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Community Corner

Going Gluten Free

Our oldest daughter was having a variety of health issues -- many of them related to having a thyroid which needed to be treated. Over the years, she went to quite a few doctors, and several endocrinologists who specialize in thyroids, and none except a naturopath she was encouraged to go to  actually looked at what was happening with her thyroid -- that it was spiking high or low, and not level, as it was supposed to be.

 Now thyroid issues run on both sides of our family and she has had all the symptoms for years -- dry hair, chipped nails, emotional volatility -- believe me, having had the same issues a number of years ago, I think the thyroid directs so much in our body -- heart rate, menustration cycle -- that it is very dangerous to not have it treated.

The naturopath wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing the thyroid to spike so high or so low, and ran some allergy tests. She is allergic to gluten, and corn.

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I had a hard time finding out exactly what gluten is, but finally found a the definition: it is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, but it is also my understanding that this protein is "man-made"/GMO. From my understanding, it was developed to make the seeds that grow these grains stronger and more resistant to diseases which can kill the plants.

You will find in most European countries that their farmers use seeds which don't have the gluten protein in it,whereas in the United States most farmers plant seeds having this GMO seed.

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Being allergic to gluten can adversely affect one's health and well-being. In my daughter's case, she got headaches when eating some of her favorite foods, such as pizza, noodles etc. Gluten grains are also used as thickeners in many foods, such as salad dressings etc.'

She now looks for gluten-free foods -- one of the cereal companies now has a whole line of cereals which are "gluten-free", because one of the top people in the company had a family member adversely affected by gluten.  More and more products are now being made and labeled as "gluten-free", voluntarily by some companies.

Because she is allergic to gluten, it was the main cause of her thyroid spiking, and not being in balance so she could  be treated for a thyroid disorder. Her allergic reaction to gluten led her to having headaches, being emotionally depressed and volatile, not being able to lose weight, not sleeping well.

So such an allergy test has changed her life. She is struggling to live without gluten but even some restaurants are making pizza crusts with no gluten in them. '

So for those who are allergic to gluten, it  is a must that it be labeled on all foods. I was disappointed that the recent initiative on GMO's didn't pass. Corporations poured a lot of money into this state to say it wasn't necessary. But for some, such as my daughter, it is necessary that gluten be noted on all processed food products. Being a single working mom, she doesn't always have time to cook a meal -- but she is learning to prepare foods which are gluten free.

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