Three chiropractors and our incredible office staff looking to help you understand the HEALTH in healthcare! Our mission: To share our thoughts on food and health, allergy-free nutritious recipes, and preventative wellness care.
My friends, if you learn nothing else from this blog, I hope I can teach you to ALWAYS READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING A RECIPE!
Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day and the most fun to cook! I'm all about making pancakes from scratch, and I have several recipes I use which are completely Paleo and also delicious!
However, I know that making breakfast for a crowd- whether it's for a holiday, special occasion, or simply because you have a large family- can be a significant struggle. Sometimes, shortcuts must be taken, particularly when said family shows up unexpectedly. You want to be able to keep the gluten free integrity of your home, but they may be wary of "this whole no grain thing". Making a big show about breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) can also be a special treat to help kids who are a little more reluctant to sign on to the gluten free lifestyle. Sometimes, you have to get as close as you can to the "real thing" while they're adjusting to the transition. When your family is more established in a gluten and dairy free routine, it's easier to use recipes with fewer processed ingredients like this pumpkin pancakes recipe. For when you need a shortcut, this King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Pancake Mix is definitely the way to go! If you are not cooking for a crowd, please make sure to follow the instructions for cutting this recipe in half!I made the mistake (yet again) of not reading the box where it says "add mix". Not "add 1/3 cup of mix". Not "add half of mix". They mean add the WHOLE MIX.
Whoops.
Well, I'm human. Like you, I'm not a chef. Kitchen mishaps happen.
This made a MOUNTAIN of pancakes! A little much when you intend to make breakfast for two people, but perfect for a crowd!
I also am not the world's leading authority on flipping pancakes. Whoops.
Also please make note of where it says to let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken, this is important! To make this dairy free, I subbed Smart Balance for butter and used coconut oil spray on the pan. I also used 2 cups of almond milk in place of the milk, also after not reading the box where it recommends an appropriate proportion of rice milk. As you can see, the pancakes fluffed up beautifully anyway, hooray! Box mixes can be wonderfully forgiving. Blueberries also make a wonderful addition.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! Dr. Chelsea
In case you haven't figured it out already, I have a monster sweet tooth. Of course, desserts are also crazy fun to make and write about!
However, the main reason so many desserts end up on the blog is because baked goods tend to be one of the most challenging things about gluten free living. I'm not encouraging you to eat a lot desserts, but I know we all need something for special occasions, especially for anyone with children, so I'm trying to make it easier for you.
I'm not crazy about things that come from a box, BUT I know sometimes parents don't have time to bake things from scratch. It's also back to school time and it doesn't always make sense to make a nice birthday cake from scratch like Laure's Chocolate Cake or my Angel Food Cake and then also make 24-36 cupcakes for the classroom. The lesser of the two evils of course is taking a shortcut with the snacks for school, particularly with concerns that a gluten free dessert might not appeal to small children. ***If you or your child don't do well with tapioca (a gluten mimic) or food additives such as guar gum, a box mix is not advised and you should stick with one of the recipes above or another gluten free cake recipe from scratch***
Good news everyone!
The big cake box companies are starting to make gluten free box mixes which can satisfy the need for a quick, inexpensive dessert fix. I wouldn't recommend using them often, but they can help in times of need. For Makena's birthday, we were serving a large, mixed crowd, so Laure and I decided to make two of the cakes from a gluten free box mix...
The cakes rose well, they were mildly dry (but frosting fixed it completely), and people were surprised when we told them they were gluten free! Definitely a success!
Sometimes you compromise and use a little bit of food coloring and candy decorations. Coloring is NOT recommended for children with ADHD or Autism! Not sure why? Read more here
We also made King Arthur Flour's Seven-Minute Frosting, which is a staple in Laure's kitchen for big events. I also think "7 minute" is misleading, a more honest title would be "10 Minute Boiled Frosting". It puffs up beautifully and is dairy free, so you will likely only need one batch for a 13x9 or two 8x8 or 9x9 cakes. That being said, for cupcakes or cakes with 3 or more layers or multiple colors, I would make a double batch. Doubling the recipe is also recommended for anyone who has trouble with crumb coating like I do. You can also make it a few days ahead if needed!
This would also be a great solution to try if you want to make a batch of cupcakes in advance, freeze them, and then send them to school 1-2 at a time so your child has a treat to enjoy when other parents send in desserts that aren't allergy friendly!
1. In the top of a double boiler (not over heat), combine the sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar, and the pinch of salt.
2. Beat with an electric mixer set at low speed for 30 seconds, then set the pan over boiling water (the pan shouldn't touch the water). Beating at high speed, cook the frosting for about 7 minutes, or until it's stiff and glossy.
3. Remove it from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat an additional 2 minutes on high.
4. Use immediately to frost a sheet cake, tube cake, or layers. Or refrigerate in an airtight container and use as needed. You may be able to add 1-2 drops of food coloring if needed or even better, puree a small amount of fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, or kiwi and mix in to add some color! If it thins the frosting too much, add a very small amount of cream of tartar or meringue powder.
Start with the ingredients away from the heat
Mix while heating over boiling water for 7 minutes
How did you all do with
your homework this week? Were you able to successfully add in a Paleo
recipe to your meal plan? Was it easier than you expected? Did you
run into any difficulties? Do you feel like you need more
information? Did you enjoy it? Leave me some comments and I'll do my
best to address them!
Just to recap, the basic
premise of the Paleo diet is eliminating wheat, dairy, processed
foods, and refined sugar, instead increasing your intake of fish,
well-sourced meats, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and
healthy oils like olive, coconut, and avocado.
Some of you may be
thinking, what's the big deal? Grains make up a large portion of the
food pyramid! The traditional food pyramid we think of actually dates
back to 1992, and there has been much more research in the fields of
food and nutrition sciences since then! The CDC currently recommends
that grains should only make up one quarter of your plate, equal to
or slightly less than your serving of vegetables. Many Americans see
that and think “okay, then I'm going to eat a whole wheat bun with
my dinner”.
Here's the problem: the
way we harvest, store, and process wheat and other cereal grains has
strayed away from traditional practices, and they have become
inflammatory to many people. Some researchers believe it's because
the grains develop small amounts of mold during processing, others
insist it's because of genetic modification and too much
cross-breeding. Regardless of the cause, we are seeing more and more
studies asserting the inflammatory nature of these grains.
If we grossly oversimplify
the issue, there are two very basic types of physical characteristics
that we will see with food sensitivities. The first person tends
to be very slender, has difficulty gaining weight, experiences hair
loss, anemia, nervousness, and other symptoms similar to and possibly
including an overactive thyroid. Why? Because when her
gastrointestinal tract gets inflamed, it speeds up digestion so more
inflammatory chemicals don't leak into the rest of the body, and
doesn't allow her to absorb the vitamins and nutrients she needs.
These cases can sometimes be harder to diagnose because individuals
overall look “healthy” because they are slender and don't show as
many markers on blood work. The second person tends to be overweight,
has difficulty losing weight even with dieting and exercise, and has
symptoms similar to and possibly including an underactive thyroid because her body slows down digestion and inflammation builds up.
These individuals still may have trouble getting help because their
symptoms are written off as being part of obesity, fibromyalgia, or
another disorder.
Individuals
in both groups tend to experience acne, depression, anxiety,
irritability, fatigue, sleep disturbances, joint pain, acid reflux,
stomach ulcers, abdominal swelling, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea or
constipation or fluctuate between both.
If
you're sitting there saying “Wait, this sounds like me, why haven't I been diagnosed with a food sensitivity?” it's because there is very little
testing that properly identifies food sensitivities. In my last
video, I touched briefly on food sensitivities and how they differ
from traditional food allergies, so if you're lost right now, go back
and watch that again if you need a refresher. As a whole, medical
research tends to focus on food allergies, anaphylaxis reactions,
because they are more immediately life threatening and better
understood than food sensitivities. On top of that, as we have noted
before, inflammatory reactions, which are the symptoms of food
sensitivities, are diverse and look very different in each
individual person.
I'm
not asking you to take my word for it, do an experiment for yourself.
Keep following along with Wellness Wednesday and see how you feel. Unless you jump right
into strict paleo, it might take a few weeks to notice a difference,
be patient.
This week I want you to incorporate 4 paleo meals into
your meal plan! You can do it! It's going to be great!
Have a
sparkling day everyone!
Dr. Chelsea
Need recipe suggestions? Try one of these Simple Paleo recipes!
*Any
health topics that are covered should not be considered medical
advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor
or make
an appointment with
us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary
changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or
are pregnant or nursing.*
There are probably thousands of Paleo recipes on the internet, but if you need a starting block, you have come to the right place. Here are a few simple Paleo recipes with short ingredient lists to get you started. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to modify your own family favorites as well!
Let me know which ones you fall in love with and if you find any that are even better!
Enjoy!
Dr. Chelsea
Breakfast
Any egg dish with a side of meat and veggies. Omelettes are easy. So are fried eggs with chicken sausage and baby spinach or sauteed peppers.
Hello World, I'm Dr. Chelsea Drda and
I'm blessed to be a chiropractor along with two of my family members,
Dr. Mark Frank and Dr. Celeste Holstein at the Frank Clinic of
Chiropractic in Zephyrhills Florida. Today is Wellness Wednesday and
I'm here to speak to you about my journey with weight loss and health
transformation.
I'm sure some of you have read my
previous blog post about how I lost 60 pounds and 10 pant sizes the
healthy way. I come from a family that is very active and eats well,
but even still growing up I was always overweight for my age. Dr.
Frank first told my parents that I was likely allergic to dairy when
I was around 13. I stopped drinking milk, but I “couldn't” give
up cheese or ice cream, they were just such huge staples in my life.
So of course I had chronic sinus issues and asthma and was completely
miserable. It impacted my focus, limited my ability to participate in
athletics, and took away all of my motivation. It went on for so long
that I thought that's just what my life was supposed to be like, I
didn't know I could feel any better. Finally, after a series of
severe allergy attacks leading to weeks of recovery, I hit the
breaking point and decided to make a change, so my diet has been
dairy free for about 4 years now.
Once I cleared the dairy from my
system, I still had some issues with my stomach, and I decided to see
if eliminating gluten would help. Since I eliminated gluten from my
diet 18 months ago, I have been so much happier, healthier, and
energetic. I don't ever feel deprived, I always have something
delicious to eat that is excellent fuel for my body, and I am not
miserable after I eat.
The biggest thing I want to impress on
you is that what I have seen with myself, my family, and my patients
is that allergy testing does not always pick up on food
sensitivities. Allergy testing is most sensitive to anaphylaxis, the
throat closing, tongue swelling, inability to breathe reaction that
we see with peanut allergies, and isn't tuned to picking up
sensitivity reactions. The other issue with sensitivity reactions is
that they tend to vary from person to person, but the classic
indicators are weight gain or inability to gain weight, chronic sinus
issues, acid reflux, gas and bloating, irritable bowel syndrome,
nausea, stomach ulcers, fatigue, ear infections, tonsillitis, and
thyroid disease.
The good news is, eating a cleaner diet
without gluten or dairy is actually a lot easier than you think, and
it doesn't have any side effects! The biggest obstacle for most
people is cooking at home and I know that for busy families it can
seem like a daunting feat. If you need a structured plan, the easiest
format to follow is the Paleo diet program. You can buy a book if you
want to, but there is an abundant wealth of free information on the
internet. The basic premise of the Paleo diet is eliminating wheat,
dairy, processed foods, and refined sugar, instead increasing your
intake of well-sourced meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and
seeds, and healthy oils like olive, avocado, and coconut. I'll post
some resources for you to look into after this post.
Just remember that it doesn't have to
be fancy or complicated, eating well can be very simple! I'm not a
professional chef and I didn't spend much time in the kitchen growing
up, so most of what I do is self-taught. You have no idea what you
are capable of until you start doing it, and I was amazed what I can
create without taking a lot of time and will please everyone. I have
also found that cooking at home is cheaper for most families than
eating out every day. So over the next couple of months, we are going
to be talking a lot about different recipes, tips and tricks and
other things I have found helpful with implementing these kinds of
diet changes.
Your homework is to substitute one
paleo meal into your meal plan for this week. I want you to
try something simple and easy with a short list of ingredients. I
don't want you to get burned out cooking the fanciest existing paleo
recipe that is so nutrient packed and amazing that it takes you 6
hours to prepare and you quit after the first day. So keep it short
and simple and we will revisit this next week.
I hope you'll tune in and I'll be
seeing you next Wednesday, have a sparkling day everyone!
*Any
health topics that are covered should not be considered medical
advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor
or make
an appointment with
us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary
changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or
are pregnant or nursing.*
When we discuss diet changes with our patients, our friends, and the people around us, something we frequently hear is "Wow, I would love to do that, but it just sounds so hard".
Change is daunting, I get it. Particularly when the people around you aren't supportive or even worse, are critical.
I'm here today to tell you that it's worth it.
Growing up, I was always overweight for my age class. I don't think I ever completely passed the fitness test in school, despite having very active parents who promoted outdoor activitie, and encouraged fruits and vegetables. My "seasonal" allergies (which were supposedly limited to ragweed and dust according to traditional allergy testing) were year round, included a constant supply of new (and piles of used) kleenex tissues, were significant enough to require an inhaler for the asthma component and made physical exercise unenjoyable. Sugar and dairy cravings were 24/7; in high school, my friends would come over for movie night and we would eat pounds of candy or cookies dipped in a whole container of frosting. I always felt uncomfortable; my stomach would hurt, I ate, then I felt worse. Bloating and gas were constant issues, as was acid reflux, all of which left me feeling chronically fatigued and perpetually embarrassed. I was taking over the counter pain medication 3-4 days a week for migraines that otherwise forced me to spend hours lying in a dark room and not able to study. In 2012, I was living the life of a full time graduate student and hit the breaking point. One morning, I looked in the mirror and decided I wasn't happy with my health or how I looked and decided to make a change.
It started slow.
I hit a lot of barriers and did some backsliding. New symptoms emerged as others dissipated and then those went away too.
Every struggle was worth it.
Four years later, I'm down 60 pounds and 10 pants sizes, I eat (mostly) clean (mostly paleo), and for the first time in my life I feel truly healthy. I'm still human; I have cheat days, I fall off of the fitness wagon, and I don't always take my own advice, but I have completely turned my life around from a path that would have lead to diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. I have only had one bad allergy attack in the last 3 years and it was self-inflicted, otherwise my allergies are 99% gone, I have so much more energy, and I have fallen in love with aerobic activities. Cravings are almost non-existent and I have control over what I eat without feeling deprived or obsessive about it. I'm glad I went through all of this because I can tell you from the inside what it looks like, feels like, and what to do about it. Cutting out gluten and dairy was the best thing I have ever done for myself.
What I want you to take from this story is that you have the power to transform your life. It's not about making one massive change, the most successful way to do it is to make a series of small changes and to be consistent with them. No one can do it for you. However, when you make the decision to seize control over your habits you will not only improve your health but also find strength and empowerment within yourself.
That being said, we want to help you along your journey. Starting this week, I'll be posting a Simple Paleo recipe weekly. It will be something with few ingredients that doesn't require hours of preparation time. My goal is to teach you how to make small conversions in the things you eat every day that can have a monumental impact on your health. Not only is it much easier than you think, it also can be a lot of fun. And you can do it without feeling like you are dieting or depriving yourself!
What kind of transformation would you like to see? Let's see if we can get you there!
Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea
In case you're a skeptic, here's some proof. The first photo is from 2012, the second from 2015 in my "fat pants" and the third from this morning in my (formerly) "skinny pants".
My favorite thing about summer at the clinic is lunchtime. In the interest of eating well, decreasing stress, and solidifying our relationships, we cook lunch in teams. Every team has a day, so we are constantly eating fabulous, unique dishes and we each only have to cook once per week. Most of the time we also use this as an excuse to try new recipes. It's just another aspect of the wonderful culture that Dr. Frank and Laure have built here at the Frank Clinic!
Dr. Holstein and I make lunch on Thursdays and we always try to come up with something sumptuous but simple. A few of the recipes we have tried out are crockpot barbecue chicken, spaghetti squash with vegan chili, and of course the angel food cake I made for her birthday found its way in there as well.
Like many Disneygenarians out there, I have wanted to try to make Ratatouille since seeing the film. It's naturally paleo and also vegan and is great when you want to feed a whole group of people. This recipe comes from The Comfort of Cooking.
LAYERED RATATOUILLE YIELD: Makes 4-6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 onion, finely chopped *You won't find onion in any of my recipes, I left this out* 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced 1 cup tomato puree ¼ tsp. oregano ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 small eggplant, such as Italian or Chinese *I recommend actually getting a small one, the large ones present an issue when you start to layer everything. In fact, try to be sure that all of your veggies are approximately the same diameter* 1 zucchini 1 yellow squash 1 long red bell pepper Few sprigs fresh thyme *We were out so I used rosemary. Basil would also be fabulous* Salt and pepper
Parchment paper
Look at all of that color!
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, one tablespoon of the olive oil, and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. Trim the top of the red pepper and remove the core. On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
*Or if you don't have fancy kitchen tools, do the best you can with a knife. My slices were anywhere between 1/16 and 3/8 of an inch thick* Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish. Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
If you don't want to get too fancy with it, you can actually just bake the vegetables in a large dish, what some people call "Country Ratatouille". Either way, it's colorful and delicious and is an excellent way to incorporate several different kinds of vegetables. I arranged mine in two different patterns, since cooking at the office required a double batch.
What if I told you that you could make delicious jello and/or gummies for your kids (or yourself!) that were completely free of artificial sugar, food dyes, and flavorings? What if I also told you that it is incredibly easy?
Laure adapted this recipe from the fabulous people over at Bulletproof (yes, the people who put butter in coffee, we will explore this later). This particular version uses their Collagelatin, but with some tinkering can also be made with grassfed gelatin.
Why Collagelatin? It is a readily digested source of essential amino acids (13g of protein per Tbsp), promotes healthy joints and skin, and ignites bone and tissue repair. So who may benefit from it? Everyone! In particular,
children (especially picky eaters who avoid meat)
athletes and anyone else who exercises
post-surgical patients and anyone with a fracture
people with joint pain or arthritis
This can be made with any kind of fruit, but this week Laure chose blueberries.
Greetings Everybody.
This is Dr. Frank answering a question Dr. Chelsea asked about who we are and what we do in the office. To answer this I wanted to talk about the origins of the concepts that I deliver in the office .
I have always loved the multiple approaches that different doctors and healers use to assist in the body's healing. What I have found is every body is created with the ability to heal.As practitioners we have just learned various approaches to nurture and support this inborn healing mechanism. Our goal is to find out what is interfering with this self- healing mechanism in all of us and what can turn it back on. In fact this has been my passion since 1976 when I was introduced to Paul Pitchford.
Paul was a guest lecturer at University of Idaho where I was studying Wildlife Biology. Paul introduced me to acupuncture and changed my diet from a typical college student diet to a whole foods plant based diet. I noticed immediate benefits. He suggested I attend a week- long conference called the Pacific Gathering of Northwest Healers. It was there that I was exposed to dozens of wholistic health practitioners including Chiropractors, Naturopaths, Homeopaths and Herbalists. Instantly I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. I was told in those early days to get my DC degree first as naturopathy was only legal in 11 states.
I received my degree in 1981 but have continued to study to integrate all those pathways of Chiropractic, Nutrition, Acupuncture and Homeopathy. All of them have amazing contributions to nurture the healing homeostatic force within each of us. Some have much greater application in certain conditions. I have noticed that children respond especially well to homeopathic practice and like taking those medicines where giving an infant nutritional supplements or herbs can be virtually impossible. With future episodes of this question we will explore each modality and where I have found its best applications.
Mark Frank, D.C.
There has been quite a bit of controversy in the media lately regarding gluten free diets.
Dr. Oz made a comment on one of his programs about gluten free being a scam, and the media jumped all over it. Anyone who tuned in a little longer could hear that he was discussing how gluten free product substitutes (breads, pastas, bars, etc.) have additives, including sugar, and aren't the most healthy for you.
Guess what? Neither are the regular wheat products on the shelves.
Obviously the best thing to do is make everything at home, from scratch, and we recommend this whenever possible. For the busy parent, sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and things must be bought off the shelf. The substitute products should be kept to a minimum, but they are still better than having your child eat something with wheat if they are sensitive (and that product will likely be full of additives too!).
One article I read while witnessing this debacle was strictly inflammatory; it claimed that if you have your child on a gluten free diet, you are limiting him/her from having diversity in the foods that they eat. If you're doing it correctly, eating gluten free should actually increase the variety in your family's diet because you are adding in more fruits, vegetables, nuts, healthy fats, and meats to replace the grains that you were using previously. The same goes for vitamins: folate, iron, and thiamin are added to grain products, but that doesn't mean they are in the most easily absorbed form, and they are added, which is never the best option. Concerned your child may have a deficiency? You can create a mixed diet of other foods that contain the nutrients required, or possibly supplement with high quality vitamins if needed.
It's important to note that there is a growing body of peer-reviewed literature surrounding "Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)". It's not a gluten allergy (anaphylaxis) or Celiac disease, but a sensitivity to gluten which can produce a variety of symptoms. An article from Scientific American asserted that "If you don't have celiac disease, a wheat allergy or a gluten sensitivity, you're unlikely to benefit from a gluten-free diet.". That may indeed be true, but research from the NIH has concluded that NCGS is difficult to diagnose and is not well understood. We have found that the easiest and cheapest way to see if you are gluten sensitive is to remove it from your diet (minimum 30 days, but some people may not see results for 90 days). It's also true that generally when individuals choose to remove wheat, they tend to eat fewer processed products and may also see positive change related to a decrease in exposure to chemicals such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial coloring, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and more. Weight loss may also be experienced due to a reduction in inflammation in the body, as well as consumption of fewer desserts and snack foods. Regardless of the driving force, for many individuals in our obese nation, weight loss through healthy diet modification may be a positive thing! For individuals who are underweight, particularly children, decreasing the inflammation by removing certain foods may contribute to healthy weight gain, or even assisting with symptoms of certain childhood disorders including ADHD.
What's funniest about the media jumping on Dr. Oz's one negative comment, is that he actually has brought up positive support for gluten free diets more than a few times, including hosting several experts highlighting gluten sensitivity and intolerance and more than one program on "How to eat gluten free the right way". He made an excellent point however, that the gluten free product industry is capitalizing on the number of people making conscious decisions in their lives. The bottom line is, a processed product is a processed product, whether it contains wheat or not, period. "Gluten free" doesn't always mean "healthy". Implementing a gluten free lifestyle may or may not be a choice for your family, but it isn't a decision taken lightly because it involves certain challenges, and it is very admirable when a person decides to take that step for the health of their family. At the end of the day, all you can do is make the best possible decisions for your family from the available resources and implement moderation and variety.
Next time someone tells you gluten free is a fad diet, share this information with them. Maybe they will learn something new!
Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea
http://www.frankclinic.com/
(813)788-0496
*Any health topics that are covered should not be considered medical advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor or make an appointment with us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or are pregnant or nursing.*
In my last post about childhood nutrition, I wrote about the more commonly researched dietary issues associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD. Parents, even if you only work with a few of the modifications discussed, you may see a substantial change in your child's behavior. The research still isn't completely conclusive, but making dietary changes has no side effects, so why not give it a try?
Today I want to discuss an article that Dr. Frank found recently which can allow parents to delve a little further into nutritional modifications for the children they love. For children who do not respond as favorably as desired to the more well known dietary restrictions (wheat, dairy, preservatives, dyes, etc.), this may be the next step. The Great Plains Laboratory has evaluated a few of our patients for us, and children with autism came up with having high levels of oxalate. High oxalates are associated with elevated levels of yeast in the system and have been classically identified with kidney stones. It is possible to manage yeast with antifungal drugs, but it also may be managed with diet and probiotic supplementation.
The foods which are labeled as high in oxalates are:
Drinks
- Dark or "robust" beer
- Black tea
- Chocolate milk
- Cocoa
- Instant coffee
- Hot chocolate
- Juice made from high oxalate fruits (see below for high oxalate fruits)
- Ovaltine
- Soy drinks
Obviously, this can create a problem for parents because it removes many of the foods we turn to when we remove gluten and dairy, and children with neurodevelopmental problems often have taste and texture issues as well. Don't give up! Start by limiting how often you use the foods on this list in the same meal (ex: don't use spinach, carrots, and zucchini together). This list seems to exclude a lot of foods, but there are plenty of others out there which are still excellent for your child. We have also seen that it IS POSSIBLE to heal gut dysfunction in many cases, and you may be able to add foods back in after addressing permeability issues.
If you don't want to tackle this by yourself and need someone to help you along the way, schedule a nutritional consult with Dr. Frank!
Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea
*Any health topics that are covered should not be considered medical advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor or make an appointment with us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or are pregnant or nursing.*
In our office, we welcome, celebrate and nurture children! If you haven't seen Dr. Holstein's daughters in the office, you definitely haven't been in for a while! Dr. Holstein and I are both very passionate about working with children, and we both have had training in specifically evaluating, diagnosing, and correcting pediatric spinal misalignments. Chiropractic adjustments for children and infants are much more gentle and look very different from adjustments required for adults. In our tiniest patients, we don't use more pressure than you would to touch your eyelid!
It is important to note that (as so wonderfully written by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association): "The purpose of chiropractic is to find and reduce stress and interference to the nervous system, allowing the person to experience greater function and an overall improved quality of life."
That being said, here are some of the conditions that have been researched in conjunction with chiropractic care for pregnancy, infants, children, and adolescents by the ICPA:
If you have been into my office lately, you probably have read this sign. The statistic came straight from the CDC (Center for Disease Control)!
I will write more about ADHD in detail another day, but right now we're going to take a look at some specific thoughts about nutrition.
First and foremost, there is an growing database of research in the medical community suggesting that dietary modifications, particularly the removal of certain foods, are important in the treatment of ADHD and Autism Spectum Disorders (ASD), as well as seasonal and chronic allergies.
The most commonly discussed foods are gluten (from wheat), casein (from dairy), food coloring, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Recently, additional foods have been identified as irritants, including soy, corn, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, and food preservatives such as benzoates, nitrites, nitrates, sulphites, sorbates, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), EDTA (disodium ethylenediamentetraacetic acid), bromates, carageenan, chlorines, sodium erythrobate, and many others. The bottom line is, if you can't pronounce it, it more than likely should not be in your food. For any parent, these modifications may seem daunting at first, particularly if you are accustomed to eating the standard American diet. The good news is The Frank Clinic of Chiropractic is here to help! Our doctors and staff try to eat clean whenever possible, so we are familiar with shopping, cooking, and even dining out around these restrictions. If you haven't yet read any of the recipes on this blog, check them out! Something you would like to see or need help with? Post a comment below or send us an email.
The key is to make small, consistent changes every day which will add up to a significant change in your family's overall health. You have the power to change your family's future, let us help you get started!
Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea
*Any health topics that are covered should not be considered medical advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor or make an appointment with us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or are pregnant or nursing.*
Making a big show about breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) can also be a special treat to help kids who are a little more reluctant to sign on to the gluten free lifestyle. Sometimes, you have to get as close as you can to the "real thing" while they're adjusting to the transition. When your family is more established in a gluten and dairy free routine, it's easier to use recipes with fewer processed ingredients like this pumpkin pancakes recipe.
