Not All Bacteria Are Bad!!!

Did you know that we have more bacteria in our intestinal tracts than we do cells in the entire body? Does that mean we are really more bacteria than we are human? (We’ll save that for later…) As for the 100 trillion bacteria that live in your digestive system, you should know that these are the good guys, not the bad guys. We refer to these nutritive and protective bacteria as friendly flora or probiotics meaning “healthful to life”. In fact, they are essential for optimal digestive and general health.

Many of us have used the term Acidophilus but don’t really know what or where that is in our bodies. Acidophilus is one species of the bacteria called Lactobacillus which is one of two primary groups of positive flora in the digestive tract. The other major group of probiotics is Bifidobacteria. Whereas Lactobacillus is found primarily in the small intestine of the upper digestive tract, Bifidobacteria are found primarily in the colon. Both of these groups of probiotics must be ample in number in order to keep less favorable organisms like yeast in check.

Friendly flora promote better digestion, help fight infection, make B vitamins, improve mineral absorption, reduce inflammation and can help normalize diarrhea or constipation. Antibiotic use, stress, food or water contaminants and low fiber diets can disrupt intestinal probiotics as can increased sugar and alcohol consumption.

So how do we improve beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract? Most everyone knows about yogurt being a great source of Acidophilus, however there are other cultured and fermented foods which are also excellent sources of probiotics. Try cultured foods like sauerkraut, cottage cheese, kefir, miso or kimchi. Drinks loaded with friendly bacteria are Amasake, a sweet rice drink and the ever popular Kombucha. Probiotics are available as a supplement and there are many different brands out there. Sheila recommends using probiotic supplements from several brands, alternating them throughout the week.  That way you are receiving a broad spectrum of different species grown in different media.  You can actually discover whether certain brands suit you better than others. Remember to include a brand that does not require refrigeration for when you are traveling and to use a dairy free brand if you are dairy intolerant.

Is Your Food A Pain In The Neck?

As a Physical Therapist for the last 30 years, I have successfully worked with thousands of people with musculoskeletal pain, but it was the patients whose pain that did not resolve that lead me to integrate my Certified Nutritionist services with Physical Therapy, and uncover the digestive tract as a source of pain that looks totally orthopedic in nature. Yes, from headaches to plantar fasciitis – it can all come from digestive dysfunction or food incompatibility. The key here is that there hasn’t been a particular injury or repetitive stress that would usually be the source of the painful condition.
If you are wondering whether you or someone you know might be experiencing this situation – see how you answer the following questions:
·    Is your pain chronic, recurrent or seasonal?
·    Does your pain still occur despite a variety of therapies tried?
·    Did your pain start and continue without a mechanical injury or repetitive stress?
·    Do you have any complaints about your digestion or elimination?
·    Do you crave certain foods?
·    Do you have reactions to certain foods but eat them anyway?

The more “yes” answers indicates that your pain may involve your foods or digestive function and that you may benefit from Nutritional Therapy.

Getting Real about Gluten Free (GF)

Many of you have discovered, or are in the process of discovering, whether or not you and gluten are compatible. To make the initial phase of eliminating your favorite gluten-containing foods easier, we almost always suggest GF substitutes.

It is important to understand that these substitutes are usually highly processed carbohydrates, often filled with sugar, cornstarch or other unhealthy additives. They are, in fact, detrimental to balancing blood sugar. So, in reality, we don’t promote eating these kinds of foods (GF or not) on a regular basis.

We do know that they can be helpful initially, and satisfying during special occasions and holidays. GF goodies are particularly great for kids who must eat gluten free, but don’t want to feel deprived, left out, or “different” from their friends. The nourishing way to eating gluten free is to eat your GF carbohydrates in their whole food form. For example, steamed brown rice vs. rice pasta, or fresh corn vs. cornbread.

One of Sheila’s favorite GF carbohydrate is quinoa, both yellow and red. Quinoa (keen-wha) is the king! Quinoa is an ancient food, cultivated in the South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. The Incas called quinoa the “mother grain,” as it is high in protein, calcium and iron. This mother grain really isn’t a grain at all. It’s a seed, which might be why it’s so compatible for people who are grain-sensitive.

In Marin, we primarily see yellow quinoa sold in bulk in many stores. However, red quinoa can be found at Good Earth Market in Fairfax. Sheila loves red quinoa because she finds it to have a toastie flavor, and hearty texture. Whichever quinoa you buy, make sure to rinse it several times to help remove the natural saponins that grow on the plant and give it a bitter taste. As an added bonus, quinoa has all of the essential amino acids making it the only GF carbohydrate that contains complete protein.

Daily Health Practice

Brushing your teeth is a no-brainer when it comes to daily health advice. But have you heard about cleaning your tongue? This should be done every morning before you brush your teeth.

This daily practice helps to get rid of bacteria and yeast that build up on your tongue overnight, and prevents it from re-entering the digestive tract. It can also tonify the digestive tract for the morning.

Cleaning the tongue is an easy way to monitor basic aspects of the digestive system. Some basics to look for: Is your tongue dry and cracked? This could mean dehydration. Is there a white or yellow coating? If so, you could be consuming too many carbs, too much sugar, and it may indicate the presence of yeast.

Tongue cleaners are classically bent metal bands that allow you to scrape your tongue from back to front. They can be purchased at Whole Foods for about $5.99, or at Elephant Pharmacy for around $6.79. You can also use the edge of a spoon, if you want to get started with this and don’t have a tongue cleaner. Don’t use your toothbrush; this just pushes some of the coating deeper into the surface of the tongue

Spirituality and Food

My trip to Bali in 2008 was not only a colorful and taste filled adventure but also a lesson in spirituality and food. Wherever I went in Bali, I found it easy to eat wholesome and well- balanced meals. They use fresh herbs and spices ground by hand, in combinations that result in clean and complex flavors while balancing the six tastes–leaving you thoroughly satisfied. So many of their dishes are beautifully presented with regard to color and form.

Most noteworthy about food in Bali is, as with so many things there, how spirituality and food are connected. From planting, growing, and harvesting to preparation, offerings, and eating – all of these actions are done with reverence to God. My driver taught me that “we don’t own our food until we offer it to God first, give thanks for it, and get permission to eat it. Only then is it ours to put into our bodies.”

How does this stack up next to eating emotionally, snacking in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods, or remembering that someone labored over planting and picking the vegetables that I am eating today? The Balinese don’t necessarily engage in the constant chatter that we do over our meals. They prefer to eat quietly, often alone, and focus on the process of eating and digesting. I was reminded of this while having lunch with a lovely Balinese man who was barely three bites into his lunch as I finished mine, and also did all of the talking! I commented on the difference, and he simply said “…that’s because I’m chewing my food.” Oh, what a concept!

Balinese women usually prepare food for the day. This is all done in the morning, and the food is left out for family members to eat when, and if, they are hungry. Again, it is not about eating together, but more about eating when the body is physically hungry. It is the men, however, who are in charge of laboriously preparing the spice pastes and food for the numerous festivals and ceremonies. Here, the preparation and eating are done communally, only after respect and offerings have been made to God. In Bali, food comes from the Divine, food is offered back to the Divine, and my own experience with food in Bali was certainly Divine!

 

SOUTH BEACH GONE TOO FAR

I’m having an herbal iced tea at the Starbucks in South Beach, Florida and as a Certified Nutritionist I can’t be in this locale without posting a few comments about  the famous South Beach Diet.  This very popular diet has been helpful to many of its followers by promoting fewer carbs and enforcing a good rule of throwing out the white stuff.  However, it’s my experience that some people, using more is better mentality, take the South Beach diet too far and throw out too many carbs–even the healthy ones like beans, long grain brown rice, wild rice, small red skinned potatoes and quinoa.  I’ve had to repair the diets of extreme South Beachers by teaching them to add back these  healthy complex carbs in modest amounts (1/2 cup) thereby  creating hormonal, blood sugar and brain energy balance.   

So if you want to stop afternoon or night time bingeing and you want a better mood and clear sustained focus throughout the day then eat balanced meals which include protein, healthy fat, lots of nonstarchy veggies and a complex carb!  Oh, and btw, even though the South Beach brand is on the box–all of those packaged foods are processed and fake–throw ‘em out along with the white stuff!

Have You Really Tried Everything For Your Persistent Skin Issues?

Have You Really Tried Everything For Your Persistent Skin Issues?

Maybe you’ve tried lotions, compresses, one cream after another and even oatmeal baths.  But have you tried a 100% Gluten Free Diet for at least a month or more?

I lectured last month at the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin’s bimonthly meeting on exactly this topic: Could Gluten Be Causing Your Skin Issues? It was a lively evening with a lot of audience participation as people told their stories about having skin issues such as hives, excema, psoriasis, acne and other skin symptoms and being told that it couldn’t be gluten related. Further along in most of these stories came the part about self diagnosis when they took themselves (or their children) off of gluten anyway only to find that the skin condition ultimately cleared up!

These may be anecdotal comments but lets review the medical literature that backs these stories with documented research.

A good place to start is to be reminded that reactions to Gluten can occur in 4 categories:

1.  Typical:  symptoms lie within the digestive tract.

2.  Atyipical:  symptoms lie outside of the digestive tract.

3.  Latent:  symptoms occur later in life.

4.  Silent:  symptoms are subclinical, (not felt).

In the 2nd category where gluten reactions occur outside of the GI tract, the skin is a common tissue of gluten reactivity along with the brain, joints and thyroid gland.

Psoriasis, commonly described as an incurable, long term chronic skin condition has been shown among several groups that were studied to have significantly positive results to a gluten free diet.  The British Journal of Dermatology published a study in 2009 that noted psoriasis patients as having a greater prevalence of Celiac Disease (a small intestine damaging disease due to gluten intolerance) than non psoriasis patients.

It was also noted that physicians should be aware that the association of undiagnosed

Celiac Disease and psoriasis is possible.

Another study in a European medical journal in 2008 reported that their psoriasis subjects had significantly higher concentrations of antibodies against gluten and small intestinal tissue than non psoriasis patients.  And again a summary stating that “psoriasis can coexist with asymptomatic Celiac Disease and that a gluten free diet helps to obtain remission, even in patients with very chronic lesions.”

 

I lectured on about medical case studies citing the helpfulness of a gluten free diet with excema, hives and  lesser known skin conditions.  The major take home points worth noting are:

1.  Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease can be the source of a persistent skin condition.

2. One should be tested for Celiac Disease blood markers if a chronic or recurrent skin condition is present (especially if other autoimmune conditions are present).

3. A gluten free diet should be tried even if there are no apparent symptoms of gluten intolerance or negative CD blood markers.

4.  Even if you are given a formal diagnosis for your skin condition, continue to look for the source of the problem, reactivity to gluten being a worthy candidate.