Doing what I do, I have a lot of folks come to me with problems like heartburn, constipation, gas and bloating—things that make you think right off the bat, “That’s a digestive issue.” But what about problems like fatigue or weight gain? Even allergies, joint pain or skin problems? What a lot of people don’t realize is that all of these things are connected, and they all come back to your gut.

I have a new book coming out called The Road to Perfect Health, and in it I talk about the vast numbers of bacteria in your body, especially in your digestive tract (which is where roughly 80 percent of your natural defenses are found). And when a healthy digestive balance is upset because of things like poor diet, stress or other factors, the result can be not only poor digestion, but a total breakdown in health.

If you’ve been having persistent health problems that you and your doctor just can’t seem to figure out no matter what you try, it may be time to look at what’s going on in your gut. And to do that, there are two absolutely essential tests that I recommend starting with. One is called a comprehensive stool analysis (CDSA or CSAP) and it’s really pretty remarkable. It evaluates your poop (now don’t cringe, this is important!) and looks at things like how you are digesting your food, as well as your levels of good and bad bacteria, whether pathogenic organisms such as C. difficile are present, what your yeast levels are, and if there are parasites in the gut.

The CDSA will also show you whether you have Leaky Gut Syndrome or inflammation in your digestive system, and it will show you how well your gut immunity is working, along with important gut health markers such as pH, blood, short-chain fatty acids and even how well your pancreas is functioning. These are all extremely important aspects of gut health that together can help you get to the bottom of what is going on in the rest of your body. Again, I can’t stress enough how connected your overall health is to what’s going on in your gut!

The other test is a gluten sensitivity test. Why gluten sensitivity? Because wheat gluten is a major (if not the worst) food irritant to the digestive system, and it is in a huge number of products on the market today—not just bread. Seriously folks, more than 40 percent of Americans are gluten sensitive and most don’t even know it, and 2 million of those have a serious autoimmune disorder called celiac disease, which causes the body to try to attack gluten in the system. And because even a lot of GI doctors don’t understand the difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, most will either label you as having celiac or nothing, which can be extremely frustrating when you don’t feel well and are trying to figure out what’s wrong (read more about this here).The bottom line is that people are having all these problems which could lead to bigger problems later on, and the reality is those problems can be helped.

Both of these tests are non-invasive and can be done right at home (visit www.labtestingdirect.com and www.enterolab.com for more information). Then, all you have to do is send the tests to the lab for analysis (prepaid envelopes are provided) and hopefully take the first step toward getting your health back on track. If they seem expensive, think about it this way: how much money do you spend each week or each month on frivolous things you really don’t need? Isn’t your health a hundred times more important than a $4 latte every morning? And even if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost right away, you may be eligible for reimbursement, so I beg you—make this investment in your health. It’s worth it to get to the root of your problems and start enjoying the vibrant health and energy you deserve!!

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Summary:
In this video blog I discuss Celiac Disease. In a recent study performed by the Mayo Clinic they found that celiac disease is more common today than it was 50 years ago? What is celiac disease? Why is it more common today than 50 years ago. Tune and in find out…

Full Script:
I recently read an article about the incidence of celiac disease today compared to the 1950’s. According to findings of a Mayo Clinic study celiac disease is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago. It now affects about one in one hundred people.

For those of you who do not know – Celiac disease is when the presence of a protein called gluten from grains such as wheat, barley or rye triggers an immune system attack upon the small intestine. This can cause severe damage and result in long term health problems.

A Dr. Murray of the Mayo Clinic study stated “Something has changed in our environment to make it much more common. ….we don’t know why”

Is it really that hard to figure out? How about correlating it with the huge increase in processed carbohydrates people eat today compared to the 1950’s. Wheat gluten is a major, if not the worst, food irritant to the digestive system. It is an ingredient in a huge number of products on the market, not just bread, as some may think. If a product contains wheat, it contains gluten.

I challenge you to take a look in your cupboards for this ingredient or how many food items you have that contain wheat. Look at the packaging label on the products your about to purchase. Those already on a wheat and gluten free diet know how tricky it is to find gluten free products. Luckily, most health food stores have an entire section dedicated to just these type of foods.

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Brenda Watson, celiac disease, digestive system, gluten, gluten diet, health problems, immune system, mayo clinic, processed carbohydrates, wheat free diet, wheat gluten