Month: January 2014

I was researching an unrelated topic today when I found that the Lancet had published a study indicating that they have found a way for children with life threatening nut allergies to become desensitized to the point where they could actually ingest the equivalent of five whole peanuts without any ill effect. The method that they are using is called immunotherapy. Its just an oral version of the allergy shots I had thirty years ago. Astonishingly it works 85% of the time and this article covered phase 2 clinical trials so they have done extensive testing at this point. I think what is most interesting about this is the fact that this is not a particularly profitable cure for an incredibly scary and dangerous problem. Yes, the treatments need to be administered in a supervised setting for some period of time to ensure that there are no adverse reactions. Yes your allergist can make a living administering the shots, but realistically, as someone who had allergy shots long ago, you go in, a nurse gives you a shot under your skin, you read for half an hour in the waiting room and you go home. The doctors developing this can’t get rich with it. They just get to serve humanity and do a good thing for little kids. We need more cures like this, for all of our autoimmune...

One of the dietary interventions that people try for ADHD after gluten and casein free diets is known as the Feingold Program named after Dr. Feingold who was an immunologist who noticed that certain dietary changes in his pediatric patients seemed to change their ADHD. Certain aspects of the diet are no longer controversial. If you want to purchase artificially colored candies in the United Kingdom, they come with a label warning that the dyes can cause behavioral problems in some children. The links between dyes, certain preservatives and additives and ADHD has been established and there is no concern by any reputable pediatrician about feeding children a diet free of additives and processed foods. Other aspects are becoming more mainstream. Last weekend we were home with the flu and watched a lot of public television. There were at least three different doctors back to back talking about the positive impacts of a GFCF diet on children with ADHD. Again, it is well known that in certain sensitive populations, these proteins can have an adverse impact on the brain. That said, there is also evidence supporting something rather different and much trickier to implement, the low salicylate diet. Salicylates are naturally occurring compounds found in most fruits, some vegetables, most spices, and some nuts and seeds. The problem is that they are found in large quantities in what most...

When I first went gluten-free, I tried out lots of gluten free beers. Some were good enough that they could be served to anyone without them knowing the difference. Some were so bad that it was simply no longer worthwhile to drink beer. Virtually all were from microbreweries and priced accordingly. Gluten free beer was expensive and often bad so I tended to just drink wine instead. Then when shopping at Trader Joes over the summer we noticed that they had a gluten free beer, so of course I had o try it out. The Trader Joe’s beer is beer. It’s not great, its not bad for the price either. It is made by a microbrewery for TJs. Its not New Grist, (which is my favorite of the gluten-free beers) but for $6.99 a six pack it works for me. The head is weak the flavor is nothing like other beers and it could be smoother, but its beer, its gluten free, and its not so expensive that I gag on spending the money for it. Something to try out next time you are in...

I have some stuff elsewhere on this site about getting tested, but the technology is always changing and this is so new that its not even available for another few weeks The free “Now That You Know, Where Do You Go?” webinar will tell you what to do with the information learned during The Gluten Summit about gluten-related disorders. More specifically, it will answer such questions as: What tests should I take to see if I have a disorder? How do I convince my doctor to order the tests? Could it be gluten? Or dairy? Or another food triggering symptoms? When should I take the tests? How do I get them? How do I interpret the results? What if my results come back positive for a gluten-related disorder? What testing options are available outside of the U.S.? In this seminar Dr. Tom O’Bryan of theDr.com will cover the step-by-step instructions for as many paths to diagnosis as possible. If you have been wondering how to get diagnosed, this seminar is designed to help you out. I will be watching myself and plan to report out on what I learn, but then you would be getting my filter on things and this way you can hear for yourself what your options are as they relate to testing. DATES: January 30 – February 2, 2014 TIME: Begins January 30,10:00 A.M. U.S....

I projectile vomited exactly twice in college. One time was as a result of ingesting a beverage known as Psi-U punch which was a combination of Kool Aid brand drink powder and grain alcohol. The second time was the very first time I ever ate macaroni and cheese from a box. So why did I vomit then? Why not at any other time when I was drinking inexpensive alcohol in college? Perhaps it was because both foods contain artificial colors and ingredients. As the product of what would now be called chemical engineers, I grew up eating only “real” food. Not organic, not pesticide free, just free of dyes, and ingredients that were not sold separately in the baking aisle. In other words no brominated vegetable oil, brominated flour, dough conditioners, or polysorbate 60. My school was small and private, I packed my own lunch every day. So when I first ate fake food my body immediately rejected it. Dyed candies make me queasy to this day. I literally cannot eat them. I used to think I was kind of unusual, but then I saw this blog post about a little boy who had the same reaction. http://naturallysavvy.com/eat/a-ten-year-old-s-tale-of-how-food-affects-his-body However, what I find really disturbing is the results of the studies that indicate that these “fake foods” are one of the underlying causes of ADHD and that by eliminating them...