Thought you may enjoy this post by my colleague, Dr Dennis Perman. For those of you who would like to know more about a gluten free lifestyle.
August 19, 2013
Up The Revoglution!
Dear Doctor:
Wow! Did I hit a hot button or what? The response to my “Going Gluten-Free” column last week filled my inbox — I had no idea that this topic would stir so much passion.
There was an outpouring of recommendations on how to replace glutinous foods with others that could work – as an inveterate foodie and the husband (and sous-chef) of a gourmet cook, I’ll say that so far some are better than others, but I’m still exploring my options. For example, Dr. KJ Shannan of Worthington, Ohio, a fine chef in his own right, told me about “Cup4Cup,” a credible substitute for wheat flour, and Dr. Brett Coryell of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania recommended Chebe products.
I was struck with the number of parents, Dr. Coryell included, who gave up gluten because they had a son or daughter who had celiac disease or was gluten intolerant, and elected to change the family lifestyle instead of making the child feel deprived. This is an act of courage I admire greatly, and I’m glad to report that every one of them said that they were happy with the decision.
Most of the feedback I got was filled with rich personal stories and testimonials, with plenty of encouragement. But Dr. Thomas A. Santucci of Campbell, California suggested that in my enthusiasm I had oversimplified the matter, and he may well be right. He offered a website sponsored by his gluru, Dr. Tom O’Bryan at www.thedr.com , who certifies doctors as Gluten-Free Practitioners.
I clearly have a lot to learn about this compelling field of study, but it is apparent to me that the gluten-free movement is robust and growing, and as healers we need to understand and apply such trends.
I confess that, three weeks gluten-free myself, the jury is still out as to my ultimate relationship with gluten. Some have advised that if I wasn’t symptomatic before, and don’t feel much different with gluten completely absent, then I am probably not sensitive to it in the first place.
But when I take a step back and remember the physiological consequences of dietary gluten, regardless of the symptoms, I conclude that I have to be gluten-conscious in my own lifestyle, to be consistent with chiropractic logic and congruent with my best sense of self.
Dr. Santucci’s experiences substantiate this perspective, and he asserts that the only way to be absolutely sure of your status with gluten is to have proper testing done. He warned me that a thirty day trial on my part may be misleading, and I appreciate his opinion, since he obviously deals with this every day. I’m just not certain if my body requires the austere, never-touch-it-no-way-no-how approach, or if occasional forays into the forbidden territory might be somehow acceptable for me, especially if I seek out foods with healthier ingredients than the corner deli might serve.
By the way, speaking of testing, I comparison-tested Trader Joe’s Frozen Gluten-Free Pizza against the gluten-free version at my favorite local pizza place, and the winner is… Trader Joe, but neither was near as good as real pizza.
Oh well, up the revoglution!. There must be a pony in here somewhere, and I’m gonna keep looking.
Dennis Perman DC,
for The Masters Circle
