• Gluten Intolerance
• Symptoms of Celiac Disease
• Gluten Sensitivity
• Banana Walnut Muffins
• Walnuts

Dr. Heise’s Qualifications

Nutrition and Your Health

by Kristin Peterson, Holistic Nutritionist

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

First of all let me tell you how excited I am to have the opportunity to share nutritional information with you. As Hippocrates said, “let thy food be thy medicine and they medicine be thy food”. I truly believe and have proven over time that your health is directly linked to nutrition. With this in mind I will share information with you that will increase your knowledge with respect to the foods you eat and how they may impact your health either positively or negatively.

This month I want to focus on food sensitivity and specifically the sensitivity to gluten. It’s interesting to note that one in four (25%) of all people have some sensitivity to food. In addition, it is estimated that 8 percent of children and 4 percent of adults suffer from food allergies. The term “food sensitivity” means that your body reacts and is sensitive to particular foods. Food allergies mean you have an allergic reaction to a particular food. The most common sensitivities are to, gluten, dairy, yeast, eggs, corn and soy.

Gluten intolerance is also known as Celiac disease. Quite simply, if you suffer from Celiac disease, you have a genetic disorder that makes you intolerant to gluten. Celiac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin (a gluten protein found in wheat). It can affect all types of people. However, it seems to be more prevalent among people of Northern Europe descend. In the USA about 1 in 133 people suffer from Celiac disease.

Symptoms of Celiac disease include:

• Diarrhea
• Weight Loss
• Malnutrition
• Mild Weakness
• Bone Pain
• Abdominal Bloating
• Nutrient Deficiencies
• Ill health with no gastrointestinal symptoms

Gluten Sensitivity

The most common foods that contain gluten are wheat, rye, and barley. Unfortunately, these ingredients are prevalent in many of the foods we eat every day.

For those who are sensitive to gluten, their body perceives it as a foreign invader and activates immune cells in the intestines to thwart the invasion. Chemicals released by the immune cells can lead to the destruction of the ville of the intestines. When the ville is damaged, the body cannot absorb nutrients. If a person who is gluten intolerant continues consuming gluten their chances of developing gastrointestinal cancer increases dramatically. Apart from this, their quality of life may be seriously undermined.

The only way to treat celiac disease is to avoid all products that contain gluten. Avoiding gluten is not so easy. Many products have hidden gluten in them. It is important to educate yourself. However, by removing gluten from your diet you will improve your health significantly. (-Christian Nordqvist).

Gluten is often found in processed foods, therefore removing them from your diet and replacing them with whole foods such as fruits and vegetables will help immensely.

Breakfast is challenging when you are gluten sensitive. It’s even harder when you have multiple food sensitivities such as yeast, dairy or eggs. With this in mind I have provided a recipe which is gluten, egg, dairy, soy and sugar free! Enjoy!

Banana Walnut Muffins

Makes 1 to 1 ½ doz.

2 ½ cups brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup of maple syrup
2 t. baking powder
1 ½ t. xanthan gum
1 t. baking soda
½ t. sea salt
2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 4 large
1 cup vanilla hemp milk, rice, soy or almond milk
½ cup melted virgin coconut oil
2 t. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Organic chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl combine rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well.
3. Place the bananas into a 4-cup glass measuring cup and mash with a fork, it should equal approximately 2 cups.
4. Add the milk to the mashed bananas and whisk together, add coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix together being careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips if using.
5. Spoon batter into oil muffin tins.

Bake 375 for 20-25 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife and gently take out of tins and place onto a wire rack.

Walnuts are an excellent source of antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. They are low in sodium & saturated fat, high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Walnuts provide protein, small quantity of zinc, vitamin E, and useful amounts of folate. ¼ cup serving provides 90% of your daily need of essential fats.

Kristin Peterson is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and Lifestyle Educator living in Southern California
with her husband Jeff and their golden retriever, Terra Bella.

Please contact Dr. Heise to discuss information in this newsletter. Heise Clinic offers this information as a resource for our patients.