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The Scoop on High Fructose Corn Syrup

Posted August 4, 2014 By Sandy

If you keep up with the news on sugars, you have probably heard about high fructose corn syrup.

Yes, I realize that sugars do not affect gluten free vegan eating, but I feel that sugars are an important element of our diet to understand.  And high fructose corn syrup is especially problematic in our diets.

On of my favorite go-to experts, Dr. Mark Hyman (who use to be a resident doctor in the tiny town in Idaho where I live!), has an excellent article on the subject I would like to share:

5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill Youmarkhyman-header

Here are 5 reasons you should stay way from any product containing high fructose corn syrup and why it may kill you.  

1. Sugar in any form causes obesity and disease when consumed in pharmacologic doses. Cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup are indeed both harmful when consumed in pharmacologic doses of 140 pounds per person per year.When one 20 ounce HFCS sweetened soda, sports drink, or tea has 17 teaspoons of sugar (and the average teenager often consumes two drinks a day) we are conducting a largely uncontrolled experiment on the human species.Our hunter gatherer ancestors consumed the equivalent of 20 teaspoons per year, not per day.

2. HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body. High fructose corn syrup is an industrial food product and far from “natural” or a naturally occurring substance. … The sugars are extracted through a chemical enzymatic process resulting in a chemically and biologically novel compound called HFCS. Some basic biochemistry will help you understand this. Regular cane sugar (sucrose) is made of two-sugar molecules bound tightly together– glucose and fructose in equal amounts.The enzymes in your digestive tract must break down the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed into the body. HFCS also consists of glucose and fructose, not in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio in an unbound form. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. And HFCS is cheaper than sugar because of the government farm bill corn subsidies. Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease.Now back to biochemistry. Since there is there is no chemical bond between them, no digestion is required so they are more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people.The rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin–our body’s major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more…

High doses of free fructose have been proven to literally punch holes in the intestinal lining allowing nasty byproducts of toxic gut bacteria and partially digested food proteins to enter your blood stream and trigger the inflammation that we know is at the root of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and accelerated aging. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is part of a complex of nutrients and fiber that doesn’t exhibit the same biological effects as the free high fructose doses found in “corn sugar”.

3. HFCS contains contaminants including mercury that are not regulated or measured by the FDA. An FDA researcher asked corn producers to ship a barrel of high fructose corn syrup in order to test for contaminants. …”.When HFCS is run through a chemical analyzer or a chromatograph, strange chemical peaks show up that are not glucose or fructose. What are they? Who knows? This certainly calls into question the purity of this processed form of super sugar.

4. Independent medical and nutrition experts DO NOT support the use of HFCS in our diet, despite the assertions of the corn industry. The corn industry’s happy looking websites www.cornsugar.com and www.sweetsurprise.com bolster their position that cane sugar and corn sugar are the same by quoting experts, or should we say misquoting … Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has published widely on the dangers of sugar-sweetened drinks and their contribution to the obesity epidemic. In a review of HFCS in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,(ii)he explains the mechanism by which the free fructose may contribute to obesity…., calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric over-consumption.”He states that HFCS is absorbed more rapidly than regular sugar and that it doesn’t stimulate insulin or leptin production. This prevents you from triggering the body’s signals for being full and may lead to over-consumption of total calories.

True pharmacologic doses of any kind of sugar are harmful, but the biochemistry of different kinds of sugar and their respective effects on absorption, appetite, and metabolism are different, and Dr. Popkin knows that.

5. HFCS is almost always a marker of poor-quality, nutrient-poor disease-creating industrial food products or “food-like substances”. The last reason to avoid products that contain HFCS is that they are a marker for poor-quality, nutritionally-depleted, processed industrial food full of empty calories and artificial ingredients. If you find “high fructose corn syrup” on the label you can be sure it is not a whole, real, fresh food full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Stay away if you want to stay healthy. We still must reduce our overall consumption of sugar, but with this one simple dietary change you can radically reduce your health risks and improve your health….

Dr. Hyman concludes his article with these two points:

  • We are consuming HFCS and sugar in pharmacologic quantities never before experienced in human history–140 pounds a year versus 20 teaspoons a year 10,000 years ago.

  • High fructose corn syrup is always found in very poor-quality foods that are nutritionally vacuous and filled with all sorts of other disease promoting compounds, fats, salt, chemicals, and even mercury.

Very long quote, but worth it if you are interested in the true about HFCS!!

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

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The Detox Summit: Surviving in today’s toxic world

Posted July 21, 2014 By Sandy

I am excited to invite you to The Detox Summit hosted by Deanna Minich, PhD.

Here is what she says about the upcoming Detox Summit:

Environmental toxins can be found in what you eat, drink, breathe, feel and think. You may not be aware of toxins, but if you want to be healthy, being educated on the latest in toxins is a must! Chronic conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, may be associated with environmental toxins in your body.

The pearls of wisdom from expert speakers at The Detox Summit are essential to your health.  Join us online for free from August 4-11.

Detox_BlogBanner_600x150_Attend

This Detox Summit will provide you with the information you need to:

  •     Learn about environmental toxins in food, air and water
  •     Understand internally-generated toxins, like thoughts, emotions and behaviors
  •     Recognize toxins of all types and eliminate them
  •     Focus on breakthrough solutions to gain more energy and vitality

Navigate your way through today’s toxic terrain when you register for the free, online Detox Summit today!

deanna-minich“Detox” is a multi-faceted term that means many things to people, from drug and alcohol detoxification to nutritional detoxification, or cleanses using food, smoothies and juices. Deanna Minich, PhD, has selected 30 experts in various areas of medicine, nutrition and personal growth to offer a well-rounded, credible approach to the issues of environmental toxins and holistic health.

Here are a few of the incredible presenters:

  • Jeffrey Bland, PhD, Father of Functional Medicine: The Science of Nutritional Detoxification
  • Mark Hyman, MD, Functional Medicine Expert: Toxins and Chronic Disease: Why Detox is a Necessity for Good Health
  • Jeffrey Smith, Leading Spokesperson on GMOs: Genetically Modified Foods as Toxins in Everyday Eating
  • David Wolfe, Superfoods Guru: Foods to Enhance Vitality and Detox
  • Rainbeau Mars, Fitness Model and Actress: A Full Spectrum, Superstar Approach to Everyday Detox

With 30 presenters sharing their wealth of knowledge, this invaluable (and FREE) resource is intended for people everywhere!

Better yet, if you register today you’ll have access to the following FREE eBook sas soon as you register!

  • Food & Spirit Nourish Your Whole Self™ Report, by Deanna Minich, PhD
  • Detox Your Medicine Cabinet: 26 Herbs and Supplements that Treat Common Symptoms, by Aviva Romm, MD
  • Top 7 Therapeutic Foods, by Kelly Brogan, MD
  • Ten Tips for Helping Your Loved One with Autism, by Martha Herbert, MD, PhD
  • Benefits of Vitamin D, by Soram Khalsa, MD

Come listen to The Detox Summit ONLINE for FREE from August 4-11, and learn to survive your toxic world!

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Gluten and Female Issues

Posted June 30, 2014 By Sandy

Gluten issues, celiac disease or even gluten intolerance can cause “female issues”.

In my life, I was a ‘late bloomer’ and later on, experienced several miscarriages.  At the time, I did not know what was happening to me, but now I know that gluten ‘poisoning’ probably had lots to do with it!

According to Jane Anderson of About.com:  Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance:

Can Celiac Disease Delay Your First Period?

… girls with undiagnosed celiac disease seem to get a late start, at least in some research reports. For example, in one study, girls who were later diagnosed with celiac disease started their periods at a significantly older age than their non-celiac peers — 13.6 years, compared to 12.7 years for a control group. Another study found an even later average age of menarche for celiac girls: 16.16 years.

Some researchers blame malnutrition from untreated celiac disease or malabsorption of important nutrients for delayed menarche, while others say that gluten itself could be having some undiscovered effect on girls’ reproductive systems.

Gluten and Femine IssuesI remember very well, when I started my first period.  I was 14 and in high school.  I think I was the last girl in my class to reach that point in my development.  To further add to my discomfort, I did not start ‘developing’ until just a few months before that time.  Being the smallest girl in my class, at least until I started jr. high (7th grade), made me even more subconscious!

Obviously, I made it through those years and developed fine from that point on.

It wasn’t until my child bearing years, that more ‘female issues’ began to surface.  I had three miscarriages.  All, I was told, were unrelated!  The doctors really had no explanation for the causes any of them.  First time, I miscarried for unknown reasons;  Second time, the cord tore or detached from the baby;  Third time, I was using a IUD, but conceived and miscarried before I even knew I was pregnant.

Once I was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and did some research, I realized that the gluten issues may have been problems.

Jane Anderson further reports on this issue:

Miscarriage More Common Among Women with Celiac Disease

In a large study looking at the reproductive life cycle of Italian celiac women, the researchers found nearly twice as many miscarriages in women with celiac disease as they did in women without the condition. Other studies have conformed that finding, with one team of medical researchers reporting the rate of “spontaneous abortion” (i.e., miscarriage) among untreated celiac women is nearly nine times higher.

Now, I don’t have full blown Celiac disease, but it appears that the gluten ‘poisoning’ may have caused or at least added to my miscarriage problems.

NOTE:  I had four healthy pregnancies, and four children, so the gluten problem did not affect all my pregnancies!

How about you?  Did you experience any unusual ‘female problems’ that may have been caused by unknown gluten issues?

 

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Autoimmune Disease and Gluten

Posted June 23, 2014 By Sandy

Autoimmune disease is running rapid among the general population and has become a serious concern.  According to Dr. Vikki Petersen …

1) The increase of autoimmune diseases in our society is on a downright scary trajectory.

2) Autoimmune disease sufferers are told “there is no cure for their disease”.

3) The treatment for autoimmune is, in my opinion, barbaric and exactly the opposite of what treatment should be.

4) Research is, more and more, supporting what I feel is the truth and most important, this new approach opens the door to diminishing why autoimmune diseases have increased so dramatically.

Studies are pointing more and more toward gut health, and gluten in particular, as the culprit!Autoimmune Disease and Gluten

Dr. Petersen goes on to explain:

New Research Points the Finger at Gluten Causing More Than Just Celiac Disease

The journal that published the paper was Hormone Research in Paediatrics. The paper was entitled, “Prolactin May Be Increased in Newly Diagnosed Celiac Children and Adolescents and Decreases after 6 Months of Gluten-Free Diet”.

Following is the  conclusions drawn by Dr. Petersen from the Paper referenced above:

What is now understood about prolactin is that it is a marker for autoimmune disease, something that wasn’t known in the past. But research now supports that a number of autoimmune conditions are associated with elevated prolactin levels—specifically rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

What they set out to prove is that the elevation of prolactin was due to the production of increased inflammatory agents in the blood (called cytokines). These particular agents that can be measured in the blood are seen in celiac patients who are not following a gluten-free diet and are decreased when the patients are following a gluten-free diet.

Interesting article!  I suggest you read it for yourself:

Link between Gluten and Autoimmune Disease Getting Stronger

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Is Gluten Free Diet a Fad?

Posted May 26, 2014 By Sandy

If you have been monitoring the Gluten Free news, you probably heard about the study conducted by Jessica Biesiekierski, Department of Gastroenterology, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.  This study questions the validity of gluten free diets.

According to Real Clear Science …

Instead of receiving a proper diagnosis, however, many people are self-diagnosing as gluten-sensitive and eating gluten-free by choice. Noticing this trend, Jessica Biesiekierski, a gastroenterologist at Monash University and a leading researcher into the effects of gluten, sought adults who believed they had NCGS to participate in a survey and a clinical trial. She recruited participants in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia by distributing fliers through websites and local clinic rooms and taking out advertisements in a local newspaper. 248 people responded, 147 completed an in-depth survey designed to assess the nature of their sensitivity, and forty were recruited into the clinical trial. …..

For the clinical trial, in which 37 subjects self-diagnosed with NCGS participated, Biesiekierski tested an alternative explanation for gluten sensitivity. Most gluten-containing products also have fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates, collectively known as FODMAPs, which are known to cause gastrointestinal problems. Biesiekierski wanted to know if FODMAPs were actually the villains behind subjects’ gastrointestinal problems. The trial — which was double-blinded and placebo-controlled — found that in patients whose diets were low in FODMAPS, gluten did not produce a specific negative effect.*

As you can see from the quotes above, this study seriously endorsed the believe that gluten free diets were a farce, a fad or just not helping those avoiding gluten.

This view was further endorsed by Forbes Magazine, who published a serious of articles:

Gluten Free Diets, Miracle or Hype

Are You Really Gluten Intolerant, Maybe Not

Gluten Intolerance May Not Exist

Many in the gluten free community responded swiftly by reputing the study and articles.  One such person is Alessio Fasano

Alessio Fasano, MD, chief of MassGeneral Hospital for Children’s Division of Pediatric Dr_ Alessio Fasano (Center for Celiac Research)Gastroenterology and Nutrition and director of the hospital’s Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, is one of the world’s foremost experts on celiac disease and gluten-related disorders. His landmark 2003 study established that celiac disease is much more common in the United States than had been previously thought. Studying gluten sensitivity, Dr. Fasano’s research team uncovered molecular and physiological differences between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, which is thought to affect even more people than celiac disease.

Jules Shepard, gluten free advocate , weekly radio show host, and one of the community’s most active bloggers interviews Dr. Fasano and his take on this new study.

Popular Health Internet Radio with Jules Gluten Free on BlogTalkRadio

 

 

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Can Gluten Cause Depression?

Posted April 28, 2014 By Sandy

If you are depressed, gluten intolerance or celiac disease can be one of the culprits. Yes, gluten can cause depression!

I conducted some of my own research on the subject, and here is what I found:

  • The intestinal damage wrought by celiac disease prevents absorption of essential nutrients that keep the brain healthy, especially zinc, tryptophan, and the B vitamins. These nutrients are necessary for the production of essential chemicals in the brain such as serotonin, a deficiency of which has been linked to depression.
    — Is Gluten Making You Depressed? by James M. Greenblatt, M.D.
  • How gluten causes depression anxiety is by producing inflammation in the gastrointestinal Can Gluten Cause Depressiontract, triggering an autoimmune response to the gluten protein which releases cytokines, which then enter the brain and produce inflammation in the brain, leading to depression anxiety.
    — How Gluten Causes Depression Anxiety
  • …. Dr. Rodney Ford, author of The Gluten Syndrome — have hypothesized that gluten exerts a direct depressive influence on your brain chemistry, independent of malabsorption resulting from intestinal damage. Dr. Ford believes gluten is responsible for depression both in people with celiac and in people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. In fact, his hypothesis of a direct effect would explain why so many people — both celiac and gluten-sensitive — experience short, predictable bouts of depression whenever they’ve been glutened, even if they didn’t ingest enough gluten to cause lasting intestinal damage.
    —Are Gluten and Depression Related? by Jane Anderson

So what can you do to deal with depression?  First, of course, is to stop eating gluten and if you are already on a gluten free diet, stop ‘cheating’ on your diet.

–Dr.Greenblatt suggested checking your zinc levels and make sure you take B12 supplements (especially good if you are vegan).

–Jane Anderson suggested adding the vitamins folic acid and B-6 to your vitamin regiment.

And of course, eating a good diet and exercising regularly is a universal ‘cure’ for depression.

Personally, when I was being treated for Alzheimers (before discovering I was gluten intolerant), I was prescribed anti-depressants.   Now, nearly 5 years later, I am still on them, but need to take them only 2-3 times a week rather than the 7 days a week per the original dosage.

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How Long will it Take to Recover from Gluten?

Posted April 22, 2014 By Sandy

Your recovery from gluten, along with anyone else, can be different for everyone. I am told that a large percentage of folks feel better just a few days after removing gluten from their diets.

In my case, there was no doubt that I had a problem with gluten all my life. I can remember being sick from eating when I was quite young. Food made me sick and I was too little to explain it to my mother.

How Long will it Take to Recover from Gluten?Yet, on the other hand, as sick as I was when I was finally diagnosed (for those who don’t know my story, I was being treated for early stages of Alzheimer disease), only three weeks or so passed before I started feeling better! But it didn’t end there. Now, nearly 5 years later, I can still feel improvement in my health.

I suffer from a mild form of ataxia. According to Jane Anderson, the About.com Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity Expert:

Gluten ataxia, an autoimmune neurological condition involving your body’s reaction to the gluten protein found in wheat, barley and rye, can irreversibly damage the part of your brain called the cerebellum, according to practitioners who first identified the condition about a decade ago.

This damage potentially can cause problems with your gait and with your gross motor skills, resulting in loss of coordination and possibly leading to significant, progressive disability in some cases.

So how long will it take to recover from gluten?  Someone with a recent problem with gluten or with milder symptoms than my own, may recover much quicker and feel better within days.

Jane goes on to share:

You may feel constantly hungry during the first several weeks you’re gluten-free, and you may want to eat all the time. This is completely normal — it’s your body’s way of trying to make up for not being able to absorb food. Your ravenous appetite should calm down eventually….

In addition, to feel better sooner, you may need to address any celiac-caused malnutrition. Lots of celiacs find they have vitamin and mineral deficiencies at diagnosis that can interfere with their well-being. Talk to your doctor about what supplements you should consider, and make sure to use only gluten-free vitamins.

Although you should start to feel a little better quickly, it takes most people who were very sick prior to diagnosis a long time — months, usually — to feel completely “normal” again. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t bounce back immediately; if you continue to see gradual improvement, you’re going in the right direction. However, if you don’t feel as if you’re making enough progress, talk to your doctor about your ongoing symptoms.

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Dr. Deanna Minich: What I Learned from the Gluten Summit

Posted April 14, 2014 By Sandy

Over the last weeks and months , I have been sharing information from the speakers at the Gluten Summit. Today I would like to share the interview with Dr. Deanna Minich.

Gluten Summit 2013

A Grain of Truth: The Gluten Summit
Dr. Deanna Minich, PhD, FACN, CNS
Nutrition For the Soul: Moving Beyond a Gluten-Free Diet

  • Gluten can penetrate through the skin through various household and personal care products

We eat with our skin. And, I’ve developed a lot of passion around personal care products and gluten because I was seeing in the clinic that some people were getting well and having raving success. And, then, others seem to have about 60 to 80% success, a lot of women. And, I noticed that these women were also consumers and users of a lot of personal care products.

So, we would start talking about household products. What are they inhaling? What are they slathering on their skin? What shampoo are they using? Of course, many times you see hydrolyzed wheat protein as one of the main ingredients, even in lotions. And, so, that stuff sits on our skin. And, the way that it works is by penetrating the skin. So, we can set off that autoimmune cascade even at that level.

  • Skin is similar to tissues in the intestinal tract

The goal of how those products work is by at least getting into perhaps the epidermis, the upper layer of the skin. Whether or not it gets into the systemic circulation, there can still be a process that is offset in the skin. And, keep in mind, as you know, the skin is very similar in tissue to the gastrointestinal tract. So, if we’re having a reaction at the skin level, and people are observant of that and they start to notice even changes in their skin…But, more notably, even if they have changes in their health when their omitting gluten in the diet, and they’re still seeing something happen. …

The experts can say that these things don’t penetrate the skin. But, in my clinical experience–and that’s all I can speak from; I haven’t done research on this–in my clinical experience, I have seen that people respond very well when they start to omit personal care products that contain gluten. They stop losing hair. They stop having skin symptoms.

  • Dr. Minich wrote a book on food additives that can be very helpful to people working on maintaining a healthy diet free from gluten.

And, I wrote a little book and published that back a couple of years ago. It’s called An A-Z Guide to Food Additives: Never Eat What You Can’t Pronounce.  And, in that book, I give a whole list of different ingredients that you would find in a label that would contain gluten.

  • Lots of gluten free food products include unhealthy ingredients like fat and sugar which can be just as bad for us as the gluten!

So, the way that I can say that gluten-free diets could be, perhaps, not as beneficial for our health is when we start to substitute the gluten-containing items that are not as healthy, that are processed, with gluten-free options that contain high amounts of sugar, high amounts of fat. They’re just as bad as their gluten-containing counterparts. So, the only thing that changed with that food was the omission of the gluten, but not necessarily the quality of the food.

  • Our relationship with food says lots about how we live.

… our relationship with food and eating says so much about how we live. And, how we live, says so much about how we’re eating. So, the more aware we are and the more conscious we are about our eating behaviors, it’s almost like that can ripple through and change how we live.

So, I find it fascinating when I’m asking patients, “Just tell me, give me some adjectives that describe how you eat?” And, I might get words like, “fast.” I might get things like, “chaotic,” “rushed,” “processed.” And, so, then I have them draw a correlate with their lives and I say, “Well, are your lives fast? Are your lives chaotic? Are they processed. Do they feel fast? Do they feel just like they’re zooming past you, your daily moments?” And, typically you’ll see that people see the connection. That, “Wow, if I slow down and I’m more conscious about my food, does that mean that everything around me starts to slow down?”

  • Going gluten free involves every part of us.

Going gluten-free is going to involve every piece of who we are. Even if we take those different aspects. The body, we’re going to see changes in the immune system and how we function. The emotions, I spoke to that. Our sense of power and self-esteem. We have to be really rock solid within ourselves to really take on something new in a completely…We have to have a lot of will-power. And, we have to forge forward. We also have to have self-love. So, the whole aspect of love, really caring for ourselves and nurturing for ourselves and making that commitment because really and truly, in order for us to love others, we need to love ourselves.

 

 

 

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  • Kim posted on April 16, 2014
    Sandy, Thank you for this wonderful article! I am Dr. Minich's Health Program Manager. Can you contact me at Kimberlee@foodandspirit.com…
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Are You Getting Enough Protein?

Posted March 15, 2014 By Sandy

I don’t know about you, but I have heard this question numerous times when I tell people I am vegan.  The meat industry has inundated the public with so much false information about the need for meat for protein, that the average person has no idea what or where to find plant based protein.  Unfortunately, most don’t even know that you can get protein outside of meat or dairy products!

Are you getting enough protein. Happily for us gluten free vegans, there are numerous sources to find good protein — but one needs to be careful as many of the typical vegan protein sources contain gluten … and often, LOTS of gluten!

My go-to expert on the subject is Jane Anderson of About.com:  Celiac Disease & Gluten Sensitivity expert.

Here is her list of good, safe vegan protein sources:

So What Protein Sources Fit My Gluten-Free Vegetarian or Vegan Diet?

• Whole grains. You obviously can’t eat wheat, barley or rye if you’re gluten-free, but there are tons of alternative grains out there. Amaranth and quinoa — at about 8 to 9 grams of protein per cup of cooked grain — are among your best bets for packing in the protein.

• Legumes. Beans are another obvious source of protein on your diet, and there are literally hundreds of great recipes for bean-based gluten-free vegetarian dishes out there.  … a cup of boiled lentils gives you 18 grams of protein, while kidney beans come in just below that, at 16 grams per cup.

• Nuts and seeds. Half a cup of pecans can provide you with 5 grams of protein, while 1 ounce of chunky peanut butter nets you 7 grams. You might also consider using almond flour to replace some of your regular gluten-free flour in baked goods to boost your protein consumption — half a cup contains about 12 grams.

• Tofu and soy products. Soy (a common component of vegetarian and vegan dishes) can provide you with plenty of protein. For example, you can add tofu to your dishes (one-fourth of a typical box nets you about 6 grams of protein) and snack on edamame (a cup of edamame in a Japanese restaurant — or at home in your own kitchen — will provide a whopping 22 grams).

• Meat substitute products. There’s a multitude of meat substitute products on the market these days, both in the produce department of the supermarket and in the freezer section — it seems like you can choose anything from a plain burger to exotic meat-free “sausages.”

• Green vegetables (and those in other colors). Don’t forget that basic vegetables — the foundation of your vegetarian or vegan diet — also can contribute some protein. Asparagus, for example, contains 3 grams per cup … and when it’s in season each spring.  Cauliflower also offers some protein: about 2 grams per cup, chopped. And cauliflower’s cruciferous relatives, broccoli and brussel sprouts, can kick in about 3 grams per cup. Even fruit contains a bit of protein — usually about 1 gram per piece, give or take.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Personally, I don’t eat soy products, mostly because I have thyroid issues.  I also don’t eat meat substitute products for the same reason.  Also, many meat substitutes contain gluten, so be diligent about reading labels before you buy any meat substitutes!

I am happiest with a taco salad or any Mexican style dish that includes beans!

How about you?  What do you eat to make sure you get enough protein?

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  • Kara posted on March 26, 2014
    Just discovered your site! Fantastic! Coincidentally I just started reevaluating my protein intake and I am always on the lookout…
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Dr. Mark Hyman: What I Learned from the Gluten Summit

Posted March 8, 2014 By Sandy

Over the last weeks, I have been sharing information from the speakers at the Gluten Summit. Today I would like to share the interview with Dr. Mark Hyman.

Gluten Summit 2013A Grain of Truth: The Gluten Summit

Presenter: Dr. Mark Hyman, MD
A “Functional Approach” to Lifestyle
Can Transform Your Body

NOTE:  Dr. Mark Hyman’s book, UltraMind Solution was instrumental in helping me find help BEFORE I was diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance.

  • Sugar, not fat, is causing more health problems  and sugar, in the form of flour, is a big source of sugar in our diet.

Fat makes you thin. And, sugar makes you fat. And, sugar in the form of flour is one of the biggest sources of sugar in our diet.

The way in which we grind the flour, the way in which it’s grown, the super starch molecules that are in it–the amylopectin-A–because of the genetic hybridization creating a dwarf wheat strain that’s got a much higher starch content, the average whole wheat bread today has more sugar content than sugar. So, if you have two tablespoons of whole wheat bread, you’re going to raise your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar. And, most people don’t get that. And, once you get that you’re going to change your relationship for the foods you’re eating and the wheat you’re eating.

… Two tablespoons of bread have more of an effect on blood sugar than two tablespoons of sugar.

  • Gluten free flours have a greater impact on our glycemic index than wheat flour

I would say that gluten-free cakes and cookies are still cakes and cookies. In fact, it may be worse than cakes and cookies because it’s made from flours that are even higher glycemic than wheat. Flours like rice flour or potato starch or tapioca starch or other kinds of flours that are extremely high glycemic.

…which means it raises your blood sugar faster. So, if you take whole wheat flour and you compare it to, let’s say, rice flour, the rice flour is actually worse in how fast it raises your blood sugar. So, you’re substituting a thing that’s very bad with something that’s even worse. And, I see often people balloon up on gluten-free foods. So, gluten-free junk food is still junk food.

  • Gluten sensitivities can cause a host of other problems

There are people who have antibody-mediated sensitivity. So, they have other antibodies, gluten antibodies, anti-gliadin antibodies. And, they’re elevated. But, they don’t have full-blown celiac. So, they have a negative biopsy, but they may have intestinal inflammation. Those people are also ill. There’s about 7 or 8 percent of the population that has that. Certain populations like autistics and schizophrenics, it’s up to 18 to 20 percent of those people. That’s almost one in five autistics or schizophrenics that have anti-gliadin antibodies. That’s another level.

  • Artificial sweeteners are just as bad for us as sugar

Artificial sweeteners we think are a free food…..One large soda–a 20-ounce diet soda– which is common, increases your risk by 66%. And, the average diet soda drinker has three per week. And, some people have three per day.

And, we know that this drives significant cravings that dysregulate their brain chemistry. So, you have an extraordinary amount of sweet receptors on your tongue. And, also, even in your intestinal tract you have sweet receptors. And, when you stimulate those sweet receptors with a compound that’s a hundred to a thousand times sweeter than regular sugar, it’s like crack cocaine for your brain.

And, I can tell you if you’ve talked to people who drink these things, they’re highly addicted to artificial sweeteners. And, it causes a cephalic phase insulin response where you get a spike in insulin, which then causes your body to shift into a fat storage mode. And, it also can affect your sugar, your blood sugar, causing a drop in blood sugar, leading to increased appetite. It also slows your metabolism.

And, in animal studies, they found that animals who have artificial sweeteners actually eat more food quantity even though it’s less calories, and they gain more weight. They gain 14 percent body fat in two weeks simply by switching to artificial sweeteners. So, if you’re going to have something sweet, have something sweet.

Watch for more of “What I Learned from the Gluten Free Summit” in later posts.

 

 

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