Monthly Archives for September 2010
You Can Raise Awareness for Celiac Disease
How do we get the estimated three million Americans with celiac disease properly diagnosed and adequately treated? The answer lies in increased awareness and research. There are currently 49 autoimmune diseases, and celiac disease is the only one which isn’t supported in research by the government. This needs to change. In my research efforts to find out the answer to the painful symptoms I was suffering, I was finally able to get the proper diagnosis. It took a lot of time and determination, and most people aren’t able to devote themselves to this degree. It’s not right …
Five Questions to Find Celiac Disease in Children
How can you find out if YOUR child should be tested for celiac disease? WebMD Health News recently published a questionnaire that you can use to find out if your child has celiac disease and needs to be put on a gluten-free diet. According to the article, at least half of children with celiac disease NEVER get diagnosed, leaving them suffering from the painful physical and mental symptoms of the disease. Instead of indiscriminately administering a blood test to kids, now we can narrow down the children who need to be tested by asking them five questions: 1. …
Protect Your Celiac Child from Hidden Sources of Gluten
Learning all the usual gluten-containing foods, such as breads and pasta, is only part of the challenge of going gluten-free. Gluten makes soups and sauces thicker and salad dressings creamier, keeps yogurt and soft cheeses firm and dried spices from clumping up, and it keeps candy bars from sticking to the factory conveyor belt. Gluten appears in the filler in pills and tablets and hides in lipsticks, toothpaste, and even mouthwash. If your celiac child is prone to putting everything in his mouth, you’ll also need to watch out for crayons and Play Doh, which also contain gluten. What’s …
Health Benefits of Choosing Good Friends
An author, researcher, and humanitarian, not only have I come across the benefits of friendship in my work, but I’ve experienced them personally. It’s important to be aware of other research which suggests that one should be careful to select positive friends, as the stress that comes from bad friends can negate the health benefits of having their friendship. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Brigham Young University, has found that dealing with people who arouse conflicted feelings in us can raise blood pressure more than dealing with people we don’t like. Participants were hooked …
Treating Autism with Bentonite Clay
As a children’s author, researcher, and humanitarian, I have been growing increasingly alarmed at the growing rate of autism diagnosis. Whereas in the 1980s, a study shows that 4 in every 10,000 children exhibited signs of autism, a study conducted recently by Cambridge University’s Autism Research Center showed that approximately 1 in 60 children have autism. Several years ago, I myself was diagnosed with celiac disease, caused by a reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, after many years without proper diagnosis for my painful symptoms. I am now happily gluten-free and pain-free. Lucky to …
Some Helpful Sleep Tips
The National Sleep Foundation offers a few tips which I’ll pass along. First, make sure bedtime is a routine and relaxing affair; keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool. Make sure to exercise regularly, but make sure you don’t exercise in the evenings, as this can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Next, avoid caffeine for at least eight hours and alcohol for a few hours before you go to sleep. You may not think your cola from dinner at five o’clock is disrupting your sleep at midnight; not only can it prevent you from falling asleep, but …




