days, which started October 25 and run through October 31.
Created by In Defense of Animals (IDA), World Go Vegan Days is an annual event to educate people about the vegan lifestyle. During World Go Vegan Days, IDA encourages people to become conscious of what [...]
Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons (my wedding anniversary is in October, I love Halloween–scary movies in particular, we adopted our dog in October, the trees are pretty, the air is crisp and clean, etc.).
Plus, I start seeing one of my favorite types of produce in the stores this time of [...]
Don’t know beans about beans? Never fear!
Here’s a quick lesson on beans, which pack quite a powerful healthy punch (they are high in protein, and may also help protect against heart disease, diabetes, and obesity).
Kidney Beans (pictured above)
These red beans are often found in chili and contain almost as much antioxidant power as wild blueberries.
Navy [...]
Leave it to New York City to not only host one of the coolest foodie events ever, but also provide the backdrop for the ever-addictive “Top Chef” on Bravo.
But before we talk boob tube, let’s talk festival.
Thursday, October 9, through Sunday, October 12, The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival takes a [...]
[...] my ongoing obsession with trying to get gluten-free, I recently came across alternative flour sources via Natural Health Magazine, and I thought I [...]