The Foodie's Guide to Gluten-Free

I WISH these were gluten free…

As a practitioner that sees a lot of gut health issues, and conditions associated with it, it is likely that I will ask you go try going gluten free. I do this, not because I am trying to be the stereotypical Naturopath portrayed in movies, or because you are celiac, but because it can truly have a negative effect on some people’s health if there is a sensitivity. No, it doesn’t effect everyone, or at least everyone the same, but for those with a more chronic condition that they are seeking help with, it is a great place to start. There is research that shows gluten can increase zonulin in the gut, which I’ve spoken about before, which causes a more “leaky gut.” Gluten can cause different reactions, including the obvious bloating and cramping, to swelling, headaches and fatigue.

Gluten-What?

What the heck is gluten though? Gluten is the protein in certain grains, including wheat, spelt, kamut, rye and barley. It is what makes it stick together well. It is not in oats, millet, buckwheat, corn, rice, quinoa, sorghum. In years past, trying to find gluten free bread that didn’t crumble immediately was almost impossible! Luckily now there are so many great options to choose from. I am creating a guide for those patients of mine that need some guidance, but also all those out there wondering whether this is something they should try for their health. (Hint…if you are asking yourself that, you should probably try it!) Halifax has a few less options than bigger cities, so let me know if there are other favourites I may not know about.

My Gluten-free Tips

1. My number 1 tip for going gluten free is to not worry so much about replacing every type of gluten product you have. You can do a lot with a lettuce wrap, sweet potato, cauliflower or bed of rice. Try a burger on a lettuce wrap, or seasoned ground meat in romaine. Or even sloppy joes in a roasted sweet potato. You will end up buying less gluten free products and eating more whole foods :)

2. Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to for gluten free flours for baking. No more complicated recipes needed with a binding agent such as xanthum gum, since their blends are all ready to go and come out tasting great!

3. Eating out when you are gluten free has become easier as well (except for brunch…that’s still hard for me sometimes!). A lot of restaurants have gluten free options or substitutes so all you need to do is ask. A go to for me is just their meat/fish, potato and veggie dish. There is usually always something like that.

Favourite Gluten Free Products

• Baking Flour: Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour - the best baking flour I find. It works so well for mostly anything you are baking. (blue bag better than red bag as you need to add the xanthum gum to the latter)

• Oats: Regular oats - Unless you are celiac, you can use regular oat flakes. These are a go to for me for quick pre-made breakfasts and snacks. I love my oats!

• Pasta: Cantelli or Barilla gluten free pastas are good grocery store brand options. GoGo Quinoa Pastas are sometimes available and a good option. Kids also tend to like the 100% legume pastas you can find now (eg. Chickapea pasta), which provide a good source of fibre. Be careful with this though if you are sensitive to beans or bloat with too much fibre.

• Crackers: Blue Diamond Artisan Nut-Thins/Almond crackers, Mary’s crackers are great options as well as several options at Costco that are great. Breton even has gluten free crackers in the regular cracker section.

• Bagel: O’Doughs Thins - Found at Superstore in the freezer section. They are delicious with a little peanut butter for a quick breakfast if you are craving more carbs (but not with the calories - bonus!). Their sandwich buns are pretty good as well. Little Northern Bakehouse has good bagels as well.

• English Muffins: Glutino brand - I’m not a big english muffin gal but I’ve been told these are a go to for some people.

• Bread: This one is a toss up depending on what you are looking for. Some options are - Little Northern Bakehouse Gluten Free bread is apparently really good, especially their Honey Oat Bread; Promise brand from Sobeys; Costco Gluten free bread (comes in a pack of 2 loafs); fresh bread at the market (look around, you may find a gem). Glutino and Udi’s are best for making stuffings etc, since they are still a bit crumbly.

• Burger buns: O’Dough Hamburger Buns - I discovered these in the summer and I was very impressed! If you aren’t going for the lettuce bun, try these. There are many other options in the freezer sections.

• Wraps: Superstore has its own wrap that is decent; Sobeys carries ones that aren’t frozen in the health food section. Some can get expensive so look around.

• Pizza: Sabatassos Gluten-free Pizzas - Since I can’t eat dairy, these came highly recommended by a great source. Found at Costco and they are apparently amazing! Lots of other options now at your local grocery store.

There you have it, some great options for those of us that are gluten free! I promise it isn’t so bad. I love to cook and I’ve made out alright 😉

Any favourite products of yours I’m missing here? Let me know!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Probiotics Everywhere - What To Really Look For!

At the end of last year I did a talk to local Holistic Nutritionists and it was mentioned that one of the top trends of 2017 was going to be probiotics. Not just those good gut bugs in general, but adding them to all different types of foods. So I was curious to see what the commercial industry was going to come up with next. What I am seeing lately is probiotics in orange juice! FYI - probiotics are not naturally found in juice. To see a benefit you also want a lot more than the 1 billion found in that cup of juice they are marketing. 

Better ways than this to get your probiotics :)

I want to shed a little light on probiotics so you have a little more information when those marketing gurus try to direct their product your way. 

Benefits of probiotics:

There are so many strains of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that reside mostly in the large intestine of your gut. More and more research is coming out showing the importance of probiotics on a wide variety of conditions, including all digestive disorders, immune health, anxiety, skin health and even weight loss. In Naturopathic Medicine research is trying to get even more specific in terms of subtypes of strains to treat even more individually. In my practice I prescribe either specific probiotic strains or higher doses of probiotics - 11 billion, 50 billion or even up to 300 billion for issues such as crohns and colitis. Once we have established a healthy community of those good bugs the focus then turns more to food forms of probiotics. These would be naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt or even sourdough. Naturally fermented I say...not orange juice.  

What to look for:

While I am not saying a little fresh juice is bad, it is actually quite delicious at times, it just shouldn't be your primary way of getting probiotics. Therefore when companies claim their products contain probiotics, ask yourself if it is a naturally fermented food and how many billion are actually in a serving. Focus on adding a tbsp or two of naturally fermented foods as mentioned above to your meals, or for a higher dose look for a probiotic containing 10 billion or more with more than 2 strains. 

If you are having digestive concerns that don't seem to be improving with over the counter probiotics or fermented foods consider coming in for a visit to discuss a more specific treatment plan for you! I am always happy to help. 

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen 

Healing the Gut: All about the good bugs

Did you know that our body lives symbiotically with many bugs, called the microbiome? Did you know that many chronic diseases, such as allergies, skin issues, depression, obesity, hypertension and more are linked to a disruption of our microbiome? 

We are seeing a plethora of research today showing the benefits of a healthy microbiome, this being the collection of healthy bacteria in our body. The majority of this microbiome is located in our gut, which is why I discuss gut health with so many of my patients! Many of you may be familiar with the word “acidophilus” but that is only one strain of probiotics, or live bacteria, which lives symbiotically with us. Some other strains that are important are lactobacillus, bifidobacterium and saccromyces boulardii. Sound like gibberish? Luckily, it is helpful gibberish. 

A few important roles of probiotics:

1. They protect against pathogens: A spectrum of immune conditions, from simple colds and flus to chronic immune deficiencies, such as Hashimotos and Crohns, can occur if we have a deficiency in probiotics. This is due to the fact that more that 70% of our immune system resides in our digestive tract and probiotics help to strengthen it. Some germs are actually good for us in this case. If we wiped out all those bugs, from over sanitization or antibiotics we decrease our bodies ability to protect us from when we need them the most.
2.  They protect the gut lining itself: Heard of the term “leaky gut?” Our digestive tract is simply one layer of cells, with the blood stream directly beneath it. Therefore, it is quite fragile. An imbalanced flora can lead to permeability of these cells, by up-regulating a protein called zonulin, which has been shown to be correlated with auto-immune conditions, such as celiac disease, and other chronic diseases. This permeability leads to an increase in inflammation in the blood stream. Diagnosed with “IBS”? Probiotics may be the gut protection you need. 
3. They calm the nervous system and affects the mind: I have spoken before about the correlation of depression and anxiety and an imbalanced microbiome. By protecting the gut lining, probiotics decrease overall inflammation in the body. Probiotics have also been shown to stimulate neurochemical production such as GABA and serotonin, our calming signals, and also communicate directly with the brain through the vagus nerve (one of the largest nerve in the body, connecting the brain and the gut.) 

My tips to help your gut: 

1. Focus on Diet. The western-style diet of more carbohydrates and more sugar leads to higher levels of inflammation and gut permeability. They also feed the “bad” bugs, such as yeast and an imbalance ensues. By focusing on eating more vegetables and fibre and eliminating sugar and processed carbohydrates, the gut will thank you. 
2. Get some Vitamin D. This multifunctional vitamin decreases zonulin in the gut, ultimately helping our probiotics to function more affectively. Summer in Nova Scotia is a great time to increase your vitamin D, so get out in the sun...for a reasonable amount of time!
3. Eat your fermented foods. Kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut are all great ways to improve your gut flora with food.  **A note on kefir: Please read the bottle! All kefir is not the same. Avoid the flavoured versions with added sugar (just negates the effects). If you are sensitive to dairy, try coconut kefir, which actually has more probiotics per tablespoon (15 billion vs 2 billion). Finally, increase the dose slowly, starting with 1/2 tbsp, increasing to only 2 tbsp, added to other yogurt or smoothies. Too much all at once may cause more bloating. 
4. Take a probiotic supplement. In my practice I usually start my patients on a supplement form as a larger correction is needed or a certain strain is important. The dose and strain depends on their concern. It may be hard to get enough probiotics in food form before the imbalance is corrected. Ask your ND what is right for you. 

So there you have it, probiotics have several important roles in our body, especially in the gut. If you have any questions on these little bugs please don’t hesitate to ask or reach out to me in a 15 minute free consults. Happy to help!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit: www.mindbodygreen.com) 

A Healthy Holiday How To

The holidays are creeping closer and closer and that can be both exciting and stressful at the same time. Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year and something I get very excited for. Among other things, I love the cozy sweaters, the hot apple cider, the decorations and getting to spend time with my wonderful family. For me that excitement masked itself as stress when I was younger and you could find me sick on the couch many years in a row...Typical Karen!

December is not a typical month for most of us with a different routine, stressing about the perfect gift, travelling and/or overindulging in cookies or festive drinks. All these things create a similar reaction in our body. Cytokines are released, which stimulate cortisol, our stress hormone from our adrenal glands, and other immune cells to ward off inflammation and infection. Then when cortisol crashes (for me that was Christmas morning!), our immune system shuts down, giving way to potential colds and flus. Don't get caught in this trap by including some of the suggestions below into this holiday month to stabilize your stress response. 

1. Hydrate: The low humidity and dry air inside makes us more prone to dehydration. We also tend to be running around and forgetting to drink. Keep those mucus membranes moist by drinking 8 ounces of water every 1-2 hours. I suggest keeping a water bottle in your car at all times. Try adding lemon juice and sea salt to nourish those adrenals.
2. Massage: Studies have shown that a massage lowers your stress hormone while boosting white blood cells, helping to fight off any germs that come your way. There are great RMTs at my clinic in Dartmouth. Treat yourself this month :)
3. Sleep: Adequate sleep also stabilizes cortisol, improves your immune system and decreases inflammation. Aim for around 7-8 hours a night. Tired when your kids go to bed? Maybe your body is telling you something. 
4. Laugh: Laughter has been shown to boost your immune system for a least 24 hours. Have a funny uncle coming for christmas, perfect! Enjoy quality time with people you love. They are likely to make you smile. 
5. Exercise: With the colder months and our busy schedules, I understand this is something that we tend to leave out. Less vigorous exercise like walking, helps to moderate stress. Walking can be very nourishing and gets you outside. Why not plan a big walk with the family christmas or boxing day? A good opportunity to wear those new gloves. 
6. Indulge smart: Yes, Quality Street chocolate and egg nog only come out once a year, but that doesn't mean you have to go overboard. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, flood your blood stream quickly suppressing white blood cells. So think smart, and leave that second cookie or piece of peppermint bark for your sibling. (Now I'm getting hungry...)
7. Gut health: Your gut associated lymphatic tissue, or GALT, is a large part of your immune system that resides in your gut. Eating smart by taking time for meals, not overeating, prepping your digestion with lemon water or taking a probiotic are all great ideas to support your immune system. Hosting a potluck? Try making suggestions on what guests can bring to ensure a balanced and health meal. 

All in all, enjoy time with family and friends, be safe, and I'll see you in 2016!!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit: http://weekendroady.com/2012/12/21/the-real-whoville/)