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.... Still in the Kitchen!
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Greetings!
We had so many comments on our last newsletter and realize that many of you are interested in the foods that you eat and want more information and understanding. Let's take a closer look at this subject as we continue to follow the ALCAT eating plan and share with you how we are feeling and what we are learning. Eating well and being healthy does take time, energy, and attention, but it also adds more of what we all say we want: time with family and friends, more energy to do what brings us joy, and clearer focus so that we can pay attention to what is meaningful to us. So, yes we are still in the kitchen and the rewards are really starting to be revealed!
Healthfully yours,
Anita and Louise
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Louise
Allergy vs. Intolerance
We continue to follow our food plan based on results of the ALCAT testing and are almost at the two month mark. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, ALCAT tests the most commonly eaten foods to determine which ones cause an inflammatory response in the body. While I stated last time that I found it quite a shock to learn that string beans, broccoli and leafy green vegetables could be bad for me, what I meant to say is that the inflammatory reaction that it caused in my body was "bad" for me. Each person is unique and the way their body responds to foods is unique. The ALCAT test takes each food and places it in the blood to see if there is an inflammatory reaction with the white blood cells. If a particular food causes inflammation it is then categorized as either a mild, moderate, or severe reaction. If a food produces a reaction it is considered an intolerance or sensitivity. This is not the same as a true allergic response.
A food allergy is an immune response that can cause a severe life-threatening reaction in the body like Anaphylaxis. This is where the throat swells up and causes a person to stop breathing. A true allergy to a food, most commonly peanuts, tree nuts and shell fish, usually comes on quite suddenly, is triggered by a very small amount of the food, and happens every time you eat the food.
Food intolerance is still an immune response although it is not life-threatening. It can cause symptoms such as joint pain, headaches, fatigue, sinus conditions, and abdominal distress to name just a few. The symptoms, which are directly associated with an inflammatory response in the body, may come on more gradually taking hours, days,or even years to show up.
For more information on allergies and intolerances, click on the links below.
Allergy vs. Intolerance
What's the difference?
The Mayo Clinics take on Allergy vs. Intolerance
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Anita
Hard to believe that we have been following this eating plan for almost two months. Those of you that know me will be shocked that I have actually managed to stay on it. Louise is the disciplined one. I was most likely to be found eating gourmet food, drinking wine, and indulging myself often! Here is why I got into all of this in the first place: many of my patients and students, as well as myself, are getting old before our time. We have so many aches, pains, stiffness, bloating, etc.; I even managed to get carpel tunnel syndrome. I started to hear, "this is just menopause, what happens as we age, etc" far too often. My goodness I am not even 50 yet! I like to preach about wellness. I love to read articles about diet and exercise. I also like to make lots of excuses for why "it" won't work for me.
Sound familiar? I know it does because I talk to many of you on a weekly basis.
So here I am at almost the two month mark and I am going to be honest about the good and the bad. Let's go with the bad first because that is where all the excuses you are telling yourself live.
The Bad
The Good
- less joint pain and more energy
- clearer head and no brain fog
- great bowel movements (is that TMI?)
- hardly any sniffling and stuffiness
- no cravings (seriously, none)
- the chance to learn how to make amazing food with few ingredients (who knew that crackers are so easy to make!)
- and drumroll please....just in this weekend: my carpel tunnel symptoms are almost 100% gone!
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| Acupuncture and Nutrition |
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Acupuncture
Can Acupuncture Help?
Acupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which looks at the treatment of intolerances and inflammation from a different perspective than Western medicine. In TCM, inflammation and intolerances are a symptom not a diagnosis. An acupuncturist wants to know "how does your inflammation and intolerance present itself?" Do you have chronic sinus issues, red and irritated eyes, itchy skin, such as psoriasis or eczema, swollen or painful joints or digestive issues, such as constipation or diarrhea? These are all clues to help uncover your TCM diagnosis. Other symptoms that you have which you may not think are related to inflammation such as sleeping problems, difficulty losing weight, or headaches and migraines, are also clues to help uncover your TCM diagnosis.
Intolerances and inflammation may have several underlying causes and it is the acupuncturist's job to figure out what is causing the body to react. Once a diagnosis is made, specific points can be stimulated to help strengthen the body's response to the intolerances and inflammation while also giving immediate relief to the some of the symptoms such as the chronic sinus, itchy eyes or skin, pain in the joints or stomach upset. Acupuncture can also help to strengthen the immune system so that your body is better able to handle contact with the intolerances and help decrease the inflammation in the body.
To read more about acupuncture, click here.
Questions? Call 570-421-3708 or email Louise at acunut@aol.com
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Nutrition
Elimination/Challenge Diet
There are many ways to nutritionally deal with food intolerance and sensitivity. The first step that I (Louise) usually recommend is an elimination/ challenge diet. This allows a person to learn first hand what a particular food is doing in their body. It is a commitment but less so than the ALCAT. The ALCAT test gives you an extensive list of foods that cause an inflammatory reaction in your body but does not explain which symptoms your body exhibits when you eat that particular food. Do you experience fatigue, headaches, abdominal distress, difficulty losing weight, joint pain or any number of other symptoms? The elimination/challenge diet will show you exactly how your body reacts to a small number of highly sensitive foods.
How it works? There are common foods that cause a reaction in people.They are wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, sugar, and citrus. In the elimination phase you are given a list of foods that you CAN eat while you avoid the foods listed above. You stay on this diet for 3 weeks and then challenge the foods that you were avoiding one at a time. By avoiding these foods for 21 days, you put your body in a hypersensitive state which produces a "big" reaction when you reintroduce the offending foods. (that is if you are intolerant or sensitive to the offending food...if not, no reaction will take place.)
This is usually a good place to start. For more information on the elimination/challenge diet, call or email to set up an appointment.
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Recipes
(here are a few that we are enjoying on our new eating plan)
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Zucchini and Ricottta Pancakes
2 small zucchini, grated
1 ½ cups Ricotta Cheese
Pinch of salt
1 tbs. arrowroot powder
½ cup water
In a medium bowl, add ricotta cheese and fold in zucchini and salt. In a small bowl, add the arrowroot powder to the water and mix until dissolved. Add the arrowroot mixture to the ricotta and fold in.
Heat a little oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add spoonfuls of batter and fry on both sides until golden and crisp. Cook these pancakes slowly so the ricotta mixture has time to cook through before flipping the pancake.
Serve immediately.
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Millet Breakfast Cake
1 cups water
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup uncooked millet, finely ground to flour-like consistency
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup prunes
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbs. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine millet "flour" with remaining ingredients. (the mixture will be watery.)
Pour mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish that has been sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour or until all liquid has been absorbed.
Let cake cool slightly in pan then loosen cake and invert pan to remove cake. Cut in slices or wedges. Serve warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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Check the website for more recipes. Stay tuned for the next newsletter : Is this for life? & Can I live without bread?
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| Save 20% |
Try the elimination/challenge diet and save 20% on your nutritional consultations. Two sessions required. One at the start of the elimination phase and one at the end of the challenge phase. (1 hour each) | | Offer Expires: March 21, 2013 |
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