It's not just for sunburn.
Recently, I was in a local health food store, and there was a woman there sampling her company's flavored aloe vera juice. It was touted as being 100% natural, organic, cold pressed aloe vera juice. We bought it. My husband said he overall felt better, but I am so sporadic with taking stuff like that, I can't really give an honest opinion.
I DO know, however, that aloe vera juice is regarded as not only a topical healer, but also a digestive aid and internal healer. It's pretty well known that if you suffer with the BIG C (or constipation), aloe vera juice can help to resolve that. Ironically, if you have diarrhea, it will help with that, too. So I guess it's kind of a cure-all.
It has naturally soothing properties, so if you feel "inflammed", and any of you who suffer with any sort of GI disorders know that feeling, start out with about a tablespoon of pure aloe vera juice. I don't recommend going higher than that on the dosage to start with until you know exactly how your body is going to react to it. Generally, people need somewhere around 1/4 cup, but you know yourself, so gauge it accordingly.
Aloe vera would be appropriate for most GI disorders, providing you don't have an intolerance to it. This would include, but not limited to, colitis, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, Crohn's Disease, celiac disease, and ulcers.
Showing posts with label Celiac Disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celiac Disease. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
How common is Celiac Disease?
Probably a lot more than you think.
It is estimated that there are 3 million people in the US alone who have celiac Disease. Of that number, only about about 3% are diagnosed. How's this for comparison: celiac is more common that Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinson's disease AND cystic fibrosis combined. So then why is it so underdiagnosed?
For starters, the list of symptoms is 250 and counting. My worst symptoms were headaches, fatigue and nausea. For someone else it may be mouth sores and joint pain; for another, fibromyalgia. The problem is that doctors aren't even testing for celiac in most patients because it is still considered by many to be "rare". But you know, rare is kind of self-fulfilling, isn't it? For a more exhaustive list of symptoms, check out www.celiac.org
And then there's the testing for celiac disease. If it's not administered correctly (again, the whole rare thing coming in to play), it's pretty unreliable. The truth is, no matter how sick I ever got, I would never have shown up on a standard issue celiac panel blood test. And that is why it takes an average of 11 years for a patient to be diagnosed with celiac after they begin to experience symptoms. I guess I should be happy it only took me 2 and a half, huh?
So, if you have some strange symptoms and no one can figure out what's up, ask your doc to do a simple celiac panel. It will only hurt a little.
It is estimated that there are 3 million people in the US alone who have celiac Disease. Of that number, only about about 3% are diagnosed. How's this for comparison: celiac is more common that Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinson's disease AND cystic fibrosis combined. So then why is it so underdiagnosed?
For starters, the list of symptoms is 250 and counting. My worst symptoms were headaches, fatigue and nausea. For someone else it may be mouth sores and joint pain; for another, fibromyalgia. The problem is that doctors aren't even testing for celiac in most patients because it is still considered by many to be "rare". But you know, rare is kind of self-fulfilling, isn't it? For a more exhaustive list of symptoms, check out www.celiac.org
And then there's the testing for celiac disease. If it's not administered correctly (again, the whole rare thing coming in to play), it's pretty unreliable. The truth is, no matter how sick I ever got, I would never have shown up on a standard issue celiac panel blood test. And that is why it takes an average of 11 years for a patient to be diagnosed with celiac after they begin to experience symptoms. I guess I should be happy it only took me 2 and a half, huh?
So, if you have some strange symptoms and no one can figure out what's up, ask your doc to do a simple celiac panel. It will only hurt a little.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
So what is the difference anyway?
So have you ever wondered, what is the difference between a wheat/gluten allergy, gluten intolerance/sensitivity, and Celiac? Often, these terms are used interchangeably. However, it is important to know that they are three separate things.
Let's start with the allergy thing. A food allergy is an immune reaction to a specific food. Basically what happens is that this great stuff made by our immune system called IgE, which is really an antibody, forms when the body recognizes something as an allergy. So the next time you ingest the offending food, or antigen, again, this IgE creates a whole host of problems, including swelling, asthma, itching, inflammation, vomiting, and lots of other ugly things. When this reaction is very severe, it is called anaphylactic and can be life-threatening.
Ok, so now we've got gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity. These are two catchall terms. Basically, these two are the same thing. And while they exist in conjunction with Celiac Disease, they can exist separately... a little confusing, huh? It's kind of along the same line as lactose intolerance, your body is lacking an enzyme that makes the break down of lactose possible. In those with gluten intolerance, their bodies are unable to properly breakdown gluten, causing them to be ill. However, whether this causes long term damage to your health is still a very controversial issue. A word of caution: sometimes there are other reasons for gluten intolerance. There may be an underlying illness, so if your symptoms do not improve on a gluten free diet, please get yourself to the doctor.
And finally we've come to Celiac Disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the villi of the small intestine. Which is really not good, since that's where many of the nutrients that are necessary for life are absorbed. However, with this AI disease, the trigger is known, which is a definite plus in staying healthy. When gluten is ingested, instead of being broken down normally in the stomach and small intestine, it becomes resistant to the enzymes that break it down. What's left is a long chain of amino acids, the toxic portion of gliadin. The chain then somehow works it's way into the wall of the small intestine, underneath the cells lining the villi. The small intestine becomes inflammed to protect the body from "the invader". (Insert scary music here...) Over time, this continued reaction causes the villi to lose their integrity, as if having been burned. There's more reasons why a strict gluten free diet is necessary, but that's another topic.
So there you have it! A lot more science than you came here for. But look how much smarter you are!
Let's start with the allergy thing. A food allergy is an immune reaction to a specific food. Basically what happens is that this great stuff made by our immune system called IgE, which is really an antibody, forms when the body recognizes something as an allergy. So the next time you ingest the offending food, or antigen, again, this IgE creates a whole host of problems, including swelling, asthma, itching, inflammation, vomiting, and lots of other ugly things. When this reaction is very severe, it is called anaphylactic and can be life-threatening.
Ok, so now we've got gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity. These are two catchall terms. Basically, these two are the same thing. And while they exist in conjunction with Celiac Disease, they can exist separately... a little confusing, huh? It's kind of along the same line as lactose intolerance, your body is lacking an enzyme that makes the break down of lactose possible. In those with gluten intolerance, their bodies are unable to properly breakdown gluten, causing them to be ill. However, whether this causes long term damage to your health is still a very controversial issue. A word of caution: sometimes there are other reasons for gluten intolerance. There may be an underlying illness, so if your symptoms do not improve on a gluten free diet, please get yourself to the doctor.
And finally we've come to Celiac Disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the villi of the small intestine. Which is really not good, since that's where many of the nutrients that are necessary for life are absorbed. However, with this AI disease, the trigger is known, which is a definite plus in staying healthy. When gluten is ingested, instead of being broken down normally in the stomach and small intestine, it becomes resistant to the enzymes that break it down. What's left is a long chain of amino acids, the toxic portion of gliadin. The chain then somehow works it's way into the wall of the small intestine, underneath the cells lining the villi. The small intestine becomes inflammed to protect the body from "the invader". (Insert scary music here...) Over time, this continued reaction causes the villi to lose their integrity, as if having been burned. There's more reasons why a strict gluten free diet is necessary, but that's another topic.
So there you have it! A lot more science than you came here for. But look how much smarter you are!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Great Oat Debate
If you're trying to be GF, no doubt you've heard to avoid the acronym BROW. No barley, rye, oats or wheat. And yet, there's certified GF oats available at just about any grocery store. What's up with that?
OK, ready for some science? The truth is, oats are naturally gluten free. They are still a member of the grass family, but are more closely related to rice than to wheat, barley or rye. To get really technical, gluten is a protein, but what is toxic to Celiacs are certain fractions of this protein. And oats do not contain the three different fractions found in wheat, barley or rye. However, there are a small percentage of Celiacs who have a very similar reaction to oats as they do to gluten.
The problem with most commercially grown and processed oats is that they are grown and processed with wheat; which makes them contaminated. But thankfully, a few manufacturers have started to dedicate their facilities and/or machinery to the production of gluten free oats. Hooray!! Which means that we have another choice for a fiber source, especially to those who are watching their cholesterol. Oats are also soothing, so remember that the next time your tum tum's not feeling so great.
Personally, I only like oats two ways: In a cookie/brownie form, or with a big ole glob of peanut butter melted in it and some cinnamon sprinkled on top. But hey, it's nice to have variety, especially for my hardest meal of the day...BREAKFAST!
OK, ready for some science? The truth is, oats are naturally gluten free. They are still a member of the grass family, but are more closely related to rice than to wheat, barley or rye. To get really technical, gluten is a protein, but what is toxic to Celiacs are certain fractions of this protein. And oats do not contain the three different fractions found in wheat, barley or rye. However, there are a small percentage of Celiacs who have a very similar reaction to oats as they do to gluten.
The problem with most commercially grown and processed oats is that they are grown and processed with wheat; which makes them contaminated. But thankfully, a few manufacturers have started to dedicate their facilities and/or machinery to the production of gluten free oats. Hooray!! Which means that we have another choice for a fiber source, especially to those who are watching their cholesterol. Oats are also soothing, so remember that the next time your tum tum's not feeling so great.
Personally, I only like oats two ways: In a cookie/brownie form, or with a big ole glob of peanut butter melted in it and some cinnamon sprinkled on top. But hey, it's nice to have variety, especially for my hardest meal of the day...BREAKFAST!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Did someone say pie?
Sweet potato, that is.
Some friends invited my husband and I over for dinner Sunday, and lo and behold, my friend took a pie out of her oven. And then she proudly announced that I could have some because she had gone to Whole Foods and bought a GF pie crust. I ate my pie with gusto. Ain't friends great?
So, then I started thinking about sweet potato pie and all the other pies I could make. But sweet potato remains at the top of my list. It's one of my favorite foods because you can do so much with it. How many other vegetables can you roast in the oven with olive oil, garlic, salt and parsley, then turn around and make a pie out of? Not to mention that it's so good for you.
Sweet potatoes are considered one of the world's healthiest foods, and are high in vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin C, which makes it a wonderfully natural anti-inflammatory food. You'll also get a good dose of potassium, B6, iron, and everyone's personal favorite: dietary fiber!
So the next time you get a craving for pie, try sweet potato pie. It's still pie, but hey, you're getting some healthy benefits. How many pies can say that?
Some friends invited my husband and I over for dinner Sunday, and lo and behold, my friend took a pie out of her oven. And then she proudly announced that I could have some because she had gone to Whole Foods and bought a GF pie crust. I ate my pie with gusto. Ain't friends great?
So, then I started thinking about sweet potato pie and all the other pies I could make. But sweet potato remains at the top of my list. It's one of my favorite foods because you can do so much with it. How many other vegetables can you roast in the oven with olive oil, garlic, salt and parsley, then turn around and make a pie out of? Not to mention that it's so good for you.
Sweet potatoes are considered one of the world's healthiest foods, and are high in vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin C, which makes it a wonderfully natural anti-inflammatory food. You'll also get a good dose of potassium, B6, iron, and everyone's personal favorite: dietary fiber!
So the next time you get a craving for pie, try sweet potato pie. It's still pie, but hey, you're getting some healthy benefits. How many pies can say that?
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