Allergy-Proof Your Life. Michelle Schoffro Cook

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СКАЧАТЬ and treatment of many conditions, allergies included.

      The scientists put volunteers on a meat and cheese diet, then switched them to a fiber-rich, plant-based diet to track the effect on intestinal microbes. The study participants ate a breakfast of eggs and bacon, a lunch of ribs and briskets, and then salami, prosciutto, and assorted cheeses for dinner, along with pork rind snacks. After a break from eating this diet, the volunteers ate a plant-based diet of granola for breakfast; jasmine rice, cooked onions, tomatoes, squash, garlic, peas, and lentils for lunch; and a similar dinner, with bananas and mangoes for snacks.

      The scientists analyzed the volunteers’ microbes before, during, and after each meal. The effects of the meat and cheese were almost immediate. The abundance of bacteria shifted about a day after the food hit the gut. After three days on either diet, the bacteria in the gut also changed their behavior.

      Lead scientist Lawrence David, PhD, admits that the meat-and-cheese diet used in his experiments was extreme; however, such an extreme diet helps paint a clear picture of the outcome of a diet heavy in meat and cheese—and frankly, this is a typical diet for many people who use high-protein diets or follow the SAD. This high-animal-protein diet clearly demonstrates the microbial impact of animal-protein-rich diets. Dr. David said in an interview with the online journal NPR, “I love meat . . . but I will say that I definitely feel a lot more guilty ordering a hamburger . . . since doing this work.”

      If you want to restore your health and address the inflammation and immune system overreactions involved in allergies, you’ll want to reconsider reaching for that bacon-wrapped sausage, cheese platter, or burger. Does that mean you have to become a vegan? Of course not—unless you want to. It means that you should cut back on meat as your source of protein and move to an increasingly plant-based diet.

      Before you panic wondering where you will get your protein, here are some of the best nonmeat sources of protein:

       • avocado

       • coconut

       • legumes, such as kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, Romano beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and edamame (green soybeans)

       • nuts (preferably raw, unsalted), including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts

       • quinoa

       • seeds, such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds

       • soy products (organic only, as soy is heavily genetically modified), such as tofu, miso, and tempeh

       • dairy alternatives, including almond milk, coconut milk, hemp seed milk, and soy milk

      You may notice that protein powders are not on the list. That’s because many are heavily processed, sugar laden, or contain neurotoxic MSG in one of its many guises, particularly protein “isolates.” Ground seeds, like those mentioned on the list, are a much better way to add protein to your smoothies than by using protein powders.

      A GRAIN OF TRUTH

      It’s important to select the right types of carbohydrates, or carbs, to include in your diet to help reset your immune system to reduce or eliminate allergies. Some of the carbs to avoid include white potatoes, white rice, and white flour and foods made with it. These foods act similarly to sugar in the body, causing wild blood sugar fluctuations and the resulting inflammation and changes to the gut terrain. Some of these bad carb foods include pastries, doughnuts, candies, cakes, white bread, “multigrain” bread (which is actually mostly white flour with a handful of grains added to it), and whole-wheat bread (which also tends to be largely white flour with a small amount of whole wheat added to it). Whole wheat has been heavily sprayed with harmful inflammation-causing pesticides and is best avoided. That doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite foods. Most bread, cakes, pastries and other foods can be made with whole-grain flour that does not have the same inflammatory effect on your body. Here are some suggestions about which grains to enjoy and which to avoid:

Enjoy This	Avoid That
100 percent whole-grain bread (no wheat)	white bread, whole-wheat bread
brown rice pasta	white wheat pasta, semolina pasta
brown rice vermicelli	white rice vermicelli, egg noodles
brown rice, brown basmati rice, black rice	white rice, basmati rice, rice blends
quinoa	couscous
sweet potatoes or Jerusalem artichokes	white, yellow, or red potatoes

      Many whole grains such as buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa, or wild rice can be made into gourmet whole-grain dishes with chopped vegetables and spices, or they can be cooked and made into hearty salads with the addition of chopped fruits, vegetables, and seasonings.

      IS GLUTEN AGGRAVATING YOUR ASTHMA?

      Many asthma sufferers are sensitive to gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, oats, barley, and many other grains and products containing them. Many baking powders, soy sauces, artificial food colors, emulsifiers, and other ingredients found in convenience food also contain gluten. Some great gluten-free options include quinoa, millet, buckwheat (yes, the name can be confusing, but there is no gluten in buckwheat), coconut flour, brown rice, black rice, red rice, and wild rice. If you suffer from allergy-induced asthma, it is best to avoid gluten.

      WHOLE GRAINS TO ADD TO YOUR DIET

      Whole grains have gotten a bad rap in recent years. The average person eats refined grain products like white flour and white rice and avoids whole grains like the plague. Meanwhile low-carb dieters swear off whole grains in favor of high-protein options like meat and poultry under false pretenses that all grains are evil. Whole grains help stabilize blood sugar, are precursors to essential brain hormones, boost mood, and help keep us regular.

      There are many delicious and highly nutritious whole grains to choose from, so adding whole grains to your allergy-eliminating diet needn’t be daunting. Although there are many options, here are seven whole grains to get you started: barley, brown rice, kamut (pronounced ka-MOOT), spelt, oats, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), and wild rice.

      Barley

      Used as far back as the Stone Age for currency, food, and medicine, barley is a great addition to a healthy diet. Because barley contains plentiful amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber, it helps aid bowel regularity. It contains ninety-six calories, twenty-two grams of carbohydrates, and three grams of fiber per half cup of cooked barley. Unrefined barley contains abundant amounts of potassium and also has lots of magnesium, manganese, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, zinc, copper, iron, calcium, protein, sulfur, and phosphorus. This versatile ingredient can be added to soups, stews, cereal, salads, pilaf, or ground into flour for baked goods or desserts. Barley contains gluten and should be avoided if you suspect you have gluten sensitivity.

      Brown Rice

      Brown СКАЧАТЬ