National Spinach Day - March 26:

National Spinach Day

March 26

National Celiac Disease Awareness Day – September 13:

National Celiac Disease Awareness Day

September 13

Learn more about Celiac Disease at:

www.celiac.com

Website includes information on how to follow a gluten-free diet.

#CeliacDiseaseAwarenessDay

Should I Eliminate Gluten if I Don’t Have Celiac?

I'm an advocate for healthy living and a convert to the gluten-free diet.
I've been gluten free since November, 2017 and I haven’t looked back.
I lost weight, my energy and attention span have improved immensely – I feel great!

This excellent article, by Holly Bertone, says it all …

Should I Eliminate Gluten if I Don’t Have Celiac?

by Holly Bertone

Pink Fortitude

May 23, 2016

There are many good articles from respected sources that will tell you only those with Celiac Disease should eliminate gluten from their diets. What if I told you that 99% of those with gluten sensitivity are undiagnosed? Do you have digestive issues or IBS? Fatigue? Brain fog? Migraines? Hormonal and mood changes? This gluten free “fad” might be worth looking into. Here are the facts you need to know.

Gluten 101

I’m going to walk you through the 101 class here. If you try to research this on your own, you will find a lot of complicated terms like lectins, molecular mimicry, lymphocytes, pathogenic antigens, and phytates.

Do not worry, I’m keeping it simple.  If you want to read a more scientific article from a trusted medical professional, check out what Dr. Amy Myers has to say on this topic.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, wheat began to be milled and manufactured differently, along with growing new strains of wheat. Wheat is a type of grain. Gluten is a protein found in wheat.  All wheat contains gluten, but gluten can also be found in grains other than wheat. Wheat also contains lectins, which are a type of protein found in plants. Ok so we know that wheat contains gluten and lectins. Let’s focus on what gluten and lectins do to you.

Lectins, Molecular Mimicry – WHAT?

Grains and legumes have the most amount of lectins of all plants.  Consumed in large quantities, these lectins can be difficult to digest and even toxic to humans. For those adversely affected, lectins bore holes in your small intestine aka your gut. Your gut cells are damaged, and small leaks are formed. We call this leaky gut. How important is your small intestine?  Your gut is where digestion happens, your body’s natural immunity to diseases happens, and where your food’s nutrition is absorbed. These leaks allow food, gluten and bacteria to leak into your immune system and blood stream. Your immune system now tags the gluten that has leaked out as an invader and send out antibodies to destroy it.

This is where molecular mimicry comes in. The protein structure of your thyroid is very similar to the protein structure in gluten.  So now we have lectins drilling holes in your intestines, gluten leaking into your immune system, and your body attacking it because it sees it as an invader. For those with autoimmune conditions, your body also attacks the thyroid because it can’t tell the difference between the gluten protein and the thyroid protein.

“One Bite of Cake Won’t Kill You”

When the body attacks itself, this is what is called autoimmune disease.  Hashimoto’s is one of more than 150 autoimmune diseases. Other AI diseases you may be familiar with are Celiac, Lupus, MS, Diabetes, Graves, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Addison’s.

It’s bad enough that your body can’t tell the difference. But the immune response to gluten in your body can last up to 6 months. This is why being gluten free with Hashi’s and most autoimmune conditions is so important if you want to heal.  And when I say gluten free, I mean 100% gluten free. “One bite of Aunt Betty’s birthday cake won’t kill you.” Maybe not immediately, but one bite will stay in your system and allow for your body to fight against itself.

Ahhhh….THIS is Why!

Now that we have that straightened out. There’s more. Phytates are anti-nutrient compounds found in wheat that bind to nutrients in your body, and they block the absorption of nutrients. The whole wheat sandwich you just ate? Or the salad that went with it?  A lot of these nutrients just got blocked.

Are you always hungry and wonder why you can’t lose weight? Do you eat healthy and not notice any difference in how you feel or look? Anyone?

So Should I Eliminate Gluten?

There are so many studies and (very strong) opinions on this topic, but no definitive answer. My advice to you is to not take what you read at face value and actually take the time to research what interests you about gluten and its effect on the body.

Gluten’s effect on your body is on a spectrum, anywhere from no issues at all, to being sensitive or intolerant to gluten, to having Celiac Disease.  Yes, some people are totally fine.  And yes, some people become sick.

Curious?  There’s no harm in giving up gluten for a couple of months and keeping a food journal of what you eat and how you feel.  Talk to your doctor. If you don’t find the answers you want, talk to another doctor. But promise me you won’t give up in your quest to find answers. I gave up gluten “cold turkey” and don’t miss it or regret it.

We are all different. The way that gluten (and food in general) affects us is an individual experience.

Are you Inspired?

Pink Fortitude. The Story.

Pink Fortitude, LLC was created two years after Holly Bertone’s breast cancer treatment, as a way to inspire other cancer survivors. Over the years, Pink Fortitude has grown beyond its focus on breast cancer to an enterprise of healthy living inspiration for everyone.

Pink is the nod to breast cancer of course, and Fortitude was a special word shared between Holly and her mother. Holly’s mother has Addison’s Disease, and from watching her fight this illness her entire life, “Fortitude” seemed to be the perfect fit for this inspirational company.

The lotus flower became Pink Fortitude’s logo to honor the parallel of the beautiful flower which grows out of the murky waters. We all have our struggles, whether it’s chronic illness, relationships, financial struggles, or grief. How will you take your struggles and grow into a beautiful flower?

Pink Fortitude

Pink Fortitude, LLC is dedicated to inspiring you to live a happier, healthier life. PinkFortitude.com is a health and wellness website inspiring those in the cancer and autoimmune communities to turn their illness into wellness one clean and green step at a time. We provide natural living articles, healthy recipes, DIY cleaning products for your home, and ideas for organic gardening and sustainable living. You want to be healthier? Join our community!

https://pinkfortitude.com/eliminate-gluten/

Selma Blair Posts Photo Of Herself Taking A Towel Bath To Quell Spasms From Multiple Sclerosis:

By Korin Miller

Women’s Health

July 23, 2019

Selma Blair, at the 2019 Oscar Awards ceremony.

Photograph by Mark Seliger.

"We do what we need to do." – Selma Blair.

Selma Blair posted a new photo to her Instagram account showing herself taking a towel bath to calm her MS spasms.

Selma's posted this photo before, but took it down after she was "kind of being made fun of" by media outlets.

Selma was diagnosed with MS in 2018 after experiencing symptoms for many years.

Selma Blair is constantly sharing information with her social media followers about her life with multiple sclerosis. Now, she’s opening up about a simple treatment she’s tried that she says has really helped her.

It’s called a towel bath, and Selma says in a new Instagram post that she shared this photo once and was “kind of being made fun of by some news outlets,” so she took it down. Now, she’s trying again.

“So. I spin the wheel again. I stop on a pic a friend took of me trying to stop spasms by lying in warm water with a heavy towel with minerals in bath. Specific minerals,” she captioned a shot of herself laying in a bath under a pretty, multicolored towel.

“The thing is, the heavy towel helped,” Selma continued. “My body would go into a kind of palsy.” Selma said she was “embarrassed” and tried to turn the spasms into “mouth clicks…but the energy had to go somewhere.”

Her therapist recommended putting towels over her and Selma said it helped. “So I wanted to share. A warm bath with towels and a space heater in bathroom so water doesn’t have to be so hot,” Selma wrote.

Selma Blair, towel bath, July 2019

Selma never explicitly links her muscle spasms to MS in the post, but they’re a common symptom of the disease. Spasticity, which refers to feelings of stiffness and a wide range of involuntary muscle spasms, is one of the most common symptoms of MS, according to the National MS Society. The organization notes that spasticity varies a lot from person to person, so treatment is often recommended on an individual basis. However, medication, physical, and occupational therapy can help.

Selma ended on this powerful note: “We are in this together. I don’t mind being ridiculed a bit anymore. We do what we need to do. #towelbath.”

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a28480285/selma-blair-instagram-spasms-towel-bath-ms-symptom/

In support of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research:

http://positivelivingwithms.com

http://www.nationalmssociety.org

http://msfocus.org

https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com

http://www.momentummagazineonline.com/

http://mymsaa.org

https://mssociety.ca

https://stumblingprincess.com

https://fumsnow.com/

http://www.msra.org.au/

Twitter hashtags:

#BikeMS #brain #CureMS #demyelination #disease #FightMS #FuckMS #FuckYouMS #FUMS #lesion #MovingMountainsForMS #MS #MSawareness #MSAwarenessMonth #MSeducation #MultipleSclerosis #MSstrong #MSSucks #MSwarrior #MuckFestMS #myelin #mymsme #OMS #LivingWellWithMS #ThisIsMS #vertigo #WalkMS #WalkTogether #WeAreILLmatic #WeAreStrongerThanMS #WorldMSDay

NEVER GIVE UP!

BLAST OFF!

My wife read the following excellent article to me … then nodded … smiled … winked … and assured me that we BOTH have VERY healthy colons.

Now we feel relieved about feeling relieved whenever we blast one out!

**********

Stop holding those farts in.

Here are 7 unexpected health benefits of passing gas.

By D.G. Sciortino

May 8th, 2017

If you’ve ever shamed yourself or have been shamed by someone else for passing wind, just tell them you’re being healthy.

Farting isn’t the most glamorous way to improve or assess our health, but it is indicative of a healthy, well-functioning digestive system and balanced level of gut bacteria.

According to thefartfacts.com,

• 9% nitrogen
• 21% hydrogen
• 9% carbon dioxide
• 7% methane
• 4% oxygen
• 1% hydrogen sulfide (this is what makes it smell)

Medical Daily suggests people flatulate between five and 10 times a day, though thefartfacts.com has that number at 14. Most of our farts occur while we sleep. Foods that are known to cause flatulence are high in carbohydrates like including beans, artichokes, dairy products, sweet potatoes, oats, nuts, soy, and wheat.

You’d have to eat only refined sugars if you wanted to stop farting, and that isn’t healthy for anyone.

Despite what society tell us, women fart just as much as men. In fact, thefartfacts.com says women had more concentrated and odorous farts in a study where men and women who ate the same type and quantity of food.

Regardless of why or how many times we fart, here are some reasons it is good for us.

Bloat Reduction

Bloating is caused by a build-up of gas in your gut which farting releases. If your pants are feeling a little tight, consider cracking a rat.

It Helps to Balance Your Diet

Passing wind can help you to determine whether or not your diet is balanced since your body will react to different foods in a different manner. So, if you’re eating a lot of red meat, your farts will stink more. If you eat a lot of carbs, you’ll fart more but they’ll have a more neutral odor.

Reduce Abdominal Pain

Holding your gas can cause abdominal pain, also known as intestinal distension. So, letting your gas go will help relieve this pain. If you can let your farts fly, you can gently massage your belly to help the gas flow through your digestive system.

Colon Health

Holding in gas or trying to manipulate the way it is released can harm your colon and inflame your hemorrhoids. Those who have problems with their colon are told not to keep their farts in. So, it’s best to just pass gas naturally when you need to.

Smelling Your Farts is Healthy

Though no one will admit it, everyone likes the smell of their own farts. Other people’s… not so much.

Maybe this is because we instinctually know that it’s good for us. This is because the hydrogen sulfide produced in our intestines during digestion may prevent mitochondrial damage to our cells. This prevents strokes, heart disease, and arthritis.

Determine Food Allergies

Flatulence can determine whether or not we have certain food allergies like lactose intolerance and Coeliac Disease. This is because you will pass a lot of extra gas after consuming them.

If this occurs and you suspect you might have an allergy, you should see your doctor.

It’s Pleasurable

Farting feels fantastic. If that’s not a good enough reason to pass wind… I don’t know what is. Besides, trying to hold it in can make us cranky and no one needs another reason to be cranky.

If you’re still ashamed of how much gas you pass, you can try the following:

• make sure you don’t have any conditions that require medical attention
• eat slowly
• avoid carbonated drinks and artificial sweeteners
• get more exercise

Otherwise, just get more comfortable with being a human being. After all, having a healthy digestive system is something to be thankful for.

http://shareably.net/health-benefits-farting

A Review That Makes Me Glad I Wrote The Book:

by Mark Rubinstein

May 4, 2017by

Book Review: Beyond Bedlam’s Door by Mark Rubinstein, MD

by Elise Ronan

MAY 3, 2017

A continuation of the discussion about mental health begun in the book, Bedlam’s Door, Mark Rubinstein, MD, brings insight into another 21 stories revolving around issues that pervade the lives of so many people. Beyond Bedlam’s Door, is a compassionate look into the trials and tribulations of those who suffer from mental illness.

Dr. Rubinstein shows, once again, the humanity of the people who live with a variety of mental health illnesses. He shows their vulnerability to those who lack the compassion of “do not harm.”  He reminds us that respect is a major aspect of how to support and help these patients. By recounting these 21 stories, the author shows us that:

People across a wide spectrum of experience share many commonalities: fear, courage, guilt, perseverance, duplicity, integrity, guile, honesty, strength, weakness, and so many other features, which are part of what makes us human.

The statistics say that 1 in 5 people in the United States suffer from a mental illness.

Yet the stigma around psychiatric illnesses abounds. It is only with books like this one, that teach society that people with mental health illness are merely human beings in need of help. Dr. Rubinstein shows us that the populace needs to be more open, honest, and accepting of those dealing with, and managing,  psychiatric issues. It is only with the negating of the stigma associated with mental illness, that those that suffer from the variety of these illnesses will be able, without shame, to get the support and medical help that they need.

***** Five well-deserved stars!

MAY is Mental Health Awareness Month

Find more information here:

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may

If you, or anyone you know, are in need of mental health support, you can also begin by going to NAMI.org:

https://www.nami.org/

This book is available May 15.

http://mark.markrubinstein-author.com/a-review-that-makes-me-glad-i-wrote-the-book/