Top 20 Things You Should Know About the Impact of Gluten (from Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.)

March 8, 2010 · Filed Under diagnosis, discussion, gluten free ·

Today I have the distinct pleasure of sharing a guest post from Ron Hoggan. Ron was the guest speaker at my support group’s annual open house back in November. He currently lives on Vancouver Island (and previously many years in Calgary) and my group is in Virginia, but we “Skyped” him in. I have the utmost respect for everything Ron Hoggan has done for awareness regarding celiac and all gluten issues. Everyone in attendance at the open house was both impressed by and grateful for his presentation, The Many Faces of Gluten-Induced Illness. They were especially appreciative of the very informative question & answer session afterwards.

Here’s some additional information on Ron Hoggan. He has a doctorate in education. His ongoing research explores the impact of gluten consumption on school readiness, behavioral function, cognitive function, and learning disabilities. A retired high school teacher, Ron continues to pursue peer-reviewed research and publication. He is the editor of the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity and the author of the books, Dangerous Grains and The Iron Edge. Ron has also written many articles for the popular media about dietary interventions. He will soon begin teaching continuing education classes at the college-level: one class will be on the psychological/psychiatric impact of gluten consumption, and the other is about reversing Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

I’ve been a fan of Ron Hoggan’s since I was first diagnosed as gluten intolerant in 2003. Among my homework assignments from my doctor was one to read Ron’s first book, Dangerous Grains. I read it immediately. For someone like myself who has suffered from various symptoms and conditions as far back as I could remember, this book read like a suspense novel—a page turner that inspired feelings of surprise, validation, excitement, and anxiety (among others). I have suggested this book to many since.

I became much more of a fan of Ron’s after he responded to a query of mine on the Celiac Listserv. As I was thanking him for his reply, I got the idea to ask him about speaking at our group’s fifth anniversary open house. Keep in mind that Ron and I had never met or even spoken before this email exchange, but he readily agreed to speak to my group. Soon we were talking via email, testing Skype, and running dry runs of his presentation to test out the equipment at the facility where the open house was being held. There were a few glitches here and there, for sure, but Ron was unflappable. I’m convinced his friendly and adaptable nature is helping him be an effective messenger for awareness of celiac and other gluten-related illnesses, as much as the validity of the content he shares. And, after working with Ron on our open house, I’m even more of a fan of his.

I am also a subscriber of the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, which Ron edits. (Some of you may recognize that publication better when I tell you that it’s the publication associated with celiac.com.) It’s really an excellent publication. The articles, many of which are written by Ron himself, are always well-researched, diverse in their subject matter, and compelling. They are usually written by well-known spokespeople in the gluten-free community. (For example, my good friend and fellow blogger, Melissa McLean Jory, the author of Gluten Free for Good, has written nutritional articles for the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity.)

Rather than try to summarize Ron’s work, I asked him to share 20 things we should know about gluten’s effects. I was so appreciative when he emailed his listing in less than 24 hours. Courtesy of Ron Hoggan, here is the Top 20 list for my gfe readers. (Note that definitions for bolded terms are shown at the end of the listing.)

Top 20 Things You Should Know About the Impact of Gluten (in no specific order)

1. Gluten can be undermining your health without any symptoms.

2. Gluten often underlies autoimmunity through inciting excessive zonulin production – 80% of the human population produces zonulin which develops into haptaglobin 2.

3. Replacing gluten with other highly glycemic, highly processed “replacement” foods is not the path to optimal nutrition.

4. Gluten can have a dramatic impact on psychological wellness and may be at the root of many cases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

5. Gluten can interfere with children’s academic performance and school readiness.

6. The stricter the GF diet, the greater the potential benefit.

7. Gluten is highly addictive through the opioid peptides it contains and the excessive zonulin production it incites. Zonulin allows these opioids access to the bloodstream and the brain.

8. Grains are highly glycemic and aren’t a healthy food for anyone.

9. Gluten-induced illness can take many forms, including more than 200 diseases, syndromes, and conditions.

10 Gluten can contribute to the onset and development of a variety of cancers.

11. It is not a sacrifice to give up gluten. It is a gift to understand the need to give it up.

12. Osteoporosis can be reversed when it is caused by gluten.

13. Neurological disease is often caused or exacerbated by gluten.

14. Dementia, when driven by gluten, can be reversed with a gluten-free diet.

15. Wheat germ agglutinin can bypass tight epithelial junctions even in the absence of gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.

16. A variety of human tissues are damaged just from direct exposure to gluten in a Petri dish.

17. Our digestive tracts lack the length, enzymes, and other features that would signal human adaptation to eating grains.

18. Skeletal remains of people who adopted grain agriculture show that they are shorter in stature and have abnormal bone structures suggesting nutrient deficiencies.

19. Depression is the most common symptom of celiac disease.

20. Avoiding gluten just makes good sense for anyone who isn’t starving.

21. A brief trial of a gluten-free diet can’t hurt, and the harder it is to follow the diet, the more likely you need to avoid gluten.

–Zonulin is a protein that participates in tight junctions between cells of the wall of the digestive tract. Initially discovered in 2000 as the target of zonula occludens toxin, secreted by cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae, it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease and diabetes mellitus type 1. (Wikipedia)

–”Haptoglobin is a molecule that has been known to scientists for many years. It was identified as a marker of inflammation in the body. Haptoglobin 1 is the original form of the haptoglobin molecule, and scientists believe it evolved 800 million years ago. Haptoglobin 2 is a permutation found only in humans.” Science Daily Sept 7, 2009. Dr. Alessio Fasano has stated that only about 80% of humans have haptoglobin 2. The other 20% are therefore safe from developing autoimmune diseases, just as other primates are.

–An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

The analgesic effects of opioids are due to decreased perception of pain and decreased reaction to pain, as well as increased pain tolerance. The side effects of opioids include sedation, respiratory depression, and constipation. Opioids can cause cough suppression, which can be both an indication for opioid administration or an unintended side effect. Physical dependence can develop with ongoing administration of opioids, leading to a withdrawal syndrome with abrupt discontinuation. Opioids can produce a feeling of euphoria, and this effect, coupled with physical dependence, can lead to recreational use of opioids by many individuals.

Although the term opiate is often used as a synonym for opioid, the term is more properly limited to the natural alkaloids found in the resin of the opium poppy and, more loosely, the semi-synthetic opioids derived from them. (Wikipedia)

–Agglutinin is “a substance that will cause a clumping of particles such as bacteria or erythrocytes. Of major importance are the specific or immune agglutinins, which are antibodies that will agglutinate bacteria containing the corresponding antigens on their surfaces.” (Sci-Tech Encyclopedia)

–Epithelial – In biology and medicine, an epithelium is a tissue composed of cells that line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body. (wikipedia) The epithelial cells that line the intestines form a single layer that acts as a barrier between the gut and the bloodstream. The barrier function of the tight junctions between these cells is critical to our protection from the “outside” world, from which we selectively absorb valuable nutrients while blocking the absorption of larger molecules that can be very harmful.

Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

I hope you will consider this top 20 listing from Ron in reference to your own health and share this listing with others as well. If you’d like to learn more, I’m hosting a giveaway of several of Ron’s books and videos. Just click over to my Out and About page to enter.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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Tags: diagnosis, gluten free, symptoms

Black-Eyed Pea Soup (with Ham and Chicken)

March 4, 2010 · Filed Under Crockpot Wednesday, Slightly Indulgent, What can I eat ..., chicken, crockpot, dairy free, easy, entree, flourless, gluten free, recipe, slow cooker, soup, sugar free ·

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, What can I eat that’s gluten free?, Crockpot Wednesdays, and Pennywise Platter.

One of my favorite people and, also, one of my favorite gluten-free bloggers is Stephanie of A Year of Slow Cooking. For a year, she literally cranked out crockpot recipes day after day—without fail. Now she stays busy with so many other things including two other blogs (that makes three in total), a new baby (that makes three children), a hubby, and so much more. However, she still gives us, her loyal readers, enough recipes on her slow cooking blog to keep us happy. All of her recipes are gluten free, but I love that so many of them are naturally gluten free. That’s a large part of the gfe approach. For one thing, it just makes life easier not to have to remember to order a case of gluten-free X or to have to run out to get gluten-free Y, particularly since there are no gluten-free specialty items in my grocery store. So, in my opinion, cooking with real food just makes sense for convenience. That may seem contradictory to many, but it’s true. But let’s get to my latest favorite recipe of Stephanie’s.

Stephanie posted a Black-Eyed Pea Soup recipe for New Year’s Day. I have loved black-eyed peas long before they were the name of a hip musical group. Give me some black-eyed peas and I’ve got a wonderful meal. So, this recipe has been in the back of my mind. With a support group meeting coming up, I wanted a dish that would serve many, but I wanted to use mostly what I had on hand. Stephanie’s recipe calls for spiced sausage, but I didn’t have any. My mom and my sister always save the ham bones from holiday meals for me so I can use them to make soup from scratch. Sometime that’s potato soup, but more often than not, it’s a soup that combines veggies and other meat, like chicken or turkey (or sometimes small amounts of several meats, like in my Everything Soup). My sister had given me a nice big ham bone, with a decent amount of meat left on it. The freezer yield two chicken carcasses. I also had a big bag of carrots and package of celery in the refrigerator just waiting for some action.

I added a few inches of water to my big stockpot and brought it to a boil and then added my frozen chicken carcasses. I let them simmer for a while as I did other things in the kitchen. Occasionally, I’d stir them, and finally I turned the burner off and left the lid on a while. Once I was sure the meat was ready to be picked off the bone, I put a colander inside another stockpot and poured the whole pot through the colander. My lovely broth was in the pot and the chicken—bones and all—remained in the colander. Once that cooled a few minutes, I picked the chicken off the bone and set it aside. This is really a great way to get the most from a chicken and not have waste. Even if I buy a rotisserie chicken at the store, I know we will eat a few meals from the chicken before I freeze it and it eventually gets turned into great broth and other meals. So even at a price of $6.99 for a rotisserie chicken, I can end up with several meals and at least a quart of chicken broth. That sounds like a bargain when you look at it that way. So imagine what a savings, roasting your own chicken could be. I often make broth from my chicken carcasses; then I use the “found” chicken for soup or other favorites like chicken pot pie and chicken and rice casserole. However, feel free to use safe packaged chicken broth and chicken from cooked chicken breasts, etc. for this recipe.

Black-Eyed Pea, Ham, and Chicken Soup
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

1 pound dried black-eyed peas (I don’t recommend using canned as a substitution, but fresh or frozen would work well)

1 ham bone (ideally, with some meat remaining on it)

2 cups, cut-up chicken

2 diced onions

2 cups diced or sliced carrots (I prefer slices, but I halve the larger slices)

1 cup diced celery

6 cloves garlic (I used 3 tbsp minced garlic)

6 – 8 cups of chicken broth (I used my homemade broth and just kept adding until my crockpot was almost full)

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp coarse sea salt (any salt will work though)

Soak your beans overnight. Drain and pick out the undesirables (e.g., discolored beans) in the morning.

Use a 5- to 6- quart crockpot. (I used my 6-quart oval programmable crockpot.) This recipe will serve a lot. It served at least a dozen folks at my support group meeting. (We had about 25 folks, but not all ate soup. Those who did enjoyed at least one full mug.)

Dice the veggies, and add them to the crockpot with the black-eyed peas that have been soaked and drained.

Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning and salt.

Add ham bone. You can also add the chicken at this point, or save it until closer to the end of cooking time. As your chicken is already cooked, it’s your preference on when you want to add it. I did add mine at the beginning and the soup was great, but adding it at the end would have also worked and kept the chicken in nice little chunks.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6. About a half hour to an hour before serving, use an immersible blender to smash up about 1 cup of beans. If you don’t have an immersible blender, scoop out 1 cup of beans, blend them in a traditional blender, and add back to the soup. You will really only need to blend for a few seconds. Stir after blending. The soup will thicken and have the most wonderful color.

Adapted from Stephanie O’Dea at A Year of Slow Cooking

Shirley’s Notes: If you don’t want to use ham, but would like the flavor, Better than Bouillon makes a ham base that could be used. Probably a teaspoon or two would add some nice flavor. If you’d like fewer servings or would like to use a smaller crockpot, don’t just halve this recipe. You’ll want the same amount of black-eyed peas, 2 cups of meat, 4 cups of broth, and about the same amount of seasonings. Be sure to take a look at Stephanie’s recipe, too, which serves 8. Stephanie suggests adding Tabasco sauce to taste after you’ve ladled your soup into your bowl. We enjoyed it without, but if you like to add a little zip to your soup, that might be an option for you. Any time, we want a little taste of hot at our house, we tend to add some Texas Pete hot sauce. Many of the peppers used in Texas Pete are grown locally.

I have two cooking confessions. Confession #1—This is the very first time I’ve ever soaked black-eyed peas. I’ve always used canned black-eyed peas before, although one has to be careful to find good ones. (Some canned black-eyed peas are very mushy and come in a thick unappetizing broth. Other brands contain just black-eyed peas in salted water and taste pretty good.) These dried black-eyed peas are far better than any of the canned varieties and almost seem dainty in comparison, even after soaking. As Alta added in comments, fresh black-eyed peas are the very best when you can get those. She said that frozen black-eyed peas come in a close second. As both Alta and Stephanie said, black-eyed peas offer a wonderful, earthy flavor. I’ll definitely be using more dried black-eyed peas. I’ve never even seen frozen black-eyed peas before, but I’ll look for those, too. One benefit of using dried black-eyed peas is that like other dried beans, they are very inexpensive.

Confession #2—I’ve never used an immersion or “stick” blender before. I’ve had one stashed in a cabinet for years. Son had received one as a gift for dorm life for making milkshakes and such. That involved what he considered to be work, so he left it behind for me to use instead. When Steph’s recipe called for this type of blender, I pulled it out and was delighted at how well it worked. I’ll be using that blender a lot more for soups, sauces, etc.

Several readers commented on Stephanie’s post that they didn’t even like black-eyed peas, but loved this soup. So, if you’re not a black-eyed pea lover, you still might want to give this soup a try. Several of my members commented on how much they enjoyed this soup the other night. I heard the words “comforting” and “homey.” On a cold evening with alternating rain drops and snow flakes, this soup was indeed very welcome. Even those who didn’t comment must have enjoyed it, because there was little left from the full slow cooker. I served this soup with mini-corn muffins and that made for a great combination.

Because soup always thickens in the refrigerator overnight, I added some leftover chicken broth to make my mug of soup for lunch yesterday. For dinner with these leftovers though, I’ll just reheat the thickened soup and serve it over some mashed potatoes. The thickened soup would also be great over rice over or noodles. If you’re looking for some other great soup recipes, be sure to head over to Linda’s What can I eat that’s gluten free? roundup where soup is the theme this week. I already took a peek and there are some terrific, new recipes … like Diane’s West African Chicken and Peanut Stew and Jenn’s Osso Buco Stew. I love it when there are so many recipes that make your mouth water, that you’re not sure which one to try next. Linda had a great idea with her soup challenge!

What else is happening?

Chaya is hosting her first giveaway over at her Sweet and Savory blog … a Paula Deen cooking ensemble. Check it out here.

Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix tomorrow features rice recipes. If there’s something most of us who are gluten free know about, it’s rice! Be sure to link up your favorite rice recipe and check out others here. Diane is also doing a survey and soliciting input right now on eating out gluten free.

This Sunday is the Academy Awards show where those golden Oscars get presented. If you hadn’t had time before, take a few minutes to check out our Gluten-Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party. You can see all the links at my two posts for this event: Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup or Southern Fried Oysters.

Ginger hosted The Gluten-Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival this month. See all the entries at her site, Ging Recommends. Created by Kim, The Food Allergy Coach, this carnival features recipes, tips, reviews, and so much more. Take the time to read what’s been submitted here and consider adding your own links next month.

I enjoyed seeing the tropical vacation meals in this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! carnival over at Bean’s Without Adornment. Anything associated with the tropics is very appealing to me right now. There are some fabulous meals and even a few drinks that are so worthy of those cute, colorful little umbrellas. Get tropical here.

Next month’s Go Ahead Honey is being hosted by Amy over at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free. Her theme is Guiltless Pleasures. Being the Slightly Indulgent queen on Tuesdays, she’s now going to take us to the next level! (Check out this week’s Slightly Indulgent entries here.) Fellow bloggers, start planning your post now. (You can read the rules here.) Readers look for Amy’s roundup at the end of the month. I have enough guilty pleasures already, so some guiltless ones will be very nice!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!