Your Gut and Brain are Married

If you have seen your neurologist recently, you may need to be screened for celiac disease.

I wanted to share a recent journal article from the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology that talks about neurological disorders in adults with celiac disease.

If you have gluten intolerance, your only symptoms may be nerve pain! Or it may be dementia, ataxia or other symptoms you are likely to see your neurologist for. Let's put this in perspective folks; this is a GUT journal talking about how your GUT affects your BRAIN.

The brain and the gut are married together. Convinced of this fact, these authors recommend screening for celiac disease in patients with neurological symptoms.

Peanut Butter's Salmonella Scare

If you've been listening to the news, you've probably cleared your shelves of peanut butter. Salmonella has sickened hundreds and may have contributed to several deaths. Many nutritionists casted peanut butter in an unfavorable light long before the salmonella scare. Peanuts tend to be allergenic in some individuals. Most commercial peanut butters are filled with sugars, sweeteners or hydrogenated oils. Peanuts tend to be high in pesticide residue and may contain molds and toxins.

While I'm not generally opposed to a high quality, peanut only, organic peanut butter (for those without allergies), it may be a good chance for all of us to entertain our taste buds with healthy alternatives.

1. Almond butter or sunflower butter. The taste is a a little different but these are healthy alternatives to peanut butter.

2. Hummus. This creamy spread is delicious on sandwiches and crackers.

3. Guacamole. Homemade guacamole can be a fun substitute to fill your sandwich.

4. Natural fruit spreads. Consider this the PB&J minus the PB.

5. Vegetable purees. Mix them in a blender and play around to get the consistency just right and then top your favorite waffles.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Now that the holidays are over, it's a good time to prepare for a healthy and prosperous new year. It's probably no surprise that two of the most popular resolutions are to exercise more and improve eating habits.

Both are incredibly important goals but I would encourage you to start with one simple step.

Eat breakfast. Make it a goal this year to eat breakfast every day. It is a clear, tangible goal with clear outcomes. The health benefits are indisputable. You will have more energy. You will be more likely to lose weight. You will be more productive. You will help your metabolism. You will stabilize your blood sugar. You will be more efficient at work or school. Your overall health will improve.

Don't get stuck making broad, general, easy-to-cheat resolutions like "eat better." Eat breakfast everyday and the rest of your resolutions will be easier to keep.

I wish you the best in 2009!