Gut Feelings

Shrimp Sauce Pasta 
This is a family favorite.  A great alternative to Alfredo--creamy, flavorful, and fresh.  This is a dairy-free meal if you omit the Parmesan cheese, and for a gluten free dish, simply substitute brown rice pasta.

4 Tbs Olive Oil, Divided
3 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Large Onion, Sliced Thin, and Quartered
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Can Coconut Milk (I Use Thai Brand)
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 tsp Arrowroot Powder dissolved in 1tsp Water
Juice of 1/2 a Fresh Lemon
1/4 Cup Sherry Cooking Wine or Vinegar
1/2 tsp Paprika
12 oz Package Whole Grain Linguine

Medium Raw Shrimp, Shelled, with Tails Removed
4 Fresh Roma Tomatoes Sliced and Quartered
Serve with Salt, Pepper, Fresh Parsley, and Grated Parmesan Cheese

Saute the garlic and onion in 2Tbs olive oil until translucent.  Stir in the basil and oregano.  Remove this mixture into a saucepan, and reserve the skillet for later use.  In the saucepan, add the coconut milk, almond milk, arrowroot, lemon juice, sherry, paprika, and a little salt and pepper to taste.  Let this mixture simmer and thicken over low heat while preparing the linguine according to package directions.  Make sure the shrimp are well washed and drained to avoid any fishy taste in the sauce.  Place the shrimp in the reserved skillet with the remaining 2 Tbs. Olive Oil. Saute the shrimp just until they turn pink, stirring to coat.  In a large pot, pour the sauce over the pasta, adding in the cooked shrimp, and Roma tomatoes.  Serve while hot, garnishing with fresh chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, and salt and pepper. 

Gut Feelings~

I've brought this topic up on several posts, but mostly talked around it because it is such a sensitive one for most people.  With that being said, I feel that I have a strong opinion about food allergies and intolerance, which goes against the grain of what you'll hear frequently on the subject.  Most of my opinion was formed simply by my personal experiences, research, and frankly what I feel deep down in my gut.  So here are some things I've noticed over the last six years or so:

~Increase of gluten intolerance diagnosis

~Increase of gluten free products on the market

~People going gluten free because they have digestive, immune system, or skin problems

~People who are vegetarian going vegan, then maybe progressing to a raw food diet, eventually develop an intolerance to foods they have been avoiding, including gluten

~People who cannot tolerate gluten, for some reason can tolerate it if it's made with a sourdough starter

~Restaraunts now offering more gluten free menu items

~The Hollywood gluten free craze looks a lot like the low carb "Atkins Diet" that failed so miserably

~ My own family uses probiotics, enzymes, and anti-inflammatory foods, along with a variety of grains, and we've overcome some intolerance and allergies.

So are we to become a gluten free nation?  I hope not.  What about the phrase, "wheat is for man" found in scripture?  Wheat is the staff of life--it has been said.

Eighty percent of our body's immune system is located in the digestive tract, which greatly depends on the balance of intestinal flora in the gut.  We live in a nation so greatly dependent on antibiotic treatment,that we've wiped out much of our digestive and immune function before elementary school.  Tack onto that steroid and antihistamine use which suppresses immune response, and the increase of sugar consumption--(sugar also suppresses immunity by blocking receptor cites for Vit C, an feeds bad bacteria, just to name a couple of problems,) and you've got a recipe for digestive, autoimmune, and inflammation problems.  If you happen to have a stronger system to begin with, or you compensate by using anti-inflammatory foods or medications, you'll probably be alright.  Many of us have chronic stress in our lives as well, so our stomach acid lowers again, and again, to create yet another slue of problems I may later discuss.  Even mental health decline is now being linked to our gut health.  

My point is, are we avoiding wheat because there is something wrong with the wheat? Or is it something wrong with us?  Some say that our wheat is mass produced, genetically modified, and therefore it's the wheat industry's fault. Honestly, any time I see something go haywire on the market, I have to wonder how much of this is really just about who's making the most money from our illness as a nation.  Right now, it seems like all I see are gluten free products.  Hmmmm...

   

I'm not denying that the intolerance is real.  I've experienced such symptoms myself.  I went through a time when I reacted to everything I ate.  Mostly with skin inflammations like dermatitis, but also I've struggled with impaired immunity, sugar sensitivity, chronic nausea, hormone and endocrine system imbalances.  I believe if it gets that bad, then yes, you must avoid the things that are making you sick, but also, look forward to a time when you won't be sick anymore.  It's not a permanent diagnosis.  You can do things to change your gut health, so that you may become tolerant to foods again. 

This all comes Back to Balance~

There are some food allergies that are fatal.  If you are carrying around a epee-pen because of an allergy to peanuts, than you're probably rolling your eyes at all of this.  I understand there are some things we just have to accept and live with.  It just seems like acceptance of diagnosis happens all too often.  Our bodies are made to heal if given the right tools.

During times of economical decline, emergency, or survival situations—we need to be able to eat mac n cheese, and canned chili if it’s all that is available to us without getting sick.   Much like the child who plays in the dirt improves his immune system by exposure, we improve our ability to thrive by exposure to imperfect foods.   My personal feeling about overly strict diets of any kind, is that we are setting ourselves up for sensitivity.  The more we avoid something, the more our body will recognize it as a foreign substance.  On the other hand, we have to balance that with knowing our limits.  We each have a unique body chemistry to work with, and you know best when to back off from something that causes you illness. 

Variety is so important.  When I went off of wheat, dairy, sugar, and all processed foods to improve my own health, my horizons opened up to a whole world of variety.  I suddenly ate things like amaranth, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, spelt, kamut, oats, corn, and so forth.  When I finally did reintroduce wheat back into my diet, it was with maybe one little cracker.  So now, I do eat things I used to avoid, but it's more in balance.  I'm not just having wheat toast, crackers, and cereal all the time. We focus on a variety of fruits, vegetables, cultured dairy products, different types of whole grains and starchy vegetables, and yes we eat meat, but mostly fish, and eggs.  Also, we eat things like cookies. and ice cream. and canned chili--thanks to my husband, we are balanced.  I kind of look at it like a bank account.  We know intuitively what foods are a deficit, and must be replenished by some income.  We all want more income than expenditures, right?  So that's how things stay in check. 

So how do you improve your gut health?  Probiotic and enzyme supplements are great.  We use these almost daily at our house, and my once wheat and dairy-intolerant little Liam has improved immensely.  It's even better if you can find naturally occurring probiotics and enzymes in foods.  That's why cultured foods, such as the sourdough starter are better tolerated for people with gluten sensitivity.  The same it was for Liam.  He could never drink milk, but he could eat tons of yogurt, or kefir.  Also, foods that have a mucilaginous consistency to them are very healing to the intestinal lining.  Things like Aloe Vera, Marshmallow Root, and Slippery Elm, or Licorice Root are wonderful examples.  These are a little harder to get into your regular diet--but I can give you some great ways to do so.  One example is from a blog post I made from 1/25/13 called "Prioritize Your Health."
http://balanceonandoffthemat.blogspot.com/2013/01/prioritize-your-health.html
Here you can find a recipe for Homemade Slippery elm lozenges.  The amino acid L-Glutamine has also proved to be effective in healing the stomach and intestinal wall.  DoTerra also has a wonderful supplement line, including PB Assist, Terrazyme, and the Lifelong Vitality Pack.  The vitality pack has an incredible blend of anti-inflamatory omega fatty acids, and antioxidants, as well as a little mild daily detoxification.