“There’s no cure for celiac disease — but for most people, following a strict gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms and promote intestinal healing. There are things that you can do and mainly one intervention is in your diet!”
MAYO CLINIC
Archive | May 2021
Part II Celiac Disease Awareness Month
The symptoms of Celiac Disease can be:
The signs and symptoms of celiac disease can vary greatly and differ in children and adults. Digestive signs and symptoms for adults include:
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Bloating and gas
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
However, more than half the adults with celiac disease have signs and symptoms unrelated to the digestive system, including:
- Anemia, usually from iron deficiency
- Loss of bone density (osteoporosis) or softening of bone (osteomalacia)
- Itchy, blistery skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
- Mouth ulcers
- Headaches and fatigue
- Nervous system injury, including numbness and tingling in the feet and hands, possible problems with balance, and cognitive impairment
- Joint pain
- Reduced functioning of the spleen (hyposplenism)
Children
Children with celiac disease are more likely than adults to have digestive problems, including:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chronic diarrhea
- Swollen belly
- Constipation
- Gas
- Pale, foul-smelling stools
The inability to absorb nutrients might result in:
- Failure to thrive for infants
- Damage to tooth enamel
- Weight loss
- Anemia
- Irritability
- Short stature
- Delayed puberty
- Neurological symptoms, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, headaches, lack of muscle coordination and seizures
Some patients may have no symptoms yet but if this disease is in your family definitely get checked for it! You get on top of it before the celiac disease gets you first!
Treatment:
There’s no cure for celiac disease — but for most people, following a strict gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms and promote intestinal healing.
Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. People living gluten-free must avoid foods with wheat, rye and barley, such as bread and beer.
Ingesting small amounts of gluten, like crumbs from a cutting board or toaster, can trigger small intestine damage.
Celiac disease is also known as coeliac disease, celiac sprue, non-tropical sprue, and gluten sensitive enteropathy.
QUOTE FOR TUESDAY:
“Celiac disease is a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine. The disease is triggered by eating foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found naturally in wheat, barley, and rye, and is common in foods such as bread, pasta, cookies, and cakes. Many products contain gluten, such as prepackaged foods, lip balms and lipsticks, toothpastes, vitamin and nutrient supplements, and, rarely, medicines.
Celiac disease can be serious. The disease can cause long-lasting digestive problems and keep your body from getting all the nutrients it needs. Celiac disease can also affect the body outside the small intestine.”
NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Part I Celiac Disease Awareness Month
Celiac disease, sometimes called celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
If you have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response in your small intestine. Over time, this reaction damages your small intestine’s lining and prevents it from absorbing some nutrients (malabsorption). The intestinal damage often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anemia, and can lead to serious complications. Celiac Disease Foundation states “It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.”.
When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.
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Intestinal villi are tiny, finger-like projections made up of cells that line the entire length of your small intestine. Your villi (villus is the singular, villi is the plural) absorb nutrients from the food you eat and then shuttle those nutrients into your bloodstream so they can travel where they’re needed.
Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning that it runs in families. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease.
Celiac disease can be difficult to diagnose because it affects people differently. There are more than 200 known celiac disease symptoms which may occur in the digestive system or other parts of the body. Some people develop celiac disease as a child, others as an adult. The reason for this is still unknown.
Celiac disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medicines that contain gluten. Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to additional serious health problems. Some people with celiac disease have no symptoms at all, but still test positive on the celiac disease blood test. A few others may have a negative blood test, but have a positive intestinal biopsy. However, all people with celiac disease are at risk for long-term complications, whether or not they display any symptoms.
Long Term Problems that can arise from celiac disease are the following:
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Early onset osteoporosis or osteopenia
- Infertility and miscarriage
- Lactose intolerance
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Central and peripheral nervous system disorders
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Intestinal lymphomas and other GI cancers (malignancies)
- Gall bladder malfunction
- Neurological manifestations, including ataxia, epileptic seizures, dementia, migraine, neuropathy, myopathy and multifocal leucoencephalopathy
QUOTE FOR MONDAY:
“Coffee is loaded with antioxidants and offers many benefits. Notably, coffee drinkers have a lower risk of serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s.. At the same time, the creamers, syrups, additives, and sugars that are frequently added to coffee are highly unhealthy. These products are just as harmful as any other sugar-sweetened beverage. Pizza is one of the world’s most popular junk foods. Most commercial pizzas are made with unhealthy ingredients, including highly refined dough and heavily processed meat. Pizza also tends to be extremely high in calories.”
healthline.com
Part III Foods bad in our diet and to avoid (on a routine basis)
Processed Meat
Even though unprocessed meat can be healthy and nutritious, the same is NOT true for processed meats.
Studies show that people who eat processed meats have a higher risk of many serious diseases, including colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Most of these studies are observational in nature, so they can not prove that the processed meat caused the diseases.
However, the statistical link is strong and consistent among studies, so I do believe there is something to it.
Alternatives: If you want to eat bacon, sausages, pepperoni and other “processed” meats, then choose wisely and try to buy them locally from sellers who don’t add a lot of unhealthy ingredients. Quality counts.
Processed Cheese
Regular cheese is healthy.
It is loaded with nutrients, and a single slice of cheese contains all the same nutrients as an entire glass of milk.
However, processed cheese products are nothing like regular cheese. They are mostly made with filler ingredients that are combined and engineered to have a similar look and texture as cheese.
Cheese is healthy, but processed cheese is not. Read labels, and make sure that the cheese you’re eating is actually cheese.
Alternatives: Eat real cheese instead.
Most Fast Food Meals
Generally speaking, “fast food” chains serve only junk foods.
The majority of the food they offer is mass-produced, highly engineered junk food with very little nutritional value.
These places are often very cheap, but keep in mind that junk food costs you twice.
For every penny you save there, chances are that it’s going to cost you many times more in the future. Poor health is expensive (obesity, diabetes, hearth disease, hypertension, most I go on).
Alternatives: Fortunately, all sorts of healthy fast food places have started to appear. Chipotle is one great example.
High-Calorie “Coffee” drinks
Coffee has been unfairly demonized.
It is actually very healthy, and loaded with antioxidants.
Studies also show that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of serious diseases, like type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s.
Unfortunately, stuff is sometimes added to coffee that turns this wonderful beverage into harmful sludge.
If your “coffee” has a ton of artificial creamer and sugar, then it is NOT good for you.
It is loaded with liquid, empty calories, and will be just as unhealthy as any other sugar-sweetened beverage.
Alternatives: Drink plain coffee instead. Black is best, but small amounts of heavy cream or full-fat milk are fine as well.
Anything That is High in Sugar, Refined Grains and Vegetable Oils
One of the most important things you can do to eat healthier, is to read labels.
It is important to avoid (or at least minimize) foods that contain:
- Added sugar (and high fructose corn syrup).
- Refined grains like white flour.
- Industrial vegetable oils.
- Artificial trans fats.
These are some of the unhealthiest (and most common) ingredients in the modern diet.
The importance of reading labels can not be overstated, and this applies to all foods, even so-called health foods.
Most Highly Processed Foods
By far the simplest way to eat healthy and lose weight, is to avoid processed foods as much as possible.
Put simply, if it looks like it was made in a factory, then it’s probably bad for you.
A good rule to remember, is that real food doesn’t need an ingredients list, because real food IS the ingredient.
QUOTE FOR THE WEEKEND:
“You should limit your sugar intake no matter what, but especially if you have arthritis. Ultra-processed items like fast food, breakfast cereal, and baked goods are typically high in refined grains, added sugar, preservatives, and other potentially inflammatory ingredients, all of which may worsen arthritis symptoms. As alcohol may worsen arthritis symptoms, anyone with inflammatory arthritis should restrict or avoid it.”
healthline.com
QUOTE FOR FRIDAY:
“Cookies, cakes, ice cream, pastries and other sweets are unhealthy foods that tend to be high in cholesterol, as well as added sugars, unhealthy fats and calories. Frequently indulging in these foods can negatively impact overall health and lead to weight gain over time.”
Healthline.com
QUOTE FOR THURSDAY:
“In ancient times, asparagus was renowned as an aphrodisiac, and maybe for good reason. This succulent, savory vegetable contains a stimulating blend of nutrients that help boost energy, cleanse the urinary tract and neutralize excess ammonia, which can cause fatigue and sexual disinterest.Asparagus is extremely low in calories at about 20 per serving (five spears), has no fat, and is low in sodium. Plus the vegetable contains the amino acid asparagine, which is important in the development and function of the brain, according to a study published in 2013 in the journal Neuron. Asparagus is high in anti-inflammatory nutrients.”
LIVESCIENCE
QUOTE FOR WEDNESDAY:
“Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation, sometimes leading to serious liver damage. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads through contaminated blood. The largest group at risk includes everyone born between 1945 and 1965 — a population five times more likely to be infected than those born in other years.”
MAYO CLINIC