by Melissa Diane Smith

In the first study to compare the Paleolithic hunter-gatherer diet and the conventionally recommended diabetes diet in people who have type 2 diabetes, the Paleolithic diet improved glycemic control and HDL-cholesterol and lowered blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference better than the diabetes diet over a three-month study period.

(more…)

If you’ve been thinking of signing up for a nutrition coaching program, now is the perfect time to do it. When you sign up for any nutrition coaching program from now through October 31, 2009, you will receive an extra 45-minute coaching session absolutely free. That’s a $100 value! The offer is good for the Get Started Personal Attention Nutrition Coaching Program, the Rebuilding a New You Nutrition Coaching Program, or the Diet and Lifestyle Makeover Nutrition Coaching Program. (New clients, click here. Clients who have worked with me before, click here.)

(more…)

by Melissa Diane Smith

People with gastrointestinal symptoms who test negative for celiac disease have long known that they are apt to get a diagnosis of “irritable bowel syndrome” (IBS) from a doctor rather than a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. But gluten sensitivity provides a trigger that can explain at least part of the spectrum of symptoms that constitutes IBS, a group of doctors from the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute in Canada and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota propose.

(more…)

by Melissa Diane Smith

(Opinion) - It used to be that I was the only one writing about non-celiac gluten sensitivity, a condition largely dismissed by mainstream doctors. Major newspapers wouldn’t come close to touching the subject. Now, seven years after my Going Against the Grain book came out, the Los Angeles Times, a newspaper with a circulation of three-quarters of a million people, has run a story “Gluten sensitivity: A long road toward discovery” and a follow-up story a few weeks later, “Going gluten-free – for many reasons.”

(more…)

by Melissa Diane Smith

Ever wonder how gluten can cause such a wide array of symptoms in so many different people? Dr. Rodney Ford, a doctor from Christchurch, New Zealand who is known as “Doctor Gluten,” just may have the answer – that gluten causes symptoms, in both celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, by directly and indirectly injuring nerve networks that control various organs and systems in the body.

(more…)

Just a week before we heard about more food recalls and the continuing obesity crisis, the documentary “Food, Inc.” opened in the United States, warning us of those hazards and more from our current industrialized food system. The movie is now showing in select cities across the country. Readers of this blog already are in the know about many problems in our commercial food supply, but director Robert Kenner wanted to make a film that brought the subject to people who haven’t thought about the food they are eating and what we all can do about it.

(more…)

What they say about people burning out from writing a blog is true! It’s even more true when someone writes two blogs, writes a monthly magazine column, speaks, and nutritionally counsels and coaches clients. Because of that, I wanted to let you know about a few changes I have made to two of my services.

(more…)

Cutting back on purchases because of the recession? Most everyone is. But don’t neglect your health. Medications and doctor and hospital bills drain financial resources worse than virtually anything and certainly more than the small investment and preventive care of learning to eat right. When you spend a little upfront to learn the nutrition information and skills that will help you best, you end up reaping the reward of long-term good health and protection from the astounding costs associated with conventional medical care.

(more…)

Ready to take another step in eating for optimal health? Take the No GMO Challenge.

Five days ago, on April 22, Earth Day, co-sponsors Real Food Media and the Institute for Responsible Technology started a campaign urging consumers to take the No GMO Challenge to protect themselves from one of history’s greatest man-made health and environmental threats – genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It is a rolling challenge, meaning you can join at anytime. Begin by cleaning out your cupboard and make a 30-day commitment to eating as many non-GMO meals as possible. This challenge is particularly important for people who have switched to eating more corn after starting a gluten-free diet.

(more…)

SPECIAL REPORT

By Jeffrey M. Smith

If you eat lots of corn, be careful. Most US corn is genetically modified (GM), and most is engineered to produce its own toxic pesticide. When certain insects such as European corn borers take a bite, the toxin from the plant splits open their stomachs and kills them.

(more…)