Meet RRBC Spotlight Author Sherilyn Powers

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Greetings, wonderful readers. It is my pleasure to share with you Rave Reviews Book Club’s April Spotlight Author Sherilyn Powers. Support this talented author where you can.

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Sure I Have Celiac Disease, But A Small Bit Of Gluten Doesn’t Hurt…

By Sherilyn Powers

 

Oh the times I’ve heard that. And the times I have even thought it, thought myself paranoid because I was so diligent. And the times others have thought me overly cautious, including my own family.

I was lucky when I was diagnosed with Celiac disease.  I had a doctor who really understood the disease and helped me to understand how serious it actually was.

Because of his advice, I carefully checked out labels, learned about the dangers of maltodextrin and MSG being from sources containing gluten, checked for BHT in everything I went to put in my mouth, and learned that caramel could and usually did contain malt, and was almost relieved when something contained only chemicals! At least I could eat chemicals.

As my doctor was far away, I didn’t get to see him after my diagnosis, but I thought I knew what I was doing. I did the best I could to avoid eating gluten and even cross-contamination but after a while, if a bit happened I wasn’t too concerned. I didn’t feel sick, so it was probably ok.

I did find out that many types of prescriptions and supplements contained gluten. Medicines I took daily were contributing to my malaise instead of helping me to get better. Then there were things like toothpaste and mouthwash, cough syrup and cold medication, and even going to the dentist could be a problem. Anything and everything I put in my mouth purposefully or accidentally could, and in most cases would, harm me.

One day someone asked me if I had Celiac disease, why I was still using a certain shampoo. It has wheat germ in it, I was told. But I don’t drink shampoo, I countered. You never get any in your mouth huh, came the response.

Okay, enough is enough. Seriously, should I really pay that strict attention to every single item, even if I don’t feel sick? What if it only says “may contain” or “processed in a facility with wheat products”?

Well, after years of being what I thought was diligent, the doctors found my body was still being exposed to gluten somehow and my anti-bodies were always elevated. Then I realized maybe it was because I was too lax.  But if I wasn’t feeling stomach pain and the other symptoms then should I really worry about it?

As more and more people are being diagnosed with Celiac disease and gluten intolerance, studies are being done to find out exactly how seriously gluten affects people. And the findings aren’t good.

Having Celiac disease isn’t like having a food sensitivity or even mild allergy. With a mild allergy, you might feel gross for a day or break out in a rash or sneeze uncontrollably for a bit. But once that substance is out of your system, you are back to normal again. (I personally believe there are some other long-term effects that people aren’t necessarily attributing to allergies but that’s for another day)

With Celiac disease, those effects are long term and can be life threatening – even if you don’t feel any symptoms from having a small bit of gluten. Eating gluten when you have this disease damages your intestines. Not eating lots of gluten… ingesting any at all. Even if it is the last item on the ingredients list.

As identified by the Mayo Clinic, that intestinal damage can cause “malnutrition… loss of calcium and bone density… infertility and miscarriage … lactose intolerance… cancer, including intestinal lymphoma and small bowel cancer.”

So maybe my being overly cautious isn’t such a bad idea after all. A bit of gluten may not hurt in the short-term, but long-term it could be disastrous.

book cover titled

 

Sherilyn Powers is the author of, I’m Not Crazy… I’m Allergic! You can purchase it at any of the links below:

FriesenPress: http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000009092106

Amazon: (in most Amazon locations): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011WGZT10/?tag=friesenpressc-20

B&N: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/im-not-crazy-im-allergic-sherilyn-powers/1122329150?ean=2940151145718

Kobo:https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/i-m-not-crazy-i-m-allergic-1

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/im-not-crazy…-im-allergic/id1022088586?mt=11

 

 

Resource:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/basics/complications/con-20030410 Diseases and Conditions, Celiac disease, Complications by Mayo Clinic Staff

 

Sherilyn Powers’ contact information:

Facebook:  ​https://www.facebook.com/imnotcrazyimallergic

Twitter: @SPowersINCIA

Website:  http://imnotcrazyimallergic.com

 

36 thoughts on “Meet RRBC Spotlight Author Sherilyn Powers”

    2. Sherilyn Powers

      Thank you John. I used to feel fortunate that most junk food had gluten and so I was safe from being tempted. Now, however, they are making my greatest temptations gluten free! We just can’t win! 🙂 Thanks for coming by!

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  2. Gwen Plano

    A couple of my relatives have helped me understand the seriousness of Celiac disease. And, you have made it even clearer. Thank you for another wonderful post, Sherilyn. And, thank you Beem for hosting.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. Mae Clair

    Wow, Sherilyn, I’m learning so much from your tour! I never thought of Celiac Disease being aggravated by things like medications, shampoos and toothpaste.Apparently, gluten is present in a lot of items I never considered before. It’s wonderful you’re sharing all you’ve learned through your own experiences in your book which will surely be of great help to others!

    Liked by 2 people

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  5. John Fioravanti

    Wow… this is another eye-opener, Sherilyn! I can’t believe how many household products contain gluten – even small, trace amounts! Those long-term effects are downright scary! Thanks for the insights. Thanks for hosting Sherilyn, Beem! I really like the new picture on your site!

    Liked by 2 people

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  6. Jan Hawke

    Yet again you’ve proved that it pays to be totally holistic in your outlook Sherilyn! Like most people I’d tended to think about ‘dietary’ disorders like celiac disease purely as an internal condition, but of course the skin is also an organ and ingests nutrients, so shampoos or body lotions containing wheatgerm would affect you… Wellbeing can be something that’s hard to maintain, but it sure is worth it!
    Beem – loving your new look here! 😀 and thank you for being the gracious host again!

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Sherilyn Powers

      Thank you Jan. It makes me smile when a light of understanding dawns. I’m hoping that it will make it easier, not only for the sufferers, but also for the people around them. Thank you for the support yet again!

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  7. Shirley Harris-Slaughter

    Sherilyn I am learning something new from your post and really enjoy reading them. I’ve been saying this all the time – we need to hold the food industry accountable for wreaking so much havoc on the general public. They play with our lives with no consequences to speak of. It’s really scary. In America, they came up with food stamps to compensate for taking away our ability to farm our own products. Now we’re called lazy for trying to eat nutritious meals with no way on our own to produce them. Thank you so much for sharing what you have learned.

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Sherilyn Powers

      Thank you Shirley! I think we, as consumers, not only have the power but also the responsibility for taking control of our health. Every restaurant I go to I ask for a gluten free menu. Even when I know the menu by heart or I know they don’t have one. It is the demand that can drive the supply. I also ask grocery store suppliers for the types of foods I want and I write the manufacturers for ingredient lists. It sometimes takes a lot of writing and calling, but if enough of us do it, eventually change happens. 🙂

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      1. Shirley Harris-Slaughter

        Sherilyn and enough of us have to do what you are suggesting in order for it to stick. I have contacted the companies of products that I find with questionable ingredients. They try to send you coupons or money to placate you and hope you go away. I bought a lip balm from Burts Bees and my lips blistered horribly. I contacted them and they apologized and said they were having trouble with an ingredient in the product and they sent me a $5 coupon. Too many choices is not necessarily good because in my case I picked up the wrong product thinking I was getting what I normally buy all the time. Wrong!!

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  9. reanolanmartin

    My son has this, and my own MD believes gluten is the root of most autoimmune diseases. As it’s grown today, It’s an inflammatory substance that creates an overactive immune response wherever a person’s vulnerable area may be. Mine is the thyroid. When my doc made me go off gluten for 3 months, my thyroid antibodies dropped radically. I was amazed. The book WHEAT BELLY claims that the lucky people are the ones with celiac, because those folks are forced to eliminate gluten from their diets. People without symptoms will likely pay down the road with medial issues that have progressed too far. Everyone should pay attention to this issue. Great blog.

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Sherilyn Powers

      Thank you Rea, I too believe that I am one of the lucky ones… mostly (except when going to someplace new to eat, but hurrah for the internet!) This disease has expanded my awareness of all sorts of health issues, especially around auto-immune diseases. Thank you for stopping by!

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  10. reanolanmartin

    PS, a simple blood test will tell you if you have gluten antibodies or not. However, you cannot eliminate or reduce gluten intake before the test or the antibodies will not show up.

    Liked by 1 person

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    2. Sherilyn Powers

      Thank you Natalie! I didn’t know either, for many years after my diagnosis. Thankfully it is becoming more well-known, which will make it better for those just being diagnosed. Thank you again for coming by!

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Sherilyn Powers

      Thank you Rebecca! Celiac disease does seem like an allergy in a lot of ways, and I think for most people (sufferers and non-sufferers alike) that is what it is, but as an autoimmune disease it can be more serious in its consequences. Thanks for coming by!

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