"Ariele,
You wrote in a post that you sometimes eat croissants!! WTF?! (Lol) You told me I need to be gluten-free. How come you get to eat gluten and I don't?!"
Hi!! Yes, I've gotten a bit of flack for that one. I did say in a recent post that I sometimes savor a croissant. I should have been a bit more specific in regards to the frequency of my indulgence! I rarely eat gluten, and if I do, it's maybe once every couple of months. And then, I do make sure it's something that I really enjoy. If I eat something with gluten, it better be worth it. I'm not going to waste it on an Oreo cookie. While some people have an immediate obvious inflammatory response to gluten, I know that I can eat it on occasion without having any notable symptoms. However, my body definitely lets me know when I've eaten too much or too often. And I heed the warning!
I actually usually try to avoid grain entirely, as I know it's inflammatory for me. If I do have something with grain, I almost always go for a gluten-free version. My kids' noodles are usually gluten-free, and any cookies or muffins we make are grain-free, if not gluten-free. That said, there's a french bakery in town that bakes with quality ingredients. Their croissants are stellar. So occasionally, I indulge.
That said, gluten is inflammatory. To everyone. Non-organic wheat is sprayed with Roundup, or glyphosate, which I truly believe is the root of all evil, or at least most illness. Most of my patients (including you, my friend) are coming to me with some sort of imbalance in their body. Whether it's infertility, pain, digestive upset, sinus issues, allergies, anxiety, etc, it can usually be traced back to some level of inflammation. So, yes, I DO tell most of my patients to omit gluten from their diets. For many, it doesn't have to be forever... but most of you make the choice to sustain the mostly gluten-free lifestyle after feeling your body off of gluten. I have seen so many really profound reversals of disease from this simple dietary change that I know it's worth it.
Ariele Myers is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Herbalist and the owner of Ariele's Apothecary, Hoboken's only acupuncture wellness center. She can often be found in the Apothecary basement/ workshop, hand-blending oils and potions to add to her Artisanal Tea and Essential Oil Line. She is the mother of two boys, ages 3 and 6, and is learning the fine art of only giving health and wellness advice (outside of office hours) when directly asked. When not seeing patients, mixing oils or spotting someone on the monkey-bars, Ariele is probably baking a gluten-free treat and fantasizing about ways to maximize space in her 2 bed/ 1 bath Hoboken apartment, or looking for the best yoga or barre classes around town and trying to find time to go!
Send in your health questions to info@ArielesApothecary.com