It’s a huge problem right now, given the months of rain we’ve had, not to mention the many who’ve dealt with flooding.

A propolis vaporizer is “a strategy to make the house mold free” says Dr Dietrich Klinghardt, MD PhD.   An Italian study showed a 70% cure rate for kids with asthma in 6 weeks. I am offering two models, a basic one for $199, and a deluxe model, with a fan and diffuser, for $299.  Each comes with 2 capsules of pure propolis that each last up to 122 hours. An additional capsules are $18.  The propolis smells sort of like honey (well, it does come from bees!) and the vaporizer is simple to use and attractively designed.

Additional research has shown a 71.8% reduction of airborne bacteria within 3 days of use, and substantial reduction of urban air pollutants.

Apart from mold, propolis is excellent for sinus problems and chronic allergies of all sorts.  It is highly anti-microbial, non-allergenic, and completely safe.

I also have car vaporizers that filter air pollution and diffuse bioflavanoids while you drive. These plug into your cigarette charger and use the same capsules as the vaporizers. The cost is $69. I love the way my car smells with it on, and it’s so good to know that I’m breathing clean air, rather than the pollutants from the road and the traffic.

Celiac Disease Associated with Asthma Risk.

When my son was 6 months old, he suddenly came down with violent eczema: bright red patches on his cheeks, elbows and legs that drove him crazy with itchiness.  My smiling cheerful “sunshine boy” was suddenly transformed into a miserable, crying, bloody mess.  I was still well-behaved enough to bring him to the pediatrician, who prescribed a steroid cortisone cream, and mentioned casually, as we were leaving, that my boy would have asthma by the time he was four.  That stopped me in my tracks. “Oh no he won’t!” I declared.

While keeping the eczema under control with homeopathy, I began my search to understand what was going on with his body.  Unfortunately, it took me years. Fortunately, we were able to keep him relatively healthy. Though my poor son sported a chronically runny nose, he never became chronically asthmatic.  I took him to many doctors, holistic and otherwise, as well as homeopaths, naturopaths and other practitioners during the years that followed.  None had answers, though they all made suggestions. They touted blood tests that said he was reacting to things he’d never eaten, and supplements that rarely helped at all.  I continued to support him with homeopathy, detox, and supplements that kept it from getting serious, but he was never completely well. As always in my work – how much more so for my son – I was driven to find the underlying cause, and no one had helped me identify it yet.

It was only when I did my training with endocrinologist Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., that the picture finally came in to focus: my son is gluten-sensitive.  His chronic runny nose disappeared almost instantly.  None of the tests, and none of the practitioners, had suggested that.

Now, looking back, it all seems perfectly clear.  His symptoms started when we introduced food. He was gnawing on pizza crusts, bagels, teething cookies: all made with wheat.  He had intense “growing pains” which are virtually always an indication of gluten sensitivity. He was short, which he overcame on the basketball court with intensity, honed skills and determination, but short stature is often an indication. (Since giving up gluten he is no longer short.)  He would often get so tired after dinner that he would fall asleep at the table.  All of these, I know now, are signs of gluten sensitivity, but I couldn’t recognize them because I didn’t know.  How I wish I could have saved him all those years of frustration.

I also owe Diana Schwarzbein my own health.  I had no symptoms, but she was certain I was gluten sensitive. She told me she had had the same resistance to the idea herself, but felt so much better when she went gluten-free. Finally, because I trusted her, I decided to try it. After all, I was cooking gluten free for my son already, so it was easy to do.

I was astonished. Within a few weeks, I felt like a veil had lifted. I realized that I had been suffering from a mild depression my whole life, and that it was caused by eating gluten.  How can you know, when you are limited by your own experience?  Also, like my son, I discovered I was not hypoglycemic: my blood sugar swings were the effect of gluten in my system.  And over time, many things improved: not only my mood, but my cognitive function,my digestion, my skin tone, and my body composition.

Of course there are other issues that make people sick, or less than well. Not only other food sensitivities, but bacterial, viral and fungal infections, hormonal and metabolic imbalances. But the truth is that gluten sensitivity can exacerbate or even trigger any of these.

Just in the past 2 days I have read an article linking gluten sensitivity with IBS, an article that links acid reflux, often a side effect of gluten sensitivity, with bone fractures, and one that links erratic blood sugar levels after meals (something I associate with gluten sensitivity) to sudden heart failure, even in young people. (Sorry, I can’t find the link for that one.)  My theories, from my clinical practice, about relationships between gluten sensitivity and H. Pylori, early onset Alzheimer’s, diabetes, anxiety and depression, Interstitial Cystitis, bone loss, Lupus, and more, have all found validation in research over the past few years, along with the issues mentioned above.  Much of it has to do with inflammation.

Sometimes people ask if I just diagnose everyone who comes to see me with gluten sensitivity. The answer is: of course not; just those who are gluten sensitive. But that means 30% of the general population, and I am seeing a subset that is chronically ill, where the percentage is much higher.

Sometimes I think anyone could open an office and tell everyone who is chronically ill to take themselves off gluten; many would substantially recover their health. You would certainly do no harm.

This article below was originally published in my column Holistic Outlook in The Times Herald Record on February 2, 2011.

Link to original article is here. Links to the 3 tips are separate: here, here and here.

Researchers now predict that one out of three of us will have diabetes.  Twenty five percent of our kids take prescription medication before they’re out of their teens. Forty-eight percent of us take at least one medication, and the average number of prescriptions per person is somewhere between 12 and 15, depending on the research you look at.  People over 65 filled an average of 31 prescriptions annually, with women taking about one-third more than men.

What is going on?  Are we really so ill-designed that we now need pharmaceuticals to function and survive?  Is there no alternative to our bodies breaking down so terribly, long before we’re done using them?  Is being and staying healthy so uncommon it’s no longer “normal”?  And is it inevitable for our bodies to function so poorly as we get older?

My answer to all of those questions is a resounding NO!

Much of what people take prescriptions for, including cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, arthritis, even depression and anxiety, has a great deal to do with lifestyle choices, and often can be addressed nutritionally.  Please understand: I am not saying stop taking your medications!  But I am saying that people who are willing to make significant lifestyle changes can also often work with their prescribing doctor to reduce or eliminate their prescriptions as their health improves. And it can. I have seen it happen hundreds of times in my practice, with young kids as well as adults in their 50s, 60s and even 70s.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who stopped smoking and started juicing. He knew both changes would be theoretically good for his health, but he was surprised to find how much better he felt, so quickly, and – bonus – that he no longer needed caffeine to get him through the day.  All of a sudden, he had so much more energy, naturally.  When we reduce the toxins and improve our self-care, the results are often remarkable.  That’s how we’re naturally designed: with a remarkable ability to heal.  Why not take advantage of that, and make some changes that will not only help with how you feel, and how you look, but with how you age?

Are you afraid that in order to get good results, life as you know it would end? Or that you’d have to deprive yourself of everything you like? It’s not true!  Even small changes can make a difference.  In fact, it’s better not to do everything at once. Slow and steady is much more likely to succeed for the long run. The trick is to keep making small changes consistently, so that they eventually add up to big ones.  You can begin with one step, as long as you begin!  Then, maintain that change, and add another, building on your improvements week by week.

I recommend starting by adding some new healthy habits in before you take the less healthy ones out.  That gives you additional support. You can use the lists below to get some idea of how to start.  Pick one to start, and then commit as if your life depended on it.  It just may.

TIp #1: What to add in:
Lots of water. Green juice. Fiber (think beans, legumes & veggies rather than grains). Non-starchy veggies, like broccoli, zucchini, salads, kale, chard, cabbage, etc. (Make these half your plate, twice a day.) Fruit, especially berries.  8 hours of sleep.  Exercise – find a way to move that makes you feel more alive.

Tip #2  What to take out:
Fried foods. Foods that come in packages. Caffeine, especially those syrup-sweetened lattes! Sugar. Artificial sweeteners. Artificial creamers. Alcohol. Diet and regular sodas. Breakfast cereals (you need protein at breakfast). Fruit juice (highly concentrated sugars). Snacks when you’re not hungry.  Eating late at night.  Mindless eating, any time.

Tip #3: Substitutes
Xylitol or stevia for sugar. Green tea for coffee. Club soda & flavored seltzers for sugared or diet sodas. Coconut milk for creamer. Brown rice for white. “Real food” carbohydrates like sweet and white potatoes, beans & legumes, peas and carrots for processed foods like bread, bagels, rolls. 70% or higher cocoa bars for milk chocolate.

Here are the stories of three very different children who came to my office.  Each one is remarkable and yet, typical of the kinds of transformation I see all the time.  I am very grateful that their parents not only allowed, but encouraged me to share their stories with you.

1. Rosey:  “Thank you for giving me my daughter back”

Rosey is 10 years old.  Her Mom brings her in to see me because she is concerned about Rosey’s anger, her violence and her difficulty socially.  Rosey is incredibly bright and lovely to look at.  She plays the violin and the piano, dances, does gymnastics, and hopes to be on the swim team at her school.  She loves nature and animals, writing stories, and designing the clothing for her Mom’s upcoming wedding.  Rosey doesn’t want to have scary thoughts any more: that she doesn’t love her mother; that a man is going to hurt her; nightmares both waking and sleeping.  She is afraid of bears, killer whales, and her own dark thoughts.  She tells me she has them any time she’s not busy.  She has an extensive history of unusual illnesses from a very early age, including giardia, migraines, and Henoch-Schönlein purpura, an immune disorder.  She tells me, with great candor, that she has a hard time getting along in school, that she gets in trouble, that she’s mean.  She confesses she has anger problems, that she’ll cry, scream, jump up and down and throw herself on the floor.

I checked Rosey’s food sensitivities, and suggest they eliminate gluten, peanuts and soy from her diet.  We did a little bit of kinesiology to help her with her fears, and I gave her a high potency homeopathic remedy: Thuja.  Thuja can be helpful for people who feel worthless, unattractive, and ugly inside.  They want to fit in, but don’t feel they can.  They often have fixed ideas or delusions, and dreams of death.  They are often described as having a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.

Rosey’s Mom reported that by that same evening, after the initial dose of her homeopathic remedy, Rosey was already a different girl.  “Thank you”, she says, “for giving me my daughter back.”  The anger and violence diminished, and Rosey was more at ease with herself and others.  They repeated the remedy after 2 weeks, and Rosey continued to improve.  When I saw her for her one month check up, she was still having some disturbing thoughts, but they are fewer, less frequent and less intense.  She is doing great on her new diet, and seems happier and more self-content.  I look forward to seeing her continue to improve in every way.

2.  Samantha: “She can get a hold of herself now.”

Samantha is a 4½  year old diagnosed with autism.  She has not slept through the night since birth, in fact, wakes repeatedly, exhausting both herself and her mother.  She is minimally verbal, with just occasional single words.  She is anxious and has extreme sensory issues.  Fearless, she frequently gets hurt.  She has had repeated episodes of candida, and has been on an organic yeast-free diet.  She is taking Risperdal, and a second medication to help her sleep, although it does not seem to be working.  She is by turns extremely irritable and irresistibly cheerful.   I checked her for food sensitivities, and recommended they take gluten out of her diet.  I also gave them Inositol (part of the Vitamin B Complex) to help promote a calmer, more focused state, and a probiotic powder.  Lastly I recommended homeopathic Chamomilla, a remedy that fits Samantha’s extreme hypersensitivity, her inability to sleep, the inconsolable periods she has had since birth, and her need to be carried.  Because she is on strong pharmaceutical medications, I gave her both a high potency constitutional dose, and a low potency daily dose, as the action of the pharmaceuticals will erode the homeopathic remedy somewhat.

Nine days later, Samantha’s Mom called for a refill of the daily dose of Chamomilla.  She reported that Samantha was much calmer, and not waking much at night any more.  Her teachers and therapists noticed a big difference in her as well. Samantha is learning to work things through, rather than having a tantrum.  At her one month follow-up, her Mom noted that Samantha is sleeping through the night regularly for the first time since birth.  She goes to bed at 8:30PM and her Mom has to wake her at 7AM.  Even on the rare occasions she wakes up at night, she goes right back to sleep.  She is off the sleep medication, and her Mom is looking to cut the Risperdal as well.  “She’s able to get a hold of herself now. You can see her breathing, trying to control herself.”  She is more interactive with toys, and more attentive to and engaged with what her brothers are doing.  She is less sensory-seeking, more relaxed, and more directive about what she wants.  She is paying attention more, and has more eye contact.

Interestingly, there was one slip-up with Samantha’s gluten-free diet.  A teacher gave her a bagel bite, and 15 minutes later the tantrums and stimming were back. Samantha literally threw herself into the walls.  The regression was so striking that even hours later,  when her dad came home, he said “What the %*&* happened to her?!”   Fortunately, once the gluten was out of her system, the improvements returned.

Her Mom says Samantha has very much come out of her other world.  I am so thrilled with her progress, and look forward to seeing her continuing to improve.

3.  Colin: “A Normal Little Boy”

Colin is 7 and cute as a button.  Colin was breastfed for his first year, but as soon as he was weaned, he started throwing up.  He had eczema as a baby, which was treated with steroid creams.  He then had secondary infections, and was on antibiotics three times in his first year.  He is now diagnosed with asthma, a common progression when eczema is treated in a way that eliminates symptoms but does not address the underlying cause.  He is doing well academically and socially, has no problems sleeping, but is an extremely picky eater.  His knees crack and hurt sometimes.  He has a rash all over his body, worse than it’s been in a long time.  His Mom reported that the Singulair prescribed by his doctor for the asthma “made him insane”, with night terrors and a psychotic episode.  She took him off it, and got him through last year with Benadryl.  But this year, his asthma is worse. He is using an Albuterol inhaler a few times a week, and the nurse wants him to have it at school.  His parents are constantly getting calls from her saying that he needs it, especially in gym class.

I checked Colin’s food sensitivities, and advised them to eliminate gluten, all animal milks, peanuts, potatoes and soy from his diet.   Because he was such a picky eater, I recommended zinc, which often helps normalize sensory issues, as well as a tasty, fizzy Vitamin C drink, and 2 pleasant-tasting powdered supplements to help heal his tattered intestinal tract.  We did some non-invasive detox work using kinesiology (Colin found it fun and interesting) and I sent them home with homeopathic Natrum Sulphuricum in a medium high potency, to take daily.  This is a deep-acting remedy which can be very helpful in a number of chronic conditions, including asthma, particularly in children.

Two weeks later Colin had had a dramatic improvement.  There were no more coughing fits, and he had not had to use his inhaler. He was “a super trooper” about his new nutritional regimen.  His Mom said “I see such a huge improvement.  He’s not so lethargic, much happier.  He had gym today and didn’t cough!  His nose is running a little bit, he is still a little itchy, and has lost a pound, but he is not wheezing, and his nightmares are gone.”  The next month, he had a setback, and his mom realized that the gluten-free waffles he tried contained potato starch.  Since eliminating them he is fine again.  “It’s working!” they reported with delight.  He was still taking the supplements and homeopathic remedy every night.  For the first time, he was able to go to his grandparents’ house and not react to their cats, where he previously could only tolerate it for 20 minutes without coughing and wheezing.

As of his visit last week, Colin is doing better than ever. He looks like a different child: bright-eyes and clear skin, and is filling out nicely.  He is not only no longer coughing or wheezing, he is able to run around and do everything little boys should do without it bothering him at all.  His knees no longer crack or hurt (this is almost always a sign of gluten sensitivity).  His nose is no longer runny.  His dad says “we used to have the nurse’s number programmed in our phones because she called so much to say he needed his inhaler.  The only time she called now is when he fell and bumped his head.  I loved that. He’s active and mischievous, not tired and lethargic.  He’s a normal little boy.”

•         Autism has increased from estimates of 1in 25,000 to 1 in 150 in the past 20 years.

•         ADHD has increased over 400% in the past 20 years.

•         Asthma has increased 300%.

•         Allergies have increased over 400%, with more than 20 % of kids being treated for allergies

1/3 of all American children have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, Autism, Allergies or Asthma.  This is not accounted for by better reporting or diagnosis.  My experience using a combination of nutritional changes and homeopathy for all of these issues is consistently positive.

*Please Note:*

1. I am not a medical professional. I do not diagnose or treat disease.  This information is not intended to replace a relationship with a qualified health care professional or to substitute for medical advice.  It is intended only as a sharing of knowledge and information based on my experience.  Do not treat any chronic or serious illness on your own, but always seek the support of a qualified professional.
2. Thanks to the parents of these children, and all the parents I have worked with, who are so committed to following through on all my suggestions, who stick with it 100% and thereby achieve the results they had hoped for.  And thanks in particular to the parents of Rosey, Samantha, and Colin who so generously gave me permission to share their stories, as inspiration for others.

3. This was originally written in 2008.  Two of these kids, Colin and Samantha, continue to do well.  The third, Rosey, found it too difficult to stay away from her food sensitivities, and we continue to work together to find ways to support her despite this.

Q:  What is the difference between a food sensitivity and a food intolerance?

A:  Here is how I define it (you may find other definitions elsewhere).

A food sensitivity is genetic. You are born with it, and it is lifelong. The only way to successfully address it is to completely eliminate the food from your diet. Some people find this hard to believe. They say “I don’t have any allergies” because they were not “symptomatic” in a way they recognize. A sensitivity is not the same thing as an allergy: it is a different kind of autoimmune response. Of course, many people ARE symptomatic their whole lives; they just don’t attribute the symptoms they’ve experienced to a food sensitivity, or they believe it is normal to feel “slightly crummy”, or have a few chronic health problems all the time.   (See the list below to see if you qualify.) Most people are astounded at how many things clear up once they identify and eliminate their food sensitivities. And most people only have one or two so it’s really not so hard.

A food intolerance comes about in one of two ways. Sometimes it’s from overdoing ingestion of a single food or food family, and our body just says “enough”!  More often it occurs as a secondary symptom of the food sensitivity. In other words, the food sensitivity causes damage to your intestinal tract. Every time you eat it, your body reacts as if it were being invaded by something toxic (which it is), and attacks. The battleground for that is the lining of your intestinal wall, which eventually becomes chronically inflamed, damaged, and may even have holes. This is what is known as “leaky gut”. Then, other food particles leak through those holes, and the body reacts to them as toxins as well, because we are not supposed to have undigested protein particles in our bloodstream. Your system becomes chronically hyper-vigilant and inflamed, causing it to be ever more reactive.  Eventually, if the damage is bad enough, it can begin to look like you are reactive to everything. However, if you identify and eliminate the primary food sensitivity, and do the work to heal the gut and the inflammation, you will soon be able to eat every thing BUT the primary sensitivity, without becoming symptomatic again.

In my practice, the two most common food sensitivities, by far, are gluten and casein (a protein in dairy).  Soy, corn, eggs and peanuts can also be problematic for some people.  

Symptoms caused by food sensitivities can include:
Chronic Fatigue, Lethargy, and Brain Fog.
Migraines and headaches.
Eczema, Psoriasis, and other skin rashes.
Joint Pain.  Body Aches.
Sinus Problems.
Asthma and other chronic respiratory problems.
Irritability.  Depression.  Anxiety.  Brain Fog.
Constipation and Diarrhea.  IBS.  Gas & Bloating.  GERD.  Acid Reflux
Anemia.
Acne.
Chronic Congestion or runny nose.
Dark circles under the eyes.
Growing Pains in kids, particularly behind the knees.

Most people have no idea that these can all be caused by a food sensitivity, but they often are. Sensitivity to gluten, the protein in wheat, barley, oats, spelt and other grains, can cause these problems, and many more. They often think they are doing “the right thing” by eating lots of whole grains, when in fact it could be the very reason they are unwell, overweight, and aging too rapidly.

• Eczema
• Anemia
  
• Joint Pain
• Sinus Problems
• Asthma
• Irritability
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• “Brain Fog”
• Anxiety & Depression
• Acid Reflux
• Fatigue

People often undergo years of treatment for these symptoms without ever being diagnosed for the true underlying problem: gluten sensitivity. Although gluten is not always the cause, it may be possible to successfully manage many of these health issues only if gluten is removed from the diet.

At 14, Clarissa was a pretty and animated blue eyed blond who loved acting,
writing and drawing. She had been getting ill frequently, with fevers, headaches and
nausea. Her acne bothered her, and she got longish periods. She suffered from acid
reflux, often felt bloated and full, and had really dark circles under her eyes. She took
Zirtec for environmental allergies. Clarissa was gluten-sensitive. It is not easy for a
teenager to give up pizza and gluten-based snacks, but Clarissa did. “My friends felt
sorry for me and I thought it would be hard, but it wasn’t.” Within a month, her allergies
were a lot better, her stomach felt better and was no longer puffy and bloated, and her
skin cleared up. She hadn’t been sick at all and she “definitely feels better” without
gluten. Two years later, she says: “Staying off gluten is easier than people think, and I
don’t crave it any more. It’s really helped me a lot.”

Gluten sensitivity is genetic: if you have it, you were born with it. The only and effective cure is to eliminate gluten completely from the diet.  It effects the health of millions of people, and unfortunately, most of them don’t even know it. Certain ethnic groups have a much higher incidence than others: English, Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, Italian, and Eastern European Jews. Gluten sensitivity used to be thought of as a rare and unusual problem, but the most up-to-date genetic testing for gluten sensitivity shows about 30% of people have a predisposition for it. Stool testing, which is generally considered to be more accurate, shows as high as 35% positive for gluten sensitivity.  In high risk chronically ill populations, gluten sensitivity may be as high as 50%.  Other studies show higher incidence of gluten sensitivity in people with diabetes and in neurological diagnoses.

Why is gluten such a problem?  We are all familiar with the adage “You are what you eat”, but perhaps it would be more accurate to say “you are what you digest.” If you can not digest gluten, the body attacks the protein particles, causing chronic inflammation. The battleground for this ongoing attack is the mucosal lining of the gut.  Eventually, the lining breaks down, creating tiny holes.  More partially digested and undigested food particles break though these, into the bloodstream. This is known as “leaky gut” and can give the appearance of someone allergic to virtually everything. Your body identifies these undigested break-through particles as toxic, and attacks them.

Once fundamental sensitivities are identified and eliminated from the diet, and the gut is supported in healing, these other (non-gluten) foods can usually be well-tolerated again. Environmental allergies usually diminish, or even disappear, as well. Chronic inflammation can cause symptoms in virtually any organ or system, from a runny nose to arthritic-like pains. Inflammation is a normal response to injury. But when inflammation is chronic, it becomes destructive.

Gluten Sensitivity is not the same thing as Celiac disease. This is a common misunderstanding even among medical professionals. Celiac is a particular form of gluten sensitivity, associated with severe gastrointestinal symptoms.  Many people are gluten sensitive without having Celiac. Furthermore, the majority of people with gluten sensitivity don’t have gastro-intestinal symptoms at all.

According to endocrinologist and author Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., with whom I trained, virtually all type 2 diabetics are gluten sensitive, and their health can be improved and symptoms managed much more easily if gluten is eliminated from the diabetic diet.

Why do so many people have trouble digesting gluten?  Original non-hybrid wheat, as it was grown many hundreds of years ago, was only 1-2% gluten. The gluten content of our current wheat is dramatically higher, as much as 55%. While agriculture has changed, our intestinal tract has not, and for many, our current grains, while highly stable and marketable from an agricultural point of view, are simply indigestible. A similar change has occurred with cows’ milk and casein, resulting in a higher incidence of sensitivity to casein, the protein in dairy.

Kids and Gluten
If your child has dark circles under her eyes, chronic congestion or runny nose, “growing pains” behind the knees, environmental allergies, or ongoing digestive problems, gluten sensitivity may be the problem. Gluten sensitivity can also effect growth, because kids who are gluten sensitive and eating gluten are not absorbing the nutrients in their food. When these kids go gluten-free, they often experience a dramatic growth spurt within a few months.  In fact, some doctors and researchers recommend screening for gluten sensitivity for all children below the 25th percentile for height.

Jarrett is a cheerful boy who was born 6 weeks early and only four pounds, but at age 4
1/2 he’s so robust you’d never know it.  Diagnosed with asthma at two, he started on
Albuterol and Flovent, and currently uses Zirtec.  The medication makes him very
aggressive; Singulair was even worse.  He is a high energy child with a tendency to
irritability and impatience that is more likely to become physical aggression when he is
on medication.  But he needed the medication for a horrible sounding croupy cough that
is persistent except in the summer, when he is healthy and much happier.  He also had
eczema as a baby, and has experienced hives.
Since removing gluten from his diet, he is completely off medication.  His Mom says
“He is a happy boy anyhow, but he is so happy now. He is back to Jarrett.”

Gideon is a special needs boy with mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorder. He’d always had seasonal allergies but last year his sinus infections were the worst they’d ever been. He was on three different allergy medications and still went through antibiotics and repeated sinus infections all fall and winter. I suggested removing gluten from Gideon’s diet. His mom reports the gluten free diet has made a huge difference in Gabriel’s quality of life. He made it through the fall allergy season without developing any sinus infections and he is not taking any allergy medications.
His mom reports: “We’ve also seen improvements in Gideon’s cognitive awareness along with increased speech.  He was able to play miniature golf by himself for the first time. He’s so much more focused.  And he’s riding a two wheeler. It’s amazing. I never thought he’d be able to do that.  We’ve seen nothing but immensely positive changes.”

Cravings
If you take a nutritional history of someone with an undiagnosed gluten sensitivity, you are bound to hear that glutenous foods are a big part of their diet: bagels, pasta, bread, pastry, etc.  Unfortunately, we often crave what we can not tolerate, but it is not a question of will power: there is a good physiological reason.

Simply put, eating a food we are sensitive to sets off stress hormones and, like a burst of adrenaline, or a “runner’s high”, this initially makes us feel good.  This often leads to an unconscious dependence on eating the foods we can’t tolerate, in order to maintain that “feel good” state. But those stress hormones are breaking down our body, causing damage in every system and undermining our ability to absorb the nutrients we need to stay healthy.  When the food sensitivity is removed from the diet, people are often amazed to find that all their cravings diminish, and it is easier to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
If you are not gluten sensitive, you will not be any healthier eating a gluten-free diet. But if you are, it will change your life.  Not only will you eliminate many chronic symptoms, but you will be protecting your health from further, serious problems in the future.

Diana says, “When I ate gluten, I was short-tempered, feeling like the world was
against me.  And I was always starving, always hungry, never satisfied no matter how
much I ate, and I ate too much.  Since I’ve been off gluten my head is clearer.  I’m not
anxious.  I’m calm now.  And I’m happy to say I’ve lost weight, inches and the bloat!”

Dining Out
Just a few years ago, if you told a waiter that you couldn’t eat gluten, you were likely to receive an uncomprehending stare. Nowadays, chefs and servers alike are well accustomed to dealing with special dietary needs, and most will accommodate you if you make your needs known. Some chains now offer gluten-free menus, including Charlie Brown’s, Uno, Outback Steakhouse, and Cheeseburger in Paradise.  Many local restaurants are getting wise to gluten-free dining as well.  In general, Mexican food, which is often corn-based, and Indian food, which has many options made from rice, lentil, and chickpea flours, are good bets for the gluten-sensitive diner.

Grocery Shopping
Here, too, things have improved dramatically.  Not only health food and specialty stores, but regular grocery stores now offer a gluten-free section, filled with pastas, breads, cereals, cookies and crackers, and even pizza crusts and biscotti.  And you can always shop online.

Testing for Gluten Sensitivity
In my office, I have used muscle testing to identify food sensitivities for almost 20 years, and find it completely reliable, both by phone and in person, in the sense that people experience dramatic improvement based on the results.  Muscle testing relies on the response of the Autonomic Nervous System. It is quick, non-invasive and effective for babies, kids and adults.

If you are on your own and suspect you are gluten sensitive, the best way to test is to eliminate gluten from your diet for 3-4 weeks.  It must be eliminated 100%, as gluten is “sticky” (glutinous) and can remain in the system up to 4 or 5 days after ingestion.  For that reason, if you are having gluten once or twice a week, you are never truly gluten free.  After several weeks on a gluten- free diet, it will generally be obvious if you are sensitive or not; often the improvements will be dramatic.  If you still have doubts after being gluten-free for several weeks, go ahead and eat gluten for a day. Again, the results should be quite clear if you are gluten sensitive.  For most people, this is the simplest, most practical and dramatic way to test for gluten sensitivity.  For those who want lab testing, both blood and stool tests are available, with stool tests being more accurate, but not available in every state.
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Time to Heal
Although gluten can inflict so much damage, we are beautifully designed, and can recover when we give ourselves the right support.  After eliminating gluten and starting a healing program, most people will feel results fairly quickly: within days or weeks.  In my professional experience, benefits and improvements continue to accrue for at least an additional two years.  Elimination combined with supplements and homeopathy both speeds and improves healing tremendously.

More Client Stories

Louis is 48 and started having bowel problems 21 years ago.  He was told it was “just
stress” and that he had to live with it, but it worsened over time.  For the past three
years, he has also had restless leg syndrome so severe he could not sit through a half
hour business meeting or sleep through the night, as well as back pain that “was like
someone sticking a knife in” his back.  The nerve pain spread from his back throughout
his body, and he had bad tinnitus (ringing in the ears), along with painful heartburn,
excruciating gut cramps with pain that traveled down the backs of his legs, and severe
urinary problems.  He was on a number of strong medications for his various problems
but still miserable. His doctors, including those at the Mayo Clinic, still told him it was
just stress. Their recommendation was to purchase a CPAP machine for his sleep
apnea, seek professional counseling and take more pills.  He kept trying to “just live with
it” but his symptoms continued to get worse.  Things were so bad he had to go out on
disability from his job.
Six weeks off gluten, Louis was able to go back to work.  The only bad day he’d had
was when he went out to eat and some gluten slipped in somewhere.  “The guys I work
with have noticed such a difference in my gait, my demeanor, everything!”
Louis has been living gluten free for 4 months now and continues to notice
improvement. The restless legs are gone. He sleeps through the night without taking
sleep aids, and feels more rested when he wakes up. The ringing in his ears is
significantly reduced.  His appetite has returned.  The amount of medication for nerve
pain continues to decrease. The urinary problems are also going away. “Occasionally, I
have to remind myself that 21 years of damage caused by gluten sensitivity and
misdiagnosis is not going to go away overnight.  I used to think holistic medicine was voodoo.  I could not have been more wrong.  ‘Professional medicine’ has helped countless numbers of people, but how many like myself have fallen through the cracks of their system?”

A year ago Bob was 55, depressed, and losing his ability to focus.  He had tried
going off Prozac but couldn’t handle the depression without it.  Stress was a part of his
problem, and one of the ways he coped with stress was beer, although alcoholism runs
in his family.  Not only that, he was dependent on Metamucil to have regular bowel
movements.  His doctor ran tests and assured him everything was okay, but it sure
didn’t feel okay to Bob.
After a few weeks on a gluten free diet, Bob’s energy improved dramatically, as did the
quality of his sleep. After three months, he was able to get off his anti-depressant. A
year later, his depression and his intestinal problems are completely gone, as is his
need to “self-medicate” with alcohol. He is gluten free and feeling great.

If you think this information might be of benefit to someone else, please forward it.  You
never know how you might help.

Notes: Along with eliminating gluten, my clients are given a customized nutritional program and targeted supplements, as well as constitutional homeopathy, as appropriate.
Names of clients have been changed to protect their privacy. Their stories have been included with their permission, and their encouragement. Each of them was hopeful that their experiences would help others. I am very grateful that they were willing to share.
A version of this article appeared in the December 2008 issue of Natural Awakenings magazine.

Sources: Dr. Kevin Fine, Director of Operations and of Medical Research at the
Intestinal Health Institute in Dallas, Texas; 2005 professional training seminar with Dr.
Diana Schwarzbein; Peter H.R. Green, M.D., and Christophe Cellier, M.D., Ph.D.,
review article: Medical Progress -Celiac Disease, New England Journal of Medicine
2007;357:1731-43.

Most people wouldn’t think that the following symptoms could all be caused by a food sensitivity, but they often are. I have seen so many clients who come in with a long list of chronic symptoms, each of which has been treated, often unsuccessfully, with different medication, by a different specialist, and all of which we have been able to resolve within months simply by identifying and eliminating food sensitivities.

• Migraines and headaches
• Eczema, Psoriasis, and other skin rashes
• Joint Pain
• Body Aches
• Sinus Problems
• Asthma and other chronic respiratory problems
• Irritability, Depression, Anxiety, Brain Fog
• Constipation and Diarrhea, IBS,. Gas & Bloating, GERD, Acid Reflux
• Anemia
• Acne
• Chronic Congestion or runny nose
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Growing Pains in kids

When I started my practice, I never would have guessed that working with food sensitivities would be such a big part of it, but I have come to understand that, surprisingly, it is one of the fundamental keys to attaining good health. Identifying food sensitivities and helping clients adapt to eliminating them has been one of the most important keys to successfully assisting my clients reach their optimal health and well-being.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is a health essential: without identifying and eliminating food sensitivities, you will not achieve optimal health. Conversely, if you are frustrated about not having achieved optimal health, despite the reasonable measures you have taken, hidden food sensitivities may be the culprit.

When most people think of food sensitivities, they generally think of someone having an anaphylactic response to strawberries, or peanut butter: something immediate, and drastic. Those are sensitivities mediated by the IgE part of our immune system. However, the kinds of sensitivities I’m referring to are mediated by other parts of our immune system, and often take 24-72 hours to manifest, making it very difficult to discern that what you ate – let alone which food – is causing your symptoms, especially if it’s a food you’re eating all the time. Food sensitivities can manifest in any organ or system of the body, as suggested by the list above.

In my practice, I separate food sensitivities into “primary” and “secondary.”

Primary sensitivities are the ones that are life-long, and often genetic, meaning you are born with them. Gluten sensitivity is one example of this. The other most common ones are dairy, soy, and eggs.

Secondary sensitivities happen when reactions to ingesting the primary sensitivities cause a breakdown of the lining of the intestinal tract, allowing undigested particles to leak into the blood stream.

The body regards these foods that have leaked into the blood stream as foreign particles, or antigens, meaning it stimulates an immune response, attacking them and causing inflammation. This is what is known as leaky gut, and can give the appearance of someone allergic to everything.

In my experience, once you eliminate the primary sensitivities and heal the gut, you can virtually always put the secondary sensitivities back in the diet without becoming symptomatic again. Furthermore, I find that eliminating primary sensitivities can often eliminate environmental sensitivities as well. It can take anywhere from a few months to over a year to heal completely, but most people begin to experience improvements within weeks, or even days.

Some people have no food sensitivities. Most people have one or two. I see very few people who have more fundamental sensitivities than that.

In my practice, I test for food sensitivities using muscle testing, or kinesiology. It is simple, quick, non-invasive, and extremely reliable, meaning that when people use the information, they get good results. I have been using muscle testing for almost twenty years, and am able to muscle test both in person and by phone, for babies and children and as well as adults. Muscle testing for food sensitivities is always a part of my initial consultation.