During perimenopause, many women develop a heightened sense for smells that family members or co-workers may not notice. (I certainly did.) A woman may also become sensitized to smells emanating from her, other family members, an office space, or her household that were previously never noticed. Not surprisingly, along with all the changes that occur […]
Gluten Intolerance? Or Something Else in Wheat?
Part 5 in the Food Sensitivity series Ever wonder what all the fuss is about with gluten? Until challenged by lectins, gluten has been the fashionable food to avoid. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye and high gluten wheat flour is valued for its stretchy characteristics and ability to help bread […]
Food Sensitivity: Histamines
(Part 4 of the Food Sensitivity series) Did you ever lay down at night and notice a new runny congested nose, itching, scratchy throat, or vague gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort? Maybe it was something you ate—food and drink containing histamines. For some people, especially foodies, edible sources of histamines add up to cause these and other […]
Food Sensitivities: Saponins
(Part 3 of the Food Sensitivity Series) Ever feel like your intestines have been pulled out, scrubbed, and hung out to dry? Eating large quantities of foods and herbs containing compounds called saponins (pronounced SAP-uh-nins) can cause this assault on your gastrointestinal (GI) system. Saponins derive their name from the Latin word for soap and […]
Food Sensitivities: Lectins
Part 2 of the Food Sensitivity Series Lectins are a current hot topic on the nutrition front, being blamed for problems ranging from gastrointestinal distress to obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. The premise is that grains, beans, and other cultivated agricultural products from the past 10,000 years are relatively new to humans and our bodies […]
FODMAPs and Gut Sensitivity
(Part 1 of the Food Sensitivity Series) FODMAP is not a word from a Dr. Suess book, but an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. These complicated-sounding compounds are types of carbohydrates that frequently cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Fermentable oligosaccharides are sugars strung together to create undigestible “resistant” starches; disaccharides and monosaccharides are […]