Nice Article on Celiac Disease and Emotion

Check out this article at Psychology Today.com, “Gluten: The Secret Stalker“.  It discusses the Emotional impact of Celiac Disease, an important issue for many of us.

Way #43: Forgive that Depressing Depression to Find a Way toward Gluten-Free Simplicity

Way #43: Forgive that Depressing Depression to Find a Way toward Gluten-Free Simplicity

  I have been doing really well with my gluten abstinence for the past couple of months.  I have fought off several relapse temptations and some really cool and effective pro-activity has kept my belly pretty happy at the same time.

  So….. why then am I soooooo depressed today?  

Logically speaking: There have been a couple of things in my space for just the past few days that have been somewhat intimidating, ruthless and unforgiving of me for who I am.

Emotionally speaking:I whine because  I figured that if I were Gluten-Free… like totally G-F>>>> then I would not have such troubles.

  OK … So… wake up.  Yes… being G-F is really super good for me.  AND… there are likely to be occasional moments of depression, particularly when faced with certain super negative energies….  Sooooo I guess… I can make the Gluten go away…. But I cannot always make certain other things go away.   Bummer?

  Meanwhile… I can try to forgive my moments of depression for now.  And I can dig my toe into the ground in order to push off and move on down the road again.  And best of all… I can do so with the confidence that builds each time I go through such junkyards and still avoid a pity party which can lead to a Gluten-Relapse-Fest….

  I forgive myself for feeling depressed this time.

Gluten-Free Poetry:

Go to: Some Days Half or Just Part 

c.2009, WTB

Some Positive Affirmations (Gluten-Free!!!)

Some Positive Affirmations

(Gluten-Free!!!)

  Over the years, I have found and shared many benefits of positive affirmations.  I also like them with perhaps a slight accent of humor and even reality.  I have often found that this sort of exercise can be really fun for friends, family and others who although they are just perfect, they might be feeling down today. 

  But first and foremost, I find them helpful for me…. because I deserve it!!!

Here are a few I can now share with you:

1. Though I may be feeling fatigued and even seem lazy right now; I am a precious person of magnificent potential.
2. I am a genuinely caring and considerate person even though my irritable moods have occasionally made me appear otherwise.
3. My mind, body and reputation have all suffered the continuous assaults and pains of Celiac Disease, other related ailments, and the struggles of trying to go Gluten-Free.  Nonetheless, I am a vibrant being with a nice body, a sound mind, and good character.

  So, these are just a few positive affirmations that are good for me as I look in my mirror and sincerely convince myself of their validity. 

  I hope that if you try my affirmations, they can be good for you too.  And if you have some affirmations to share, please feel free.

William Beverly, Ph.D. (March 5, 2009)

Someone at Bob’s Red Mill is Going Gluten-Free for One Month! What Next?

  Someone at Bob’s Red Mill is Going Gluten-Free for One Month!  They wrote:

“Starting today, one of my cohorts (Chelsea) and I will take on a challenge to unwavering live life without gluten for four weeks.”  The Mill Room Blog

  I find this interesting.  As a social worker,

Did you ever get so close to something that you couldn't even see just how bad it could really stick you? (C.2009, WTB)

 I have witnessed such efforts over the years.

  This is clearly on some levels, a wonderful thing to do.  Surely, there can be great gains from such experiences.

  On the other hand, it raises some questions.  There might also arise some misconceptions. 

  I mean, according to this posting, the person who is going G-F for the next month is now perplexed because he now has to figure out what he can have for lunch today.  In the meantime, I am getting really concerned about how I am going to have health insurance next year.

  Check out the original posting at http://bobsredmill.blogspot.com/2009/01/gluten-free-like-me.html and tell me what you think.  Yes, I know, one hates to seem critical.  But take a look and tell me what you feel.

  Again, I am grateful that someone is taking the time and energy to learn more about living Gluten-Free.  At the same time, when considering the source, the circumstances and a lot of other factors, the questions for me become much more rich.

  What do you think?

Way #38: Move beyond the fear that your “food world” is NOW severely limited on your way to Gluten-Free Simplicity.

Way #38: Move beyond the fear that your “food world” is NOW severely limited on your way to Gluten-Free Simplicity.

  OK.. I know… I can’t stand it when someone tells me, “You can’t do that any more.”  Oh.. I get soooo upset at that sometimes.

  So for me when it came to the Doctor’s Gluten speech.  I had lots of emotional reactions.  Even for years following my diagnosis.  Did you?

  I can admit it… YES, sometimes I got issues with authority.  Even if their rulings are really in my own best interest…  How bout you?  If you did could you admit it?  I get even more riled up when it is regarding something I love and I am used to like Cakes, lots of bread with every meal etc… That’s not to mention those hidden sources of Gluten.  And in short, this resistance leads to lots of self-destruction for me.

  Allowing anyone (especially an Authority Figure) tell me “NO MORE” of anything, is hard for me to do.  But once I admitted this to myself, I could more readily reverse my self-destructive tendencies — and my perverse need to spite the authorities.

  Then, I  could start to heal.

  It is frustrating though, with or without authority issues… to be told you cannot do this or your can no longer eat that.  Yes it is!  And at the moment it may seem like  ones world has now been severely limited.

  But I found that when I opened my mind, and I got real curious about other cultures that were NOT necessarily wheat-based there was hope.  Particularly cultures with in climates other than U.S. climates, I found cuisines (e.g., Mexican, Asian, Indian etc…) that I could enjoy, with lots of choices.

  I had to admit to myself that there is a whole world out there.  This world is full of great food ideas.  And sooo sooo soooooo many of them are naturally Gluten-Free.

  I just had to let go of the resistance and get on a more open-minded pathway.

  I started to experiment a lot and I found that there are bountiful options available to me.  Sure, there are always the various newly developed wheat-substitute/fake items.  And I praise those kitchen adventurers who are seeking to make items that used to be made with wheat — without wheat.  More power to them!  I do that too.

  But as I let go of trying to replicate U.S.-type wheat-based items (like Wonder Bread, Cheerios or Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup).   And I have to say again, “those gals and guys who work hard in their kitchens to replicate typically gluten-filled foods without Gluten are angels — they really are”.  But my kitchen ain’t got one of them these days.  So I got to find alternatives.

  I started to explore other cultures.  And I was truly learning – not just about food either!!! 

  As the Gluten-Free Girl will tell you, there is a life beyond Wonder Bread — even though I really did love that stuff.

  Try new foods.  Try new cultures.  Think about climate and how it effects food choices.  Think about centuries of climate influencing food choices and the unlimited bounty of cuisine choices that can create.

  I tried to let go of those boundaries that kept me within a certain mindset of what is -, and is not NORMAL food.

  Give it a shot.  You might discover a whole new world.

 

* Helpful Hint/Notes:

• This article in Wikipedia about Staple Foods and this one on Tradiational Diets and Culture might be helpful.
• Also check out the various hyperlinks in this article in order to learn more.

: : : : : : : : : : :

Gluten Cravings When Maybe All I Really Need is Some Serotonin

  XX Days now and no pizza. But then I ask, Why do I want that stuff so badly? It’s the cheese that I think of most. Then that sizzling pepperoni. I know… just like an addict. A Gluten Addict.

  Food cravings have lots of alleged causes.  According to one source, these can include shortages of various things from certain vitamins to even a shortage in friends or exercise.  This article is very interesting in that it discusses cravings on several levels (i.e., physical, social, psychological, sensory etc…).

 Perhaps it would be smart to try and better understand the connection between serotonin and Gluten-Sensitivity.  What is serotonin?  Serotonin is:

“Serotonin (pronounced [s to n n]) (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. Serotonin is also found in many mushrooms and plants, including fruits and vegetables.” From Dogpile Websource.

They go on to explain: “In the central nervous system, serotonin is believed to play an important role in the regulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, vomiting, sexuality, and appetite. Low levels of serotonin may be associated with several disorders, namely increase in aggressive and angry behaviors, clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, tinnitus, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders[citation needed] and intense religious experiences[1].”

The Unknown Zone (c.2008, WTB)

  So perhaps I can hazard a guess here:  People with Celiac Disease and Gluten-Sensitivity may experience diet-induced inconsistencies in their levels of Serotonin thus possibly effecting and/or exaggerating various symptoms of CD or Gluten-Sensitivity and this might also include cravings.

  Wow!! That’s a head-full.  It might not make any sense.  But then again, perhaps it does.  I just need to read more and perhaps I will be able to either confirm or dismantle this guess / hypothesis.

  A WebMD author notes that there is particular sensitivity for those of us who are allergic to Gluten.   Serotonin deficiency is discussed and accompanied with a list of recommendations which some of us are all too familiar:

• “Avoid alcohol.
• Avoid stimulants like caffeinated drinks, cigarettes, and amphetamines.
• Increase your exposure to bright light or sunlight to 1-2 hours a day.
• Get 60 minutes of moderate or moderately intense exercise every day.
• Make sure you get enough deep, restful sleep every night” from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/snack-attack-coping-with-cravings.

  Naturally, some of these things are related to each other and problems with one might make another recommendation difficult.  I would be dishonest if I said all of these things were a breeze for me.

  If we look at cravings and snacking behaviors as being related as well as food addiction, then we can also possibly apply some of the information we find about food addiction and serotonin.  For example, it seems that certain foods, like those with high carbohydrates can act like serotonin boosters in the blood stream and thus possibly influence the mood of the muncher.  This blog goes on to state,

“The serotonin-boosting effects of carbohydrates may explain why addicts in recovery, as well as carbohydrate cravers and PMS sufferers, show a tendency to binge on sugar foods. Abstaining addicts apparently turned to the over consumption of carbohydrates as a means of attempting to redress the neurotransmitter imbalances at the heart of their disorder. Perhaps some addicts discover early in life that carbohydrate-rich foods are their drug of choice” http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2007/11/food-addiction.html.

According to GoAskAlice.Columbia.edu,

“Certain foods that increase serotonin levels aren’t the healthiest choices either. Believe it or not, candy and sweets, which are simple carbohydrates, have the greatest impact, but the effect will only last 1 – 2 hours. Complex carbohydrates (rice, potato, pasta) may increase serotonin levels, but not to the same extent because the protein content of these foods might actually inhibit serotonin production” http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0515.html.

   It is not necessarily so that we are addicted to Gluten, or that I am craving that pizza dough.  Moreso, I may be instead craving that mood altering feeling I get with a surge a sarotonin just after I binge-out on some heavy carbs after a good long while’s craving for it. 

  Perhaps this is why I recall hearing of some anti-depressents (aka Serotonin influencers) being prescribed for cravings of various types.

  Interesting.

Way #32: Gracefully Accept the Shortcomings of Others Regarding Gluten Sensitivity and/or Celiac Disease on the Way to Gluten-Free Simplicity

Way #32: Gracefully Accept the Shortcomings of Others Regarding Gluten Sensitivity and/or Celiac Disease on the Way to Gluten-Free Simplicity.

  Going through life with any illness, much less one as unpopular as Gluten-Sensitivity or Celiac Disease can be difficult.  One is bound to run into people who are either ignorant and mean no harm or are insensitive and mean no harm by the things they do (or do not do) and say regarding such maladies.  Hopefully, one will only encounter very few who actually mean harm.

  Unfortunately, with a disease such as Celiac or something else that includes Gluten-Sensitivity, people doing things that some consider ”normal” can produce results that are simply unbearable.  And this can come through 100% innocent intentions and effort.

  Consider these examples of innocent, but unfortunate actions:

1. The doctor prescribes a medication for you that contains gluten.
2. A friend or family member surprises you with a wheat-filled birthday cake.
3. The Boss orders pizza for the entire staff as a way of showing appreciation.
4. A fast-food service person cannot figure out how one would possibly serve a hamburger without the bun.
5. As guests at a friend’s house, the main dish and others are filled with gluten.
6. Asking a bartender to give you a gluten-free beer, she/he laughs and poors freely regardless of gluten contents.
7. An ultra religious person of the pre-enlightenment persuasion proclaims confidently that your Gluten-Allergy is God’s way of righting the wrongs you have done in your life but you thought would never be found out.
8. The manager at your favorite store is either unable or unwilling to stock more Gluten-Free products.
9. A well-meaning manufacturer of a Cross-Contaminated product takes considerable time to retool and the provide rice wihtout Gluten, but at a significantly higher price.
10. A sibling proclaims that the Gluten allergy problem is a matter of choice for people who never grew up and are still choosy eaters.
11. A stranger standing in line near you makes a seemingly disparaging and discriminatory remark about people with chronic health problems.
12. A well-meaning friend outs you to others by telling them all about the Gluten-Issue.
13. A progressive restaurant that everyone really loves has not even a clue of a Gluten-Free Menu.
14. Your partner makes you a special Gluten-Free dish but unknowingly cross-contaminates it with Gluten.
15. A busy cook in one of her/his moods at your favorite diner cannot do a special meal for you by simply leaving off Gluten-Containing items.

  Any one of these situations could make a person with Gluten-Sensitivity frustrated.  And I would be less than truthful if I said I had never (over)reacted to such.  I cannot blame them for that.But in the long run from a larger perspective, it is clear that much of this type of behavior — while often harmful to self and/or others — comes from an innocent place.  

  Many of these things happen simply due to otherwise benevolent others simply NOT knowing. 

  In no way could I begin to agree with some of the false logic, the insensitivity, or the ignorance that underlies some of these items.  But we are to some extent, a product of our environment .  In many cases we can provide some information which might help enlighten them.  In other cases, we have to just move on with Grace.

Way #29: Accept the Basic Nature of those Gluten-Related Symptoms and Make Way Through the Societal Fog Toward Gluten-Free Simplicity

Way #29: Accept the Basic Nature of those Gluten-Related Needs and Symptoms and Make Way Through the Societal Fog Toward Gluten-Free Simplicity.

  Let us try to think of a situation where Social Pressures kept us from doing what we needed to do regarding our Very Real Gluten-Related Issues or Symptoms. 

 What was it like?  Probably like many people — like me too, there are often regrets to deal with later due to earlier actions that were taken more in the interest of social norms than self.

I am Beautifully Unique like a Precious Orange Flower (c.2008, WTB)

  Here are a few ideas that might help one move more smoothly through these situations:

1. Develop ways of quickly recognizing Gluten-Related Needs in given situations.
2. Learn to rapidly recognize Gluten-Related Symptoms as soon as possible.
3. Design and modify (as needed) a positive Gluten-Exposure prevention and recovery plan that works for you.
4. Try to avoid situations where we are likely to be exposed to Gluten yet there is no foreseeable remedy or recovery plan.
5. Actively learn from symptoms and situations that could not be avoided this time so as to try and prevent similar problems next time.
6. Without seeming obsessed, it might help to sometimes discuss ones Gluten-Exposure Symptoms with those close to us as they occur.  This can be a good way of enlisting helpful allies in this struggle while also learning learning why or why not to burden others with such delicate information.
7. Be brave enough to politely excuse One’s self in social situations when we need some Gluten-Recovery Time and/or Space
8. When feeling really down in general about the whole Gluten thing try to recognize if any of this stuff is due to wrongfully assumed moral issues (i.e., ”I deserve this suffering because I was a disobedient child”….) and dismiss it because there is no connection between morality and why one person has Gluten-Related Problems while another does not.
9. Avoid blaming other people for our Gluten-Related problems.
10. Practice getting support for Gluten-Related issues without broadcasting to the world about it.

  Surely there are other things one can try and do to firm up our skills and abilities for taking care of our Gluten-Related needs.  Peer pressure and even simple glances or noises from unknown but present strangers can often keep many of us from doing what we need to do in order to stay healthy.   And it is really just not worth it.  It is not worth being sick for a day just because one was too shy to ask the clerk at Burger King to please serve me my Whopper without a bun.  After all, their slogan used to be, “Have it your way!”

  We can each probably think of situations where we sacrificed our own good for others.  And I am all for that.  There are also situations where One’s need to keep confidential their health-related needs is important (such as in work situations where there is outright fear and/or hatred of the “sick”, or simply discrimination based on perceived health issues at school, work, commerce, or socially).  This is very unfortunate.  But also, unfortunately true in our world today. 

  It is a simple case of 5 Natures: 

1. Naturehas given us Celiac Disease.
2. It is Natural for other insecure human beings to fear illness in other human beings; while
3. Hatred, Prejudice, Discrimination, and Opression of persons with Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity may be common, but it is NOT  Natural.
4. As we cope, survive, and develop it is our Natureto actively (or passively) flush away cruel and foolish pressures in order to include and accommodate environmental stimuli which are much more conducive to our Natural ultimate goal of thriving.

  Thus, if it is a case of avoiding a small amount of perceived/assumed (i.e., possibly not even real) social scrutiny from a stranger or to; versus avoiding Gluten-Exposure – I think I should choose my physical and mental health over the former.

  Perfectly natural, don’t ya think?

Way #31: Grieve the Loss of those Gluten-Contaminated Dietary Favorites and Move On In A Healthy Way Toward Gluten-Free Simplicity

Way #31: Grieve the Loss of those Gluten-Contaminated Dietary Favorites and Move On In A Healthy Way Toward Gluten-Free Simplicity.

  Does anyone remember the movie, “M*A*S*H“?  Well there was a scene in which one of the characters claimed he wanted to kill himself, so in order to vanquish that ambivalent desire, his friends cooperated in a staged fake-suicide before which he fully grieved his reasons for suicide, then after which he found reasons to live and then he moved on from there.

  The point is that sometimes, regardless of the subject matter or reasons, sincerely grieving a loss can help one move on in a healthier way.

  Call me a wimp if you want, but when I had to give up Gluten, I was at a loss.  And as time went on and over the years I realized one-by-one just how many of my favorite foods I would have to give up, I was totally depressed.  I needed to grieve.  I have been a pizza lover since I made pizzas back in the early 1970s and I have always been the one at the table who asked for more bread… please.

  There is a great model to use for this task:

“The Kübler-Ross model first introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book “On Death and Dying”, describes, in five discrete stages, a process by which people allegedly deal with grief and tragedy, especially when diagnosed with a terminal illness. The stages are known as the Five Stages of Grief.”" from Wikipedia.

  These stages do not really have to go in a fixed order, nor are they like a course where you complete stage One, then move on to stage Two — never again visiting stage One.  While the stages may go in the suggested progression, this is a very flexible model and in my experience tends to go in cycles, occasionally revisiting elements of earlier stages as I need to.  These stages are:

“Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”
Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?”
Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.”
Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.”
Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what is going to happen/has happened.”  from Helpguide.

  All I am suggesting is that people who have been diagnosed with Gluten-Related health problems can possibly help themselves (and those around them) if they grieve their losses in a healthy way.  And furthermore, for Gluten-Sensitive people, this might mean grieving each item (i.e., pizzas, birthday cakes, French bread and pancakes) separately or in lumps.

  How does one grieve?  Go0d question.  It is probably different for each of us.  Some of the ideas that can help with grieving according to HelpGuide are:

“– Express your feelings in a tangible or creative way.  Write about, talk about it, cry if you need to.

 – Take care of yourself physically. 

  — Don’t let other people tell you how to feel, and don’t tell yourself how to feel either.

  — Plan ahead. ” 

  As you go through it, learn to recognize the stages you are in as they occur.  Here are some examples of what might show up:

• Denial Stage:“Oh I can eat egg-rolls because the Chinese use rice flour, rather than wheat flour.”  Sometimes, this might not be true.” 
• Anger Stage: “I am going to go ahead and drink a few beers because I am fighting with my girlfriend and it doesn’t matter anyway.”  “If those *&*%^(&()@@^&*(& manufacturers and retailers would charge a fair price for Gluten-Free foods then I could eat a healthy diet.”
• Bargaining Stage:“Maybe if I get extra sauce on that spaghetti, the volume of the sauce will outweigh the volume of the pasta such that I won’t get sick.”  “I would have had the Gluten-Free pizza but it cost more.”  “Oh, it’s OK, I can eat white bread.  I just can’t eat wheat bread.”
• Depression Stage: “It is just best if I stop eating all together because there is nothing that I can eat and I am withering away anyway.”
• Acceptance Stage: “Maybe I should make a list of foods that are definitely safe to eat and start buying only those foods for the house.”

  Each of us can probably recognize something of ourselves in this. 

  The key however, is that we keep gradually moving toward Gluten-Free lifestyles.

  And of course, relapse might happen.  But that is really just another part of recovery because this process is non-linear.  It could help to recognize which stage of this process I was in as I relapsed.  And it will probably be even more beneficial if I also explore some of my feelings and circumstances around this stage and the relapse that occurred.

  And then I can move along until I find another acute space in my process where I feel a natural and all-too-normal painful twinge of the grief it takes to let go of yet another Gluten-Contaminated dietary fave.