Review of Elaine Gottschall's diet in relation to celiac disease

[Guest guest]

As with any diet or " cure " research it well and talk to your Dr. This

letter was so well done, I just felt I should share it with you all. I

can relate to what this lady has said about herself and her daughter.

Amy

 

 

 

Review of Elaine Gottschall's diet in relation to celiac disease

 

 

 

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Fax to: Elaine Gottschal

J. Stenberg, RR #1, Holstein, Ont., NOG 2AO, Canada

 

November 6, 1996

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Ms. Gottschall:

 

After reading not one, but two scathing reviews on your book Breaking

the Vicious Cycle, I want to let you know that I disagree with both of

them, and would like to have my say in your defense.

 

The reviews in the Canadian Celiac Association newsletters (Spring and

Summer, 1996) are irresponsible and in my opinion, enough to alarm any

starving gluten intolerant soul in to bypassing your book and robbing

themselves of an opportunity to get well.

 

First a bit about me. After eight years of mysterious symptoms, dozens

of doctors, gruelling, and often humiliating tests and general misery I

discovered I was gluten intolerant. I probably would never have figures

it out if it hadn't been for my sister.

 

After checking herself into a psychiatric ward in Vancouver, an

observant nurse and doctor deduced that all my sister's miseries were

linked to celiac disease. (A positive biopsy confirmed that she was

indeed celiac.) Because of her history, my doctor and I discovered that

gluten was also the cause of my maladies. I had no desire to go back on

gluten to have the biopsy done. My doctor and specialist are both aware

of my condition and the decision not to have the biopsy. Since my

" assumptive " diagnosis, there have been two more positive biopsies in

our family. My eight-year-old daughter has also since been diagnosed a

celiac. My gastroenterologist and I decided the biopsy was unnecessary

and unless further problems developed, she should remain on a

gluten-free diet too.

 

Unfortunately, for both my daughter, another sister (in Manitoba) and I,

the gluten-free diet did not work. Some symptoms were arrested, but none

of us were thriving and we just weren't absorbing food. (My sister in

Vancouver and a niece in Alberta have been successful with the

fluten-free diet however.)

 

A friend of mine (suffering from M.S.) recommended your book. She told

me that although it wasn't curing her, it was definitely helping her

live a healthier life.

 

To make a long story short, we found the diet (for whatever reason) to

be a godsend. Contrary to J. A. Campbell's point (#4), " The diet is very

restrictive and difficult to prepare... " , I find all but the pizza

recipe (where you have to squeeze water out of a zucchini a snap to

cook) very easy. The almond muffins are no more difficult to prepare

than any other kind of muffin. (In fact, easier, because you make the

whole thing in one food processor - no dishes, no fuss.) I can make the

yoghurt in my sleep and everyone (including guests) loves it. As for the

zucchini, if I'm organized, I just let it drain from a strainer for ages

and sill end up with a good pizza.

 

 

 

 

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As for not being nutritious, I have never been healthier. My daughter,

once a sicly (often whiney) withdrawn child with thin heair and dark

circles under her eyes is outgoing, rosy cheeked and happy. Everyone has

noticed her thick, shiny hair. In fact, she ran a marathon in Owen Sound

this year and placed 15th out of 79 children. Last year she ran the same

race (before the diet) and placed 53rd, arrived weepy and slept all the

way home in the car.

 

Tackling the diet is overwhelming to be sure. Anything different is a

challenge. Instead of diving in headfirst, I tried one recipe at a time.

My sister (skeptical of your diet) visited me last summer and I showed

her how to change her kitchen, shopping habits and cooking. She loved

the food but didn't notice that some of her symptoms had disappeared

until she went home and went back on the gluten-free diet. She is now

back on your diet and happy with it.

 

In #1, in the review by Mavis Molloy, she states that " ...it is both

expensive and time consuming to prepare. " Good food is time consuming to

prepare, no matter what kind of diet it is. As for expense, again good,

real food costs more than convenience food, but I find you need less

real food than what most of us are used to eating to get the right

amount of nutrition. And has she ever priced gluten-free bread? Rice

flour? Not to mention the new gluten free treats that are being churned

out (many fo them heavily-laden with new and exciting (untested)

ingredients?

 

She also says " ...that it is unnecessary to eliminate... starches such

as corn, rice, potato, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. " So far I

haven't met any celiacs who don't have problems with corn, and buckwheat

isn't exactly a hit either.

 

The most important fact about your book is totally missed by both

reviewers. It boils down to common sense. I find you are very careful

about explaining why and how things don't and do work - right down to

common sense things like if you have four muffins at once, no matter

what they're made of, they're not going to work. You'd be amazed at how

many people don't have enough common sense to see why moderation is so

important. If you're not absorbing nutrients it doesn't matter what your

disease is called or who has researched what, it's time to try something

else, before drugs and scalpels are necessary. As we know, radical

surgery and drugs often cure the immediate problem but open the doors to

others.

 

 

 

 

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I have been on the diet since January, 1996, still have a way to go, but

my life has changed drastically since. I have much more enery, cirtually

no pain anywhere (before my list of symptoms was endless) and no longer

spend half my life in the bathroom where my life was literally going

down the drain. I was underweight, had dry pale skin, dull-looking dry

eyes, suffered from hair loss and was generally miserable. Now I am

actively pursuing my art interests (something I always had inside me,

but didn't have the energy or drive to tackle it.)

 

Had I seen and heeded the alarming " Celiac Beware " headline in the CCA

Newsletter before I tackled " Breaking the Vicious Cycle " , I'd be too

tired to even write a letter like this.

 

Feel free to use my letter (or me for that matter.) There's enough

unnecessary suffering out there and there is nothing to lose by trying

this book. Sincerely

 

Jennifer Stenberg.

[Guest guest]

Amy

 

I felt the same way as this writer when we tried Kierstin with this. She still

had breakthrough symptoms before and if we can stick her to this she doesn't,

but it is costly and much of it goes against how we prefer to eat. I think I

told you we have allowed meat back into the diet and yoghurt but we stopped

there.

 

I think Elaine's work has been very maligned in medical science but then ...

what's so new about that. The AAAAI doesn't even recognize clincial ecology as

a valid medical specialty and the first people to ever look into allergies were

" classic " clinical ecologists - sigh.

 

BL