* Update: I’m happy to hear your comments, but the contest deadline is over and the winners will be announced soon! Thanks everyone. I appreciate the massive turnout!

I’m unfurling my Home For The Holidays banner and joining the wild party over at Gluten Free Easily. Shirley (founder of GFE) has organized this amazing holiday blogging event which started November 28th and will run through December 23rd. Close to 90 prizes will be given away during the celebration—at least 3 each day. The grand prize at the end will be a VitaMix professional blender 5200 lifestyle package! Yes, you read that right. A high end VitaMix professional blender. Included with that is a 32 ounce dry grains container so you can grind your own gluten-free flours. Wouldn’t you love to win that?!

I thought so.

Please join me, Shirley, and 23 other gluten-free bloggers as we share recipes that mean both home and holidays to us. You know the kind. One whiff as you open the front door, one bite, one sip, one hug, and you know you’re home. Food is such an important part of the holiday spirit and switching to gluten-free can throw a wrench in your holiday plans. It doesn’t have to be that way. We want to share our traditions with you and how we’ve adapted them to be gluten-free. We also want to hear what your favorites are.

Here’s the deal. Each day, with each new blogger, you will have an opportunity to win a prize, so follow along closely. There’s a short window of time (only 48 hours) to win the prize, so act fast and comment often. Check out Shirley’s post here for all the details you need to stay on track. Each time you comment, you are entered to win the daily prize at that blog and you’re also entered to win the grand prize. If you don’t win the VitaMix, you might win the 2nd grand prize, which is a $150 spending spree from Free From Gluten, your one-stop online shopping center for all things gluten-free, or the 3rd prize, a Caveman Cookies giveaway package worth $89.

Today’s prizes are one copy of Artisanal Gluten Free Cooking by Kelli and Peter Bronski, founders of the blog No Gluten No Problem and 2 copies of Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. Although Pete is a friend and colleague, Artisanal GF is hands-down one of my favorite cookbooks (GF or not). It’s filled with delicious recipes made from scratch. It’s also sprinkled with entertaining tidbits about living gluten-free. You’ll love it. Wheat Belly is a GF book of a different kind. Dr. Davis is a cardiologist who believes wheat is one of the main factors in the dramatic rise in obesity and disease. For details, check out this interview I did with Dr. Davis and my review of Wheat Belly. The book is definitely worth reading.

To be entered to win, leave a comment on this blog post. If you’d like to be entered more than once, “Like” Gluten-Free For Good on Facebook and comment separately HERE letting me know you did that. You can also Follow Me on Twitter and comment separately HERE letting me know you did that. Don’t leave one comment summarizing everything, comment each time. That way you have more chances to win one of today’s prizes and also more chances to win the grand prize. And remember, make it fast as you only have 48 hours to win. The contest on this blog will close at midnight on Wednesday, December 7th.

Sound good?

Okay, back to the food.

Red chile enchiladas are a holiday tradition at our house. Stacked, rolled, or made into a casserole, these enchiladas are an all-time favorite. During the holidays our house is brimming with family, friends, laughter, warmth, great smells, and lots of love. Back when I lived in Taos Ski Valley, NM and my days were filled with work at the Hotel St. Bernard and skiing every day, I made my red chile from local dried chile pods. Now, 4 kids and various additions to the family later, I use frozen Bueno Red Chile puree. It’s still from New Mexico, still pure and simple (no additives, preservatives, etc.), still packed with vitamin A, but WAY easier than starting from scratch. See photo above, that’s starting from scratch. This is more of a “launching pad” recipe. Adjust it to your liking by topping the final meal with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, scallions, black olives or sour cream. We like the individual stacked enchiladas topped with a poached egg. When I make it as a casserole, I skip the eggs.

Festive Red Chile Enchiladas (Casserole Style)
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra for frying the corn tortillas
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons brown rice flour or another mild GF flour
2 14-ounce containers of Bueno Red Chile Puree or Bueno Special Reserve Puree, thawed *
2 14-ounce containers of water, added slowly to make sure you have the consistency you like *
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt
12 corn tortillas, make sure they are gluten-free
1 to 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken or turkey
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in medium-sized stock pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 6 to 8 minutes or until onions are soft.
3. Add flour and whisk well, making a roux. Whisk for about 2 minutes until well blended.
4. Add red chile and water, whisking to eliminate lumps.
5. Add Mexican oregano and salt, bring mixture to a low simmer and cook uncovered for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6. Heat extra oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Quickly fry one tortilla at a time in hot oil. Drain on paper towels.
7. Put a small amount of red chile in a large shallow casserole dish to lightly coat the bottom. Alternately layer fried tortillas dipped in heated red chile sauce, shredded cooked chicken or turkey, and cheese until all ingredients are used. Drizzle with more red chile and top with cheese.
8. Bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top.

* I like using 1 hot and 1 mild container of Bueno red chile. That makes for a spicy blend, but not overwhelmingly hot.
* Mixture should have a gravy-like consistency. Adjust so it’s not too watery or too thick. If it’s too watery, let it cook longer; too thick, slowly add more water.

Check here for yesterday’s Home For The Holiday’s post by one of my favorite bloggers, Maggie at She Let Them Eat Cake. No cake this time, but she came up with some amazing candy cane ice cream, dairy-free no less! And don’t forget to check out Kim’s addition tomorrow over at Cook It Allergy Free. She’s another one of my favorite allergy friendly bloggers.

Remember, share the love and leave your comments HERE. You might win one of these books, or you might win the grand prize. Oh, I’m so envious.

Peace, love, and happy holidays!
Melissa

I’m a bit of an odd duck.

I ate these roasted Brussels sprouts and cipollini onions over a mix of creamy sweet brown rice and oats—for breakfast this morning. Yes, for breakfast. And trust me, it was off-the-charts delicious.

Monday is my organic food delivery day. I belong to Grant Family Farms CSA and I’m the grateful recipient of 26 week’s worth of organic veggies, fruit and pastured eggs. I’ve been a member of Grant Farm’s CSA program for 5 years now and I’ve gotten very good at using up my bounty. BUT, it’s not easy unless you shift your thinking and eat vegetables for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. I’m more than happy to do that as I’m a plant girl at heart.

If you prefer keeping Brussels sprouts at arm’s length, try them for breakfast. They’re ridiculously healthy and taste wonderful if you cook them right. Here’s how. Adjust ingredient amounts according to how much you want to make. The above photo was a single portion made in my grandmother’s small, cast iron skillet. Okay, it might have been a double portion, but I made it a single serving.

Cipollini (pronounced chip-oh-lee-nee) onions are small, mild and very sweet. Perfect for breakfast. The pinch of brown sugar and the natural sweetness of the onions carmelizes and sweetens the Brussels sprouts. They’re a delightful pair.

roasted Brussels sprouts and cipollini onions

10–12 Brussels sprouts
2–4 cipollini onions
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a drizzle for the skillet
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt
brown sugar

Wash and trim Brussels sprouts, cut in half. Peel onions and cut in quarters. Place sprouts and onions in a small bowl. Add olive oil and mix well. Grind pepper over bowl (several grinds), sprinkle with salt (I like a good amount) and brown sugar (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon). Mix well. Pour veggies into lightly oiled cast iron skillet and place on center rack of pre-heated 400 degree oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Pull skillet out of the oven and mix veggies to insure all sides get roasted. I usually add another pinch or two of sea salt, another grind of pepper and a pinch of brown sugar. Place back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Eat before 6 AM and fly through your morning.

Peace, love and breakfast veggies!
Melissa

Update: The winner of a package of this awesome bread mix is Sherri. Lucky girl!

Who loves the golden-brown, crusty edges of a freshly baked loaf of bread?

That would be me.

Who prefers the soft, warm, sweet smelling center?

That part is good, but nothing like the crumbly texture and delicate taste of the crust.

Which do you crave? The crust or center? I’m curious, so let’s take a vote.

Leave your answer in the comment section below. You might be the lucky winner of a package of Montana Gluten-Free PrOatina Toasted Oat Bread Mix. There’s no right or wrong answer, although people do seem to have a definite preference for one or the other. I have a serious weakness for the crust, but I know others who are hopelessly addicted to the center. The winner will be randomly chosen by my 5 year old neighbor. It’s worth a comment; this bread is awesome.

Before I launch into this post, I have a disclosure to make. While I love my Montana Gluten-Free farmer friends, I don’t get paid to say nice things about them. I order my toasted oat bread mix online (check here) and pay full price like everyone else. The package I’ll be sending the winner was part of my recently purchased half-case of bread mix. My intention is simply to support the farmers who are doing it right. We get to vote with our forks (or bread pans in this case) and I vote for healthy, sustainable, gluten-free food choices. This is literally a “grass roots” movement and the more we know about what’s in our food supply and where it comes from, the better off we are.

Yes, I love this bread. Yes, I love these farmers. But here’s the deal. I have to be mindful about how much bread I eat. Baked goods are an occasional treat, so if I’m going to eat bread, I don’t want to waste my time, money, or my calories on the low grade stuff. Aside from being the best loaf of gluten-free (or not gluten-free) bread EVER, this toasted oat flour is a good source of protein and fiber and even contains some calcium and iron.

And here’s the kicker about the crust, which is absolutely divine on this bread. Check out that photo above. I made this loaf yesterday. Does that crust look incredible or what? My weakness is the end piece—still warm from the oven, slathered with real butter. Enough so that it drips down my chin with the first bite. Slurp.

Excuse me. I need to do a taste test. I’ll be back shortly. I have to make sure I’m not exaggerating. You know, for the sake of accurate reporting.

Okay, just as I thought. No exaggeration. It’s that good.

Back to the science behind the crust. I’m not sure how this translates to gluten-free oat bread, but a group of researchers in Germany found that the crust of a conventional bread mixture contained a unique, crust-only antioxidant that didn’t exist in the original flour. This health-promoting compound was eight times more abundant in the crust than in the rest of the bread. Pronyl-lysine is the high-powered antioxidant. It magically appears during the baking process. Magically as in a chemical reaction between certain amino acids and sugar in the presence of heat. A Maillard style love affair. An auspicious pairing that several studies have found increases the level of specific enzymes that are protective against cancer. How cool is that? Cancer fighting bread crust!

Luckily I’m already smitten with the crust. No need to force myself to increase my pronyl-lysine intake.

So, what is it? Crust or center? Be honest. Leave your answer below. Who knows? You might be eating your own loaf of this bread soon.

Peace, love and toasted oat bread crusts!
Melissa
Cook’s Notes: I made the above loaf in the oven. No kneading necessary. This is my favorite way to make this bread. It’s easy and not terribly time-consuming. The crust comes out perfect. I’ve also made it in my old bread machine, which does NOT have a GF setting. GF bread doesn’t need to be kneaded and I can’t avoid that setting on my old machine, so it goes through the kneading cycle. The bread still comes out tasting great, it just doesn’t have this beautiful crust on it. My advice–make it in the oven or in a bread machine with a no knead setting. No matter how you do it, it’s a dynamite loaf of bread.

Which is it? The joy of cooking, or the joy of overeating.

Probably a bit of both.

I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Americans are eating more and moving less, which adds up to rising rates of obesity and diabetes. According to results from a 2009 study, 38 states had adult obesity rates above 25 percent. Eight states had rates above 30 percent. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. In 1980, the national average of obese adults was 15 percent.

Colorado is currently the only state with rates under 20 percent. Although that looks good comparatively, our rates are rising as well. We’re simply the caboose on a fast-moving train going the wrong direction.

During the same year (2009), adult diabetes rates increased in 19 states. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 25.6 million American adults, 20 years or older, have diabetes. That’s 11.3 percent of people in that age group.

That’s a lot of people. If this trend continues, the CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes by 2050. The risks associated with diabetes are serious, but it’s also possible to mitigate the complications through lifestyle changes. In fact, there’s evidence that type 2 diabetes can be totally reversed. It’s not easy and for some people it’s far more complicated than this, but in general, it’s a fairly straight-forward prescription. Eat less, choose whole foods, exercise more.

Which brings me back to the point of this blog post. Eat less. Over the past 70 years, we’ve slowly decided we need (want) more calories. The words super-size me seem most suited to the fast food industry, but according to two creative researchers, that’s not the case. Bigger servings have even crept into such classics as The Joy of Cooking.

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that calorie density and serving sizes have not only increased in away-from-home foods, but in home cooking as well. To determine if there was a parallel, the researchers used 70 year’s worth of recipes from 7 editions of The Joy of Cooking as a longitudinal gauge. It’s a classic cookbook and a perfect one to study as it’s been updated every 10 years since 1936.

Well, what do ya know?

To make a long and rather convoluted story short, calories increased by 63 percent per serving. Changes in ingredients and serving sizes reflect the spike in calories.

Bottom line? If a recipe says serves 4, don’t believe it. They really mean, serves 6.

Peace, love and smaller portions.
Melissa

Well, what do you think? Will this glob of dough migrate straight to your belly?

I haven’t eaten wheat in years, so I’m not worried about a “wheat” belly, but I understand my own physiology well enough to know that overloading on high-carb, baked goods (gluten-free or not) will make for wild blood sugar loop-de-loops, not to mention extra pounds.

Have you heard of the new book, Wheat Belly, by gluten-free medical doctor, William Davis? If you haven’t, you will soon. It made its way up to #5 on the New York Time’s best seller list (hardcover advice and miscellaneous category) and is generating lots of controversial chatter along the way.

I’m not sure why, but Dr. Davis’s publicist sent me a copy of the book (thanks, Olivia). I hadn’t heard of it, and to be honest, I rolled my eyes when I saw the title. I figured it was just another weight loss book, in what has become a bazillion dollar industry—this time using “gluten-free” as the hook.

After my eye-rolling subsided long enough to focus on the fact that the book was written by a preventive cardiologist, I was intrigued. Preventive being the key word when it comes to heart health. I like exercise science, which tends to revolve around cardiac function in one way or another. My thesis paper for my degree (way back when) was a long-winded question about whether exercise training promotes coronary collateralization in people with heart disease. And, if so, do these vessels enhance myocardial perfusion? I went on to do an internship in cardiac rehab, help start an out-patient program, and neurotically fuss about whether my cholesterol and/or my HDLs were too high. Yes, freakishly high HDLs, which are half my cholesterol and my cholesterol isn’t low.

So—Wheat Belly was written by a preventive cardiologist who advocates no gluten, less drug use, balancing blood sugar, and is focused on real food?

I’m in.

I read the book and spent an hour last weekend interviewing Dr. Davis for this blog post.

He’s delightful, has a good sense of humor, and is on a mission to find better solutions to the deluge of health problems we face in this country. He wants to help people. Many docs practice flow-chart medicine.

Oh, you have this symptom? Then you need this drug.

I didn’t get that feeling from Dr. Davis, and that’s unusual in cardiology. He won’t immediately hand you a prescription for a statin drug, but he might offer you a recipe for low-carb, grain-free pumpkin spice muffins. My Paleo friends will love him.

While I don’t agree with everything in the book and I find his food philosophy a bit animal-product-heavy for me, his “eat real food” approach to health makes perfect sense. He does use artificial/non-nutritive sweeteners (which I avoid), but he admits that’s a compromise. I understand his reasoning, as I do my own version of compromising when it comes to a few select, gluten-free products that I recommend to clients and that I occasionally use myself.

I also know, from a health standpoint, that trading gluten-containing products for gluten-free products isn’t the answer. Dr. Davis is on that bandwagon as well.

Excuse me while I step onto my soapbox for a moment.

I repeat. Switching from one overly-processed “food” to another is not the answer, and much of the time, the new gluten-free version has no more nutritional value than ground styrofoam.

Gluten-free baking often relies on refined starches and sugar to recreate a wheat-like texture and to improve taste. This has been a major frustration of mine for years. Many of the support organizations focus on replacing wheat with gluten-free products, rather than encouraging people to eat nourishing food that happens to be gluten-free. A major topic of discussion right now in the celiac community is the Gluten Free Labeling Law currently under consideration by the FDA. While I support a uniform labeling standard and understand the pros and cons of various ppm limits, if you eat real food, you don’t have to worry about labels, ppms, or government standards.

Stepping down from my soapbox now. Nah, I’ll keep one foot on and one foot off.

As a nutritionist, one of the things I think is most important in improving health is to eat organic, whole foods (lots of vegetables) and to balance blood sugar. That’s also the premise of my version of a gluten-free diet and what Dr. Davis is advocating. The overriding theme in Wheat Belly is to resolve metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by reducing carbohydrates (especially wheat and refined starches), and in the process, most people lose weight. But, you can’t trade gluten-containing processed carbs for gluten-free processed carbs.

The basic premise makes sense. Unless you’re running a marathon, but that’s another story.

While I don’t agree with everything in Wheat Belly, I do get the idea that Dr. Davis’ motto, especially when it comes to heart health, is to “prevent” problems before they sabotage your health. I’m into that, too.

For more information, please check the following links.

Wheat Belly Blog
Track Your Plaque Blog (I love this—meditation, prayer, and deep breathing as strategies to enhance heart health. Go, Dr. Davis, go!)

Peace, love and real food.
Melissa

I have a thing for farm-fresh food.

I was in San Diego last weekend, attending the Celiac Sprue Association’s national conference. These conferences usually feature one or two celiac rock stars from the medical community. This year was no different as Dr. Peter Green from Columbia University was the keynote speaker. Yes, he’s brilliant, charming, knows his way around intestinal micro-villi, and is one of the top celiac researchers in the world. Plus, he has an Australian accent. Total swoon-potential, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Me?

I’m into farmers.

No disrespect to the docs, but it’s the farmers who rock my world. Good nutrition is about good agriculture. Our health and the health of the environment depends on what happens out in the field. It’s all linked. We can talk about medical advances, pathology, and pharmaceuticals until the cows come home (sticking with my farm theme), but it’s the quality of the food we eat that holds the promise to better health.

While in San Diego, I reconnected with some farmer friends (I admit, I’m an ag groupie) from Montana and bought some Toasted Oat Bread Mix to experiment with. Yesterday I baked a loaf of whole grain, toasted oat bread and, I’m not kidding, the smell drifting from my kitchen window was intoxicating. The UPS guy asked me to marry him.

I used pastured eggs from Grant Family Farms, the toasted oat mix from the Montana farmers, and local Madhava honey to make the bread. Once cooled, I used fresh, organic pears from my Grant Farms fruit share and smoked gouda cheese. I ended up with the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich ever. In fact, this is the best loaf of bread I’ve ever made and that includes the whole wheat bread (little did I know) I made from scratch back in my hippie-girl days.

gluten-free grilled cheese sandwich (gourmet comfort food)
2 slices toasted oat bread (I made the mix in my breadmaker)
sliced pear (not-quite-ripe is best)
thin slices of smoked gouda cheese
butter

Melt butter in a sauté pan on low-medium heat. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Assemble sandwich and grill in sizzling butter on both sides. You might have to put a lid (askew so it doesn’t get moist) on the pan to fully melt the cheese. Sniff, slice and drool.

Other gluten-free grilled cheese ideas—
• Peaches, raw cheddar, thinly sliced almonds
• Goat cheese, figs, sliced pears
• Roasted green chiles, tomatoes, colby cheese

For more on Montana Gluten-Free Products, check here.

For more information on oats and to be included in a focus group on oats, please read on.

If you have celiac disease and are unsure about adding oats to your diet, take part in the nationwide focus group on oats (check with your doctor first to make sure this is appropriate for you). Click here for details. If you fit the criteria, you’ll get a free (yes, free) bag of Montana GF PrOatina oats to try. Deb from the blog NotEvenACrumb has joined forces with the Montana farmers to help conduct a survey determining the gluten-free community’s tolerance to PrOatina, the farmers’ trademark oat product. I have no problem with oats and, as a nutritionist, feel they are a wonderful addition to the gluten-free diet. If you want to experiment with GF oats, start slowly so you don’t confuse too much fiber with a sensitivity to the oats. Montana GF products are certified gluten-free and processed in a dedicated facility. Their products are also free of dairy, corn, soy, nuts, and are GMO-free. Check here for details.

Disclosure: I’m thankful for farmers and appreciate and respect their hard work. I like knowing where my food comes from and I support the farmers who are doing it right. This is about passion and the future of our food supply, it’s not about money. I get nothing if you click any of these links, not even a free pear or a loaf of bread. This is not about that, it’s about supporting the people who are growing our food. We need to do that. They deserve it.

If you want to try a loaf of toasted oat bread, you can get the mix here. This is my new favorite bread mix. It’s wonderful. Seriously. Go, try it now and be prepared to be flirted with if your windows are open.

Peace, love and grilled cheese sandwiches on toasted oat bread. What’s your favorite?
Melissa

* 9-22 Update on this post—Thanks to everyone for your great comments and input. Jane from PA was the winner of the give-away, but if you haven’t read the post yet, please do so. It’s full of compelling information.

Did you know?

• Almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics are sold for subtherapeutic use in agriculture each year (2009 estimate from the FDA). Animals are routinely given antibiotics to compensate for the unhealthy living conditions on factory farms. The overuse of antibiotics in our food supply is connected to the increase in antibiotic-resistant organisms. Unfortunately, that impacts the treatment of life-threatening diseases in humans. According to the State Environmental Resource Center, the USDA estimates that 70% of all food borne illness in the US can be traced to meat.

• In his book, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies, Kenneth Bock, MD states that in the past 2 decades, autism has increased 1500%, ADHD 400%, asthma 300%, and allergies 400%.

• Recombinant bovine (cattle) growth hormone (rBGH / rBST) is a genetically engineered hormone approved by the FDA in 1993. The product, used to increase milk production in dairy cows, carries with it an elevated risk to the animal of mastitis (udder infections), digestive disorders, and a host of other negative health conditions. Treatment requires routine antibiotic injections. These hormones and drugs find their way into the milk supply. Canada, the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand have banned the use of rBGH. We have not.

• Genetically engineered (modified) foods contain genetic material that has been artificially altered. These foods convey characteristics that weren’t previously found in our food supply, including the possibility of new allergens. Eighty percent of all processed foods in the US contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

• Epidemiological studies indicate that exposure to certain crop pesticides may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease by up to 75%. Exposure to multiple chemicals acting synergistically may increase the effect of each chemical.

• A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found the prevalence of food allergies in children under the age of 18 to be 8%. Among children with food allergies, 38.7% had a history of severe reactions and 30.4% had multiple food allergies.

• Researchers at the University of Southampton found that hyperactivity and behavior problems increased in children who were exposed to artificial food colors and the preservative sodium benzoate. Check here for details.

• Through extensive research, Dr. Joseph Murray (Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and Celiac disease specialist), has found that Celiac disease is five times more common now than it was 50 years ago. He believes something has changed in our environment to trigger the increase. This isn’t about an increase in diagnosis, it is about the increase in occurrence. Check here for his explanation. There has also been an increase in non-Celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy.

• The wheat we eat today is very different from the wild version our ancestors first cultivated thousands of years ago. We now have over 25,000 genetic variations of wheat, many with high yield and high gluten properties. Gluten is a common ingredient in processed food, is difficult to digest and is of no biological value.

• On their website, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, states that the prevalence of asthma increased 75% from 1980 – 1994. Asthma rates in children under the age of five have increased more than 160% in that same time period. In 2007, 29% of children who had a food allergy also had asthma.

• In a 2008 press release, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) announced that the number of young people who had a food or digestive allergy had increased by 18% between 1997 and 2007. The CDC report determined that children with food allergies were up to four times more likely to have asthma.

I could go on (and on), but you get the idea. These are random facts that impact our health. I believe they’re all connected. What we eat today is vastly different from what our grandparents ate fifty or sixty years ago. The introduction of highly processed foods, the overuse of antibiotics, genetically engineered ingredients, additives and dyes, crops sprayed with pesticides, fast food on every corner, patented seeds, and compromised soil have all played a part in changing the quality of the food we eat and how our bodies react to that food.

Why does it matter?

A large part of the immune system is located in the gastrointestinal tract. When we eat foods that contain pesticides, additives, hormones, antibiotics, etc., it confuses the very system that is designed to keep us healthy. We end up with nutrient deficiencies, food intolerances/sensitivities, bacterial imbalances and an increased risk for all kinds of diseases and disorders.

Robyn O’Brien, founder of the AllergyKids website and author of The Unhealthy Truth, is on a mission to raise awareness regarding the proliferation of toxins in our food supply and how that relates to the rapid rise in serious health conditions. I’ve met Robyn on a couple of different occasions and had the pleasure of joining her and several other health bloggers for lunch recently. We’re all in this together and sharing reliable information about the toxic changes in our food supply is important. For more information about Robyn, check out her TED talk video. She has a fascinating story.

I don’t often do give-aways or events on my blog as I’m too scattered, busy, and unorganized to commit to them. But – I’m passionate about wholesome, nourishing food. I’m also a nutritionist and mom to four kids and I don’t like the thought that my family (or yours) is being exposed to dangerous substances without our knowledge. Several other writers who attended the lunch with Robyn are participating in this “awareness” event and giveaway as well. Please see the links below. I’ll be adding more as the posts are published.

Okay, no more ranting. If you made it this far, please leave a comment and I’ll pick one lucky reader to receive a copy of Robyn’s informative and eye-opening book (The Unhealthy Truth), a copy of the Stonyfield Organic Yogurt cookbook and 5 coupons each for Oikos organic Greek yogurt and YoBaby organic yogurt. To increase your karmic odds, but not your statistical odds, please share this post with your friends and join me on Facebook and/or Twitter. I add lots of good information on both social network sites that I don’t have time to post here on the blog. I’ll give it a couple of weeks and then I’ll have my 5 year old neighbor pick the winning number out of a hat. I have no desire to figure out how those random raffle picker programs work, so you’ll have to trust that my little neighbor and I will do this fairly.

Check the following posts for more information. It’s a blog hop!
Write Mind Open Heart (The Unhealthy Truth – with giveaway – and why I’m on alert for frankenfood)
Stapleton Moms (Just one thing to make your family healthier: no rBGH in your milk)
Mile High Mamas (I fed my family WHAT? Toxic secrets revealed in The Unhealthy Truth)
Lifenut (A food fight for our lives)
Evolving Mommy (The Unhealthy Truth)

Good luck!
Melissa

Is there a connection?

I was diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture ten years ago. I have it in both my hands and my feet. I also have Celiac disease and have always wondered if the two were related. There’s no sound research indicating comorbidity, but since both are immune mediated, I’m thinking they might be kindred spirits. Comorbidity is the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases in the same person.

Would you, my bright and nerdy readers, help me do an (un)scientific and peer reviewed (that would be you) study? Having a blog allows for some creative crowd-sourcing, so if you’ll play along, we might be able to pull off an interesting randomized (literally) study on the possible connection between the two autoimmune diseases. But, let’s do this right. Humor me while I switch from gluten-free nutrition blogger to medical researcher.

Celiac disease and Dupuytren’s contracture: are they related?
Jory MM, et al. (et al. refers to all of you)
Research study in progress

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine if Celiac disease and Dupuytren’s contracture share common pathophysiological origins and/or genetic associations.
Method: To elicit a response in the comment section from blog readers who have both Celiac disease and Dupuytren’s contracture. People who have Celiac disease and/or Type 1 diabetes should also respond in the comment section. Any combination of the three diseases mentioned, or the suspicion of a combination should be noted.
Conclusion: Pending
Key words: Celiac disease, Dupruytren’s contracture, Type 1 diabetes, autoimmunity, gluten, genetics.

INTRODUCTION

Celiac disease is a genetically predisposed digestive disease in which gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, causes an immune reaction that damages to the lining of the small intestine. The resulting inability to properly digest (breakdown) and absorb food leads to nutrient deficiencies and a multitude of health issues. The comorbidity between Celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders has been studied extensively and clearly established. According to several research studies, Celiac disease and Type 1 diabetes share common genetic origins and immune mediated tissue damage. Dietary intolerances are found in both diseases. The prevalence of Celiac disease in people who have Type 1 diabetes is about seven times greater than in the general population.

Dupruytren’s contracture is a disease that typically affects the connective tissue in the palm of the hand, although it can also impact the feet. Scarring develops in the fascia covering the tendons that facilitate movement. The fascia becomes thick and shortened, causing the fingers to contract and pull inward. In advances cases, the muscles and tendons involved in gripping become “frozen” and unable to extend. The disease progresses until the fourth (ring) and fifth fingers remain in a permanent flexed position and a loss of mobility occurs. In more extreme cases, all fingers can be implicated. The frequency of Dupuytren’s contracture is ten times greater in people with type 1 diabetes than in the general population.

The main objective of this (un)scientific, blog-sourced study is to determine a relationship between Celiac disease and Dupuytren’s contracture. If there is a genetic and food-related link between Celiac disease and Type 1 diabetes and a genetic link between Type 1 diabetes and Dupuytren’s, could gluten and specific gene markers play a role in all three conditions? Is there a comorbidity between Celiac disease and Dupuytren’s contracture? Should people diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture be screened for Celiac disease? Should people with Dupuytren’s contracture go on an anti-inflammatory, gluten-free diet?

Do you have Celiac disease? Do you have Dupuytren’s contracture? Do you have Type 1 diabetes? Do you have any combination of the above? Please leave your answer in the comment section of this blog post. If you don’t want your name associated with your answer, please comment anonymously. Thank you!

Let’s see what we can come up with. Scientifically speaking, although loosely so.

Peace, love and science blogging.
Melissa
P.S. I chose the above photo because it implied a warm connection between people (all of us) and the image of contracted ring and pinky fingers is exactly what Dupuytren’s contracture looks like.

*Warning: this post took on a life of its own. If you’re looking for a quick recipe, bail out now. If you’re remotely interested in my take on the wonderful world of food, genetics, evolution and Celiac disease, brace yourself and read on.

Was this Paleo guy after the mastodon or the armadillo?

Or, maybe he was out doing some wild cereal hunting. That field of Triticum would be a lot easier to tackle than the mastodon. I’m pretty sure I evolved from a less aggressive, nomadic, grass-eating tribe. My ancestors hunted with pruning shears, not six foot long daggers with jagged tips. We ate grasses, berries, nuts, seeds, dates, olives, leafy green things and even rich, savory mushrooms once we figured out which ones didn’t kill us. We also ate a lot of fish depending on our travels.

Unfortunately, that’s where things went awry. When we stopped wandering and built condos on the Mediterranean Sea. I had HLA DQ2 ancestors and around 8500 B.C. they decided cultivating Triticum dicoccum (emmer wheat) was less dangerous than chasing 6 ton mastodons with sharp pointy tusks.

And so, the Celiac story begins – with the domestication of wheat and the interaction of HLA (human leukocyte antigen) genes and deamidated gluten peptides. To make it even more fun, let’s throw in sexual selection, mating preferences and pathogen resistance. We actually have some biological factors (those HLA genes again) influencing who we get a crush on and mate with. Darn it though, this little trick of nature doesn’t always play out to our benefit.

HLA genes are involved in immune function. They guard against nasty invaders and do a good job keeping us healthy. They also magically prompt us to compliment our disease fighting ability with genetic dissimilarities. We subconsciously strive for varied biological attributes in our offspring. Bottom line? These genes play a role in who we get the hots for.

Seriously. I’m not making this up. Check here for details.

It’s called olfactory curb appeal. Okay, I made that up.

But, have you ever been attracted to someone simply because they smelled good? You don’t know why they smell good, it’s not perfume or cologne or anything. It’s just them. That’s deep, dark and delicious biology working to keep the species healthy. We don’t know it, but we’re seeking to keep our DNA loaded with a genetic mixture of diverse immunity, so we sniff out complimentary HLA genes. Unfortunately, the introduction of wheat, barley and rye played havoc on our genetic blueprint. These normally brilliant little HLA DQ2 genes also code for autoimmunity (check here for details), as is the case with Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes.

Oops.

Okay, that was a rather convoluted introduction to why I don’t favor the Paleo diet, but I had to set the biogeographical stage. You see, my ancestors go back 10,000 years ago to the Fertile Crescent. I was sunbathing on the Syrian coast and eating a Mediterranean diet way back when. Before it was cool and trendy to eat like that. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t loading up on pounds of mastadon meat. Maybe on rare occasions like someone’s wedding or the toppling of a rival empire, but not often.

I’m also thinking my female ancestors frequently had to settle for HLA DQ2 suitors rather than shaking things up with an anti-Celiac DQ4 guy. Life was different then. It’s not like you could jet off to the Andes in hopes of diluting the DQ2 gene pool. You got stuck with whoever was in your merry band of hunters and gatherers and that probably meant similarly encoded DQ antigen regions.

I’m just curious about all this because I think it’s in my genetic makeup to favor plants. I’m not much of a meat eater. Paleo eating is popular right now and supporters suggest we evolved to eat a high animal protein diet, but that doesn’t work for me. At all. Ethics aside, I’m not fond of animal products and I don’t digest meat or dairy well. I’m much better off eating a big bowl of leafy greens, some brown rice and a mix of roasted veggies than I am a slab of prime rib or a chunk of cheese. I’m sure I’d do better if my meat sources were from wild, organic, healthy animals and my dairy sources were raw and from 100% grass fed, happy cows, but in general, and for a lot of reasons, I’m more suited to a plant-based diet. Considering the toxic chemicals in our food supply, the overuse of antibiotics and hormones in CAFO (confined animal feeding operations) and the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria, I don’t think a diet heavy with animal protein is healthy.

By the way, this post isn’t an endorsement of any specific eating plan. I’m just thinking out loud. So, don’t hit me over the head with a club if you’re a Paleo fan. For the record, I’m not vegetarian or vegan, but fairly close and if I do eat animal products, I’m grateful that I can be picky about the sources.

Okay? Are we all friends? Omnivores and herbivores? Vegans and meat eaters? Berry pickers and spear throwers? What works for one person doesn’t always work for another. We’re biochemically unique. I’m also convinced that genetic influences (as wildly explained above), environmental determinants, ethical leanings, lifestyle factors and nutrient feng shui make a difference.

I made up that nutrient feng shui thing. That’s my phrase for food combining, which I’m not into either. Life is hard enough, lets make eating easier, not more difficult. A nutrient-dense, whole foods, plant-based diet is easy and healthy. At least for my DNA.

Points to Ponder

• Recent research suggests that red meat consumption increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011

• Study reveals direct evidence for a variety of plant foods in the Neanderthal diet, including legumes, date palms and grass seeds (Triticeae). PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010

• Don’t assume we were all heavy meat eaters. Molar macrowear in Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens suggests high dietary variability. My ancestors were Paleo Plant People from Mediterranean habitats. Check here for the research details. I made up Paleo Plant People, but who knows, that might emerge as a classification system. I’ll contact the Paleolithic genome project and suggest it.

• Maintaining a healthy pH balance is important to health. Beef, pork, poultry, milk, butter, cheese, cream are acid-forming foods. Plants are alkalizing. An acidic internal environment is disease-promoting. Low acid diets may protect against several diseases, including osteoporosis (yes, osteoporosis). Check here for details.

• According to my weight and age, I’m supposed to consume about 45 to 50 grams of protein per day. The average American adult consumes at least twice that much per day (100 to 120 grams per day). When that much protein (along with the often higher percentage of fat in animal products) is consumed, other important nutrients are often excluded from the diet. Fiber percentages and beneficial plant nutrients are often lacking in high protein (animal source) diets. I prefer less protein than the USDA’s RDA and more fiber than they recommend. That can easily be accomplished on a high-grade, plant-based diet. Even if you’re exercising a lot. Even if you’re a serious athlete.

• Strong and consistent correlations are reported between death rates from cancer and per capita consumption of animal products. Check here for epidemiological correlations between diet and cancer frequency.

• It’s my opinion that a whole foods, predominantly plant-based diet filled with lots of fiber and organic, nutrient-dense vegetables is the best way to heal and thrive if you have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. I have DQ2 genes and Celiac disease. People like me often have difficulty digesting animal products (meat and dairy). Maybe we didn’t evolve to do so. Maybe our genes are telling us something. Maybe Paleo isn’t for us. Maybe we’re Paleo Plant People.

Peace, love and green veggies.
Melissa

I have a new favorite pizza topping. Actually, two new favorites, although one of them is hard to come by. Remember the quinoa greens? This is a pizza I made with quinoa greens, scallions (my new favorite pizza topping), garlic and tomatoes. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ll know I like thin crust, gluten-free pizza, but I like it with fresh, wholesome vegetables and I don’t like tomato sauce.

The thinner the crust, the better. Less “bready” calories and I like the crunchy texture of cracker-thin crusts. But you must try pizza with scallions cut the long way and spread out on the crust. They’re over-the-top delicious. Seriously good. The quinoa greens are wonderful as well, but after two deliveries to my local organic market, they’ve disappeared.

Half of the ingredients in these before photos came from my Grant Family Farms CSA veggie share. I’ve been getting the most amazing organic scallions, broccoli, spinach, beets and fresh garlic lately (along with a lot of other nutrient-dense goodies). I used Udi’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts, brushed them lightly with olive oil and spread a bunch of chopped garlic over that. Organic, farm-fresh garlic is incredible, especially topped with fresh, sliced tomatoes. I washed the scallions, trimmed the ends (but left them fairly long) and then sliced them the long way. After spreading them over the crust, I topped that with the quinoa greens and a light sprinkling of raw cheddar cheese. I did exactly the same preparation with the other pizza crust (olive oil and fresh garlic), but topped it with broccoli, spinach, beet greens and a sprinkling of cheese.

I baked them in a 375 degree oven for about 12 minutes. Divine!

You might also like some of my other strange pizza combinations.
radicchio and squash pizza (with some extras)
beet pizza, red chile enchilada pizza, BBQ chicken and onion ring pizza, etc.

Or, great ideas from other gluten-free bloggers
flourless pizza with pears, candied bacon and caramelized onions at Simply Gluten Free
To learn to make your own crust, check out Gluten Free Girl (and the chef) for directions and a video

Peace, love and scallions on pizza!
Melissa
P.S. Do you call them scallions or green onions?