High-wage earning food marketers have successfully convinced most people that eating yogurt is vital for good health. Several brands promote their yogurts as a probiotic-containing superfood. Yogurt is also loaded with calcium, vital for bone density. So is yogurt a superfood?

Yogurt is most often a gluten-free food. It would make sense to incorporate yogurt into a gluten-free diet for gut health (thanks to the probiotics).

Greek yogurt, barely a blip in total sales of yogurt a mere handful of years ago, now accounts for roughly 35% of all yogurt sales, and the number continues to rise.

Creamier and thicker, Greek-style yogurt is now produced by all major yogurt brands, not only by specialty-niche yogurt purveyors. Is Greek healthier than regular yogurt? If you’re sensitive to lactose (milk protein), Greek yogurt may be more amenable to your digestive tract because, at least in traditional Greek yogurt preparations, whey, one of the major milk proteins, is strained out through a cloth.

If you truly love yogurt, Greek-style or not, and have no trouble digesting it (yogurt causes bloating in some people, not merely the lactose-intolerant), continue to eat it. However, most yogurts’ nutritional profile do not reflect the superfood status bestowed by marketers.

Sugar Negates the Benefits of Probiotics

Most yogurts have lots of sugar. Single serving cups contain as much as 25 grams of sugar (that’s a lot). Any flavored yogurts (anything other than plain, even vanilla) contain lots of added sugar.

If you’re going to eat yogurt, eat the whole-fat variety and plain. Whole-fat will keep you full longer and contains the least amount of sugar. Add a handful of berries and raw stevia to naturally sweeten your yogurt. Throw in some raw sliced almonds. The natural fat from the nuts will also slow down the release of insulin caused by the milk sugars.

Pasteurization Kills the Natural Probiotics

The main selling point of yogurt is its probiotic profile. Yes, yogurt does have cultures (living microorganisms that help us digest our food and prevent bad bacteria from overpopulating the gut). But all commercial yogurt is made from pasteurized milk.

Pasteurization, once a God-send in the age of pre-refrigeration, preventing food-borne pathogens, is nonetheless the equivalent of a nuclear bomb exploding on dairy. The process does not distinguish between good bacteria and bad.

Though it’s difficult to tell if added cultures to yogurt are as effective for gut health as unpasteurized (‘raw’) dairy, in most cases natural foods are far superior than lab-produced varieties.

Formerly isolated traditional villages in the Swiss Alps (up to the early 20th century) produced their own raw yogurt and enjoyed lifetimes free of chronic disease. Truly healthy yogurt was handmade in small batches and from unpasteurized milk.

Because raw milk is illegal to buy in most states, it’s wise to eat other fermented foods for good health (read this Miracle Noodle blog to learn more about fermented foods).

For those with compromised immune systems or digestive tracts (the two are often linked), the probiotic count in conventional yogurt, whether Greek-style or not, may be insufficient. Ask your naturopathic care provider if a probiotic supplement would be recommended for your health.

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One of the biggest complaints about going gluten free is the cost. Gluten free foods are usually more expensive than their wheat flour counterparts. Gluten free pretzels are at least a few more bucks than regular ones. Same goes for cookies, bread, bagels, waffles...you name it.

But are gluten free diets always more expensive? Does a gluten free diet absolutely have to leave you with less money in your wallet at the end of the month?

No...but only if you know what to shop for.

The easiest way to eat an inexpensive gluten free diet is to buy lots of fresh vegetables, especially green ones, like broccoli, kale, asparagus, spinach, green beans, etc….

If at every meal, including breakfast (be it in an omelette or juice) if you fill up on veggies, getting most of your calories from them, you won’t be spending any more money than you would on a regular gluten-filled diet. You may even save money.

Lean, wild, pasture-raised and organic meats and fish are all gluten-free. These items are usually expensive but because they are gluten-free they aren’t costing you any more than a non gluten-free diet. If you eat very small portions of meat/fish, say, the size of one fist, a pound of humanely-raised meat or fish can be split up into several portions.

Nuts and seeds are gluten free as well. A handful of walnuts, almonds or cashews can keep you going in between your major meals for several hours. You can also combine nuts and seeds with a half-serving of fruit, another gluten-free option. Half an organic Granny Smith apple with some nuts packs a nutrient-dense gluten-free caloric punch.

If you must eat bread, this might be the one item you’ll have to be willing to pay a little extra for. Beware, though of gluten-free breads that have their primary ingredients as corn or potato starch and include maltodextrin. These breads usually have very little fiber and get digested too quickly, leaving you craving more and more high-starch foods. (For more on gluten free breads, read this.)

Learn to make and bake your own bread using almond or coconut flour to save lots of money. Almond flour is high in protein.

If you buy lots of gluten-free snacks, yes, you will end up spending far more money than you would. But if you eat at least 2 meals a day (breakfast and lunch) that are packed with lots of low-starch vegetables, healthy fats like avocado, olive oil and nuts or seeds, you can eat a lighter dinner consisting of a salad or soup (like our Miso Marvellous Instant Noodle Soup) and a little snack of cheese, yet another gluten-free food that won’t break the bank.

Eating nutrient dense foods at every meal and snack will curb cravings for salty or sweet foods. Even if it’s gluten-free, remember, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy...for your body and your wallet.

To your health, 

The Miracle Noodle Team

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Are you taking high doses of probiotics every single day? Billions and billions of CFU’s (colony forming units)? Not sure? Think you might be because you eat yogurt often? Think again. If you’re not 100% gluten-free, probiotic supplementation could help you digest gluten.

As more and more studies reveal the nature of the human biome, the collection of tens of trillions of microscopic critters that live in our bodies rent-free, and outnumber our human cells by at least a factor of ten, researchers are now armed with data that demonstrates certain bacteria strains’ ability to digest gluten.

In the infancy of human biome decoding, ‘way back in 2008,’ a study published in Clinical and Experimental Immunology concluded Bifidobacterium lactis bacteria inhibit the toxic effects induced by wheat gliadin.

In other words, what this promising (albeit small study; the researches advocated further testing) suggested was that this specific strain of friendly bacteria helps break down one of the major proteins found in wheat that is responsible for many symptoms of gluten sensitivity.

But even if you’re eating yogurt regularly (read this about yogurt on another gluten-free blog), the amount of probiotics might not be enough to colonize your gut with enough friendly bacteria.

Traditional cultures, lacking probiotic supplements of the modern age, innately knew that fermented foods, such as sea vegetables and miso paste (an ingredient in Miracle Noodle’s Miso Marvellous instant noodle soup; only 40 calories) are good for the gut.

One Miracle Noodle customer who is a reader of this gluten-free blog recently emailed us and told us how he started taking at least 1-2 multi-strain probiotic capsules, each with 10 billion CFU’s. He started doing this a year ago, he claimed. Prior to taking the probiotics, he reported getting chronic sinus infections, bloating in the belly, congestion and mental lethargy; lots of caffeine was required in order for him to function at work.

Today, our happy Miracle Noodle customer writes that after a year-plus of religiously taking probiotics, in other words, never skipping a day, even while on vacation, he doesn’t suffer at all from congestion or runny, itchy, watery eyes, which were frequent symptoms post-gluten consumption.

Does that mean you can eat all the gluten you want and as long as you are supplying your gut with enough probiotics to fend off the bad bacteria (researchers currently say that the optimal balance is 80 percent good bacteria)?

Probably not. The only way to make sure you don’t experience gluten sensitivities is to eat a 100% gluten-free diet.

But the new research is promising. Even those with autoimmune disorders from gluten, i.e. Celiac’s Disease, can benefit from probiotic supplementation.

Miracle Noodle, although founded by a doctor, Jonathan Carp, M.D., is not in the business to recommend which brand of supplements to take, nor which strains would benefit your individual biochemistry. We cannot diagnose what ails you or what would make you better.

But the research is out there. It is promising. After years of suffering from gluten allergies and sensitivities, we are perhaps about to enter a new paradigm where our general physicians may prescribe probiotics for us. In the meantime, consult with a trusted health professional who has a thorough understanding of functional medicine and nutrition.

To your health,

The Miracle Noodle Team

The 4+ multi-billion dollar gluten-free industry is growing by leaps and bounds, gluten free chip by gluten free chip. It's expected to crack $6 billion within a couple years.

Over two-thirds of the U.S. population purchased at least one gluten-free item in 2012. That would be awesome if that product was Miracle Noodle because shirataki noodles are beneficial for health.

But what about the myriad other gluten-free products that have seemingly sprouted (no pun intended, though some healthy gluten-free products are sprouted, such as healthy bread) overnight into every supermarket aisle?

Gluten-free waffles, cakes, cookies, chips, even shampoo!

What does it mean exactly when a label says “gluten-free?”

In August, 2013, the FDA finally defined what gluten-free means.

This is a big relief for millions of Americans who are choosing to go gluten-free because they think it’s healthier, or, in the case of 3 million Americans who have Celiac Disease, absolutely know that going gluten-free is in their best health interest (The 1% of Americans that do have this autoimmune disease risk serious intestinal trouble such as cancer.)

And for those that don’t have Celiac but believe a gluten-free diet is healthier, though it may not be, it’s still a relief that the FDA rolled out guidelines.

The magic number that the FDA came up with: 20 parts per million.

By August of 2014, food producers will be forced to comply with the new labeling standards; theoretically, if a food tested at 21 parts per million, it would not be considered gluten-free.

The new, finite guidelines are sure to provide comfort to those who need to completely avoid gluten.

But watch out for foods that claim they are “free of gluten,” “without gluten,” “contain no gluten,” or any other labeling claim other than “gluten-free.” If you come across a food with any other label than “gluten-free” and that food is 21 parts per million or greater, the food is misbranded.

How can you know, though, that a food is 20 parts per million, or 21?

It can be difficult at times to ascertain but if you look up a brand on reputable Celiac or gluten-free websites, you’ll be sure to do your due diligence.

And one more cautionary tale in gluten-free labeling: do you really need a label on, say, a bag of apples to inform you that the apples are “gluten-free?” Of course not. Don’t be duped by the marketing hype of gluten-free foods. But do look for alternatives to high-starch gluten-containing grains.

We can think of a few right here.

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The idea for a 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conceived, says the researchers, because “studies of mortality in celiac disease have not taken small-intestinal pathology into account.”

In other words, prior to this study, no researchers ever determined if the cause of death of people with celiac disease (1% of the U.S. population who have a critical autoimmune response to gluten) died prematurely because of inflammation in the gut or heart disease, also caused by inflammation.

The study was fairly large, with over 29,000 biopsies taken from 1969 to 2008. The tissues examined were from the duodenum and jejunum, which are two components of the small intestine.

Of the 29,000+ study subjects, over 3,000 died from full-blown celiac disease and almost another 3,000 from chronic inflammation of the intestine (but not necessarily 100% caused by celiac disease).

Although the study concludes, “Risk of death among patients with celiac disease, inflammation, or latent celiac disease is modestly increased,” there are two concerns.

First is that why risk even a modest increase in the likelihood of dying prematurely just to satisfy your cravings for gluten-filled breaks and other baked goods with wheat?

Second, if you look at the math of this study, the rates of mortality are far more higher than the researcher’s conclusion of ‘modestly increased.’

As Blood Sugar Solution author and functional medicine specialist Dr. Mark Hyman points out in this study, “There was a 39 percent increased risk of death in those with celiac disease, 72 percent increased risk in those with gut inflammation related to gluten, and 35 percent increased risk in those with gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease.”

It’s doubtful that Hyman would agree with the study’s authors that the risk of death is only modestly increased because of long-term gluten consumption.

Hyman’s own conclusion is that you don’t have to be in the tiny minority--1%--of people who have celiac disease to have intestinal damage from gluten, or even risk dying earlier.

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Get 15% off every order by enrolling in the Miracle Noodle auto ship program. Choose 
 which products you want delivered and how often. It’s that simple. JOIN TODAY!
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