You didn't really say that!

It all started when one of The group shared that she had watched a TV program and  discovered that corn doesn't contain gluten, prompting our discussing current buzz words.....as in "gluten intolerant."   I voiced that I was personally of the opinion that while there are those folks out there who must avoid gluten,  much of the hullabaloo about gluten intolerance is that it is just the current buzz word and it's a way to draw attention to self.   The eyebrows did raise when several in the group began to name those is their family that were indeed self-proclaimed "gluten intolerant."

You didn't really say that!

 
Feeling shamed, I came home to do some fact-finding, as best I could.   In the opinion of those who are in the medical field and have done the research, there are those who are diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which foods containing gluten trigger the immune system to attack the small intestine.  Foods containing the wheat, barley and rye grains must be avoided.

Then, there are those who may have gluten allergies.  There are five known allergies and may be triggered by different factors such as pregnancy, child birth, stress, and so on.   I pulled my information from "About Health."

"People have used the term "gluten intolerance" at various times to mean different conditions, all of which have one thing in common: the person involved had a reaction after eating gluten.
The term "gluten intolerance" is now considered to be non-specific and outdated, and the respective condition is instead generally referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). But in years past, clinicians and researchers sometimes used "gluten intolerance" interchangeably with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which foods containing gluten trigger the immune system to attack the small intestine.

"At the same time, others both in and outside the medical community used "gluten intolerance" to refer to people who experienced unpleasant symptoms following gluten ingestion, but who did not have celiac disease.  The differing definitions of "gluten intolerance" generated a fair amount of confusion both among physicians and among people who suffered from a gluten-related disorder.
 
"Now, however, top researchers in the field have stated that they prefer the term "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" to other similar terms, including "gluten intolerance," for someone who gets symptoms from gluten but who does not have celiac disease or another gluten-related disorder. To avoid confusion, these experts are urging the medical community to move away from use of the term "gluten intolerance."

I am truly not making light of the celiac disease,  just trying to put 'gluten intolerance' in perspective....in my mind, anyway.  Continuing with my research, I ran across an article that listed signs and symptons....a list, not all inclusive:

gas, bloating
bone and joint pain
depression
diarrhea
fluid retention
foul smelling stool
persistent hunger
nose bleeding
vertigo
obesity
sometimes the symptons are not clear and the patient just generally feels unwell  (my personal favorite symptom) 

Okay....well, now I have a few of these signs and symptons but I just thought they were associated with growing older, over-eating and not drinking enough water!  Little did I know - I am self-diagnosed gluten intolerant!!



But wait:   The story gets better as I continue to dig myself a little deeper into the pit....another drama word, buzz word, ADHD.   I continued with my opinion to the group that probably all children are not ADHD, but are children who have stored up energy from sitting in front of a television or computer far too long.  They are children of working parents and grandparents who don't have time (or energy)  to deal with their energetic child so medication is their answer.   I'm sure there are children with medical issues, but not every energized child should be grouped in that category.  Some children just need to be pushed out the door with a jump rope or a basketball and gather all the other energized children in the neighborhood to have a bit of fun....so much fun that they will be too tired to beg for chocolate or cola just before bedtime. 

Disclaimer #1:  I eat just about anything and everything that's put in front of me with no adverse reaction....well, maybe some gas or bloating,  fluid retention and obesity.  

Disclaimer #2:  I have no hyperactive children.   I would have pushed them all out the door for a good dose of sunshine and exercise,  friendship gathering and horseplay. 

You may or may not take me seriously.  There are other current buzz words that bug me, but I won't go there.  Not today, anyway.   


End of Story!

Happiness is having a sense of humor even as we hurt.  I'm slowly loosing every acquaintance I once had! 
When, oh when, will I learn to keep my opinions to self? 
















 

12 comments :

  1. Your post made me smile. I tend to have too many opinions, too. People get tired of me very quickly, but I am self-diagnosed ADD. I leave out the H because I am too tired to be hyper. A true story: I was "volunteered" to be the ADHD coordinator for school several years ago. That means I had to attend meetings and do paperwork and keep track of the kids who had medical diagnoses on file. Anyhoo, in the meeting I was told there are 7 (I think) markers for ADHD. If a doctor could identify 4 (again, I think, it's been a while) in a child, he could diagnose the child. I was able to answer yes to 6 of the 7 for myself. I went back to school and asked friends if they agreed. They had a good laugh. Apparently they had diagnosed me years before! I'm so clueless. I did not go to the doctor's: I figure that everyone's been living with my craziness this long.

    I agree with you, though, about the buzz words. I am sure that there are many more people our age who suffered from ADHD but we just "needed to go outside." Chances are that many of today's kids can also benefit from going outside...for many other reasons as well. How many kids suffer from obesity, diabetes, and other illnesses that would benefit from a little sunshine, fresh air, and exercise?

    If going outside could just help opinionated people!

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    1. I am self-diagnosed ADHD so I suppose that's why I stay so busy all the time. Myself will not/ cannot sit still for any length of time and I don't even eat chocolate or drink colas! Through the years I ran and danced and jumped rope and did all sort of physical to keep my activity heading in the right direction. There was never a conversation in my house about being medicated....it was more "don't slam the door on your way outside to play." In my wishfulness, I wish more parents were like mine in that they taught me to search for the best way for me to adapt to a situation rather than taking the easy (medicated) way out of it.

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  2. I am allergic to a pot of foods, including gluten. Gluten causes severe eczema in me. However, I do agree with you. Gluten has become a bandwagon thing. I was on vacation wit some people this summer and one of the women told me she was gluten intolerant. The truth was that she had no real idea what gluten is. Every meal she ate stuff with gluten. She thought gluten meant bread. It's people like that that make it difficult for real allergy sufferers. I get a lot of eye rolls when I mention my allergies.

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  3. Thanks for your thoughts Vicki. As a follower of your blog and newsletter, I do know that you must be careful about your every bite. Truly, it is not you that I am opinionated about....it is the other 99????. In my research, I read that only 1 in 1 million suffer from celiac disease so that seems to put your vacationing acquaintance in the majority along with the self-diagnosed gluten intolerant who have the symptom as described in my post list. One article I read mentioned that this trend, as most do, will pass. We can only hope.

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  4. If I were a schoolteacher, every 45 minutes I'd just have the kids stand up and do jumping jacks for 5 minutes. They'd probably be less fidgety that way :)

    Saw you on the over 40 group / came over since I like to quilt too : )

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  5. Agree, Deb....jumping jacks should be mandatory classroom activity from pre-k through med school. Might help those up and coming docs out there evaluate a less invasive remedy for an over-active kid.

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  6. I just love an opinionated person! I am a self diagnosed opinionated person. I completely agree with your statements about Gluten intolerance and ADHD. I am THAT Person. I was diagnosed with Celiac disease over five years ago. Gluten intolerance is a real problem for those that have the disease because it waters the seriousness of the disease down. Restaurants have gluten sensitive menus...what the hell is that. I can't have it...it's not a sensitivity. I also have a child with ADHD. We choose not to medicate our child but it made for very difficult times in our house. I'm a very active person & I had the luxury of being with my children when they weren't in school...but that isn't always the case & sometimes parents have to make different choices.
    Keep expressing your opinions...celebrate them.

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    1. Thanks, Leah, for your positive input. I will continue to be expressive because I just don't want to help myself keep quiet when I have something to say about the subject at hand. The problem (one of them) is that I live in The Bible Belt of society....meaning that it's okay for some to stand at the podium and preach their beliefs, but not all. Perhaps I'm too emphatic with my opinion!!!

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  7. Hi! My Dad has Celiac Disease it was hard to diagnose back before it was a buzz word. It is hereditary in his family, he had a brother die from it because they could never figure out his diarrhea problem. My sister has it..so far I have escaped.
    Back when Dad was diagnosed there were no good recipes Gluten FREE...now there are many and noodles and baking mixes that are gluten free and there is even a beer! It has been an adventure especially at first when he was diagnosed even in the hospital the dieticians didn't have a clue.
    Oh I came over from the New Facebook group! :)

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    1. Truly, I have so much sympathy for those who suffer from this dreadful disease and am thankful that medical research has been so progressive. I continue, however to feel that if those who are just jumping on the attention-getting bandwagon would get off the wagon, then those who truly need the full attention of their doctor, would get the expert attention they deserve. Yes, I know you from the facebook group, but even before that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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  8. Oh you suffer from Foot In Mouth DIsease too. Me too...sad is'nt it? LOL.

    Opinions are what make the world go round, and not everyone is going to agree with them, life is like that.

    Jen

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    1. Jen, I am continually making every attempt to 'zip-it' with not much success, so I just have to keep my sense of humor and move on to the next faux pas.

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