Celiac Disease & Gluten Intolerance... What's up with wheat?

Have you been told you have "gluten-intolerance" or worse... that you have celiac disease?  Many people go for years without knowing the connection between gluten and their gastrointestinal symptoms, autoimmune disease (thyroiditis, arthritis, lupus etc), skin disorder (eczema, acne, psoriasis), and even neurological disorders (epilepsy, ADHD, autism, etc) 

What is gluten?

It's a protein found in wheat grain and part of "gluey" proline and glutamine rich proteins known as prolamines. Prolamines are found in all cereal grains, even rice, corn and oats. Gluten ingestion in susceptible individuals is assosiated with the serious neurological and autoimmune reactions often linked to autism spectrum disorder.  

Historically, we can see a large increase in chronic degenerative diseases, like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and bone loss/tooth decay when societies start to increase intake of grains and especially wheat.  I have seen remarkable improvement in many patient's illnesses, especially skin disorders and autoimmune disease on a grain-free diet.

 Here is a must watch video from Peter Osborne, D.C. that does a very nice job of explaining the differences between gluten intolerance and celiac disease and explaining how this could be contributing to your symptoms...

If you want to know more about YOUR PERSONAL RISK, just ask Dr. Jill about how you can be tested for HLA typing DQ2/DQ8 genes to determine if you are at risk!

Coffee... Drink and Thrive!!

Many patients are surprised to hear that I drink coffee.  Not just an occasional cup, but every morning at 5:25am my Cuisinart automatic bean-grinding coffee maker whirs to a start, grinding the fresh roasted beans from Silver Canyon Coffee (*Organic Ethiopian Unwashed Sidamo is our favorite)  

*The unwashed or "dry" coffee permits the cherries to dry completely before the seed is milled from the outer pulp and skin. This affords a prolonged contact between the ripe fruit and the seed, and imparts a fruitier, more complex and wine-like coffee flavor.

For years, coffee had a bad reputation. Linked in many people's minds with smoking, coffee is sometimes associated with over-stimulation and sleep-deprived shift workers.  In fact, just ask my husband... in the early years of marriage, I always referrered to his morning cup of java as "black death".  We laugh about it now and share a 12-cup pot that's brewed fresh from the our favorite coffee roasters.

Green tea may get all the glory, but the top source of age-avenging antioxidants in the American diet is coffee! The beans behind your brew—actually the seeds of the coffee tree's fruit—contain the same kind of nutritionally supercharged compounds found in tea and other plant-based foods such as wine and chocolate.

 

Healthy benefits of the bean!

Studies show that coffee can help ward off mental decline, certain cancers, Parkinson's disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and even extra pounds. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that each time you refill your cup of java (caffeinated or decaf) in a day, you slash your diabetes risk by 7 percent and in another study, drinking two to three cups of coffee each day was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of heart disease.

In terms of drinking the brew, it's best to do it in moderation, despite the body benefits. Coffee is a natural stimulant, and high intake can bring on headaches, increase heart rate, or cause insomnia or sleep issues. You will get the most benefit by capping your intake at 4-6 cups per day and stopping before 2pm.  The half life of coffee is about 5-7hours, which means about 6 hours after you drink it, half the caffeine is still around in your body. Many people will still have caffeine in their system 12 hours after consuming it... but rates of elimination and metabolism of coffee (processed in the liver) will vary greatly from person to person.  Caffeine is also a diuretic, meaning that it increases urine output, which can lead to dehydration.

 

Coffee contains antioxidants

While both coffee and tea contain antioxidants, coffee, in some cases might just as good a choice!  There are more antioxidants in a cup of coffee than in a cup of tea.  And with more than half of Americans drinking coffee every day, Americans are getting more of their antioxidants from coffee than from any other dietary source.  Coffee also contains minerals such as magnesium and chromium, which help the body use the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar. In type 2 diabetes, the body loses its ability to use insulin and regulate blood sugar effectively.  However, coffee may interfere with absorption of certain nutrients, like iron.

 

What about pregnant women?

In August 2010, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) stated that moderate caffeine drinking -- less than 200 mg per day, or about the amount in 12 ounces of coffee -- doesn't appear to have any major effects on causing miscarriage, premature delivery, or fetal growth.

But the effects of larger caffeine doses are unknown, and other research shows that pregnant women who drink many cups of coffee daily may be at greater risk for miscarriage than non-drinkers or moderate drinkers so be cautious.

So be well... and enjoy your cup of the black brew guilt free.  (and in moderation, of course!)

 

Tromboncino Squash Soup from Red Wagon Organic Farm

Next stop at the market is Red Wagon Organic Farm, our favorite place for unique produce and leafy greens of all types to add to my morning smoothies.  Last Saturday we were introduced to a new veggie - the Trombocino squash (see photos below).  I couldn't wait to get home and try it - so I altered a fabulous zucchini soup recipe and it turned out quite nicely!

Photographer, Aaron, with his Cannon and Trombocino Squash

Owner, Wyatt Barnes, telling me about the Trombocino Squash history

Checking out ...adding fresh basil, mint and rosemary to my order!

Creamy Summer Tromboncino Squash Soup

The original recipe called for zucchini, but I substituted tromboncino squash.  You can use organic vegetable stock or homemade chicken stock. If you are cooking for one or two people, you may want to freeze half of it for later. The soup should last in the fridge for up to 5 days.

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 to 10 cups chopped Tromboncino squash
6 tablespoons uncooked white rice
8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
REAL sea salt to taste

Heat a 6 to 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onion and saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion softens and is beginning to change color. Add garlic and cumin and saute a minute more. Then add chopped tromboncino squash, rice, and chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until squash is tender and rice is cooked.

Add cilantro and lemon juice to the pot. Remove from heat and puree in your blender or Vita-Mix in batches.  Pour soup into another clean pot or bowl, stir batches together, and taste. If it needs a flavor boost, add more REAL sea salt to taste.

Aaron's gone this week so he'll have to wait to try some of the soup when he returns.... stay tuned to hear his review :-)
Enjoy!

Gluten-free Peach Cobbler from Ela Family Farms!

Next stop at the Farmer's market is Ela's Family Farms for fresh peaches, dried apples and Aaron's favorite, raspberry peach jam!  The lovely Jeni (pictured above on left) always greets us with a cheerful smile and samples of fresh-cut peaches or dried apples!  This week we picked up a bag of lucious tree-ripened peaches.  Aaron is anxiously awaiting me making gluten-free fresh peach cobbler (see recipe below) and I'll wake up in the morning, slice a fresh peach and pop a few slices raw into my mouth.  Or toss one or two into my morning smoothie!

One of my favorite year-round snacks from Ela Family Farms is their Apples Aplenty dried apples.  Hits the spot for a delicious healthy snack at bedtime with a cup of peppermint tea!  And I can get them at the local Whole Foods market year-round.  They also make a combo dried peaches and apples but my favorite is the Apples Aplenty sweet & tart apple combo.

So here's what you've all been waiting for!  My mouth watering low-glycemic gluten-free peach cobbler recipe!

PEACH MIXTURE:

• 10 whole peaches (peeled & sliced)
• ½ cup organic coconut palm sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour or almond flour

COBBLER:

• 1 cup coconut flour or almond flour
• 2 teaspoons organic coconut palm sugar or raw organic cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoons aluminum-free baking soda
• ¼ teaspoons REAL Sea salt
• ¼ cups organic butter or ghee
• ½ cups coconut milk (get the real stuff, not the low-fat version!)  I use Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk
• ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons melted organic butter or ghee
• 2 Tablespoons organic coconut palm sugar (or raw brown sugar also ok)

Gently combine sliced peaches with 1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1 tablespoon coconut/almond flour mix in a bowl. Pour peach mixture into a  8″ x 8″ baking dish (or deep pie plate) sprayed with organic olive oil.

For the cobbler, in a small bowl, whisk together flour mix, coconut palm sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Using a pastry cutter, then your hands, cut in butter pieces until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Combine coconut milk and vanilla together then pour into the flour mixture and gently stir until just combined.

Spoon batter over peaches in the pan, leaving some areas exposed. Drizzle melted butter over exposed areas and sprinkle the entire top with the organic palm sugar or raw brown sugar.

Set pan aside for 20-30 minutes while you preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is browned and peaches are bubbly. Cool until just warm and serve topped with vanilla ice cream or for low-glycemic version, use coconut ice milk.

Now is the time when you are shooing your husband and the puppies out of the kitchen as then linger to smell the fresh baking cobbler and salivate with the delicious smell it creates :-)

DO share and enjoy!

Stay tuned for more recipes and more local favorites..
~Dr Jill

Fresh Lamb from Triple M Bar Ranch

First off I'd like to feature the folks at Triple M Bar Ranch, David & Mary (a.k.a "the lamb lady")   These lovely people were our first stop this weekend to pick of some fresh lamb pieces for stew.  My husband is the happy recipient of my cooking endeavors and swears that lamb makes the very BEST stew ever (see my recipe below)

Here's some great info from Mary, "the lamb lady"

"Triple M Bar Ranch lamb meat is all natural, which means we do not use growth hormones or antibiotics. Our meat is lean and a good source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin, zinc, selenium, in addition to iron and riboflavin.  Our meat has a unique, mild flavor due to the feed used to grow our lambs. They begin on grass pastures then go to melon and vegetable pastures, including cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, onions, okra, and eggplant. The lambs also graze on crop stubble during winter months. The lambs are processed when they are less than 1-year old at a USDA-inspected facility in southern Colorado."

DR. JILL'S LAMB STEW

• 1 package lamb stew meat
• Fresh herbs - rosemary, basil, oregano
• Small bunch of grilling onions chopped into bite-size pieces
• Bag of new baby white or red potatoes, cut up into quarters 
• Fresh rainbow carrots from market, cut into bite-size pieces
• Fresh chopped parsley
• Fresh chopped or freeze dried garlic 1-2 TBSP
• REAL sea salt to taste
• 1-2 cups of water

 Place thawed lamb in bottom of crock pot, sprinkle fresh herbs (especially rosemary) directly onto lamb meat pieces and layer potatoes, carrots and fresh herbs.  Finally pour water on top of mixture and salt well.  Turn on HIGH heat setting for 1 hour and then LOW for 8-9 hours.

I served to Aaron with a slab of thick-sliced Canyon Bakehouse Caraway gluten-free bread and organic butter.... and now he thinks I'm the best wife ever!

Bon Appetit!

Boulder Farmer's Market Favorites!

Hey readers... please stay tuned!

This week I'll be blogging about some of my favorite venders and fresh produce at the Boulder Farmer's Market...  and encouraging YOU to support your local organic and sustainable farms.

I'll be featuring delicious recipes, insider tips to get the best produce, and introducing you to some of my favorite venders...

• Triple M Bar Ranch - Colorado grown lamb
• Aspen Moon Farm in Hygeine, CO
• Isabelle Farm in Layfayette, CO
•  Red Wagon Organic Farm in Longmont, CO
• Ela Family Farms in Hotchkiss, CO
• Rocky Mountain Salsa
• Silver Canyon Coffee

 And... if you don't want to miss any of the great recipes, just click "join" on the right to get email updates right to your inbox!

Ten Simple Rules to Healthy Grocery Shopping Habits!

Are you boggled by the confusing array of suggestions for a healthy diet?  Are you overwhelmed when shopping for your family and trying to feed them good food?  Well, here are ten simple rules when eating that may simplify your life!  Eating REAL, fresh food, will treat and even reverse many chronic illnesses.  Just take note and follow these simple steps to a healthy YOU!

1. Ideally eat only food without labels in your kitchen or foods that don’t come in a box, a package, or a can. There are labeled foods that are great, like sardines, artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers, but you have to be very smart in reading the labels. TWO THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
   Where is the primary ingredient on the list? If the real food is at the end of the list and the sugar or salt is at the beginning, beware. The most abundant ingredient is listed first and the others are listed in descending order by weight.
2. If a food has a label it should have fewer than five ingredients.  Beware of food with health claims on the label. They are usually bad for you – think ”sports beverages.”  I recently saw a bag of deep-fried potato chips with the health claims “gluten-free, organic, no artificial ingredients, no sugar” and with fewer than 5 ingredients listed.  Sounds great, right?  But remember, cola is 100 percent fat-free and that doesn’t make it a health food.
3. If sugar (by any name, including organic cane juice, honey, agave, maple syrup, cane syrup, or molasses) is on the label, throw it out. There may be up to 33 teaspoons of sugar in the average bottle of ketchup. Same goes for white rice and white flour, which act just like sugar in the body. 
4. Throw out any food with high-fructose corn syrup on the label. It is a super sweet liquid sugar that takes no energy for the body to process. Some high-fructose corn syrup also contains mercury as a by-product of the manufacturing process. Many liquid calories, such as sodas, juices, and “sports” drinks, contain this metabolic poison. It always signals low quality or processed food.
5. Throw out any food with the word hydrogenated on the label. This is an indicator of trans fats, vegetable oils converted through a chemical process into margarine or shortening. They are good for keeping cookies on the shelf for long periods of time without going stale, but these fats have been proven to cause heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. New York City and most European counties have banned trans fats, and you should, too.
6. Throw out any highly refined cooking oils such as corn, soy, etc. Avoid toxic fats and fried foods.
7. Throw out any food with ingredients you can’t recognize, pronounce, or that are in Latin.
8. Throw out any foods with preservatives, additives, coloring or dyes, “natural flavorings,” or flavor enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate).
9. Throw out food with artificial sweeteners of all kinds  (aspartame, Splenda, sucralose, and sugar alcohols—any word that ends with “ol” like xylitol, sorbitol). They make you hungrier, slow your metabolism, give you gas, and make you store belly fat.
10. If it came from the earth or a farmer’s field, not a food chemist’s lab, it’s safe to eat. As Michael Pollan says, if it was grown on a plant, not made in a plant, then you can keep it in your kitchen. If it is something your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food, throw it out (like a “lunchable” or go-gurt”).  Stay away from “food-like substances.”

References