Come to the Gluten Free Food Fair
Saturday, May 19, 2012 11am-3pm
$5 per person, $10 per family
Kids under 12 free
Mittleman Jewish Community Center
6651 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR
(ID required by MJCC for entrance to facility)
A Fundraiser for GIG of Portland and McMinnville
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sometimes It Really Is All In Your Head
The single blow that really can change your life.
"Every time I turn on the news these days, it seems like there is
another athlete coming forward with major mental health issues linked to
a history of concussions—so many so that as of this week there are now
more than 1,000 former NFL players suing the league for inadequate
post-concussion care. Many of these concussions have caused former pro
athletes to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a
degenerative brain disease marked by depression, dementia, and other
Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.
Interestingly, 13 former NFL players—some living and some deceased—have opted to donate their brains to science, in order to allow researchers to study CTE and the impact of repetitive head trauma. One in particular, “Iron Mike” Webster, a star in the 70s, suffered depression and dementia, before dying at the age of 50 in 2002. A close look at his brain revealed damage the equivalent of “25,000 car crashes” after a 25-year career. Sadly, the effects of CTE have proven so grave that many of these 13 donors died by either suicide or erratic behavior-induced accidents.
While most of us aren’t subjected to repeated blows to the head, accidents do happen—something all too familiar to me. In 2007 I suffered a concussion after a visit to the emergency room for an eye abrasion which was exceedingly painful. The young intern asked if I wanted something for the pain and although I told him I didn’t take drugs, he never-the-less slipped me some samples of two pain meds—a Motrin and Percocet—that he said would help relieve my discomfort, but to make sure and take them with food.
He then sent me on my way. I was staying with my closest friends in my hometown of West Hartford, Connecticut at the time. When I returned to my friends’ home, my eye was still so excruciatingly painful—whether it was open or closed—that I begrudgingly took the meds with some crackers before bed. I was in such discomfort that I didn’t bother reading about Motrin or Percocet. Motrin would have been bad enough, it is very caustic to the lining of the stomach, but Percocet—well, that turned out to be a potent narcotic-like med.
What I remember next is that I went to bed but got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I remember feeling dizzy, woozy, and fainted—hitting my head on the sink in the bathroom. But somehow I managed to stumble back across the hall—where sometime later my friends found me sitting in a yoga position in front of the bedroom door. They quickly sat down with me, assessed the situation and knew I had severely bumped my head because there was blood all over the place. When I got up, I looked in the mirror and sure enough, I had a major cut down my forehead and when I smiled, I actually burst out laughing (I apparently was still high on the Percocet) because several of my front teeth had broken in half.
Needless to say, at 4 am we went back to the Emergency Room and I got ten stitches on my forehead, but not before the staff questioned me intensely regarding the “real” situation behind my eye abrasion in the first place. (They suspected, I guess, that I had suffered some type of domestic abuse. By that time the Percocet was wearing off and I was beginning to get upset!)
In the months following, I started having major trouble sleeping, suffered from anxiety and even experienced some kind of post-traumatic stress. This made me wonder about the magnitude of my fall, and as I’ve always done with my health, I started looking for answers. I poured over books and studies on the subject, tried various tests and products and met with both traditional and alternative experts. In doing so, it has become my opinion that concussions are simply not taken seriously enough.
What I wish I knew then that I know now:
An MRI is not the answer. Although helpful in identifying other serious concerns (i.e. skull fracture, hematoma, and contusion), traditional structural tests such as CT, MRI, and EEG are not useful in identifying the effects of a concussion as it is a metabolic rather than structural injury. A neuro-cognitive test like the ImPACT Test can provide a thorough evaluation. But, it’s important to act quickly—the ImPACT test should be administered within the first 24-72 hours. Find a local provider at www.impacttest.com.
What I did do that helped:
1. I saw several soft tissue experts that specialized in myofascial release. I especially benefited from the hiatal hernia adjustment I received and cranial sacral work.
2. I used L-tryptophan mid-day and before bed for calming and mood stabilization. As the precursor to serotonin, it also helped to alleviate insomnia. I used 50-100 mg of 5-HTP (which is one step biochemically away from serotonin) and sometimes straight tryptophan—500-4,000 mg divided throughout the afternoon and evening. In my case, the tryptophan helped me the most.
3. For anxiety, I took GABA, an amino acid precursor for dopamine that helps to reduce anxiety and stress—600-3000 mg per day at different times than the L-tryptophan.
4. I used Ultra H-3 twice daily between meals (morning and afternoon) to maintain my emotional equilibrium throughout the day. The bilberry ingredient helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and act as a potent anti-inflammatory while the ginkgo biloba is well regarded to aid restricted circulation throughout the body and can penetrate the blood-brain barrier."
-Edge On Health, Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman
Interestingly, 13 former NFL players—some living and some deceased—have opted to donate their brains to science, in order to allow researchers to study CTE and the impact of repetitive head trauma. One in particular, “Iron Mike” Webster, a star in the 70s, suffered depression and dementia, before dying at the age of 50 in 2002. A close look at his brain revealed damage the equivalent of “25,000 car crashes” after a 25-year career. Sadly, the effects of CTE have proven so grave that many of these 13 donors died by either suicide or erratic behavior-induced accidents.
While most of us aren’t subjected to repeated blows to the head, accidents do happen—something all too familiar to me. In 2007 I suffered a concussion after a visit to the emergency room for an eye abrasion which was exceedingly painful. The young intern asked if I wanted something for the pain and although I told him I didn’t take drugs, he never-the-less slipped me some samples of two pain meds—a Motrin and Percocet—that he said would help relieve my discomfort, but to make sure and take them with food.
He then sent me on my way. I was staying with my closest friends in my hometown of West Hartford, Connecticut at the time. When I returned to my friends’ home, my eye was still so excruciatingly painful—whether it was open or closed—that I begrudgingly took the meds with some crackers before bed. I was in such discomfort that I didn’t bother reading about Motrin or Percocet. Motrin would have been bad enough, it is very caustic to the lining of the stomach, but Percocet—well, that turned out to be a potent narcotic-like med.
What I remember next is that I went to bed but got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I remember feeling dizzy, woozy, and fainted—hitting my head on the sink in the bathroom. But somehow I managed to stumble back across the hall—where sometime later my friends found me sitting in a yoga position in front of the bedroom door. They quickly sat down with me, assessed the situation and knew I had severely bumped my head because there was blood all over the place. When I got up, I looked in the mirror and sure enough, I had a major cut down my forehead and when I smiled, I actually burst out laughing (I apparently was still high on the Percocet) because several of my front teeth had broken in half.
Needless to say, at 4 am we went back to the Emergency Room and I got ten stitches on my forehead, but not before the staff questioned me intensely regarding the “real” situation behind my eye abrasion in the first place. (They suspected, I guess, that I had suffered some type of domestic abuse. By that time the Percocet was wearing off and I was beginning to get upset!)
In the months following, I started having major trouble sleeping, suffered from anxiety and even experienced some kind of post-traumatic stress. This made me wonder about the magnitude of my fall, and as I’ve always done with my health, I started looking for answers. I poured over books and studies on the subject, tried various tests and products and met with both traditional and alternative experts. In doing so, it has become my opinion that concussions are simply not taken seriously enough.
What I wish I knew then that I know now:
An MRI is not the answer. Although helpful in identifying other serious concerns (i.e. skull fracture, hematoma, and contusion), traditional structural tests such as CT, MRI, and EEG are not useful in identifying the effects of a concussion as it is a metabolic rather than structural injury. A neuro-cognitive test like the ImPACT Test can provide a thorough evaluation. But, it’s important to act quickly—the ImPACT test should be administered within the first 24-72 hours. Find a local provider at www.impacttest.com.
What I did do that helped:
1. I saw several soft tissue experts that specialized in myofascial release. I especially benefited from the hiatal hernia adjustment I received and cranial sacral work.
2. I used L-tryptophan mid-day and before bed for calming and mood stabilization. As the precursor to serotonin, it also helped to alleviate insomnia. I used 50-100 mg of 5-HTP (which is one step biochemically away from serotonin) and sometimes straight tryptophan—500-4,000 mg divided throughout the afternoon and evening. In my case, the tryptophan helped me the most.
3. For anxiety, I took GABA, an amino acid precursor for dopamine that helps to reduce anxiety and stress—600-3000 mg per day at different times than the L-tryptophan.
4. I used Ultra H-3 twice daily between meals (morning and afternoon) to maintain my emotional equilibrium throughout the day. The bilberry ingredient helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and act as a potent anti-inflammatory while the ginkgo biloba is well regarded to aid restricted circulation throughout the body and can penetrate the blood-brain barrier."
-Edge On Health, Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman
Celiac Disease Drug Trials
Alba Therapeutics is going into phase 2b clinical trials, and they’re looking for volunteers.
This particular drug revolves around a compound called larazotide acetate, a tight junction regulator. The compound, at least in theory works by temporarily closing off the junctions in the bowel that – in a quote-on-quote “normal” digestive system – are normally closed anyway. These junctions are supposed to only open to shed dead blood cells, but remain open more frequently in cases of celiac disease. In other words, the drug would plug up the leaks in a leaky gut, and if taken before a meal could reduce the inflammation caused by gluten.
The company has developed a questionnaire to pre-screen people for participation in their eventual trials. If you think you might like to participate in the trials, you can learn more via the website, www.celiactrial.com. Quickly though, in order to be eligible to even be considered for participation you would need to meet the following criteria:
What do you think? Would you participate in a drug trial (knowing that potentially, you could be assigned to a control group that winds up ingesting gluten)?
-Triumph Dining
This particular drug revolves around a compound called larazotide acetate, a tight junction regulator. The compound, at least in theory works by temporarily closing off the junctions in the bowel that – in a quote-on-quote “normal” digestive system – are normally closed anyway. These junctions are supposed to only open to shed dead blood cells, but remain open more frequently in cases of celiac disease. In other words, the drug would plug up the leaks in a leaky gut, and if taken before a meal could reduce the inflammation caused by gluten.
The company has developed a questionnaire to pre-screen people for participation in their eventual trials. If you think you might like to participate in the trials, you can learn more via the website, www.celiactrial.com. Quickly though, in order to be eligible to even be considered for participation you would need to meet the following criteria:
- between the ages of 18 and 75
- diagnosed with celiac disease via either biopsy or capsule endoscopy
- attempting a gluten-free diet for at least 12 months
What do you think? Would you participate in a drug trial (knowing that potentially, you could be assigned to a control group that winds up ingesting gluten)?
-Triumph Dining
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Domino's Pizza
GIG has been asked
to take an official position on the recent Domino's announcement about
their gluten free pizza. Our position follows:
GIG welcomes
restaurants and food services who are committed to producing safe gluten
free meal options for their guests. GIG knows that care must be taken
to evaluate the food service's ability to do so in a safe environment
and that this should not be undertaken with the idea that a gluten-free
food is safe for some people but not others.
Food services
should approach gluten free meal options the same way they handle
allergens. There is only one option - food that is safe for all persons
living gluten free, no matter why they are living gluten free. GIG works
with many types of food services to successfully implement gluten-free
options safely. GIG's programs have been implemented in hotels and
hospitals, camps and schools, and many restaurants, including numerous
pizza chains.
While GIG
appreciates Domino's desire to offer a gluten free pizza, we do not feel
the effort put forth demonstrates a true commitment toward making a
safe environment for producing gluten free food.
As more restaurants
try to meet the need of gluten free consumers, GIG reminds you that it
is important to feel confident in the meal you are ordering. Ask
questions. If you are not confident the meal is safe - do not eat it.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Kupper, RD
Executive Director
Gluten Intolerance Group
Gluten Intolerance Group
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Honor Mom with A Delicious Brunch
Celebrate the women you love with a menu special enough for Mother’s Day!Your mother deserves the very best! For Mother’s Day, I’ve assembled a truly delectable meal with fresh berries, spring garden veggies, a rainbow colored salad, savory sides, tender flaky fish, and a cooling and refreshing dessert.
Whether you are serving or being served, these deliciously healthy Mother’s Day recipes are a treat! Add a couple of beautiful napkins, place-settings and—of course—the guest of honor’s favorite flowers and you have a simply scrumptious brunch!
Mother’s Day Brunch Menu:
Crepes with Mixed Berry Puree
Garden-Fresh Vegetable Frittata
Spinach-Stuffed Portobello
Herb Crusted Salmon
Confetti Salad
Strawberry Granita
Crepes with Mixed Berry Puree (Makes about 4 crepes)Batter ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 scoop vanilla Fat Flush Whey Protein, ½ tsp cinnamon
Filling ingredients: 1 cup frozen berries, 1 Tbs water, 1 Tbs flaxseed oil, ¼ tsp Stevia plus or to taste.
Batter directions: Blend the eggs, whey protein, and cinnamon together until smooth. (The batter will be thin).
Filling directions: Place frozen berries in a small bowl and mix with water, defrost briefly in microwave to soften. Puree the softened berries, flaxseed oil, and Stevia, and set aside.
Coat a crepe pan or small frying pan lightly with olive oil spray, place over medium heat. When the pan is hot (a drop of water will sizzle), pour a couple of tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting quickly to cover the entire bottom with batter. Cook until the edges of the crepe begin to curl and turn golden. Flip carefully; cook briefly on the second side. Remove the crepe to a warmed plate. Continue making crepes until all the batter is used.
Place 2-3 tablespoons of berry puree along one edge of the crepe and roll up, arranging seam side down on plate. Pour remaining berry puree over the top of the rolled crepes.
Garden-Fresh Vegetable Frittata (Serves 4)Ingredients: 1 Tbs olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, ½ cup chopped onion, ¼ cup chopped Italian (flat) parsley, 1 Tbs chopped cilantro, ¼ cup fresh diced, steamed asparagus, ¼ cup cooked spinach, squeezed dry, ¼ cup chopped plum tomatoes, 6 eggs, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or other cheese) salt to taste (optional), cayenne to taste.
Directions: Preheat the broiler. Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof skillet with a lid. Sauté the garlic until softened. Add the onion, parsley, cilantro, asparagus, spinach, and tomatoes and sauté until tender-crisp. Remove the skillet from the heat; discard the garlic. In a medium bowl, blend together the eggs, cheese, salt—if using—and cayenne. Turn the heat to low; pour the egg mixture into the skillet, stirring well. Cover and cook about 3 minutes, or until the egg begins to come away from the sides of the pan. Place the skillet under the preheated broiler. Broil for an additional minute or until the frittata is set and lightly browned. Cut into wedges and serve.
Variation: Other vegetables to try are artichokes, eggplant, mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini.
Spinach-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 4 large Portobello mushroom caps (stems removed, gills remaining), 4 minced garlic cloves, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper, ¼ cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper, 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry. 1Tbs olive oil, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional), ¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs, 1 Tbs minced Italian (flat) parsley, salt to taste (optional), dash cayenne, Flaxseed oil.
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a large baking pan with olive oil spray. Wipe the Portobello caps well. In a medium skillet, sauté the garlic, onion, peppers, and spinach in the olive oil. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the flaxseed oil), continuing to sauté for a few minutes more. Mound the stuffing on top of the mushrooms, pressing firmly.
Place on a baking pan; bake 15 minutes. Broil for 1 minute or until golden brown. Arrange on a platter; drizzle with flaxseed oil.
Herb Crusted Salmon Fillet (Serves 4)
Marinade ingredients: 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbs olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ Tsp dry mustard or 1Tsp Dijon, 4 Tsp natural unheated honey, 1Tbs fresh lemon juice, 2Tbs chopped Italian (flat) parsley, 1Tbs chopped dill weed.
1 pound salmon fillet, mixed greens or spinach leaves, for serving.
Directions: Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and pour into a large plastic bag with a zipper closure. Add the salmon fillet, turning to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with olive oil spray. Place the salmon in the baking dish and cover with the marinade. Bake the salmon about 25 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Broil 1 to 2 minutes just until salmon flakes and a golden herb crust starts to form. (Watch carefully!) Serve hot or chilled over mixed greens or fresh spinach leaves.
Confetti Salad (Serves 6)
Ingredients: 10 Belgian endive leaves, 1 avocado (cubed), 1 cup cooked corn, ½ cup diced red bell peper, ½ cup diced green bell pepper, juice of 1 lemon, 3 Tbs avocado or sesame oil, salt to taste.
Directions: Combine all the vegetables in a salad bowl. Drizzle with a dressing of lemon juice, avocado or sesame oil, and salt.
Strawberry Granita ( Makes 6 servings)Ingredients: 3 Tsp Stevia Plus or to taste (plus additional for sprinkling), ½ cup water, 1 pint hulled frozen strawberries, 1 ½ Tsp fresh lemon juice, 6 whole strawberries, halved.
Directions: Dissolve the 3 Tsp Stevia in the water. In a food processor, using a steel knife, process the frozen strawberries, lemon juice, and the dissolved Stevia until almost smooth. Pour into an 8 x 8 metal baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until partly frozen, about 2 hours; stir with a fork to break up any ice crystals. Continue freezing for several hours or until completely frozen.
To serve, let the granita stand at room temperature about 10 minutes, or until slightly softened. Scrape into bowls using a spoon. Garnish with the strawberry halves sprinkled with Stevia Plus.
There you have it! Let the celebration of mothers everywhere begin!
I wish you and your families a wonderful, healthy and loving Mother’s Day.-Edge On Health, Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Save The Date!
The GIG Health & Wellness Experience will be held in Seattle this year, 2012.
Location: Doubletree Hotel Seattle Airport
Leadership Meeting: June 14 & 15
The Experience: June 16
Among the many
activities happening on June 16th at the Gluten Intolerance Group's
Health and Wellness Experience is an intriguing lecture given by Dr.
Stephen Wangen entitled "Understanding the Difference between Allergy, Intolerance, and Sensitivity."
These terms have come to be commonly but incorrectly interchanged and
Dr. Stephen Wangen will provide some clarity on the subject.
In 2005, Dr. Wangen
co-founded the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle where he has helped to
solve digestive issues for thousands of people. The Center is known as a
world leader in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome; a place
where patient's voices are heard. He has also written two excellent
books focusing on digestive issues, Healthier Without Wheat and The
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution. Dr. Wangen is considered an expert in
the field with years of research, practice, and success.
Hotel Room Fees:
Event rate: $119.00
plus taxes, 1 King or 2 Queens, for the Wing Suites or $129.00 plus
taxes for the Tower Rooms, 1 King or 2 Queens. You can use Group Code:
GFH for the GIG rates.
You can go to the website www.experience.gluten.net for more details and to register online.
