When Gluten Free Isn't Enough (Part 1)

Perhaps you've been running this race for your own personal healthy journey for a while. Like many you've discovered that if you have any food intolerances, immune disorders, or have had chronic gut health disturbances then chances are if you haven't gone gluten free already, that either someone has told you to do so, or you are in the process of thinking about it or slowly getting yourself there. First things first, that's awesome, great job, and please know that I am proud of you! It is a wonderful first step towards wellness. Gluten must absolutely be removed from your lifestyle.

Removing gluten is not the be all end all to getting well though. Often times in many cases it is simply not enough. There is not a standard one size fits all elimination diet. There are many factors that enter into our bodies rejecting certain foods. It takes time, often quite a few tests, and trial and error to really be sure what each individual needs.

Keep in mind there is hope. This is not the end of the world. Once your gut begins to heal, there's a huge opportunity to put healthy, real versions of those foods you removed that were junky back in. A lot of food intolerances go away after the body returns to a healthy state. The key here is thankfulness. Be thankful that God allowed your body to get to a place that you probably never thought it could again, and keep up the lifestyle. Don't return only to become sick again. This is not a band-aid, this is what a cure feels like.

There are other foods that can cause gut and immune health disturbances. Certain foods fit into certain categories. Today I will cover cross reactive foods. These are foods, that while don't contain gluten, can make the body feel as though it has been attacked by a glutinous based food.

Cross Reactive Foods:

Corn

A staple in many countries, corn is an inexpensive, easily accessibly, and good tasting grain. Due to its lack of gluten it is used in many gluten free mixes, crackers, cakes, and dishes. 

Corn, however, is one of the three top genetically modified organisms or foods (GMOS) in the world. Purchasing corn as USDA organic fortunately significantly lessens the possibility of it being a GMO as well as eliminating pesticides. Eating GMO corn can be detrimental to your gut health. GMO corn or otherwise known as Bt corn is developed with a bacterial organism called Bacillus thuringiensis. This was done to resist insects. When we eat this corn the bacteria mutates inside of our gut, goes into our blood stream, and starts to break down our immune systems. To learn more, read here.

You can avoid GMO corn by purchasing USDA organic. Yet, even as organic it is also extremely difficult for the body to break down and digest. The body has to work extremely hard to rid itself of the hard fiber. Eating corn on a regular basis, especially consuming a lot if you are consuming a gluten-free diet, can wear down the digestive system. 

While many consider corn to be a vegetable, it is not. It is a starchy grain that when body does break down what it can it is processed as high amounts of sugar. Too much sugar is a danger zone to the body. Sugar causes inflammation and feeds disease.

Corn is hidden in many products, especially natural supplements. If you find corn makes you breakout, lethargic, or cause stomach pain, be diligent to do a search as to what other products are produced with corn.

The best way to eat corn if possible is sprouted. When the corn is sprouted it makes it much easier to be processed in the body as well as to access any nutrients present. If you are experiencing gut health distress, it is best avoided sprouted or not.

Rice

There are so many different varieties of rice. This grain populates Asian and Latin cultures. Rice is the main staple of many homes in the US as well. 

The skinny on rice is if you purchase white rice, it is basically pure starch without a whole lot of nutrition. That means a lot of sugar is going into the body, and if there is a bacterial imbalance like candida overgrowth present, the condition is just being fed. 

Brown rice has significantly more nutrition, however it's extremely difficult to access due to the bran. It's ironic, the nutrients are in the bran, but our bodies don't possess enough phytase to break the bran down to access the vitamins and minerals. This are chemicals in the bran called phytates that cause our bodies to stop absorbing minerals. Once our bodies stop absorbing minerals we become malnourished. Other foods with high amounts of phytates are nuts and beans.

If you'd like to keep rice in your diet, one way to make it more nutritious to break down a lot of the phytates is to soak it. The Weston A. Price Foundation suggests milling and soaking with a starter culture. For those of us on restricted time, read below (similar to how I prepare gluten free oats).

How to Soak Rice:

Get a 1/2 gallon mason jar. Put 2 cups of rice inside.  Pour hot filtered water over the rice, just to cover it. Add one tablespoon of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Soak for 7-8 hours. Rinse off the rice after soaking. Cook in homemade bone broth for extra nutrients and add a little bit of good fat like grass fed butter.

I would also suggest consuming a high quality digestive enzyme with phytase with your meal.

Oats

Oats for me are such a comfort food. I adore both traditional rolled and steel cut. Oats have a ton of fiber, which helps the body stay regular and clean out the colon. Never eat quick oats. They are a processed food and serve no nutritional purpose. Besides it doesn't take any longer to cook traditional oats in comparison to quick oats. So kick out the quick oats!

Unfortunately, they can also wreak havoc in my body. I've noticed that when I eat oats more than once a week I become overly lethargic. More research is being done on whether it is wise to include oats as part of a gluten free diet if they can affect certain people the same way that gluten does or in other ways that seem to wear down the body. Specifically adults and children with confirmed Celiac Disease are cautioned to consider leaving oats out of their dietary regimen according to a government study here. If you notice the continuation of chronic foul gas, bleeding gums, teeth enamel problems, blood or mucus in the stool, or indigestion, then it is advised to eliminate them from your plate.

When I removed the oats I did notice that I didn't experience that overwhelming lethargic state. I really enjoy the taste and texture of them though. Oats are in the same camp as rice with high amounts of phytic acid. Due to the lack of minerals being absorbed this can absolutely tear down the immune system and cause lethargy in the body. It was when I learned how to prepare oats properly that all the difference was made. Preparing oats in a traditional fashion of soaking, much like rice, allows for much better digestion, and use of minerals in the oats.

How to Soak Oats (1 person serving):

Get a 32oz mason jar. Put 1 cup of traditional rolled oats inside.  Pour 1 cup of filtered water over the oats in the jar. Add one tablespoon of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Soak for 7-8 hours on the counter. Rinse off the oats after soaking. Cook in fresh water as usual. In the serving bowl add a little bit of good fat like grass fed butter or my favorite organic unrefined coconut oil to encourage even better digestion.

It is always a good idea to take an enzyme supplement as mentioned early with your meal. 

At the End of the Day

If all of your gut health or immune system troubles don't seem to have fully dissipated after removing gluten, and you are still consuming grains, consider keeping a food journal. After eating these foods at meal and snack times, write down the time of day when you ate it, what you ate in it or what it was with, and how much of it you ate. 

Try removing these foods for 2-4 weeks. Make a section in the journal record for your cross-reactive free food meal trial period. Make a note of each of your meals and snacks as well as how they made you feel. 

Introduce one of these foods back each week after the trial period. Pay special attention to how you feel when you eat, and write it down. Take this journal to a doctor, nutritionist, or health coach for help if any is needed in designing a safe meal plan for you.

(There are some affiliate links in the article. You never have to purchase from these links. If you choose to do so though, you are blessing my business by contributing a small percentage.)

Be healthy and blessed! Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC

Do You Make Bone Broth?

Two weeks ago I wrote about things we can do when we get sick. One of those things was making homemade bone broth. It occurred to me that I actually make this all of the time, not just when we are sick. I'd like to encourage you to do the same.

Before Modern Medicine

Once upon a time we trusted what our Heavenly Father, Holy Creator of the Universe, Yahweh, put on the earth. He truly provided for all of our needs, including medicine. Plants and animals were put here for us to use for our good. We used them, allowed our bodies to rest, and infections to run their course. 

Today our concept of health and wellness is quite different. There is a magic pill for everything, full of things that we don't even know what they are,  and we are expected to just take them. Meanwhile the side effects and consequences for taking these magic pills is a higher price than we ever could've imagined. 

Make Bone Broth All of the Time

 We have so many enivronmental toxins that attack our bodies, and utilizing tried and true safe methods for to preserve our natural immunity is the safest, smartest way to go. Making old fashioned bone broth is awesome prevention against breaking down during cold and flu season. Don't just make broth when you are sick. While it is extremely cleansing, and a wonderful, easy to digest, mineral rich food during illness, when we take advantage of using bone broth year round, that's what builds the way to great health. Instead of waiting until something is broken to fix it, let have a mindset of prevention.

Reasons to Make Bone Broth

• Helps with Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Brings minerals to bones and joints like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur
• Strengthens our immune system
• Gives you beautiful skin and hair

Mineral Deficiencies

Most of the United States inhabitants are mineral deficient. Unless you are eating an abundance of organic plant foods, clean meats on a regular basis, lots of healthy fats, then the chances are that you are lacking minerals in your body. Many disorders and illnesses are usually caused by simply not giving the body the tools it needs to run properly, vitamins, minerals, good bacteria, and enzymes. When a mineral deficiency is present, you may not notice right away until signs start to become severe or constant. At this point a break down has started to occur, which could've been prevented with proper daily diet.

Magic of Gelatin

The medicinal properties found in real bone broth cannot be found in vegetable stock or store bought chicken and beef varieties. In most cases the kind on the shelves in boxes and cans are made from synthetic chemicals and lots of monosodium-glutamate. If you purchase the organic kind, you're mostly getting a ton of sodium and water. Honestly, if you aren't going to make your own bone broth, don't bother using any.

It is only in homemade bone broth that an abundance of minerals and collagen can be found. Collagen is the lubricant in our joints and bones that lessens with age. Collagen also provides elasticity in our skin (lessens wrinkles and cellulite), and moisture in our hair. This diminishes with our age. Collagen ONLY comes from bones, so this is why veggie broth is not the same. Gelatin comes from the collagen in the bones that is extracted by adding vinegar to the broth to help it be released. So do NOT skip adding the vinegar. Gelatin is the usable food form of collagen after the collagen has been broken down.

According to Dr. Natasha T. Campbell, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and creator of the GAPS Diet, she says due to the gelatin, that bone broth heals and seals your gut. So if you have a digestive disease or disorder, like Leaky Gut, drinking bone broth daily is a must. Gelatin is not a complete protein, however with the amino acids that it contains, they make it extremely healing.

How to Make Bone Broth

The first time I made bone broth I learned from reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Here is my adapted version:

1 Organic, pastured raised chicken

3 Organic Celery Ribs, sliced in threes

3 Organic Carrots, real carrots you cannot cheat with the baby ones, don't peel, cut/chop

1 Whole Onion, cut into quarters

2 Tbsp Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Bunch Organic Parsley, loosely chopped

2-3 Inches of Turmeric Root, if you have it

This is really simple! I soak my chicken in salt water first to clean it a bit. Next I just put everything into a large stainless steel stock pot, chicken is whole, and veggies as stated above. If the chicken still has the little gibblet pouch inside, yes, I know if you are new to this you are gonna say ewwww, gross, but trust me, don't ditch it. Take out the pouch, remove everything from it, then put the gibblets into the stock pot with everything else. There's a lot of medicine in that pouch. 

Then I fill the pot with filtered water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low for 6-8 hours. FYI: yes, cooking time is really important. Don't skimp on the time. It takes this long for the collagen to be released and then break down. Some resources will tell you 12 hours, and others even 24. Well, I only have one day a week that I'm home this long while I'm awake and I'm busy. I really don't like leaving pots on the stove while I'm asleep. People do use their crock pots. Then my concern would be lead unless you have a lead free crock pot like the Vitaclay. You also won't be able to put as much liquid into a crock pot, so your amount of broth would be limited.

After that I turn off the fire and let it cool. Then I put my stainless steel mesh strainer over my very large glass measuring bowl. It has a spout so it makes for easy pouring. I go through it rather quickly because I use it for all different cooking purposes. I store it in mason jars. You can freeze it in the mason jars if need be. Then discard the veggies and use the chicken meat throughout the week.

 

Ways to Use Your Homemade Bone Broth

As already mentioned, this should be a year long practice, not just for soup when it's cold outside. Now, I loooooove soup, but don't limit yourself. Here are some ideas.

• Okay obviously, soup :)
• Cooking rice
• Cooking quinoa
• Cooking beans
• Add some to a pot to reheat chicken or veggies on the stove to add some extra minerals, prevent drying out, and add flavor
• Add to sauces where water is called for
• Make baby formula with it, yes, that's what I said, babies need nutrients too (I mix the powdered formula with 1/2 the amount required of water plus the same amount of ounces of broth in my niece's bottle when I watch her to help boost her immunity. So if she drinks a 4 oz bottle, then I use 2oz of broth and 2oz of water.)
• Warm it and drink it when you don't feel like eating to get some nutrition

I hope that if you haven't already adopted this simple, nourishing practice that you will do so. If you have any questions whatsoever, please ask them below. Be healthy and blessed! Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC