Posted on 11/18/2004 8:48:52 PM PST by MarMema
The food pyramid is a three-sided polygon of lies. First, since it is almost exclusively presented in two dimensions, it is not technically a pyramid but a triangle. Second--and far more importantly, according to nutrition expert and author Danna Korn--the so-called food pyramid puts an abnormal emphasis on the consumption of wheat and wheat products, a diet that couldn't be less adapted to the human digestive system. Wheat, she insists, is the devil's food--even more than the delightful chocolate cake of the same name.
Korn's campaign against wheat began 14 years ago when her son was diagnosed with celiac disease--a genetic disorder characterized by the inability to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. At the time, celiac disease was considered a rare pediatric disorder that was limited to gastrointestinal symptoms, but during the last decade, it has been recognized as the most common genetic disease in the world. Right now, it is estimated that celiac disease effects one in 100 people--"most of whom have no idea why they feel so terrible," says Korn.
The disease actually goes back 11,000 years to Mesopotamia and the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. There, humans evolved from hunter-gatherers to farmers and introduced gluten-based grains into the food supply. The human body--accustomed to a steady diet of foraged nuts, berries and meat--did not take readily to the change.
"That's really only yesterday, evolutionarily speaking," Korn says. "Our bodies still look at wheat like a toxin and try to fight it off. No human fully digests wheat. Even if you don't have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, your body does not completely digest wheat."
Symptoms of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, depression, irritability and gastro-intestinal irregularities. As a result, they're often mistaken for other serious disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. "So these people are told, `Sorry, you've got fibromyalgia or you've got chronic fatigue syndrome, there's nothing we can do for you. Take these pain pills and go away."
The only way to diagnose celiac disease is a series of blood tests, and the only way to overcome it is to give up gluten cold turkey. "You go gluten-free, and your health will be fully restored," says Korn.
Unfortunately, the list of food items containing gluten reads like a catalog of scrumptiousness: "bread, pasta, pizza, cookies, cake, bagels and beer." And just because a bread is white doesn't mean it's gluten-free. All breads are made of wheat flour.
Despite the moratorium on fermented hops and barley, Korn says there are a number of options available to the dedicated boozehound, including "wine, tequila, vodka, gin, rum or any of a variety of non-wheat-derived spirits."
"We've perpetuated the myth that wheat is good for you and it truly is not," she says. "There's a little bit of protein in wheat. Other than that, though, wheat offers very little in the way of nutrition. Whole wheat is a whole grain and that's good for you, but you can get whole grains from so many other sources that won't have a toxic effect on your body."
But, the point was a good one. People on Atkins who are gluten intolerant would feel better, having eliminated a lot of carbs, most of which have gluten in them.
Well that's probably my fault. I wanted to post about this after a physician told me today there are probably millions of Americans walking around undiagnosed. I was just diagnosed last week, and have probably had this some ten or more years, with the silent form of the disease. No symptoms until I became seriously iron-deficient.
I searched the news for a more provocative title so that it would get more exposure.
I know a nutrition expert who says that the food pyramid is about the worst thing for you. It's funny that all this is coming out now.
Somehow I wouldn't doubt that the food pyramid was influence either by corporate factions.
LOL!
First off you don't eat the stalk but the berries or seed and it tastes good in its raw form. If you have an intolerance then fine don't eat wheat based products. Shall we all make a list of what we are allergic to and ban these items for everyone?
See it?
Can't make this stuff up.
And if you think this babe's weird, check out the behavior of her brother/cousin/uncle David Korn.
...appears lunacy runs through every branch of the Korn tree.
The link between this disease and depression and chronic fatigue is very interesting.
http://alternative-medicine-and-health.com/conditions/celiac.htm
Also, finding out your mother-in-law is coming to visit and planning to stay a month ;-)
Celiac here too. I have researched many sources for online support and information. I have nothing to do with this group, but it is by far the best I have found on the internet. My Doctor had even heard of this group. Everything from recipes to "safe restaurants" are discussed and listed.
They even keep an up to date list of safe foods/medications by brands, and maintain various gf grocery store lists. No food is added to the list, that they update often, unless they have confirmation as to the safety, including whether cross-contamination is an issue. I download their list every year, to keep current, as items can be added or deleted.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start
You have to register if you don't have a delphi account, but it is quick and easy.
Thanks for posting this article.
LOL thanks for the morning laugh! :)
BINGO ! Give the man a Queby doll
The eye problems you mention sound like Graves Disease. Has your husband been tested for pproper thyroid function? Celiac disease and other auto-immunity disease such as Graves, Hasimotos, and lupus have been related in recent studies as having some correlation. There is an aspect of Graves disease called graves ophthalmology or tyhroid eye disease (TED) which has glaucoma-like symptoms. While in celiac diease your own body's immune system cells attack the digestive tract, in Graves disease a similar process occurs where the body's immune system attacks the tissues around the eye, making them swell. Antibodies also attack the thyroid gland, causing it to over-produce thyroid hormone and making the patient hyperthyroid.
I have a mild wheat allergy, and I have been on the Atkins plan for a long time. In fact, I was atkins before atkins was cool. If your husband reacts poorly to wheat you might consider eliminating artificial flavorings such as monosodium glutimate and nutrisweet from his diet. Wheat bread and pasta make me break out, but if I have something with MSG in it I get a much worse reaction. The problem is that MSG is ubiquitous in packaged foods, but appears under a variety of misleading names. I try to avoid anything that contains things like sodium caseinate, maltodextrin, autolyzed or hydrolyzed protien, modified food starch, carrageenan, and the ever-present "natural flavoring."
'And not only that, but...'
Don't sweat it. I hear there's gluten in the nerve gas used in jet contrails. They're going to make sure you get your gluten alright. No escape.......The horror...
There probably is, but nobody can remember who's on it.
Wheat causes a lot of mucus in a lot of people with the sensitivity. Whenever someone comes in complaining about asthma, I usually ask them if they eat a lot of bread or wheat products.
Carolyn
I'm bookmarking this reply.
BTTT!
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