BlazeDog.com

This week marks one year of leaky gut therapy.  Here is my story:  In March 2009 I felt like everything I ate was making me sick!   I woke up most mornings feeling like my stomach wrestled with an alligator every night.  I visited my regular doctor’s office many times.

My symptoms were:

• Gas, Bloating when I woke up every morning
• Fatigue every day
• Heart burn
• Pretty much collapsing into bed every night exhausted
• Difficulty getting started in the morning
• Difficulty focusing on tasks and easily distracted

I already had determined that I have gluten sensitivity but have not been tested for Celiac Disease.   I have been gluten free for 10 years now. Gluten is a sticky protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats.   (Oats may actually be gluten free but most people with Celiac will avoid them because Oats are in the same plant family as the other three grains)  Celiac is a condition in which the lining of the intestines get irritated because of the immune systems response to Gluten.    What happens is the body sees gluten as a dangerous invader, it then sends in the white blood cells that attack the gluten protein.   The actual damage comes from the immune system attacking the gluten, the damage to the intestines is like collateral damage.    The body’s immune system does not necessarily attack the small intestine but does release a lot of chemicals that signal the cells in the intestines to inflame themselves.   The villi become flattened and impaired. The villi are like little hairs in the intestines that help move food particles through the intestines and helps absorb food.  The flattened villi cannot absorb nutrients efficiently.   People with full blown Celiac disease are often suffering from malnutrition.

My Regular doctor had put my on maximum strength Zantac to treat Gastro Esophagus Reflux Disease (GERD).   I had tried to cut back a little because I knew from reading that GERD is not caused excessive acid but is caused by the valve at the top of the stomach leaking acid into the esophagus (the tube that leads from your mouth to the stomach).  It didn’t take me long to realize that you just cannot stop taking these medications.  Zantac and Pepcid are Histamine-2 blockers which reduce the amount of stomach acid.  The body has a huge rebound effect when this type of medication is stopped.  This seems to be in direct contradiction to what I need since I need to absorb my food better but my intestines are already impaired and now we are reducing the acid in my stomach.  This just didn’t seem right, since the stomach needs a fairly strong amount of acid to break down proteins.   (By the way if you look on the package of Zantac or Pepcid it is only recommended that you take it for two weeks at maximum)

I started looking for some new answers.  Fortunately my company sponsors a health coaching program every year.  I got the name of a local naturopathic doctor from my health coach.  So I made an appointment and got in for an office visit about one week later.

We started discussing my symptoms and she immediately recommended the following:

• 8 – 12 Grams of  L-Glutamine per day
• A super good multivitamin (6 capsule per day)
• Some herbs to support the Adrenal System
• Some Digestive enzymes to help my system process my food
• Stop eating all dairy products immediately

On this protocol I started to get a little more energy that I have been missing for quite some time.    After doing this for about 1 month I still was not where I wanted to be but I was on the correct track to getting where I wanted to go.

 

In June 2007 I traveled to Shanghai China for two weeks. This was my second trip to Shanghai; I spent one week in Shanghai in September 2006.

I recommend if you are thinking of going to China you go for 2 weeks; especially if you are going on business. My company’s office is located outside the city in an office park about 25 miles from downtown. After spending my day at the office there was very little time left to explore the city during my first trip.

I am gluten intolerant (Celiac Disease), so I also had to have meals especially prepared to meet my needs. The Hilton hotel in Shanghai was able to accommodate my needs. I had excellent gluten free breads and other delicious gluten free foods every day. The Hilton was able to provide a take-out lunch every day to eat at the office.  This saved me from having to spend a lot of time figuring out what I could eat in the local cafeteria.

When you visit China you will find that your Chinese business associates will want to take you to dinner often. Since I am a technical person; I got a lot less pressure to go out to eat. If you are in sales and need to spend time connecting with people there you will no doubt get a lot more pressure to eat out. With the language barrier I would fully expect to get food that isn’t 100% gluten free. You need to be extra cautious and stick to things that are going to be gluten free. Avoid think sauces and soy sauce.

Should you be traveling to Shanghai and needing to stay in a hotel that offers gluten free food, I recommend the Hilton Hotel in Shanghai. It is very near the JinAn Temple and has easy access to subway line #2. In the evenings to stretch my legs I walked over to the JinAn temple and then return to the hotel. This was a nice way to relax and walk off the large meal at the end of the day.

Me at Yu Yuang gardens

I spent much time wandering about city by foot on the weekend. I took a taxi down to the old section of the city and visited Yu Yuang gardens, the historic shopping area, the Bund and then walked at least 15 blocks up Nanjing Road. Other than being constantly asked if I would like to buy something; most people didn’t give me a second look.

I thought the best place that I visited in the city was the old market and Yu Yuang gardens. Both of these are in the same area of the old city. It cost 80rmb to get in to the Yu Yuang Gardens, which has lots of classical Chinese architecture, carved figurines on the roofs of the buildings, high thresholds, and Koi Ponds. The historic market is of course free unless you buy something; the merchants there are a little less likely to bargain with you.

View from the Bund

The Bund is about a 20 minute walk from the old market.   This is the old foreign section of town; in the late 19th century most of the western powers had established a presence in the city for trading with the locals.  There is a walkway park along the banks of the Huangpu River; which has a constant stream of boats coming and going. It is a nice place to just sit and watch all the river traffic.

Overall it was an excellent experience to visit Shanghai. I would recommend it to anyone; however it is a really long trip from the US and it is difficult to eat food from the local market if you have Celiac Disease. If you are planning to go to China; most western hotels probably can accommodate your needs.