Happy V-day everyone! So I ran my half marathon today...while I was hoping for 2 hours or under, I came in at 2:02:01 and 413th place (yes!) out of 1011 runners. Not too bad - but enough about the race. Let's get to the nitty-gritty...
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat, oats and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, teff, oats, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.
Gluten Sensitivity
There are many people who cannot tolerate gluten. For some, they have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease or simply have a gluten sensitivity. The effects are the same: for individuals with the allergy, when gluten is consumed, the protein damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents and individual from absorbing the proper nutrients which can lead to malnourishment, no matter how much you eat.
How Do You Get the Condition?
Celiac disease is a genetic disease. If you or a close relative have celiac disease, you may have a higher propensity for acquiring the same sensitivity at some time in your life. Alarming fact: 9 out of 10 people with the disease do not know they have it.
How to Tell if You Have Gluten Allergies
Contrary to what some may believe, gluten intolerance/Celiac Disease is the most common, undiagnosed and serious intestinal disease in the US. One of the reasons that there is little to no attention paid to the condition by the medical world, is that the only known cure is a gluten-free diet. A doctor cannot prescribe you a certain medication or other medical remedy.
Symptoms and effects of gluten allergies can include (and are not limited to) the following:
•abdominal bloating and pain
•diarrhea
•constipation
•foul-smelling gas and stool or fatty stool
•vomiting
•drastic weight loss
•fatigue
•bone loss or osteoporosis
•itchy skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis
•missed menstrual periods
•infertility of recurrent miscarriage
•depression or anxiety
The Healing Process
For anyone suffering from the gluten allergies, the healing process can begin today! Throughout the postings to follow, I will talk about how to tell if you have the condition and how to follow the only known cure: a gluten free diet. Switching to the diet can be difficult in the beginning, but it will be one the best decisions you will ever make for yourself!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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Patty,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the half today! That's a great time! Your discipline in all aspects of life is really inspirational, intimidating, but inspirational! I'll be watching your posts on the g-free lifestyle, but it sounds tough. Nonetheless, I have a good friend whose 6 year old son is autistic and when she switched his diet to g-free, we now see marked improvements in his behavior and outlook on life, thank God!
As for me, I've had my own health issues come about, so I've had to switch from running to walking and pilates and am going vegetarian for at least the next 90 days and drinking as much wheatgrass as I can handle...yummos! Managing protein intake should be interesting, but I hope the switch helps.
Keep it up girl! You're amazing! Lemme know when you make the cover of Sports Illustrated so I can pretend I know you :)
Fight on mujer!
Christine V.