My great Italian bread/pasta experiment

I've been gluten-free for about 8 years now. What that means in reality is that 99% of the time I eat only foods that are gluten-free, with about 1% of the time, having some sort of exposure to wheat-based grains. I don't mean that I have "cheat days" but I'll consume something at a restaurant that may not be completely wheat/gluten-free. Not breads, pastas, nor pastries... those have always been off-limits.

But that all changed when my husband and I decided to honeymoon in Italy. I knew that they used a different species of wheat in Europe, and had heard that those with gluten/wheat sensitivities often can tolerate bread and pasta way better there than in North America.

I was intrigued and excited to eat real bread and pasta for the first time in almost a decade. My goal was to eat and drink my way through Italy and see what happened. I was going to eat real baguette bread; I was going to enjoy a pastry at a cafe; Focaccia in a market. Hell, maybe even pizza!

So I did. I ate it all and for the most part I loved it all, but there were lessons that I learned with each meal:

First, not every restaurant or venue gets their flour from Italy. I made an incorrect assumption that our Mediterranean cruise would be serving local foods. I soon found out that even their beef came from Chicago (which induced a huge "WTF?!?" moment for me). Pasta, I learned, had to be labeled specifically as "durum wheat" pasta. But the breads and pizza still left me bloated, gassy... my insides were not happy even if my taste buds were.

Off the boat, food was much easier. I wasn't having reactions from independent/family run restaurants. Anything that was non-touristy seemed to be fantastic, and my gut agreed. I was able to eat focaccia in Venazza, pasta in Taormina and Genoa, and croissants in Florence with no issues. It was glorious. I was able to enjoy heavy starches that didn't feel so heavy.

I felt like I had an excuse to be indulgent; and perhaps I did. But that feeling wears out after a while. By the end of our 2-week vacation I was craving protein and vegetables. I was craving leafy salads and steamed broccoli drenched in olive oil. Not to mention that my waistline definitely widened being on a predominately carbohydrate-based diet.

They were gloriously happy-making meals for the time being, but it wasn't something that I would be able to continue. The body - my body - can only take so much. The challenge now is switching back. Getting my body back, reducing my carb and sugar cravings, and regulating my blood sugar.

The Aftermath of my Gluten Experiment

The last croissant I had was at the airport before we left Europe. It was everything I had hoped it would be, until I stopped to pay attention to my body. All of a sudden I felt anxious, my heart beating fast. What was going on? I realized it was my blood sugar. Having only had a croissant, my heart was racing and I felt like I needed a run. I knew this was a pattern I'd have to get out of. This spike in blood sugar was uncomfortable, but all too common.

Secondly, the residual carb cravings after having come back. I almost forgot how strong they could be! Telling me to go bake a batch of cookies, or eat more of that sunflower seed bread, or, how about a third serving of rice? It's so hard to battle that voice; even more so when you're feeling exhausted.

Thirdly, by the end of the two weeks, and more so in the two weeks upon our return, my skin broke out like crazy! Not just facial acne, but eczema!

What gets me through this part is knowing how good I can feel on a low-carb diet. My tastebuds and brain were spoiled in Italy. We deserve it! To enjoy the food of another country and culture is an experience not to be taken for granted, but for my own personal health, it's not a lifestyle I can thrive on long-term.

I'm so happy I took a chance (with the help of probiotics and digestive enzymes) eating Italian wheat products, but I'm even happier to be home so that I can stuff my face with veggies and proteins again.

The importance of how we view food

Food is incredibly important to many of us. It serves as a means of gathering family and friends together. It's nourishment; It's tradition; It's comfort; and so much more.

Where we can get into trouble with our health is when we stop making conscious decisions with what we put in our bodies. Food is so incredibly important to me personally because I've had such a difficult time with foods. My diet is constantly evolving, changing with what my body needs and what it is able to digest.

With a slew of digestive troubles since I was a teen, food has been a constant battle. There was the Candida diet, the diet based on Food Sensitivity testing, the Vegan diet, the Paleo diet, a modified Paleo diet, and now, a low-FODMAP diet. Some people might say I've been cursed with a severely dysfunctional immune system, with multiple autoimmune reactions and conditions, but to me, all of these "problems" serve as a way of making sure I make conscious decisions with what I feed my body.

It's unrealistic to say that those of us with dietary restrictions are perfect with our diets 100% of the time. And no, in general, we're not depriving ourselves. Of course there are some foods I wish I could enjoy, and then there are ones that I'm glad I'm not tempted by because I know how terrible they can make me feel (typically, anything deep-fried). The reason being that when you eat "bad" (ie pain-making, pro-inflammatory) foods, you learn that sometimes the mouth-pleasure you get from eating something isn't worth the consequences (IBS symptoms, eczema breakouts, acne breakouts, energy crashes, migraines, ... etc) that come with it.

This is why I'm so passionate about food and diet. We all have the capacity to choose what we eat, and it can be incredibly empowering to understand this concept. But it's also a wonderful challenge to create meals and snacks that are healthy, that our bodies can easily digest and be happy with.

There is great joy in being able to show others how many options there actually are for those with dietary restrictions. Food is a part of our culture, a part of our everyday lives. At the same time, we need to understand that it's impossible to create a single diet that's best for everyone; We're all so different. So instead, I implore you to listen to your gut. Experiment with foods. Pull away from ones that don't make you feel great, and incorporate the foods (maybe even new foods) that you know you should incorporate (like more vegetables, or good-quality proteins). Remember that the signs and symptoms of food sensitivities are there to give us an indication that something isn't right, internally.

Nourish your body, love your body, and create something delicious in the kitchen today!

If you have ever said "no more junk food"...

I haven't had pizza in... it's gotta be about 4 years now, or something close to that. Even then it was a gluten-free pizza. Real pizza? I haven't had that in about 7 years. I can already imagine the looks of shock darting at me from all over the world. But pizza is everywhere! and it's awesome! Sure, it's a perfect combination of bread, sauce and gooey cheese, but for me, it'll - figuratively - make my stomach explode.

I saw the hashtag #nationaljunkfoodday and I thought it was a joke. How can anyone rationalize a day to put harmful toxins, sugars, and processed "food" into your amazing body? We only get one body in this life. You get one body to take care of, to nurture, to experience the world in. It goes everywhere with you!

Everything you put into your body is a signal. Your body does something with it. It interacts with receptors, sends chemical signals, alters your metabolism. Your body decides how to use it as fuel - burn it up in exercise, or store it in your liver. Your body takes whatever you give it and it has to deal. It has to break it down, use it and eliminate the waste.

Everything that goes into your body has an impact on your body - harmful or helpful.

I recently read a mom's blog post about how she always said her kids would never eat at McDonald's. Until one really tiring day she gave in because it was quick and it was there. I can understand the impulse to want something quick and easy when you have kids. Kids can be exhausting. But I also had a really hard time understanding the logic there.

For me, fast food is never an option. I can't even handle salads at Subway because their dressing will have me running to the bathroom. It's not real food. In my mind, fast food is not food. Junk food is not food.

The hardest part is getting to that realization and telling your body that. Your body knows that it gets "reward" signals for sugary and fatty foods, so we crave it. You've had it before. It tasted great in your mind. You were temporarily really happy. But then that feeling goes away. Maybe your body can deal with it. Or maybe you end up bloated, feeling heavy, your mind feels overwhelmed by brain fog, or maybe you go into a food coma. Food should't do this. It took me years to figure this out.

After my own gut issues, I went full paleo. For the first time in my life I couldn't believe how good I could feel after eating. I would eat vegetables, protein and a good size of healthy fats (usually avocados or a homemade olive oil and lemon juice dressing) and I felt great. I felt satiated but I wasn't bogged down. I wasn't bloated or gassy, I couldn't believe that this is what I was supposed to feel like after a meal.

I'm not here to judge anyone for their food choices, but I am here to bring awareness to our health, and to what food does in your body. #nationaljunkfoodday really makes no sense at all. It's like saying, let's have a #nationalhaveacigaretteday. One cigarette likely won't kill you, but it's terrible for you; full of toxins and carcinogens, irritating your lungs (junk food can irritate your gut), with the potential for addiction - junk food can also be addictive - sugar sure is!

The point is, as adults, we make our own decisions. You decide what goes into your body. A hashtag does not. And as for our children, we have to be the ones to teach them how to make good choices. They look to us for this information. They learn from watching us.

Dr. Bianca Garilli ND wrote a great article for the Natural Path regarding diet as the key to preventing chronic diseases in our children. I highly recommend the read!
http://thenatpath.com/food/diets/key-to-childhood-chronic-disease-prevention-resides-in-daily-lifestyle/

Weight loss and the hormone connection

It's very common for me to hear from a patient/client "I exercise and eat healthy, but I still can't lose weight!" There are 2 reasons why this happens: 1) the client doesn't understand what's causing them to retain the weight and hasn't changed their approach to fit their needs; 2) The expectations for fast results are too high.

We all want to look good and feel great right away. And it's no wonder! The media and advertisements that surround us enforce the idea that weight loss should be quick and easy so you can be happy fast! Some of the worst culprits are those with their before-and-after pictures and those that guarantee quick results - "lose 10 lbs in a week!"

So how realistic is it? Sure, if you're clinically obese or have a lot of water retention, it's very easy to lose 10 lbs in the first week of any lifestyle change. But that's just your body reacting to such a huge change to your established eating habits and the new demands of using muscles you probably haven't used in a long time. Healthy and sustained weight loss takes time. There's no other way around it.

Weight is just the mass of your body (in lbs or kg) x the force of gravity. Stop thinking about "weight loss" and start thinking about changing the composition of your body. Muscle is heavier than fat. Fat stores energy, muscle "burns" energy. Your goal should be to figure out how to get the best performance out of your body - make it run more efficiently. But there is so much that affects this!

It's combination of:

• Balancing multiple hormonal systems
• Assisting your body's natural detoxification (liver function)
• Giving your body the proper fuel, and in the required amounts
• Strengthening different aspects of functioning 
• muscle use/strength
• endurance/cardiac health
• optimizing oxygen use/breathing

Hormones:
Why do we collect fat on ourselves? It's preservation. We store fat like a backup generator. If your body has been through enough stressful "disasters" it learns that it should keep some resources on hand. Even if your "disaster" is just chronic stress from family or work.

Keeping constant high cortisol levels in the body is enough to tell it to keep the bunker stocked and ready! If you're constantly stressed out, or doing solely long cardio exercise, your cortisol levels are more consistently elevated as opposed to following a normal cortisol curve - which regulates your sleep-wake cycle in addition to so much more. Ever tried to do 30-60 minutes of cardio late at night? Did you notice having a hard time falling asleep?

Excess estrogen can wreak havoc with mood (irritability), cravings, fatigue, and abdominal fat gain. Thyroid hormones affect your metabolism and help regulate mood, heart rate, cholesterol (which makes other hormones!), energy and so much more.

The take-home message is that it's not ever one or the other. All of these hormones are connected and affect each other. For example, a high cortisol level over a sustained period of time can affect your thyroid. It will also eventually deplete your adrenal glands which have been pumping out cortisol for you like crazy for way too long. This is what we call "adrenal exhaustion": morning fatigue, decreased recovery from exercise, low blood sugar and burn out - this also eats up your DHEA levels, important for the production of estrogen and testosterone.

Is it any wonder why people are having such a hard time losing weight?

Working with your naturopathic doctor and healthcare team can help you figure out where the imbalance is, how to correct it and then to develop a proper nutrition and lifestyle plan to make your body run efficiently. This doesn't just mean "eating healthy" but actually ensuring proper caloric intake, optimal protein intake and absorption (ESPECIALLY for vegans and vegetarians), and timing of fuel, in addition to many other lifestyle factors.

hyroid hormones regulate our metabolism and organ function. They directly affect heart rate, cholesterol levels, body weight, energy, muscle contraction and relaxation, skin and hair texture, bowel function, fertility, menstrual regularity, memory, mood and other bodily functions. Without enough thyroid hormone, every system in the body slows down. Those who suffer from hypothyroidism feel tired and tend to sleep a lot. Their digestion is slow and weight gain typically occurs. They can also experience extremely dry skin, hair loss, even slower mental processes. In fact, without enough thyroid hormone, attaining your perfect weight is almost impossible. - See more at: http://drnatashaturner.com/4-week-thyroid-boosting-plan-seen-marilyn-denis/#sthash.GkuXxnVa.dpuf

hyroid hormones regulate our metabolism and organ function. They directly affect heart rate, cholesterol levels, body weight, energy, muscle contraction and relaxation, skin and hair texture, bowel function, fertility, menstrual regularity, memory, mood and other bodily functions. Without enough thyroid hormone, every system in the body slows down. Those who suffer from hypothyroidism feel tired and tend to sleep a lot. Their digestion is slow and weight gain typically occurs. They can also experience extremely dry skin, hair loss, even slower mental processes. In fact, without enough thyroid hormone, attaining your perfect weight is almost impossible. - See more at: http://drnatashaturner.com/4-week-thyroid-boosting-plan-seen-marilyn-denis/#sthash.GkuXxnVa.dpuf

Dealing with Cravings

The hardest part of changing your dietary habits is exactly that: getting used to the change. Our bodies often give us signals of what it wants - sometimes those signals come from an emotional place. Sometimes they're from a "biological need" type of place, and other times it's the bacterial flora in our guts that is speaking to us.

Many of us have grown up as "emotional" eaters. We seek comfort foods to comfort our souls.
This isn't always a terrible thing. The smells from a kitchen remind us of being younger. Maybe your relatives had a secret family recipe that still makes you smile. And I think it's fine to give in to that "comfort" on occasion. More detrimental issues seem to come up when we start using food too often as a crutch for safety or as a shield for our emotions.

So how do we protect ourselves?

1) Treat yourself on a special occasion. Thanksgiving is this weekend in Canada. I tend to move away from paleo and indulge in gluten-free stuffing with my turkey. And I might do a bit more baking than I normally would. The point is that it's okay to give yourself a special occasion in which to enjoy a tradition or a comfort food. Each year on my anniversary with my boyfriend we go out to an amazing restaurant in Toronto and I actually order and eat restaurant dessert. For some reason, when I pair it with digestive enzymes and I keep myself low-stress that day, knowing that I can "cheat" for one day, by body is generally okay with it. The point is not to guilt-trip yourself over one cheat meal.

2) First things first, take care of your basic needs: When did you last eat an actual meal? Like with veggies and protein. Do you need real food first? Do you need to drink some water first? Do you need to put your feet up and rest with eyes closed for 5 minutes before running to the fridge? Take a breath and ask yourself what you actually need in that moment. Sometimes I find I just need comfort, and that could be in the form of a hug or contact with a loved one. Check in with yourself before going to the kitchen.

3) No slippery slopes! Maybe you're craving salty or sweet. If you need to curb that craving, do so in small amounts. When I'm feeling like I need chocolate so badly, I only get dark (dairy-free soy-free, 70-85% cocoa) chocolate and I break off only small squares and fully enjoy one piece at a time. Let it melt in your mouth, or chew slowly. Mindfullness eating will help you to not scarf down massive amounts of sweet or salty. I also find it helps to "cleanse your palate" in between. Drink water or herbal tea between bites. By "rinsing off" the chocolate residue from your tongue, you tend to crave it less and less.

If I crave salt, I go for a healthier alternative: Homemade kale chips or slices of cucumber lightly sprinkled with salt (or with homemade guacamole).

4) Don't make one cheat day into everyday cheat day. So you've had a really rough day. Like a seriously shitty day and you just want to go home and forget about the rest of the world. That's totally cool, but fill your personal space with things that will make you bubbly and not just weigh you down. This is especially true if you're finding that every day seems to be a really shitty day. Try not to form habits of going straight to foods that satisfy those cravings everyday. Otherwise your body may start to expect it and it will make it harder for you to resist!

5) Don't listen to your bad gut bacteria and yeast: As mentioned above, the more sugar you consume, the more you tend to crave it (this also goes for bread... grain carbohydrates get broken down into sugars!). This is when your bacterial flora - if populated by Candida yeast or bad gut bacteria will start to feed on the sugars you consume and they LOVE it! The more you give them, the more signals they'll send you to keep it coming!

We all have cravings, and it's okay to satisfy them occasionally. It's how you do it and what habits form from those cravings. Stay in full control of your body, but also make sure to tune into yourself to find out what you might actually need. And as always, other means of stress reduction always helps! Although it's easier said than done, just keep an open mind to other comforts than food and think about what your cravings might actually be telling you.

What about cravings to food sensitives like gluten and bread??
It helps that if there is a food that you don't react well to (ex. gluten), yet you keep having cravings for it (like bread), remember what it feels like to consume that food. For me, gluten makes me bloated, gassy, heavy; I feel like I have less energy, and it often comes with abnormal bowel movements. Remembering how terrible that all feels makes me not want bread and pasta. Give yourself those reminders if you need them.