"The great gluten panic"
Sandra Dodd
Anyone who wants to skip this by should do so. It's about diet (and belief and fear and control and magical thinking).
Someone kindly sent me links to these articles by Stan Cox, with information on scientific studies on wheat's effects and on the origins of the spreading belief that wheat is of the devil and that children will be virtuous and brighter and live longer if they have panicky parents controlling them (that part is my own wording). It's a fad, and one of several that have come along since I've been helping unschoolers. People can be mad at me about saying so if they want to, but it might be worth reading these articles and following some of the trails he points to. Be mad at him, too, if you want to ignore those scientific studies.
The Great Gluten Panic, Part 1 1/30/2014
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gluten-panic-part-1-zbcz1401.aspx
The Great Gluten Panic, Part 2 2/6/2014
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/great-gluten-panic-part-2-zbcz1402.aspx
His closing is this:
_________
Amid so much erroneous denigration of wheat, millions of Americans have been diagnosing themselves as gluten intolerant and eliminating wheat products from their diets. Now if you feel better on an elimination diet, no matter whether it's a physiological or a placebo effect at work, then why not go for it? And it certainly can't hurt to stop eating refined wheat flour and some of the nutritionally empty ingredients with which it is often combined. But the gap created by wheat-elimination diets is being plugged in large part with those highly processed, often sugar- and fat-heavy foods being churned out by the $4 billion “gluten-free” industry(Meanwhile, an artisan baker I know says some customers are now refusing his whole-grain loaves on the grounds of gluten intolerance, even as they continue to buy croissants and danish—which he's more than happy to supply.) Alternatively, going all-in on a low-carb diet (as recommended by many, including Davis) has an insupportable ecological impact.
On the other hand, simply switching to whole-grain foods as a replacement for empty-calorie, low-fiber products made from refined flours, sugars, etc. can pay big dividends for most of us. But unfortunately, any such healthful trend will remain stalled until the gluten-free fad has faded away, as fads always do.
_______
Read the whole article (it's not very long) if this has been an issue in or around your family. Knowledge is power. Awareness of the existence (and location) of sources of bullshit is also very valuable.
What I have on my site is rough still (notes from a conference talk) but I'll add what's above, too, to:
http://sandradodd.com/foodproblems
Sandra
Someone kindly sent me links to these articles by Stan Cox, with information on scientific studies on wheat's effects and on the origins of the spreading belief that wheat is of the devil and that children will be virtuous and brighter and live longer if they have panicky parents controlling them (that part is my own wording). It's a fad, and one of several that have come along since I've been helping unschoolers. People can be mad at me about saying so if they want to, but it might be worth reading these articles and following some of the trails he points to. Be mad at him, too, if you want to ignore those scientific studies.
The Great Gluten Panic, Part 1 1/30/2014
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gluten-panic-part-1-zbcz1401.aspx
The Great Gluten Panic, Part 2 2/6/2014
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/great-gluten-panic-part-2-zbcz1402.aspx
His closing is this:
_________
Amid so much erroneous denigration of wheat, millions of Americans have been diagnosing themselves as gluten intolerant and eliminating wheat products from their diets. Now if you feel better on an elimination diet, no matter whether it's a physiological or a placebo effect at work, then why not go for it? And it certainly can't hurt to stop eating refined wheat flour and some of the nutritionally empty ingredients with which it is often combined. But the gap created by wheat-elimination diets is being plugged in large part with those highly processed, often sugar- and fat-heavy foods being churned out by the $4 billion “gluten-free” industry(Meanwhile, an artisan baker I know says some customers are now refusing his whole-grain loaves on the grounds of gluten intolerance, even as they continue to buy croissants and danish—which he's more than happy to supply.) Alternatively, going all-in on a low-carb diet (as recommended by many, including Davis) has an insupportable ecological impact.
On the other hand, simply switching to whole-grain foods as a replacement for empty-calorie, low-fiber products made from refined flours, sugars, etc. can pay big dividends for most of us. But unfortunately, any such healthful trend will remain stalled until the gluten-free fad has faded away, as fads always do.
_______
Read the whole article (it's not very long) if this has been an issue in or around your family. Knowledge is power. Awareness of the existence (and location) of sources of bullshit is also very valuable.
What I have on my site is rough still (notes from a conference talk) but I'll add what's above, too, to:
http://sandradodd.com/foodproblems
Sandra
Vicky Woods
My son is celiac so, obviously, I'd disagree. Coeliac is massively
underdiagnosed and thought (by Jason Tye-Din - one of our leading coeliac
researchers) to affect one out of every seventy people in Australia. And
non-coeliac gluten intolerance is thought (by Dr. Ford, a pediatrician in
Christchurch, New Zealand and author of The Gluten Syndrome) to affect
around 30%-50%. I doubt 30% of people are currently on a strict gluten free
diet. More people should try it I think, but it takes a dedicated effort to
see results. No skipping bread and eating danishes instead.
underdiagnosed and thought (by Jason Tye-Din - one of our leading coeliac
researchers) to affect one out of every seventy people in Australia. And
non-coeliac gluten intolerance is thought (by Dr. Ford, a pediatrician in
Christchurch, New Zealand and author of The Gluten Syndrome) to affect
around 30%-50%. I doubt 30% of people are currently on a strict gluten free
diet. More people should try it I think, but it takes a dedicated effort to
see results. No skipping bread and eating danishes instead.
Joyce Fetteroll
On Feb 15, 2014, at 3:56 AM, Vicky Woods <vmwoods@...> wrote:
My son is celiac so, obviously, I'd disagree.How does your son's condition impact anyone other than himself? The article didn't dispute the existence of celiac. Did you read it with filters on as you scanned to find parts you agreed with? Or did you read it all with an eye to questioning your own understanding?Coeliac is massively
underdiagnosedWe're immersed in a society where the "fear" messages far out number the "don't fear" messages. That's because it's much harder to make money by telling people "Don't fear" than "Yes, do fear!" The far greater number of "fear" messages makes them feel far more important.People are encouraged to fear even when there aren't signs they should fear. But experts know about these secret things wrong with us. They can help us.And take our money.The purpose of this forum isn't to tell parents not to fear. It's to help them live more joyfully with their kids. Part of that is helping them to fear more reasonably.If a child has asymptomatic celiac disease ... What does that mean for the child? It means it's not impacting his quality of life. Why decrease his quality of life so mom can feel like a better warrior against a world that's supposedly trying to attack her child?More people should try it I think, but it takes a dedicated effort to
see results. No skipping bread and eating danishes instead.
This forum isn't for "people". It's for kids. It's for helping parents create a more joyful environment for kids to grow in.
No one should look to this group as their only source of information about living in the world. It *is* a great resource about radical unschooling *because* it's purposefully focused on what will help parents create a more joyful home for kids to explore the world from.
Look at your kids. Help them with what they're seeking to change. Create a more peaceful environment for them to grow and change in.
If something is impacting their quality of life, partner with them. Changing a diet is hard! It's even harder if someone imposes it on you! (And stress doesn't help *anything*.) Be more invested in your child than in trying out some guess at what will "fix" your child.
Joyce
<alysonduneman@...>
May I ask what part of either article you are disagreeing with?
The first article stated that during a placebo test, 30% DID in fact show wheat sensitivities. Which sounds like exactly what you are saying.
Ally
The first article stated that during a placebo test, 30% DID in fact show wheat sensitivities. Which sounds like exactly what you are saying.
Ally
Rinelle
> My son is celiac so, obviously, I'd disagree. Coeliac is massivelyMy husband is also a celiac. Diagnosing it requires a simple blood test, and
> underdiagnosed
has to be done before you eliminate gluten. Why would you eliminate
something on the grounds that it MIGHT be a problem? Why not find out for
sure, and then act accordingly?
Having gluten makes my husband very uncomfortable (extreme stomach cramps
and irritable bowel and extreme tiredness (he was diagnosed after I said he
needed to see a doctor after sleeping 16 hours a day and still being
tired)), but even with that knowledge, he went on and off gluten for a few
years before deciding, for himself, that he felt better off it. The symptoms
affected him, not me, so it wasn't my decision to make. I just supported him
by providing the best gluten free food I could find when he wanted it. I
would do the same if my daughter showed any symptoms, test first, then
support her in her own choices. Luckily, she seems to have no issues at this
point, and I'm not spending every moment looking for them.
Tamara
Sandra Dodd
-=-My son is celiac so, obviously, I'd disagree. -=-
researchers) to affect one out of every seventy people in Australia. And
non-coeliac gluten intolerance is thought (by Dr. Ford, a pediatrician in
Christchurch, New Zealand and author of The Gluten Syndrome) to affect
around 30%-50%. I doubt 30% of people are currently on a strict gluten free
diet. More people should try it I think, but it takes a dedicated effort to
see results. No skipping bread and eating danishes instead. -=-
Obviously you would disagree with double-blind scientific studies because you know of one definite case?
That's not obvious to me.
-=-Coeliac is massively
underdiagnosed and thought (by Jason Tye-Din - one of our leading coeliacresearchers) to affect one out of every seventy people in Australia. And
non-coeliac gluten intolerance is thought (by Dr. Ford, a pediatrician in
Christchurch, New Zealand and author of The Gluten Syndrome) to affect
around 30%-50%. I doubt 30% of people are currently on a strict gluten free
diet. More people should try it I think, but it takes a dedicated effort to
see results. No skipping bread and eating danishes instead. -=-
That seems to be a good example of panic.
Non-celiac gluten fright is affecting all of us, and not in good ways.
Are Jason Tye-Din and Dr. Ford the author of The Gluten Syndrome making money off scaring people?
I'm not making a penny off asking people not to believe everything they hear.
Dr. Rodney Ford. Professional speaker. Nice.
It doesn't seem he sees many whole, well children. H'e curing sore tummies, headaches, learning issues, behavior issues, "getting back on track," and understand that "naughty" can be a way of children expressing a problem that needs to be solved.
I know lots of children who have had all those problems "cured" by unschooling, my kinder parenting, by being empowered by being given choices. I know of zero unschooling families forcing children to eat gluten. There are families in which children can choose their own foods and figure out gradually want they can eat well and what bothers them.
But the idea that gluten is causing chilcren to have behavior issues and to be "naughty" isn't very medical, is it?
Sandra
chris ester
On Sat, Feb 15, 2014 at 11:17 PM, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
I know lots of children who have had all those problems "cured" by unschooling, my kinder parenting, by being empowered by being given choices. I know of zero unschooling families forcing children to eat gluten. There are families in which children can choose their own foods and figure out gradually want they can eat well and what bothers them.
But the idea that gluten is causing chilcren to have behavior issues and to be "naughty" isn't very medical, is it?SandraA homeschooling family in our Park day group that is incorporating more and more unschooling principles in their lives (though they are not unschoolers) have real diagnosed medical issues that affects what they eat and causes what they eat to have sometimes disastrous effects on them. Using unschooling principles has helped them cope in the very real world better and with more peace and joy. The parents have learned to let go of their fears about what could go wrong and what their children "can't" have and "can't" do and focus more on what will bring peace and joy to their lives.This family has had a lot of medical issues and lots of doctors trips and lots of diagnoses and lots of treatment, but by using some unschooling principles (focusing on the here and now, respecting children and their choices, focusing on joy and peace instead of a list of "have to do's") it has gotten progressively easier and her child who was diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum (but no food issues) has made vast improvements as has her second child with all of the very real food issues.So, more support for the notion that unschooling principles works for all children, no matter what the real label may be.chris._,_.__
Lisa Celedon
<<The first article stated that during a placebo test, 30% DID in fact show wheat sensitivities.>>
It was that out of a group of people all of whom were diagnosed with wheat sensitivity, only 30% of them actually had negative reactions to wheat.
Lisa C
Sent from my iPhone
It was that out of a group of people all of whom were diagnosed with wheat sensitivity, only 30% of them actually had negative reactions to wheat.
Lisa C
Sent from my iPhone