“It helps to understand that food sensitivities in
general are usually a response from the immune system. They can also occur if the body lacks the
right enzymes to digest ingredients in foods.
In the case of gluten, its “sticky” attribute interferes with the breakdown
and absorption of nutrients. As you can
imagine, poorly digested food leads to a pasty residue in your gut, which
alerts the immune system to leap into action, eventually resulting in an assault
on the lining of the small intestine.
Those who experience symptoms complain of abdominal pain, nausea,
diarrhea, constipation, and intestinal distress. Some people, however, don’t experience obvious
signs of gastrointestinal trouble, but they could nevertheless be experiencing
a silent attack elsewhere in their body, such as in their nervous system. Remember that when a body negatively reacts
to food, it attempts to control the damage by sending out inflammatory
messenger molecules to label the food particles as enemies. This leads the immune system to keep sending
out inflammatory chemicals, killer cells among them, in a bid to wipe out the
enemies. The process often damages our
tissue, leaving the walls of our intestine compromised, a condition known as “leaky
gut.” Once you have a leaky gut, you’re
highly susceptible to additional food sensitivities in the future. And the onslaught of inflammation can also
put you at risk for developing autoimmune disease.”
--from
Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD
Gluten – Latin for “glue” - is a protein composite
that acts as an adhesive material found in a couple of grains: wheat,
rye and barley. Individuals with celiac disease cannot process this protein. People with celiac disease cannot consume
foods containing gluten. But the reality
is that there is so much processed wheat in the American food supply these days
(think McDonald’s hamburger buns, pizza, PopTarts and honeybuns, white breads, packaged
cookies, and breakfast cereal, etc). More and
more people are developing a sensitivity to gluten because their bodies cannot
handle the daily onslaught of huge amounts of it.
“You are what you eat” is a saying we use in our Growing Healthy Kids in the Kitchen projects because when families
understand how much processed wheat they are eating, and what happens to your
brain and your body, your increased awareness will guide you to make better
food choices. For many people, learning
about gluten sensitivities may be well worth their present and future health.
Talking about gluten includes talking about the
state of your digestive health (and your brain health, but more about brain
health in another issue of WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS). Kids are so inundated with
foods containing highly processed wheat and they are paying for it with stomach
aches, constipation, irritability, lack of bowel movements due to the severe
lack of dietary fiber in their foods, and the inability to focus. Foods containing white flour turn to sugar as
soon as they get into our mouth, setting off the chain of inflammation and
disease.
We rarely use wheat, even whole grain wheat, in the
healthy cooking classes we do. People often
feel better when they limit, restrict, or eliminate their intake of foods
containing wheat. If you’ve ever felt
bloated or have had a stomach ache after eating a sandwich, pizza, or flour
tortillas, try eliminating all processed wheat for a week. What you will discover is that refined wheat (also
called “enriched” wheat – what a misnomer!) is in everything! If this is too radical for you, then just
eliminate all wheat except for “whole grain wheat” and see how you feel after a week.
I feel sorry for all the kids who complain of a
stomach ache on a regular basis and their parents think it is a ploy to stay
home from school, when in fact, the kids could very well have a gluten sensitivity
to all processed, refined wheat they are being bombarded with and their bodies
cannot handle. More education about
gluten sensitivity is needed for parents, but also for teachers.
Here is one of our very popular wheat-free recipes from recent classes. It is, of course, kid-tested. Enjoy!
GROWING
HEALTHY KIDS: Our Recipe Collection
MEDITERRANEAN
PASTA SALAD
COOK according to directions:
- 1 box quinoa pasta
WHILE pasta cooks, whisk dressing ingredients
together in a small bowl:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons chardonnay wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh herbs, finely chopped (I like parsley and basil in this recipe)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
DRAIN pasta when cooked al dente (do NOT overcook) and
rinse with cool water. Place in large
mixing bowl.
ADD the following and gently mix thoroughly:
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 2 cups fresh arugula, finely sliced (can substitute with fresh spinach)
- Dressing (see above)
LET salad sit for about 15 minutes before serving so
the flavors have a chance to dance together.
Serve on a bed of fresh, local greens with feta cheese on the side.
SERVES 6.
NOTE FROM NANCY:
This salad will keep for a day and may even be better the second day. If you make it for dinner, it makes
a fabulous lunch for work (or school for your kids) the next day and
all your coworkers will be envious of all the great flavors!
Remember, kids need good food to thrive. See you in the kitchen!
In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich
Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
P.S. For more great kid-tested recipes and tips, don't forget to order your copy of NOURISH AND FLOURISH here.
