Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Gluten-Free

Wow! It has been a while. Gotta pick the pace back up.

I was inspired to write tonight by some delicious gluten-free cookies I discovered. The brand is "The Craving's Place" which I found at New Seasons (you mix & bake). Chocolate Chunk... yum!

So why gluten-free? A couple years ago my acupuncturist mentioned gluten can create a wet towel effect in the intestines. This past year I read a book called "The Mood Cure" which discusses how to regulate emotions and energy with food and amino acids. She outlines several bad mood foods, including gluten (gluten= flour, wheat, oats, barley and rye).

What's the issue? "Gluten (think glue) can irritate, inflame and rupture the lining of the digestive tract, to the point that the nutrients of food don't get absorbed well (or sometimes at all)." This in turn disrupts digestion and can cause malnutrition. She maps back to all kinds of problems- from digestive to headaches, depression and colon cancer. Eek!

I tested giving them up and very quickly felt like a new person. My stomach and intestines felt lighter. My digestion was better. My skin improved GREATLY. And I had more energy.

When I eat now (yes, I sneak) I get a terrible stomach ache and my skin sometimes is impacted.

It's been very interesting. I'm definitely glad to be gluten-free. But do sneak a piece of bread or slice of pizza... it's worth the pain from time to time. :)

The good news is I am discovering more and more options, so sneaking may not be necessary soon.

If you are interested in the book, see:
http://www.amazon.com/Mood-Cure-4-Step-Program-Emotions-Today/dp/0142003646/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251872585&sr=8-1

And if you want gluten-free recommendations, let me know. I also love recommendations so please pass along!