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Gluten-Free: The Basics with Dr. Taryn Deering, ND
May 3, 2012 | 
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Title: Gluten-Free: The Basics with Dr. Taryn Deering, ND
Location: Keshan Goodman Library
Description: Interested in going gluten free and looking for more information? Join Dr. Taryn Deering, ND for a discussion on all things gluten. Learn where to find it, how to avoid it, and how to make a healthy, delicious meal without it. Dr. Deering, ND will discuss the potential health benefits of avoiding gluten and provide some recipes to get you started.
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2012-05-09
Naturopathic Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract leading to symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Symptoms can range from mild to debilitating. There is no lab test or exam that can be used to diagnose IBS because there are no changes in the tissues- IBS is a result of dysfunction in the digestive tract. While there are many things that can contribute to digestive dysfunction including stress, most patients that I treat with IBS have a combination of food sensitivities or intolerances and dysbiosis which is an imbalance of the healthy gut flora and the potentially harmful gut flora. Oftentimes, flooding the system with healthy bacteria or probiotics is enough to rebalance the flora but sometimes it is necessary to actively kill off the harmful bugs. If you have IBS, try keeping a food diary for 2-3 weeks to see if your symptoms get worse with a specific food. If they do, remove the food from your diet for at least 2 weeks and take a probiotic (kefir is a great food source) to see if you notice any improvement. Determining food sensitivities can often be tricky; your naturopathic doctor can help you figure out if you are reacting to any foods and can advise you on the best way to rebalance your gut flora.
Posted in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutrition, probiotics | 
Tags: Food Sensitivities | 
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Gluten-free resources
Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, triticale, and spelt. Because gluten binds ingredients together and helps baked goods to rise, it is commonly used in processed foods. Reactions to gluten vary from the extreme of celiac disease to mild digestive upset. While people with celiac disease or gluten allergies have to avoid all amounts of gluten including contamination from kitchen utensils and toasters, most people with gluten sensitivities can tolerate trace amounts up to about 1/8 tsp.
Common sources of gluten
bread
pasta
baked goods including cakes, biscuits, muffins, and cookies
cereal
crackers
pizza dough
tortilla wraps
breaded meats
beer
Gluten is often used as an additive in soups, broths, baking powder, spice mixes, soy sauce, gravy, sauces, marinades, and imitation seafood (especially crab).
What to look for on labels
If any of these ingredients are in a product, it contains gluten: flour, enriched flour, wheat, whole wheat, bran (unless from a gluten free source), barley, rye, triticale, spelt, bulgar, semolina, frumento, durum, kamut, graham, einkorn, farina, couscous, seitan, matzoh, matzah, matzo, malt (assume it is derived from barley unless otherwise specified) and gluten.
Naturally gluten free
Most foods are naturally gluten free including vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, seafood, and poultry. There are a number of gluten free grains and starches that can be eaten on their own or used to make pasta, cereal, bread, and baked goods including:
Amaranth
Arrowroot
Buckwheat/kasha
Chickpeas/garbanzo beans
Corn
Millet
Potato
Quinoa
Rice (any variety including glutinous rice)
Tapioca
Teff
Although naturally gluten free, oats are often contaminated with gluten and may be an issue for some people.
Gluten free products
Fortunately gluten free products can be easily found at your local supermarket in the health food section. Farmers’ markets, health food stores and the Bulk Barn are also great resources. There are a wide range of breads, pastas, cereals, baked goods, crackers, baking supplies, and even pizza! Just remember that gluten free does not necessarily mean healthy- many products are based on starches (such as potato) which lack nutrients and fiber, and are loaded with sugar. Try to choose products with either a whole grain or a bean flour base. For baking purposes, you can buy mixes for pizza dough, bread, and desserts or simply purchase a gluten free all purpose flour and use your favorite recipes. You may need to add some xanthum or guar gum to the mix to help it bind and rise- check the label for directions.
Alcohol
Avoid beer, malt beverages, and cider that contains barley.
Gluten free options include gluten free beer, gin, rum, schnapps, tequila, vodka, whisky, wine, and Champagne.
Eating Out
Many restaurants offer either a gluten free menu (you may have to ask for it) or have gluten free (GF) indicated beside some of the menu options. Even if they do not specifically advertise it, if you can tolerate trace amounts of gluten you should be ok with a main course of protein (non-breaded meat, fish, etc.) with some vegetables and rice or potatoes. Salads are usually fine too- minus the croutons.
Resources
celiac.ca A comprehensive guide to going gluten free.
glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com Fantastic recipes, especially for desserts.
celiackids.com Information on celiac disease, tips for educating caregivers, and meal suggestions.
theceliacscene.com Search Halifax to find local restaurants that have gluten free options.
schoolhouseglutenfreegourmet.com A local gluten free bakery that provides a number of local restaurants with gluten free bread. Search the “where to buy” section for a list of places with gluten free sandwich options.
www.urbanspoon.com/tn/235/1/27000/Atlantic-Provinces/Gluten-Free-Friendly/Halifax-restaurants Another listing of local gluten free friendly restaurants.
Personal Care Products: Are they making us sick?
There has been a flurry of news attention recently on the potential dangers of toxic ingredients in personal care products. Certain ingredients have been linked to respiratory conditions, endocrine disruption, and even cancer. Avoiding potentially harmful additives can be challenging as products often contain long lists of chemicals that can be hard to decipher. I often encourage my patients to start by avoiding phthalates. Phthalates help lotions to penetrate skin and help synthetic fragrances to last longer. Unfortunately, they also disrupt hormones and have been linked to PMS, infertility, and breast cancer. Phthalates are not usually listed in the ingredients but whenever you see fragrance, perfume, or parfum you can assume they are present. That means choosing non-scented products and those scented with essential oils.
Avoiding phthalates is a great start. Other ingredients to watch out for include parabens, triclosan, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Environmental Defence Canada has put together a pocket shopping guide of Toxic Ten Ingredients as part of their Just Beautiful campaign that you can download from justbeautiful.ca. You can also visit lesstoxicguide.ca for lists of non-toxic products that you can find in Nova Scotia.
Posted in Environmental Medicine, Infertility, Naturopathic Medicine, PMS, fertility, hormone health, womens health | Comments Closed
Tasty Gluten-Free Snacks
Tasty Gluten Free Snacks
One of my personal struggles is to fully commit to a gluten free diet. I have been pretty close for the last few years but it keeps sneaking in. I find snacks especially challenging- I can only handle so many almonds! One of my goals over the holidays was to find a few gluten free snacks that would suit my lifestyle and also be appealing to my 5 year old stepson- for me that means quick and easy to prepare, tasty, loaded with protein, and easy to eat on the playground. My New Year resolution is to commit to a gluten free diet- if that is something you are working on or if you are simply looking for some new snack ideas, I hope you enjoy these recipes.
Gluten Free Breakfast Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda (gluten free)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds, raw and unsalted
- ½ cup sunflower seeds, raw and unsalted
- ¼ cup almonds, whole or slivered
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, sweetener and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients into wet and mix in coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, and raisins. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with olive oil and press the dough into the baking dish. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Dried Fruit and Nut Bites
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dried fruit of choice (I love the combination of apricots, cranberries and some coconut; if you prefer something sweeter, include 2-3 dates)
- 2 cups raw nuts and seeds of choice
- dash cinnamon
- pinch salt
- ~3 cups raw sesame seeds
Directions:
Pulse 2 cups of dried fruit in food processor and transfer to a bowl.
Pulse 2 cups of nuts and seeds until finely chopped.
Add nuts and seeds to dried fruit with a dash of cinnamon and pinch of salt.
Knead together and form 1 inch balls.
Roll each ball in raw sesame seeds.
Lunchbox Goodies: Healthy choices for back to school
We have the shiny new Spiderman lunch box all ready to go for the new year at school. The question is what to put in it. Finding healthy kid-friendly options is hard enough but add in a food restriction such as gluten free or dairy free (both of which we aspire to at home) and then things become challenging. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
The Basic:
I grew up taking a peanut butter and jam sandwich with some crackers and an apple. With a few substitutions this can still be a staple. Keep the apple (or another piece of fruit) and use rice crackers instead. It’s really only the sandwich that needs to be tweaked- try using gluten-free bread or brown rice wraps with almond butter (if your school allows nuts).
The Easy Vegetarian:
Rice crackers and hummus are a staple at our house. Add some fresh veggies to dip, too, and you have a complete meal. Just make sure to pack lots of hummus – at least 1/2 cup.
The Picnic:
We pack a little bit of everything to keep things interesting and use up the leftovers. Any source of protein will do (chicken, fish, tofu, etc.) with some cut veggies, crackers, nuts, and seeds. Just make sure to include an ice pack if using animal products or anything else you would refrigerate.
Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)
Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) helps individuals release stress or tension as a result of immediate or prolonged stressful situations and traumatic life experiences. TRE is a set of six simple exercises that evoke a natural muscular shaking process in the body. This shaking, also known as neurogenic tremors, releases deeply held physical tension, calming the mind and restoring balance to the system. As the body releases held tension and traumatic events, healing occurs on many different levels, both physical and emotional. Benefits include reduced muscle tension and pain, reduced anxiety, improved sleep, improved energy, and healing of old injuries.
Dr. Taryn Deering, ND completed her TRE Certification in May 2011 and is now offering this treatment to patients. To learn more about TRE, please visit TRE founder, Dr. David Berceli’s website traumaprevention.com.
Posted in Naturopathic Medicine, TRE - Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises, Wellness, anxiety | Tags: Anxiety, naturopathic medicine, Wellness | Comments Closed
Environmental Medicine
Environmental Medicine (EM) is the study of interactions between the environment and human health, more specifically the role of the environment in causing or mediating disease. We all carry a burden of toxins (heavy metals, industrial chemicals, plastics and pesticides, as well as mental and emotional), the question is what role they are playing in our health. By reducing our load of toxins we free our body to return to the vitality that it was designed to have. For some people this a small part of an overall treatment plan while for others it is the primary focus and crucial to recovery.
EM is a rapidly expanding field- new articles are published daily outlining the effects of toxins and ways to treat them. While it seems like a natural fit for naturopathic medicine, most NDs receive little if any EM training while at school and have to pursue post-graduate training such as Dr. Crinnion’s EM training for physicians. Since completing Dr. Crinnion’s course, I have been seeing the role toxins play in my patients and the results they achieve as they work to reduce the toxins coming in and support their body’s systems for detoxifying and eliminating those toxins.
Since one article can only touch upon any aspect of EM, I will be writing blogs on specific toxins- what they are, how to avoid them and what to do to get rid of them. Be sure to check regularly for blog postings and also visit our facebook page for links to interesting articles.
Posted in Environmental Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine | Tags: Environmental Medicine, naturopathic medicine | Comments Closed
Sunscreen Safety
With such a damp summer it can be temping to to bask in the sun all day when it finally pokes through the clouds. I encourage everyone to spend some time outside in the sun, not only for the vitamin D, but also to improve mood and energy levels. If you are outside during the peak midday hours, are exposed to direct sunlight for more than 20 minutes, or are at increased risk from sun exposure (for example if you are taking photosensitizing medications or have a history of skin cancer) it is important to protect your health by staying in the shade, covering your skin with hats and clothing, and/or applying sunscreen.
There are two basic types of sunscreens- “chemical” sunscreens which penetrate the skin and absorb some UV rays while potentially disrupting hormone systems and “mineral” sunscreens which block sun rays from the surface of the skin but often contain micronized- or nano-scale particles of those minerals. While both have potential risks, sunscreens using minerals such as zinc and titanium dioxide appear to be the safest. Health Canada regulates sunscreens under the Food and Drugs Act but offers little guidance to the consumer about choosing an appropriate sunscreen other than to look for a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and a label indicating it is resistant to water removal.
For help choosing a safe and effective sunscreen or to find more information, please visit the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Guide at http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/.
Homemade sports drink
Homemade Sports Drink
When exercising in the summer, it is important to stay hydrated. Adequate fluid is necessary to maintain body temperature control, helping to prevent heat stroke and improving sport performance. Fluid replacement is a special concern for children as they have a lower sweating capacity and tolerate temperature extremes less efficiently than adults.
Sweat contains both water and electrolytes (e.g. sodium and potassium) which need to be replaced. For each pound lost during exercise (try weighing yourself before and after) you should consume 2 cups of cool liquid. While water and a snack after exercise are often enough, many of us reach for sports drinks which can contain undesirable ingredients such as artificial flavours and high fructose corn syrup. Luckily, you can make your own version at home. Try the following recipe as a base and modify as you like. Enjoy!
Electrolyte Drink
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sugar/maple syrup OR 2 tsp honey
1 c apple juice (or preferred juice)
3 c water
lemon juice to taste (to reduce the sweetness)