Cigarettes and Gluten?

Gluten exposure is a lot like cigarette exposure. Your first cigarette you may get a headache, cough, feel nauseated. But if you continue to smoke, these symptoms will be circumvented by your body, even though the damage to your body is really still happening. So it is with gluten exposures. Most of us have grown up eating gluten, so we don’t really know what life feels like without it. We ache because we’re getting older, we assume. When your body is free from gluten contamination, it reacts more strongly when you re-introduce or are inadvertently exposed (if your gluten sensitive or celiac only).

Silas has sure been a case in point. I had him tested for the celiac anti body because of a prolonged tummy ache, 1 ½ months. Noticed it was after toast and sandwiches. Now, when he has a reaction……WHOA! Misery! For all. Last Friday night’s episode was like watching someone in the transition stage of childbirth, seriously intense, and nothing I could do to help but be there.


According to current research, most MD’s not up on this, 1 out of 100 people have Celiacs Disease! 40 out of 100 are gluten sensitive. WHAT!!!! Sleep problems, arthritis, behavior challenges or any number of issues that could go away by removing gluten from your diet.

What is the difference between Celiacs and gluten sensitivity? Celiacs Disease is an auto-immune disease, gluten sensitivity can present in many ways similar to celiacs disease, but to my current understanding is not necessarily destroying your intestinal lining. Gluten sensitivity can be causing a wide range of symptoms, joint pain, seizures, depression, too numerous to name here! Inflammation though is big. Inflammation can cause many problems.

The good news about the havoc gluten can reign on a body, is the treatment is simple, no, I didn't say easy. Eliminate gluten. Wow! Gluten is in so many places, goes by so many names it takes much more front-end education than you'd expect. Soy sauce, Ricola cough drops, rice crispies to name a few unlikely places to find gluten. I got my BA in gluten detection in September, now I’m working on my doctorate! It really makes a difference for Silas.

I had already come to the conclusion for our home, cooking separately, keeping gluten in the home, and dealing with possible contaminations, causes more work and STRESS than going gluten free. I say this while still consuming, and serving gluten. My reason, your body must react to gluten for the test to be accurate. So with every bite of gluten, I see the end of my affair quickening.

The stereotypical Celiac, according to old information (which our medical system still uses): pale skin, Nordic descent, very thin, often red hair. Some very thin, melanin challenged person is probably popping into some of your minds. They tend to eat way more food than seems right for such a skinny person. It’s probably chalked up to a great metabolism. Well, this is old information. While this is one type of Celiac, there are others out there. Overweight, obese people, bad nutrient absorption, lack of satiation, compels the body to seek out the nutrients, but these people don’t have a problem with calorie absorption. Hmmmm.

At Silas' appointment yesterday, we found out, if a child has celiacs, in this guys experience, there is one or both parents with celiacs or gluten sensitivity as well.

As we move along this path we’re on, I’ll keep you posted.