photo by Matthew Baliga

Indigenous Populations, Celiac Disease and NCGS EP067

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‘Globally, indigenous peoples suffer from poorer health, are more likely to experience disability and reduced quality of life, and ultimately die younger than their non-indigenous counterparts.’

A UN Report on the health of indigenous peoples points to a significant problem, but the question is WHY? Why are native populations more prone to autoimmune disorders and type 1 diabetes? Why do they have a higher incidence of alcoholism and drug addiction? And why the lower life expectancy?

The Gluten Free RN is exploring the role of food in health outcomes for indigenous populations around the world. She begins with an explanation of the dietary differences between hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies, discussing how native populations were exposed to the gluten in grains only when European conquerors came to occupy their lands.

Nadine shares her challenge in finding information about indigenous populations and celiac disease, explaining why further study is necessary. She speaks to the highly processed nature of the commodity foods provided to Native Americans in the US and the shortcomings of Canada’s Food Guide when it comes to the health of First Nations people. Listen in and learn the significance of educating indigenous populations around celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, empowering those groups to make choices that will improve their health and quality of life!

What’s Discussed:

The global indigenous population

  • 370M in 70-plus countries
  • Rich diversity of cultures

The health status of indigenous populations

  • Higher incidence of autoimmune disorders, T1D
  • Higher prevalence of addictive disorders, cardiovascular disease
  • Lower life expectancy, increased morbidity/mortality

Why indigenous populations have more health issues

  • Access to health care, isolation and lifestyle
  • Food (hunter-gatherer vs. agricultural society)

The lack of information around indigenous populations and celiac disease

  • Very few studies available

The impact of grains on the native population

  • Significant change in health care outcomes, quality of life

The prevalence of celiac disease in indigenous populations

  • At least 1%, likely 3% or higher
  • No way to know without mass screening

Why eating healthy is a challenge for the indigenous population

  • Food scarcity, desserts
  • Reliance on commodity foods provided by government

The conclusions of the Prairie Nymph blog on Canada’s Food Guide

  • Based on diet of European origins, doesn’t mention celiac disease
  • Ignores health benefits of traditional diet for First Nations people

Why it’s important to educate indigenous people around celiac disease

  • Empower to make food choices with better health outcomes

Resources:

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jaren M. Diamond

Dough Nation by Nadine Grzeskowiak

USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program

‘Canada’s Food Guide and Native Women’ by Prairie Nymph

The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman

American Indian and Alaska Native Health

‘Celiac Disease: A Disorder Emerging from Antiquity, Its Evolving Classification and Risk, and Potential New Treatment Paradigms’ in Gut Liver

‘Celiac Disease: A Life-Changing Diagnosis’ in Indian Country Today

‘Government Food Boxes? It’s Nothing New for Native Americans’ on WDET

UN Indigenous Peoples Fact Sheet

‘Many Native Americans Lack Access to Healthy Food, But There’s a Growing Movement to Change That’ in Grist

‘Characteristics and Factors Related to Quality of Life in Mexican Mestizo Patients with Celiac Disease’ in BMC Gastroenterology

Summary of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

WHO Health of Indigenous Peoples

WHO Indigenous Peoples and Substance Abuse

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Heal

Russia - Flytap.com

Russia and Celiac Disease EP065

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As stories about Russia continue to dominate the news cycle, you are probably familiar with the recent sanctions against the country, Vladimir Putin’s reelection, and even the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the EU and US. But what do you know about celiac disease in Russia?

The Gluten Free RN is taking a closer look at the limited information about celiac disease in Russia, giving us an overview of the country’s size and population and the likely number of celiac cases based on the global tendency. She discusses the thriving wheat production industry in Russia as well as the gluten-containing traditional Russian diet.

Nadine walks us through a presentation created by Dr. Elena Roslavtseva at the Scientific Center for Children’s Health in Moscow, sharing how the diagnoses of celiac disease changed from the 1970’s through the 2000’s, the inconsistencies with testing for celiac disease around the nation, and the challenges of maintaining a gluten-free diet in Russia. Listen in as the Gluten Free RN covers the Journal of Immunology Research’s overview of celiac disease in Russia, explaining why the reported frequency probably doesn’t reflect the true prevalence and the necessity of a mass screening.

What’s Discussed: 

General information about the country of Russia

  • Population of 144.3M
  • Dual nation state, 185 ethnic groups
  • Largest country by land mass

Russia’s thriving wheat production industry

  • Very high, exported to Middle East and Africa
  • Ban on genetically modified wheat

The first diagnoses of celiac disease in Russia

  • Late 1970’s—1980’s
  • Cases of severe malabsorption
  • No gluten-free foods available

How celiac diagnoses changed in the 2000’s

  • Diagnosed more often, well-known in most regions
  • Research done in many universities, med centers

The Eastern European countries that have done mass screenings

  • Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia

Why the data around celiac disease in Russia is unreliable

  • Variation in how practitioners test for celiac disease
  • Belarus—HLA-typing not available in most cases
  • Latvia—mandatory screening for patients with IDDM and AIT

The problems associated with celiac disease in Russia

  • Unreliable data in absence of mass screening
  • Gluten-containing traditional Russian food

The overview presented in the Journal of Immunology Research

  • Diagnostic tools for celiac disease in Russia vary significantly
  • Reported frequency of 0.2-0.6%, but real rate unknown

Resources:

‘Coeliac Disease and Gluten Related Disorders in Russia and Former Soviet Republics’ by Dr. Elena Roslavtseva

‘Overview of Celiac Disease in Russia: Regional Data and Estimated Prevalence’ in the Journal of Immunology Research

‘Russia, Argentina and Canada Displace US, Europe in Global Wheat Trade’ in agriCENSUS

‘Russian Wheat Sales Expand Global Reach with Surge in Sudan’ in Bloomberg

‘Russia’s Wheat Industry: Implications for Australia’ from the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre

‘Growing Importance of Russian Milling Wheat Worldwide’ from Solaris Commodities

‘How an Oil Giant (Russia) Came to Dominate Wheat’ in Bloomberg

‘Celiac Disease in Russia and the Former Soviet Republics’ in The Celiac Scene

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

Melodies of the Danube Gluten-Free Cruise with Nadine

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Heal

Nadine Grzeskowiak, RN, BSN, CEN

My Health and Lessons for You EP057

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Two and a half years ago, Nadine was inadvertently hit with gluten—three times in a row. In the past, it had taken about ten weeks for her symptoms to resolve after an accidental exposure, but this time they stuck around. It started with feeling cold. Then she began experiencing abdominal distention and pain.  Her dermatitis herpetiformis returned, she was plagued with sinus congestion, and she was gaining weight. Most concerning of all, she developed pulmonary edema, a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs.

Today, the Gluten Free RN is getting real, revealing the health struggles she has been dealing with since 2015. She explains the circumstances that led to her accidental gluten exposure and recounts the ten scary nights she spent in a recliner, forced to sit up in order to breathe.

Nadine takes us along on her global search for the answers that began with a practitioner in Thailand and a tiny container of damp rash lotion, and ended with a diagnosis of myxedema from a naturopath here in the States. Nadine discusses how those three consecutive hits of gluten targeted her thyroid gland and how T3 is working to resolve her symptoms. Listen in and learn how the Gluten Free RN is reclaiming her Superwoman status and how you, too, can reach your full potential with good health and wellbeing!

What’s Discussed:

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

  • Physiological, safety needs must be taken care of first
  • Difficult to achieve self-actualization with poor health

Nadine’s health struggle the past 30 months

  • Inadvertently hit with gluten three times in a row
  • Symptoms persisted past usual ten weeks
  • Sinus congestion, DH, pulmonary edema and weight gain

Nadine’s search for the underlying cause

  • Saw practitioner in Chiang Mai, damp rash lotion resolved symptoms
  • Naturopath in Oregon diagnosed myxedema (hypothyroidism)

How Nadine is reclaiming her health

  • Taking T3 to resolve symptoms

How a damaged thyroid gland impacted Nadine

  • Affected sleep, ability to do challenging physical activity

The importance of support in getting your health back

  • Need relationships to support choices

Resources:

Whole30

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism

exercising

Hopes and Wishes for Celiac Disease in 2018 EP055

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As we ring in the New Year, many of us take the time to jot down our aspirations for the next twelve months. What are your hopes and dreams for 2018? Health and happiness? An opportunity to travel? Stronger relationships?

Whether you have big plans to hike the Grand Canyon this year, or you simply resolve to get a little more sleep, it’s likely that aspects of health and wellness are a big part of your vision for 2018. The Gluten Free RN wants you to be happy and healthy in the coming year, and today she is sharing her hopes and wishes around celiac disease for 2018.

Nadine offers insight on taking control of what you can, including the food you eat. She shares her wish for widespread access to high-quality food and nutritional information that is NOT influenced by corporations. She explains the need for universal healthcare, better comprehensive testing for celiac disease (performed annually), and appropriate follow-up care for patients with a celiac diagnosis. Listen in to understand why Nadine advocates for a global celiac education campaign and learn how to evaluate new information about the disease with a critical ear. Let’s get happy and healthy in 2018 so that we can pursue all of our hopes and dreams!

What’s Discussed:

Nadine’s wish for health, happiness and wellness

  • Reevaluate your choices and control what you can (sleep, food, activities)

Why Nadine advocates for universal healthcare

  • Everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare without financial strain

The need for better comprehensive testing

  • Healthcare providers should be educated in ordering, interpreting labs

Nadine’s hope for worldwide knowledge of celiac disease

  • Patients in US not diagnosed correctly for 70 years
  • Consider mini-mass screening of patients/family

The importance of accurate media coverage

  • Stories not influenced by sponsors, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Why friends and family should be tested every year

  • Early diagnosis important
  • Can be ruled in, not ruled out

The value of nutritional information not influenced by food companies

  • Understand where food comes from, how processed

Nadine’s aspiration for universal access to high-quality food

  • Organic, whole foods with minimal processing
  • Provides fuel today, building blocks of healing

The need for appropriate follow-up care

  • Labs to address nutritional deficiencies, associated issues

Nadine’s insight around celiac education

  • Seek information, evaluate with critical ear

Resources:

Rotten Documentary Trailer

Whole30

Nadine’s Recommended Labs

Columbia University Celiac Disease Center

PALEOf(x)

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism

wheat

Thoughts on Celiac Disease EP054

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In 11 years as the Gluten Free RN, Nadine has done an incredible amount of research on celiac disease and delivered more than 2,000 lectures. No question she is frustrated to see misinformation continue to make its way onto celiac support sites and Facebook groups. How does the average person sift through all the material that’s out there—material that may be influenced by corporations and pharmaceutical companies with a vested interest in the way celiac disease is perceived—to get to the most accurate information?

Just in time for the holidays, the Gluten Free RN is sharing her wish list around the direction of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity in the next ten years. She discusses the need for a global mass screening, explaining how celiac disease meets the World Health Organization’s criteria. She covers the reasons why pharmaceutical companies have no place in celiac research as well as the bad publicity the gluten-free community receives in the media.

Nadine speaks to the grievous lack of education about celiac disease among healthcare providers and shares her hope for a cultural shift to support people on a gluten-free diet, explaining the role nurses can play in ending the needless suffering. She talks about why a gluten-free diet is NOT dangerous and how to make the best food choices based on your lifestyle and current situation. Listen in and get empowered to accept responsibility for your health!

What’s Discussed: 

The need for a global mass screening

  • Celiac disease meets WHO criteria
  • 30-50% of population carries gene

Why pharmaceutical companies should not be involved in celiac research

  • Diet change resolves symptoms
  • Pharmaceutical involvement gives false hope for cure

The misinformation about celiac disease in the media

  • Misrepresentation in recent episode of Freakonomics Radio

The need to educate healthcare providers around celiac disease

Nadine’s call for support of people on a gluten-free diet

  • Don’t assume intentionally being difficult

The unique position of nurses to use their influence

  • Prevent needless suffering with understanding of celiac disease

Why you must accept responsibility for your own health

  • Take advantage of available resources
  • Find practitioners open to other modalities

How to avoid processed foods

  • Focus on raw, whole foods
  • Choose fresh fruits, vegetables
  • Don’t fall victim to convenience marketing
  • Use community, intuition to make decisions

Why a gluten-free diet is NOT dangerous

  • Nadine restored her health by eliminating grains
  • Unethical to suggest that celiac patient go off gluten-free diet

Resources:

Freakonomics Radio: The Demonization of Gluten

2004 NIH Consensus Statement on Celiac Disease

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism

food on the table

Where Gluten Hides EP046

by with No Comment Podcast


Never assume. It makes an ass of u and me!

Not only do assumptions make you feel foolish, they can be dangerous. If you suffer from celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, assuming that a product is safe and gluten-free can be hazardous to your health! Gluten is hiding is some surprising places, from cashews to PlayDoh, and it is in your best interest to remember that anything processed in the same facility with wheat is at risk for contamination.

Today the Gluten Free RN shares the many places she has discovered gluten ‘hiding in plain sight,’ including personal care products, olive oil and communion wafers. She offers advice around supporting companies that are 100% gluten-free, alternatives to gluten-containing products, and choosing nutrient-dense foods that will help you heal.

Nadine also covers labels, discussing why you can’t necessarily trust the information you find there, the many different names for wheat to look out for, and why you should take a look even when the product should be naturally gluten-free. She reveals some of her favorite gluten-free products as well as several companies that are committed to maintaining gluten-zero production facilities. Listen in and learn how to make good choices—without giving up the activities you love. Eating gluten-free doesn’t have to be a punishment, and the Gluten Free RN can’t wait to share!

What’s Discussed:

Why Nadine sticks with clearly marked gluten-free products

Some of the surprising places gluten hides

  • Olive oil, kombucha, hard ciders, smoothies and other drinks
  • Alcohol and malted beverages
  • Lipsticks, lip balms and gloss
  • Communion wafers
  • Supplements and medications
  • Play-Doh

Why you can never assume a product is naturally gluten-free

  • Anything processed in same facility with wheat is at-risk for contamination

Why Nadine encourages the support of companies striving to be 100% gluten-free

  • Don’t have to worry about safety
  • Sends message to companies with unclear labels

The many different names for wheat to watch out for on labels

Alternatives to gluten-containing products like bread, crackers and chocolate

Why you can’t trust labels

  • Companies have six months to change a label after ingredients, info has changed
  • Must read label every time buy product, refill prescription medication

The cumulative effect of consuming products that contain just under 20 ppm of gluten

Why Nadine urges you to be picky

  • Don’t settle for cheap filler foods
  • Only nutrient-dense foods will help you heal

Resources:

Desert Essence

Savonnerie

Schmidt’s Naturals

Mary’s Gone Crackers

Jilz Crackers

eatingEVOLVED

PASCHA Chocolate

Enjoy Life Foods

Ground Breaker Brewing

Red Apple Lipstick

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism

hospital

Staying Healthy in the Hospital with Celiac Disease EP044

by with No Comment Podcast

Hospitalization is nearly always the result of a sudden, unexpected event. So how do you plan ahead to keep yourself safe in the event that a health emergency lands you in the nearest emergency room? What steps can you take to stay healthy in the hospital as a celiac or gluten-sensitive patient?

Thanks to a listener suggestion and Nadine’s recent experience with a client recovering from surgery, the Gluten Free RN is addressing the cross-contamination risk in hospital kitchens and the nutrient-deficient foods available in hospital gift shops and vending machines. She also covers the responsibilities of the pharmacist to ensure that medications are gluten-free as well as resources you can use to verify that your prescriptions are safe.

Listen in as Nadine explains the significance of having an advocate with you at the hospital, who can prevent inadvertent gluten exposure and bring in the nutrient-dense food you need to heal. Learn how to communicate your needs as a celiac patient to resistant doctors, nurses, pharmacists and RDs, and plan ahead to stay safe and healthy—even when you’re in the vulnerable position of being in the hospital.

What’s Discussed:

Why celiac patients should be skeptical of gluten-free menus in the hospital

  • Nadine has patient in hospital for hip surgery
  • Found out food all cooked on same grill
  • Risk of cross-contamination very high
  • Gluten protein extremely heat stable
  • Made arrangements to bring in safe food

The quality of food available in hospitals

  • Gift shops, kitchens and vending machines ‘abysmal’
  • Often nutrient-deficient, high in gluten
  • Gas station lineup of junk food

How to verify that medications are gluten-free

The role of the pharmacist in providing gluten-free medication

  • Job to ensure safety
  • Should never say ‘don’t have time,’ pass responsibility to patient
  • Must check prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, topical treatments
  • Enteral supplements (through tube) must be checked as well

What you can do to communicate your needs to hospital staff

The significance of having an advocate

  • Friend/family member, fellow support group member or paid advocate
  • Provide access to safe food brought in (too many variables in hospital)
  • Can speak for you when vulnerable (e.g.: crackers after surgery)
  • Assign person before in position to need (sudden, unexpected events)

Gluten-free options for patients on a liquid or soft food diet

  • Bone broth
  • Soup with vegetables

The role of nutrient-dense food in healing the body

  • Bring 100% gluten-free ‘safe stash’ to hospital
  • Refer to Nadine’s list of nutrient-dense options
  • Remember products labeled gluten-free = < 20ppm (not zero)

The Catch 22 of gluten and hospitals

  • Getting hit with gluten can put in hospital (i.e.: dehydration, GI bleed)
  • Difficult to stay gluten-free in hospital
  • Already at-risk to get sicker

How antibiotics affect your system

  • Wipe out good normal flora along with bad bacteria
  • Need good probiotics, fermented foods to reestablish microbiome

Resources:

Gluten Free Drugs Website

Dough Nation by Nadine Grzeskowiak

Emergency Preparedness with Nutrient Dense Foods

Gluten Free RN Episode 15

GIG Resource: Hospital Stays Made Safe

Gluten Intolerance Group of North America

Connect with Nadine: 

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

‘Your Skin on Gluten’ on YouTube

avocado - thought catalog

Regain and Maintain Your Health with a Paleo Diet EP009

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This episode of the ‘Gluten Free RN’ podcast outlines the benefits of adopting a Paleo diet in order to regain and then maintain your health. Patients with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can get better, faster by choosing the Paleo option.

Nadine shares how changing her eating habits had an incredibly positive impact on her health as she went from feeling better on a gluten-free diet to feeling fantastic on her own variation of a Paleo diet.

Nadine gets specific about the foods you can and cannot eat and the incredible health benefits of going Paleo. Listen in and learn how to get back the health you deserve by focusing on good food!

 What’s Discussed:

The foods to avoid on a Paleo diet

The foods you can eat on a Paleo diet

Nadine’s story

The concept of food as medicine

  • All disease starts in the gut

Where to locate organic fruits and vegetables and meat with no antibiotics/no hormones

The health benefits of a Paleo diet

  • Clears up lingering gluten issues
  • Helps achieve sustainable weight loss
  • Affords clearer, smoother skin
  • Improves the immune system
  • Allows for better sleep

The importance of sleep hygiene

  • Your body heals while you sleep
  • Eight to ten hours is optimal

Why fat is essential in absorbing nutrients

  • Vitamins A, D, E & K are fat soluble

The best sources of fat for nutrient absorption

  • Avocados
  • Grass fed meats
  • Olive oil or coconut oil
  • Nuts
  • Nut butters
  • Fish oil
  • Eggs

 Resources Mentioned: 

Paleo Magazine

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf

Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo

The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body by Sarah Ballantyne

Midway Farms http://www.midwayfarmsoregon.com/

Connect with Nadine: 

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism

intestinal health

Symptoms of Undiagnosed Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance EP005

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This time on ‘Gluten Free RN,’ Nadine continues to cover the basics of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, reviewing the consequences of intestinal damage and gluten in the bloodstream and discussing what you can and cannot eat as part of a gluten-free diet.

A registered nurse certified in emergency care and a celiac patient herself, Nadine is well-versed in the health complications and symptoms you might experience with undiagnosed celiac disease or gluten intolerance, including neurological disorders, dermatologic difficulties and even mental health issues.

Join the Gluten Free RN on this podcast to learn the signs of undiagnosed celiac disease and gluten intolerance so that we can all be healthy and vital for years to come!

What’s Discussed:

The definition of celiac disease and its chronic nature

  • Diagnosis requires HLA-DQ2 and/or DQ8 genes and documented villous atrophy

The importance of healthy intestinal tissue

  • 70-90% of the immune system is in your intestines

Grains to avoid that contain gluten

  • Wheat
  • Barley
  • Rye
  • Oats (due to cross-contamination)

Places where gluten may be hiding

Gluten-free, nutrient dense foods

Complications caused by gluten in patients with celiac disease or gluten intolerance

  • Chronic inflammation (suffering from an -itus of any kind)
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Damaged immune system
  • Malnutrition/deficiencies

The increased risk of cancer in patients with undiagnosed celiac disease

Symptoms doctors look for before testing for celiac disease

  • Chronic diarrhea
  • Malabsorption
  • Extreme weight loss or malnutrition

Components of the test for celiac disease

  • Blood test (celiac panel)
  • Biopsy of the small intestines

The amount of time it takes to regenerate damaged villi in the absence of gluten

  • Nadine recommends you continue the clinical trial of a gluten-free diet for at least six to 12 months

Additional signs of a possible gluten intolerance or celiac disease

Additional symptoms Nadine has encountered in undiagnosed patients

Indicators of gluten intolerance in children and elders

Resources Mentioned: 

Montana Gluten Free Website

Kite Hill Non-Dairy Foods

Gluten: Zero Global by Rodney Ford

Connect with Nadine: 

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse’s Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism