Eating Gluten Free ... and politics?

The other day, I posted this status on facebook:

"Ok, everyone was right. Chicken lettuce wraps are amazing! And available gluten free! I'm stuffed!!! — at P.F. Chang's China Bistro."

Somehow, it turned into a "Obama=Osama, unaffordable care act, global warming is a hoax" debate. Not only am I not making this up, I'm not even exaggerating. I have, however, summarized people's posts, in order to cut this post from 10 pages down to 1 or 2.

Of course, like all threads, this one could (and might) go on forever, but as far as I know, we managed to get back on topic without anyone having to "unfriend" anyone. And maybe some of us learned a few things. For example, I did not know some mayonnaise has gluten. Or that there were so many potential spellings for gluten.

Summary of conversation thus far:

• • - (me) PF Chang's makes delicious chicken lettuce wraps!

    - I can get you the recipe!

    - (me) great! thanks! 

    
    

    I then went offline for the evening and came back to this the next day (I didn't chime in until the end):

    
    

    - Chang's screws up GF orders

    - no they don't

    - not all mayonnaise is gluten-free

    - what is gluton?(sic) I think glutten (sic) allergy is a hoax, just like Santa and global warming

    - not it's not

    - untreated celiac disease is an underlying issue for many other diseases

    - I don't believe you, because my neighbor wouldn't drink my homemade beer, claiming he was allergic to yeast. I think it was just an excuse to be antisocial.

    - maybe they really are allergic to yeast. Lots of people are.

    - i was trying to be funny

    - really?

    - prove global warming is a hoax and the free market is actually free

    - liberals, Obama, Osama, unaffordable care act, Al Gore is a fat liar. I hope this has helped.

    - WTF does this have to do with PF Chang's gluten free lettuce wraps?
    -(me) How did my comment about a delicious meal turn into a political debate about global warming?
    
    - (me) I eat gluten = joint pain and swelling. Dairy = tendons seize up. Avoid those foods, avoid those problems. I wish it were a hoax, then I could eat whatever I want. Choosing to not believe something doesn't make it untrue.
    
    - I'm glad you got a meal you enjoyed. Eating out is tough when you're gluten-free.
    
    - There is a good point made by Carla here, Know your own body and what works for it. My point was don't just believe something because people talk about it. And the Chicken Lettice (sic) wrap does sound good! I'd still like it wrapped in bacon and a Hoagie.  (note: this is the guy who said he doesn't believe in Santa, global warming, or yeast allergies. Perhaps I should send him some bacon).
     

    
    

    Clearly there is no issue you can post about that someone can't turn political. Not even "Hey, wasn't dinner great?" But if you're lucky, one of your friends will point out that we're way off-topic.

    
    

    Meanwhile, I refuse to back down from my assertion that my meal was, in fact, delicious.

    
    

    
    Carla Ulbrich
    www.thesingingpatient.com
    
    

Free Online Gluten eSummit

Gluten and its role in autoimmune disorders is a frequent topic of discussion amongst alternative medicine practitioners. And, for me, eliminating gluten (and dairy and several other foods I'm sensitive to) from my diet has changed my life.

At one point I was on 9 drugs, plus chemotherapy, transfusions, and Procrit shots to treat congestive heart failure, kidney failure, neuropathy and anemia, all caused by lupus. Now, my diet choices have allowed me to stay healthy with ZERO immune suppressants for the last 6 years.

So, when I saw the information about a free e-summit, I knew that I had to share it here.

http://theglutensummit.com/

Dr. Tom O’Bryan of theDr.com has gathered 29 of the world’s experts and opinion leaders on the topics of gluten-related disorders, nutrition and healthy living for a series of online interviews taking place for FREE from November 11-17, 2013. (Don't worry- it's not all day, every day! One video per day will be posted).

During the summit, you will:

• Learn about the latest research on gluten-related disorders
• Gain knowledge of proper diagnosis/treatment methods
• Ask, “Could this health issue be due to gluten?”

The Gluten Summit is targeted towards both doctors AND patients (really, anybody), so that we all have a better understanding of the issues.

The goal of The Gluten Summit is to shift the discussion and recognition of gluten-related disorders forward by five years. Meaning, lets get the "gluten" conversation between patients and doctors that will be happening five years from now to happen now.

For a lot of patients, discovering and eliminating any food sensitivity, including gluten, can mean more control over their health, fewer ( or zero!) drugs, and feeling better. That is what it has meant for me!

Carla Ulbrich

The Singing Patient: Author, Health Speaker, Humorous Songwriter and Entertainer

http://www.thesingingpatient.com
http://www.facebook.com/TheSingingPatient
http://www.twitter.com/singingpatient

The Sin of Gluten-y

Just before New Year's I went back on the gluten-free dairy free (GFCF) diet. I'm making great progress with regaining my health. I have almost no headaches anymore- didn't even get my pain meds refilled last time.

I'm also doing Chi Gong, which is somewhat similar to Tai Chi. It is a healing art, adn you don't need to be strong or young or even flexible to do it.

So when I posted on facebook the other day that I was making a tasty batch of gluten-free dairy-free bread in my bread machine, i got lots of questions about gluten - what is it, why am i not eating it, should they stop eating it, and what's my recipe for bread.

My recipe is to buy a bag of Bob's red mill bread mix (available in many grocery stores in the organic food section or at www.vitacost.com ), add rice milk instead of milk and olive oil instead of butter, put it in the machine and wait 3 hours for extremely tasty bread. So much easier (and tastier) than when i went gluten free in 1994!

Many people assume I have celiac disease when I mention I'm eating a gluten-free diet. I do not feel obligated to tell them that I have a lupus diagnosis, and I prefer not to mention that diagnosis, esp. since my blood tests now say otherwise. So I just say (because I think words matter),"No I don't have celiac, but i have a history of other autoimmune problems, and this helps prevent a recurrence." It's not that I think I'm cured, I just believe that I am free from disease at this moment and i want to stay that way- and I know I have to be vigilant in order to stay that way. Not just in what I eat, how I manage stress, but also what I say.

But the interesting thing is Celiac is *also* an autoimmune disease! And according to the book "Alternative medicine" (future medicine pub.) 100% of lupus patients have food allergies.

As to why I chose the gluten free/ dairy free diet, it was originally suggested to me by an MD (who is a pretty progressive guy, is into nutrition and chelation therapy and other stuff that other doctors would give him a hard time for). I had a food allergy blood test and i did come up sensitive to wheat- and cheeses and milk. Other practitioners have since brought it up (after I fell off the wagon). I've done it 3 times now, about a year the first and second times, and it really works. My energy returns, my face clears up, my headaches disappear and other symptoms improve as well.

So if you're intrigued and wondering whether you might have a gluten sensitivity, and therefore could improve your health b y eliminating gluten from your diet, here's an article to check out:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Gluten-Intolerance-Symptoms---How-Do-You-Know-If-Gluten-Is-Making-You-Sick?&id=479404

and here's Bob's wonderful bread mix:







Carla Ulbrich

The Singing Patient: Author, Speaker, Humorous Songwriter and Entertainer
www.thesingingpatient.com
www.facebook.com/TheSingingPatient
www.twitter.com/singingpatient
www.youtube.com/user/carlaulbrich
www.linkedin.com/in/carlaulbrich

http://tinyurl.com/348hroc - Carla's book "How Can You NOT Laugh at a Time Like This?"