Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease

Weekly, there is news of someone being diagnosed with gluten-intolerance or celiac disease or wheat allergy......

Let's just say that any of these reactions will be life-changing, and one can only hope for a diagnosis.  A diagnosis can finally help to answer the many questions and mysteries related to ill-health.  The body's response to gluten (and milk proteins, too) can cause severe inflammation in the small intestine. The damage may be so extreme that allergies to numerous other foods can "kick in."  Additionally, secondary illnesses may develop as a result of gluten (and dairy) responses and reactions. 

Ways to determine overall digestive status are:

• Measuring gluten intolerance through gliadin antibodies

• Measuring intolerance to dairy proteins (casein and lactalbumin)

• Metabolic profile diagnostic testing

We all should strive for the best possible digestive health.  "Without good digestion, one cannot be truly healthy."  (Trent Nichols, M.D.)

Understanding how gluten and dairy proteins can damage our bodies is most certainly one way we can improve our digestive, as well as overall, health.

Gluten Free Stats and Facts

Stats and Facts:

• Fact:  Food allergies and intolerances are ON THE RISE.

• Fact:  One in every 3 Americans modifies his or her diet in the believe that they, or a loved one, have a food allergy.  In many cases, it is a food intolerance causing the problems.

• Stat:  At least 30 MILLION Americans suffer from some sort of food intolerance.

• Fact:  Doctors are reporting an increase in food allergies in the USA.

• Stat:  8 Foods account for 90% of all food allergies.  (cow's milk, eggs, wheat or gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, and shellfish)

• Fact:  American parents with autistic children are experimenting with gluten-and-casein-free diets as a means to manage the symptoms of this condition. Many doctors are recommending such special diets to parents of autistic children.

• Fact:  Other health conditions (i.e. ADHD, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and candida, to name a few) have been suggested to benefit from specific food avoidance, especially the avoidance of gluten.

  

For parents of children with special diets, make sure friends, other parents, teachers, and coaches understand the necessity of the diet. Build a network of parents who can share your concerns and successes.  Don't live in a bubble- plan ahead to assure there is a treat your child can enjoy at parties and activities.  And, check out fun camp programs for kids with celiac disease or food allergies.  Each step taken to allow your child to participate in "normal" activities will help to ensure he or she feels comfortable in a social setting and can also be included in birthday parties, activities, and much more!

Additionally, remember that eliminating allergens can mean losing out on very important nutrients.  Look for allergy-friendly foods that are higher in fiber and fortified with vitamins and minerals.  Children and adults need a total balance for proper nutrition and and a healthier future.  A certified nutritionist can help in determining proper foods to help families with special diets realize ways to "fill in" the blanks.  Offer lots of different veggies and enjoy fruits, but don't overdo on fruits and fruit juices.  Be creative!

Life can still be good even without certain foods!

Reactions to Gluten

Well, this gluten issue just seems to be exploding, doesn't it?    

Did you know there are four types of reactions to this protein?
The four reactions include celiac disease, allergy, gluten intolerance, and gluten sensitivity.     

                        

One can be sensitive to gluten and still not even realize that this sensitivity could be the source of many health issues including headache, digestive issues, mouth sores, skin rashes, and fatigue (to name a few).

And, what's more, the diagnosis for gluten sensitivity is a clinical one because even testing for an immune response through antibody lab tests will not reveal sensitivity to gluten.  A person could experience months or more likely, years, of health concerns and a general feeling of being unwell, or be diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease).  Additionally, a patient might even be told the feeling of unwellness is just "in his or her head."

One must be willing to pursue that gluten could be the cause of any illness or health problem. 

Sometimes, an elimination diet is the only method for a person to determine if gluten causes a reaction.  Most people who completely eliminate gluten for a minimum of two months attest to an improvement in general well-being.

There is so much to be said about this tiny protein.  More exploration coming soon!

Gluten Free

My mom has been living with celiac disease for several years now.  She's the reason I first began to suspect that Bee might have a problem with certain foods.  Through her research about gluten, I realized that food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities can manifest in a variety of symptoms.  Bee's condition fit many of those symptoms.  And sure enough, food was the culprit.  I've asked her to guest post on occasion and share some of her insight about gluten, celiac disease, and living gluten free.

What is all this talk of "gluten-free?"
What's the big deal about gluten anyway?

Well, actually, the big deal about gluten is quite huge.

Many, many people react to gluten, but most are not even aware of gluten as the culprit.

What are some of the more common symptoms of a reaction to gluten?  A partial list includes frequent headaches or migraines, fatigue, itchy skin lesions, joint pain, constipation, diarrhea, stomach cramping, bloating, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.

Wow! What could trigger such reactions?  The tiny portion of wheat called gliadin is the actual problem.  Gliadin is the protein portion of wheat (and several other grains) and is often not easily digested.  Hence, the trouble begins!
The gliadin in the gluten can trigger any number of reactions, affecting the human body in a number or ways and causing numerous health complications.

So, what's the "big deal" about this tiny protein?  Stay tuned as we explore.

Guest Post: Eczema

Here's a guest post from a sweet friend that we've met.  Her daughter is friends with Curly and has been diagnosed with multiple allergies.  She also has bad eczema just like Bee.  It's nice to get with other allergy moms, compare notes, encourage one another, and share frustrations.  You can learn more about their family at her blog: School Room of Life

Update on Erica

I haven't blogged a whole lot about Erica and her allergies and eczema and there's a lot of reasons for that.  I will one day blog about her history and the journey we've had up until now, but every time I try to write it all down, I get overwhelmed.  So I'll just start from last year.

In the spring of 2012, we discovered Erica had several food allergies:  peanuts, corn, soy, peas, and oranges.  After removing these things from her diet, her chronic stomach pain went away.  She started to FEEL good again.  And sure enough, anytime she ate something with one of her allergens in it, she'd feel HORRIBLE.  It was great to see such a huge improvement.  However, we saw absolutely no improvement in her eczema.  After switching between this steroid and that for her skin, the allergist finally agreed to try Immunotherapy (allergy injections) with her, as she also tested positive to MANY environmental allergens:  between the tree pollens, mountain cedar, grass, and weeds - there's something pollinating all year long that she's allergic to.  She started them in October 2012.  They said it could take 6 mos to a year to start seeing results.  Three months in and her skin is horrific.  I mean, I've said many times in the past year that her skin is the worst it's ever been, and I feel like her skin is telling me, "oh you think so?  You ain't seen nothin' yet!"  I am SOOO hopeful though, because her skin seems to flare exceptionally the day she gets her injection.  While it is soooo hard to watch her be so miserable right now, I just know that once her immunity is built up from the injections, her skin will clear up.  I just know it.  It got so bad over Christmas, that we decided to put her another round of prednisone.  It always clears her up immediately, but she usually flares worse again after she stops.  And that is exactly what happened.  Not to mention that the steroids have REALLY affected her negatively.  We decided to completely stop ALL steroid use.  We have noticed a HUGE change in her.  Her intense anxiety has vanished.  She is a happy little girl again!  We are so thankful for that!