Tackling Food Allergies & Sensitivities Part 2 with Shirley Plant

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In this episode of The Functional Medicine Radio Show, Dr. Carri’s special guest Shirley Plant tackles the three biggest food sensitivities: gluten, dairy, and sugar!

Shirley is the author of “Finally…Food I Can Eat” – an inspirational dietary guide and cookbook for people affected by food allergies and intolerances. She is recognized as a menu-planning expert. Shirley has given seminars on food allergies, cooking, and menu planning.

As a nutritionist and dietary designer, Shirley offers her clients and their families a rare understanding and unique expertise that few people can match. Her pleasant and caring manner, her own experience as a food-allergy sufferer and her creative design flair, helps offer hope for people struggling to find the light at the end of a dark dietary tunnel.

Main Questions Asked:

Is gluten just a fad diet? Do we really need to stop eating gluten?
Are gluten free foods healthy for us?
What about dairy sensitivities?
Is ghee, or clarified butter, considered dairy or not?
What are three tips for going dairy free?
Are there any easy ways of stopping sugar?
Are natural sugar alternatives healthy for us?

Key Points made by Shirley:

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Wheat today is not the same as wheat of yesteryears.
1 in 3 people is sensitive to gluten.
Gluten creates inflammation – and if you’re not feeling it now you will feel it later.
Celiac disease is very different from gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction that destroys the intestinal lining.
If you suspect you might have Celiac disease you need to be tested for this before eliminating gluten from your diet.
Pre-packaged gluten free foods are NOT necessarily healthier for us – they are mainly empty calories that do nothing but spike your blood sugar and insulin.
Most gluten free foods are made with corn and soy which are genetically modified foods.
There are hundreds of foods that are naturally gluten free.
Work on mastering one meal at a time and within a month or two you will be on a gluten free diet.
The proteins in gluten and dairy are similar, so if you have a problem with one you’ll often have a problem with the other.
Take all dairy out of your diet for 3 weeks, and then introduce ghee, or clarified butter, and see how you feel. If you get symptoms then you are sensitive to ghee and it isn’t good for you.
There are many dairy free options: almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, flaxseed milk, rice milk. Look for the unsweetened, unflavored versions.
Cheese alternative: try Diaya cheese – it’s made out of pea protein, tastes good, and melts really well.
Sugar is as addictive as cocaine and heroin, which makes it difficult to get off of.
Sugar is in every pre-packaged food. Start reading labels and become aware of how much sugar you eat on a daily basis.
When baking consider using fruit, like applesauce, to sweeten your baked goods.
Stevia is a great natural sweetener and it doesn’t create blood sugar spikes.
Xylitol may or may not be good for you. For some people it creates digestive upset.
Shirley offers her 21 day challenge every November.