Gluten Intake May Trigger Low Thyroid Function and Lead to Fibromyalgia
I find that 40-50% of my fibromyalga and CFS patients are suffering with low thyroid function. Many of these patients are plagued with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Gluten sensitivity has been implicated in contributing to Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism. Several studies now show the link between gluten sensitivity and Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.
Gluten sensitivity (also known as “gluten intolerance”) (GS) belongs to a spectrum of disorders in which gluten has an adverse effect on the body. It can be defined as a non-allergic and non-autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten can lead to symptoms similar to those observed in celiac disease.
Symptoms of gluten sensitivity include bloating, abdominal discomfort, pain or diarrhea; or it may present with a variety of symptoms including headaches and migraines, lethargy and tiredness, attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity, autism and schizophrenia, muscular disturbances as well as bone and joint pain.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It is named after the first doctor who described this condition, Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, in 1912. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a condition caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body inappropriately attacks the thyroid gland–as if it was foreign tissue.
Symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroididitis include anxiety, depression, fatigue, high cholesterol, weight gain, poor immune function, hair loss, cold hands and feet, and constipation.
Recommended Disease Allowance
RDA Is 50 Years Out Of Date – Could This Be Why America Is So Unhealthy?
The Recommended Daily Allowance is some fifty years out of date. Many so-called experts will tell you not to worry about taking vitamins if you are eating a balanced diet. Unfortunately, dieting alone can’t provide enough essential vitamins and minerals to promote optimal health.
For instance, you would need to consume 5,000 calories per day (mostly fat) in order to get the recommend minimum (400 IU) of vitamin E, and 12,000 calories per day to get the minimum amount of chromium. Most of our foods are now processed and, therefore, the nutrients have been leeched out of them.
Could this be why pre-senile dementia and Alzheimer’s is on the rise?
Taking the minimum amount of a nutrient to prevent gross deficiency diseases doesn’t help those people who want to be truly healthy and not just be free of symptoms.
Almost as unacceptable as not recommending vitamin and mineral supplements is the recommendation of them based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The RDA is the measured amount or dosage of nutrient per vitamin and minerals recommend. The RDA or as it is sometimes called the Recommended Disease Allowance, may keep us from getting Scurvy, but it certainly won’t stand- up to the many chronic diseases that continue to plague modern man.
The RDA is inadequate if the goal is for prevention and or treatment of heart disease, cancer, cataracts, depression, senility, diabetes, arthritis and other age related disorders. For optimal health and wellbeing, many health practitioners are recommending many times higher than the RDA on certain nutrients. It’s no secret, for the majority of the U.S. population the diet is poorly lacking in essential nutrients.
Additionally, nearly all Americans are deficient even in the minimal RDA requirements, and are therefore exposed to premature death. Optimal Daily vitamins are what I recommend for all of my patients, and loved ones.
Complete Multivitamin & Mineral
Incorporating a Rainbow Diet Helps Slow Aging Process
A diet high in colorful fruits and vegetables has been shown to provide many benefits to your overall health. My Rainbow Diet is a volumetric food plan that offers high nutrient, low density foods, and is based on eating the right amounts of vitamin-rich colorful fruits, vegetables, spices, teas, grains and proteins in any given week.
While this is not a typical weight loss regimen, following the Rainbow Diet will get you eating healthier, more natural choices that are both good for you and lower in calories than processed junk foods.
I have identified a wide array of foods that benefit many parts of the body. Rainbow foods are abundant in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, and are rich in fiber to aid in digestion. The Rainbow Diet has no negative side effects and promotes weight loss without hunger, cravings, or feelings of being out of control.
The Rainbow Diet allows for all foods that are low fat, complex carbohydrates, and lean proteins that occur in any of the colors of the rainbow. Each of your three meals, plus one snack, should be at least 50% to 80% plant based. Your plate should always look like a rainbow: not too much of any one color, and always a variety. All of your food choices and supplements should be from natural food sources, and organic when possible.
RED Cranberries, raspberries, cherries, red beans, beets
ORANGE Sweet potatoes, oranges, peppers
YELLOW Squash, artichokes, peppers
GREEN Kale, spinach, broccoli, peppers
BLUE Blueberries, grapes
Indigo/VIOLET Prunes, blackberries, plums
Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal)
Aspartame, commonly known as NutraSweet or Equal, is an artificial sweetener. The body breaks it down into methanol and formaldehyde to metabolize it. Formaldehyde is grouped into the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic. Alzheimer’s disease is now being linked to methanol toxicity and Aspartame. When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the wood alcohol in Aspartame is turned into formaldehyde and then into formic acid.
Formic acid is the poison contained in the sting of a fire ant. It has been shown that methanol toxicity causes depression, brain fog, mood changes, insomnia, seizures, and similar symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. There are over 92 symptoms documented from using aspartame. Systemic Lupus has also been associated with methanol toxicity. The amino acid aspartic acid makes up 40 percent of Aspartame. Aspartic acid is an excitatory amino acid, and oftentimes contribute to children with attention deficit disorder. I always encourage my ADD patients to get off and stay off diet colas.
Don’t Hold A Grudge
Research shows that holding a grudge raises heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat production in nine out of ten people.
“Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, of playing a poor hand well.” –Robert Louis Stevenson
“Pray not for a lighter load, but for stronger shoulders.” –St. Augustine
Spice it Up!
Every little bit of color counts. Herbs and spices are packed with anti-aging nutrients that can add color, flavor, and vitamins to each meal. Herbs and spices contain antioxidants and anti-bacterial factors to help maintain health. What’s
more, spicy foods boost your metabolism, so you’ll burn calories quicker and more efficiently.
The Power of Herbs And Spices:
- The anti-inflammatory power of rosemary and basil
- The dementia-fighting power of cumin and sage
- The obesity-fighting power of cayenne and cinnamon
- The blood sugar regulating powers of coriander and cinnamon
- The calming effects of lemon grass, nutmeg, bay leaves and saffron
- The cancer fighting power of turmeric
- The fungus-beating power of oregano
- The heart-pumping power of garlic, mustard seed and chicory
- The skin-saving power of basil and thyme
- The immune-fighting power of turmeric, basil, cinnamon, thyme, saffron, and ginger
- The “blues”busting power of coriander, rosemary, cayenne, allspice and black pepper