On December 8, 2022, in an interview on One Life Radio, I, Melissa Diane Smith, was thrilled and delighted to explain all about “When Gluten-Free Eating is the Best Medicine,” based on my decades of research and counseling experience, and share some information that even people who eat routinely gluten-free don’t know. I also shared a few personal stories, including my own that was written about in the beginning of my book Going Against the Grain, that show how powerful and therapeutic gluten-free eating really is.

Whether you a gluten-free veteran or a newbie just trying to understand why gluten has become so problematic and why so many more people are eating gluten-free in the last few decades, this is a must-listen-to podcast! Host Bernadette Fiaschetti and Producer Jerry Caldwell were so happy with the especially helpful info in this interview that they ran this episode as one of their “best of” shows!

by Melissa Diane Smith

Would you like to revise your diet to use food as medicine to alleviate a chronic condition, to reverse many risk factors for heart disease, or to help you trim up so you can fit into your favorite swimsuit?

Maybe you need a pep talk to get back on track with your diet after you ate foods on your vacation that set your health back?

Or would you like to learn the tricks of the trade of how to take genetically modified foods out of what you eat? Or how to avoid gluten, grains, or sugar? Or how you can balance a few different types of therapeutic diets in the best way for you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, now is the best time to consider hiring me for personal nutrition advice to help you meet your health goals. I love counseling with clients and providing them with personalized nutrition advice to improve their health and life, and the beginning of summer is considered a sacred time and often the perfect time to set new goals and get off to a fresh start. That’s why I thought now was the ideal time to launch a 20% discount ($140 instead of the normal price of $175) on my Get Started Combo (an Initial Phone Consultation and a Follow-Up for new clients) this summer. This is a limited-time only deal. Make sure to take advantage of it. The Summer Special will run through August 31, 2018.

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by Melissa Diane Smith

I am delighted to be a featured speaker during the Grand Opening of the new Natural Grocers natural food supermarket at 5600 E. River Road in Tucson this month.

On Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at 6 p.m., I will present “Going Against the Grain for Health: How to Make Food Your Best Medicine.” In this presentation, I’ll cover the health troubles caused by refined grains, whole grains, gluten grains, and genetically modified ingredients hidden in grain-based foods, and explain how to use this information to lose unwanted weight, reverse disease processes, and revitalize health. I’ll also give my answers to common questions I receive, such as “was wheat always not good for us, or has it become worse for our health in recent years?” and answer any other questions that you have.

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Reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, can trigger a range of symptoms and illnesses in children who have celiac disease (an autoimmune condition in the gut) or nonceliac gluten sensitivity (a reaction to gluten that isn’t an autoimmune condition). The following symptoms might indicate that your child is adversely reacting to gluten. (Take note: Except for “growing pains” and slow growth, the same symptoms can be warning signs in adults, too.)  

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If your kids need to avoid gluten, don’t despair!  Here are 15 nutritionist-approved gluten-free lunch box ideas they’ll love (and adults will too!)

Ask The Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith

Q: I have a 10-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with celiac disease earlier this year, and a 6-year-old son who has experienced dramatic improvements in behavior problems (diagnosed as ADHD) since I put him on a gluten-free diet a year ago. I know how to put gluten-free meat on some gluten-free bread, but I’d like to transition my kids off of these processed products. Can you offer any suggestions? —Ann L., Las Vegas

A: Making healthy, gluten-free school lunches that your kids will like is completely possible. You just need to get creative by filling the lunch boxes with at least a few different, colorful, easy-to-eat foods. Include some protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and fruit. Prepare the boxes to look as tempting as possible, cut vegetables in interesting shapes, and pack them with gluten-free dips. (Studies have found that children are more likely to eat their vegetables with a dip.)

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Ask the Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain

Saying goodbye to bread doesn’t have to mean giving up sandwiches.

Q: I maintain my weight and feel best when I avoid gluten and all grains. I don’t miss the taste of bread, but I do miss the convenience of making sandwiches for quick lunches, especially on hot summer days. Are there any grain-free substitutes that could help me fix easy-to-make “sandwiches”?

—Tamara R., Sacramento, Calif.

A: The short answer is: Yes! If you bake, try making grain-free tortillas or sliceable bread out of almond flour, ground flaxseeds, and/or coconut flour. If you don’t bake—or if you want a quicker alternative—think outside the box and get creative by using vegetables or fruit as alternatives for wraps and buns. These seven produce-based ideas can help you get started.

1. Lettuce wraps. For convenience and versatility, nothing beats using large lettuce leaves, such as romaine or Bibb, as tortilla or bread substitutes. Wrap burgers with them, or make BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) “sandwiches,” taco lettuce wraps, fajita wraps, tuna salad wraps, or lettuce cups with Asian-based fillings.

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by Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain

Is wheat really bad for us, and why does it cause so many different health problems? I first answered those questions in Going Against the Grain in 2002 and have written about those topics many times since then. But soon you can learn by watching the film documentary, What’s With Wheat? Mark your calendar and watch it for free by registering for the free 7-day global online screening available between June 24-30^th.

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