Gluteomorphin and caseomorphins, morphine-like substances, are metabolized from foods containing wheat and diary.
Understanding how these foods can affect us is crucial for our well-being.
Casein is the protein that makes up 80-90% of the protein contained in cow's milk (goat's milk casein content is only 0-2%). It can cause damage to the lining of the duodenum -the upper part of the small intestine- and a syndrome quite similar to gluten intolerance.
The main protein found in gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye is gliadin, from which the gluteomorphins are derived.
(Incidentally, gluten from soy and corn and casein are used to produce various industrial adhesives while casein enter in the composition of Elmer glue).
When partially digested (or improperly digested due to a lack of appropriate enzymes) the gluten in wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats, and the casein of dairy products are capable of damaging the intestinal lining.
In turn, vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, B complex, C, and trace minerals (magnesium, zinc, lithium, boron, and more) are not absorbed properly. This permeability of the gut or leaky gut syndrome has a huge influence on the health of the brain and on the immune system.
The effect of gluteomorphins and caseomorphine are similar to those of the drug LSD.
These opioids lead to food addictions because of their sedating effect on the brain. Knowing that 75% of the calories in the Standard American Diet derive from dairy and wheat gives us a scope of the issue at hand.
And there are no healthy addictions. If you can't give up your weekly never-ending-pasta-bowl or the loaf of bread that's eaten before dinner, there is strong evidence that suggests that you have a problem with gluten and dairy. We become addicted to what makes us ill, be it tobacco, alcohol or food.
The signs associated with food intolerance are endless: irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, arthritis, chronic fatigue, autism, thyroid issues...
While I was in studying to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, my teacher had "warned" me that dairy and grains should be off limit for me, that I had many symptoms of a leaky-gut. I remember looking at him and thinking "Right, you're crazy! I'm French and you're asking me to give up my beloved sourdough bread AND cheese? Not in this lifetime!"
That very same evening, on the way back from a late soccer practice with my son, we stopped at a pizza joint. I had a plate of pasta in a creamy sauce...not very good, mind you, but I was hungry. I woke up later that night with the clear feeling that my head was resting on my bedside table and my eyes were watching the scene while sitting nicely on a dresser on the other side of the room. Even in the throws of a malarial fever 15 years ago, I never had such a terrifying hallucination. I suppose that I needed this experience to realize that, just as hanging out in mosquito-infested tropical latitudes was not good for me, wheat and dairy were not my friends.
The next day saw me in a fit of domestic fervor: I rounded up all gluten-containing flours, pasta, grains, breads, crackers and cookies that couldn't run fast enough from me. My fridge was purged in the same manner: vindictive, unforgiving and meticulous. Good-bye lovely imported brie. So long, sour-cream, stinky blue cheese and $14/gallon raw milk.
Determined to heal my gut, I went on a hunt for BPA-free coconut milk, organic almond and coconut flours and experimented with recipes until my teenager begged for mercy.
The results were almost immediate. My migraines disappeared, my constantly runny-nose dried up. I started to sleep well and to wake up rested and ready to tackle the day ahead. I lost 12 pounds in 3 months (mostly belly-fat) and I had fun doing it.
Do I miss wheat bread and cheddar? I won't lie: yes I do, they taste darn good. But feeling the way I feel is priceless. Lately, I cheated a couple of times: a little half-and-half in my tea or a quarter naan with my coconut curry. Small infractions but big mistakes as some symptoms came right back: teary eyes, snotty nose, headache, restless sleep. So, frankly the few seconds of pleasure I derived from eating a piece of bread were not really worth 3 days of discomfort.
The realization that I was addicted to substances most of the world considers harmless, even beneficial, was precipitated by an unusual experience. It was my body's way to say "enough".
I feel blessed that my mind was receptive to the message.
For gluten-free flours, coconut oil and milk and other fabulous products, check these sites:
http;//www.tropicaltraditions.com
http://www.bobsredmill.com
http://www.dakota-prairie.com/
Casein is the protein that makes up 80-90% of the protein contained in cow's milk (goat's milk casein content is only 0-2%). It can cause damage to the lining of the duodenum -the upper part of the small intestine- and a syndrome quite similar to gluten intolerance.
The main protein found in gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye is gliadin, from which the gluteomorphins are derived.
(Incidentally, gluten from soy and corn and casein are used to produce various industrial adhesives while casein enter in the composition of Elmer glue).
When partially digested (or improperly digested due to a lack of appropriate enzymes) the gluten in wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats, and the casein of dairy products are capable of damaging the intestinal lining.
In turn, vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, B complex, C, and trace minerals (magnesium, zinc, lithium, boron, and more) are not absorbed properly. This permeability of the gut or leaky gut syndrome has a huge influence on the health of the brain and on the immune system.
The effect of gluteomorphins and caseomorphine are similar to those of the drug LSD.
These opioids lead to food addictions because of their sedating effect on the brain. Knowing that 75% of the calories in the Standard American Diet derive from dairy and wheat gives us a scope of the issue at hand.
And there are no healthy addictions. If you can't give up your weekly never-ending-pasta-bowl or the loaf of bread that's eaten before dinner, there is strong evidence that suggests that you have a problem with gluten and dairy. We become addicted to what makes us ill, be it tobacco, alcohol or food.
The signs associated with food intolerance are endless: irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, arthritis, chronic fatigue, autism, thyroid issues...
While I was in studying to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, my teacher had "warned" me that dairy and grains should be off limit for me, that I had many symptoms of a leaky-gut. I remember looking at him and thinking "Right, you're crazy! I'm French and you're asking me to give up my beloved sourdough bread AND cheese? Not in this lifetime!"
That very same evening, on the way back from a late soccer practice with my son, we stopped at a pizza joint. I had a plate of pasta in a creamy sauce...not very good, mind you, but I was hungry. I woke up later that night with the clear feeling that my head was resting on my bedside table and my eyes were watching the scene while sitting nicely on a dresser on the other side of the room. Even in the throws of a malarial fever 15 years ago, I never had such a terrifying hallucination. I suppose that I needed this experience to realize that, just as hanging out in mosquito-infested tropical latitudes was not good for me, wheat and dairy were not my friends.
The next day saw me in a fit of domestic fervor: I rounded up all gluten-containing flours, pasta, grains, breads, crackers and cookies that couldn't run fast enough from me. My fridge was purged in the same manner: vindictive, unforgiving and meticulous. Good-bye lovely imported brie. So long, sour-cream, stinky blue cheese and $14/gallon raw milk.
Determined to heal my gut, I went on a hunt for BPA-free coconut milk, organic almond and coconut flours and experimented with recipes until my teenager begged for mercy.
The results were almost immediate. My migraines disappeared, my constantly runny-nose dried up. I started to sleep well and to wake up rested and ready to tackle the day ahead. I lost 12 pounds in 3 months (mostly belly-fat) and I had fun doing it.
Do I miss wheat bread and cheddar? I won't lie: yes I do, they taste darn good. But feeling the way I feel is priceless. Lately, I cheated a couple of times: a little half-and-half in my tea or a quarter naan with my coconut curry. Small infractions but big mistakes as some symptoms came right back: teary eyes, snotty nose, headache, restless sleep. So, frankly the few seconds of pleasure I derived from eating a piece of bread were not really worth 3 days of discomfort.
The realization that I was addicted to substances most of the world considers harmless, even beneficial, was precipitated by an unusual experience. It was my body's way to say "enough".
I feel blessed that my mind was receptive to the message.
For gluten-free flours, coconut oil and milk and other fabulous products, check these sites:
http;//www.tropicaltraditions.com
http://www.bobsredmill.com
http://www.dakota-prairie.com/
