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

Food Friday: Cauliflower Pizza with BBQ Chicken

His and Her slices. We were too hungry to take time for a beautiful pic :)

Oh boy, I finally found the perfect cauliflower pizza crust recipe and it is delicious! This has been hit or miss for me over the years but I found the one I now want to write down and keep returning to. I have never been a pizza fanatic since I am lactose intolerant and gluten free, so I’m pretty open to different takes on pizza, but my hubby IS a pizza fanatic and he really enjoys this. Ok, ok, he still needs his fix of the real deal but when we are eating healthy during the week he’s all for it. If you have been prescribed a gluten free diet (by me perhaps or someone else), eating a low carb, paleo or keto diet, or just want a lighter option that is healthy for you this is a great option! Heads up however that this recipe takes some time to make. So it isn’t going to be your quick 30 minute dinner option for a weeknight. OR you can prep the crust beforehand on the weekend, freeze it and voila - a 10 minute meal! Another note, make sure to double (or triple) the recipe if you have big eaters in your house or want leftovers. This amount only made 2 pieces each for us. It is filling enough with all the toppings I put on but worth making extra with all the time involved.

Feel free to mix up the toppings to your liking as well, omit cheese or not (I have to of course - so its more a flat bread with veggies and chicken for me). So here it is!

Ingredients: (Serves 2 not so starving people)

• 3 cups cauliflower florets

• 1/2 cup cornmeal (or just under if using goat cheese)

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 3 tbsp (up to 1/4 cup) soft goat cheese - can omit if needed

• 2 tsp italian seasoning

• Sea salt, pinch

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

• 1/2 cup bbq sauce

• Red onion, thinly sliced

• 1-2 mushrooms, sliced

• Mozza cheese - optional

• Pizza sauce

Directions:

1. Steam cauliflower until tender with a fork. Let cool. (I did this earlier in the day) Add to food processor and process until rice-like (or even smoother). Using a nut mylk bag, cheese cloth or tea towel, squeeze out all liquid from the cauliflower, or at least as much as you can. This step is important. Add the cauliflower to a medium bowl with eggs, seasoning, cornmeal, salt, goat cheese, olive oil and mix well.

2. Spread “dough” on parchment paper lined baking sheet, using a spatula, into a circle or rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes until golden. Flip over using the parchment paper and bake another 5-10 minutes to brown on other side, without parchment.

3. Remove and add thin layer of pizza sauce, mozza, red onion, mushrooms and bbq chicken (or toppings of your choice of course). Broil for a few minutes or bake for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

   Enjoy!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Shrimp "Bruschetta"

www.jamieoliver.com (I ate mine too quickly to take a picture!)

What a great summer meal that is a little different than the usual burger and salad on the BBQ. I was inspired by Jamie Oliver for this one. I really enjoy his style of cooking because he uses fresh ingredients, the meals are a little rustic and he doesn’t need things to be too pretty, just taste delicious! I very rarely cook shrimp at home but I wanted to try something different. It has also been way too hot to put the stove on for even a short period of time. Lastly, this meal comes together very quickly making it a great weeknight meal for the summer months. What took the longest was peeling the shrimp. This is spicy with the green chilis so if you do not like spicy decrease the quality of peppers or omit completely.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 green onions, diced

• 1 red chili/2 green chilis, finely diced

• 1 bag easy to peel frozen shrimp

• 2 slices of bread

• 1 clove garlic - 1/2 minced, 1/2 to rub on toasted bread

• 1 large can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 large tomatoes, diced

• snow peas, 2 large handfuls

• lemon, zest and juice

• parsley

• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Thaw shrimp under cold water in a colander and peel.

2. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a wok (but any pan will do) on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until the colour starts to change then add chilis and green onion. Add snow peas and a very small splash of water to help steam. Mix and let steam for a few minutes.

3. Meanwhile lightly toast bread and rub with garlic for flavour.

4. Add drained butter beans and steam and stir for 5 minutes. add tomatoes now (or mix in fresh tomatoes at the end which is what I did!), minced garlic, some lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste. Finally garnish with some chopped parsley to taste. *Mix in tomatoes now if you prefer them fresh.

5. Place garlicky toast on a plate and top with shrimp, bean and veggie mixture. Enjoy! Leftovers are great for lunch as well even without the toast.

Let me know what you think in the comments below :)

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Leaky Gut - Yes there could be "holes" in your gut!

As a Naturopathic Doctor who sees a lot of gut issues, I get questioned often by people who have heard the term leaky gut, wondering what it is and if it could be the cause of their health issues. This is something I do see often in practice and I find very important to fix in order to treat a number of different issues, such as IBS, eczema, depression and most autoimmune disorders.

What is leaky gut?

Your gut is actually quite fragile as the lining of your intestines is made up of only 1 layer of cells, called enterocytes, lying between your gut lumen and the blood vessels. A border of microvilli on top increases the surface area to aid in absorption of nutrients, water and electrolytes. The intestinal lining also regulates the trafficking of environmental antigens (1) . These enterocytes are held together by tight junctions, like water-way locks, preventing the cells to come apart when inappropriate. Remember the childhood game red-rover? This is the game your gut is always playing. However, damage to the gut lining from inflammation and stress, releases a protein called zonulin which weakens these tight junctions making the lining more permeable (2) and ultimately creating small gaps between the enterocytes that cannot close up. Food particles, or antigens get absorbed between the cells now instead of through the cells, activating an inflammatory and/or immune response in the gut and blood stream.

What health issues can this cause:

• Local inflammation - IBS symptoms such as bloating, cramping, diarrhea, constipation

• Autoimmune conditions (1) - Hashimotos thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus and IBD, MS

• Systemic conditions - eczema, psoriasis, acne, joint pain, headaches, seasonal allergies

• Mental/emotional issues - depression and anxiety, chronic fatigue

What causes leaky gut:

• Gluten - this was the first thing found to increase zonulin levels

• Bacteria and infections - or bacterial endotoxins also found to increase zonulin levels

• Stress - this decreases stomach acid and digestive enzymes leaving larger particles of food to descend into the intestines which irritate the gut lining

• Medications such as proton pump inhibitors, antibiotics and NSAIDs

• Simple sugars and food additives

How to fix leaky gut:

If you haven’t read my blog post about the 4Rs in gut health, I’d lead you there to shed a little more light on my whole gut healing protocol. Ultimately we need to reestablish the zonulin-dependent intestinal barrier function to close up those gaps between the cells. There are a few favourites of mine that been shown to be very effective at REPAIRING the gut, but don’t forget to REMOVE, REPLACE and REINOCULATE as well.

• L-glutamine - this is my go-to for any gut issues, from mild to major. Always given in powder form to ensure a high enough dose.

• Collagen - helps to support and strengthen the gut lining like glutamine. I love the brand Sproos that I carry in my practice.

• Zinc carnosine - studied to heal the gut, including the stomach lining after H.pylori or an ulcer or after NSAID use

• Mucilaginous herbs - marshmallow, aloe vera, DGL, slippery elm

If you struggle with any of the conditions listed above do not hesitate to reach out to discuss the best treatment options for you! Heal your gut to heal your body and start feeling yourself again.

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

References:

1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3384703/

2 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21248165