Category Archives: Gut Health
High Fiber? More Like Undercover Sugar!
Ask anyone why they eat whole grains, and they’ll tell you it’s for the fiber. “This cereal has lot of bran, which I need to stay regular.” “I choose whole grain bread because it lowers my blood pressure and cholesterol.” One can’t help but be impressed by the cereal companies. As they’ve managed to take…
WGA - The Other Gut Buster in Wheat
The gliadin proteins in wheat open and penetrate the gastrointestinal lining because of their unique ability to activate zonulin. Not only increasing the permeability of our gut, but forcing our body to launch an immune response. Which presents itself as inflammation, or a more serious degenerative condition, depending on our genetic susceptibility. Unfortunately, gliadin isn’t…
Zonulin - Connecting Wheat & Leaky Gut
Our gut does a lot more than simply break down food and absorb nutrients. It acts as the barrier between our insides and the outside world, determining what’s allowed in, and what’s a threat that needs to be destroyed. Health issues arise when this barrier is compromised, and/or the signaling of what should come in…
Fiber to Feed NOT Flush
Plant foods contain a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble portion is dissolvable in water and turns into a gel while passing through, while the insoluble part does not dissolve in water and swells while passing through (adding bulk to your stool). Generally speaking: Soluble fiber slows digestion speed and insoluble fiber increases…
Chronic Grain Consumption = Chronic Gut Inflammation
When foods are immunogenic it means they activate the immune system and induce inflammation. The body detects a pathogen, and releases chemicals called cytokines that bring immune cells to the infected site; reacting the same way to food, as it would to anything else perceived as harmful. Although most are making an effort to refrain…
The Fiber Fallacy
The world was first instructed to “Eat More Fiber“ because of research from Dr.’s Denis Burkitt and Hugh Trowell. They were studying the associations between diet and health status and wanted to determine why the diseases plaguing individuals in the Western World were not affecting secluded tribes in Africa. According to their observations, the lower…
