Dr. Dana Schmidt ND

Being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, such as celiac, can feel like you have been dealt a low blow.

But you can figure it out so that you are the victor over this situation, not the victim of the situation.

It’s how you choose to look at it.

These peanut butter cookies have been our favorite this summer.

My three-year-old loves to roll them into balls, and is learning to make the indentations with a fork.

These cookies are so simple to make. Only three ingredients. Well, four if you count the salt.

1 cup of peanut butter
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1 organic pastured raised egg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix ingredients together. At first it may seem impossible that the egg and peanut butter will combine. They will.

Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll into ball. Place on parchment paper. Press down balls with a fork and make a criss-cross design if desired.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!).

Makes about a dozen cookies.

Not eating wheat and other gluten products is not the end of the world.

At the beginning of trying to eat gluten-free, it can feel like you have to give up all your favorite goods.

Guess what?

You'll start to have new favorite foods that nourish and heal your body.

You’ll discover how to live vibrantly gluten-free!

Even though you have every good reason to believe that the pizza is gluten-free, be careful.

If gluten pizza is being cooked in the same oven or kitchen, you run a risk of being glutened.

Be careful out there!

For dinner I like to have a protein, a lot of veggies, and maybe a few grains.

Usually, I avoid grains, as I feel better going grain free.

But my husband and kids like rice and gluten-free pasta, so we usually have that as an option.

Also, at dinner we cook extra so that we have goodies for breakfast and lunch bowls.

Okay, you got me. My favorite lunch is probably also a “throw” bowl.

The same but different.

I tend to keep hard boiled eggs in the frig as they are a great go-to for snacks and bowls. Organic pastured raised eggs are preferred.

For lunch I like to add a bit of dressing…tahini/tamari, peanut sauce, or a simple mayonnaise.

Add in some gluten free crackers and it is a delicious lunch, and easy to pack when you are trying to get out the door in the morning.

Especially when you have a five and a three-year-old!

I can prepare this in the evening and it is good to go in the morning.

One of my favorite breakfasts is what I call a “throw bowl”.

I throw a little bit of everything in a bowl, especially those little bits that you might be tempted to throw out since there isn’t enough for a full meal.

I start with a handful of greens, add whatever other veggies I have, some protein, some fruit, and some nuts. Maybe I drizzle some good quality olive oil on top or sqiueeze some lemon or lime juice on top.

I also like to add springs of parsley, cilantro or basil and they are dense with healing nutrients.

Buy and kep “goodies’ in your frig, then you can throw together something in a hurry.

So…as we go gluten-free, we lessen the load on our inflamed intestinal system.

Going gluten-free, though, requires that we eat differently.

No bread. No pasta. No pizza. No bagels. No cookies.

In the beginning it can feel depressing to give up all your favorite foods.

But we can have fun doing it!

With celiac disease there is more to healing that just going gluten-free. (As if that weren’t hard enough!)

Your gut also has to heal.

And that healing slowly extinguishes your autoimmune fires, the inflammation that is all over your body.

Step by step, you can learn to put out your autoimmune fires.

As I say, becoming gluten-free is the first step to healing from celiac disease.

Without gluten, your autoimmune fires don’t have the fuel they need to keep raging.

As inflammation diminishes, nutritional foods are added, your gut begins to heal itself.

First, though, we need to stop feeding the fires!

For me, being gluten-free has allowed me to live my life.

Travel. Children. Marriage. Career. Friends. Family.

The list goes on.

Gluten-free for me means feeling healthy.

Jump for joy!

It’s odd that when we get a diagnosis, at times we can be at a loss for words.

For me, questions seem to come about 2 am.

As you have questions, write them down.

Then ask the right people to help you find the answers.

Whether that is doctor, nurse, trusted friend, or doctor provided resources, be sure to ask the right people for help.

Another aspect of asking for what you need.

It's okay to ask as many questions as you need to understand your treatment plan.

You need information and understanding that information to heal.

Ask for what you need.

When you are dealing with an autoimmune disorder, like celiac, there is so much to learn.

Plus, there seems to be so much new terminology.

And how do you figure out if something is gluten-free?

It can seem overwhelming. Because it is!

Be sure to ask your doctor for the information resources you need.

You also might want to check out my Celiac Doctor Guides on my website.

There you'll find straightforward information to help you on your way.

When you have a condition like celiac, it becomes essential that you learn to ask for what you need.

Gluten free doesn't fall into your lap.

You have to ask for it. You have to explain what it is and what it isn't.

And sometimes you have to send back that salad with croutons.

It's okay. A healthy you makes a healthier world.

Sometimes we can figure stuff out on our own.

Sometimes we can't.

And sometimes we just get faster results when we ask for help.

Maybe the first person we ask doesn't have the information we need, but the more we ask the more likely we are to connect to the information we need.

Don't be shy. Speak up for what you need.

Sleep may be the most overlooked health benefit we have.

The temptation is to do "just one more thing" before we head to bed. Don't!

Keeping a regular bedtime and wake up schedule with 7 to 8 hours of sleep is a key to a healthier you.

Feeling stressed?

Listening to your breathing is a simple way to help calm your body.

In and out!

You're going to be more successful developing an exercise habit when you focus on doing activities you enjoy.

Do what you enjoy, then just do more of it.

Hope you can enjoy and appreciate the Fourth of July with friends and family!

If you haven't already done so, I invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter.

Each Sunday morning you'll get a health tip and one of my favorite gluten-free recipes.

Easy and simple!

Sign up here:

Use the link in my bio to sign up.

To me this principle of prevention dovetails with the principle of doctor as teacher.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We teach to help others prevent illness and to direct them towards health.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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One way to prevent ingesting gluten when you have celiac is to ALWAYS CHECK THE LABELS.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Even though you may have used a product for years, always check the labels.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The mayonnaise you have used for years and think is safe can make a minor modification in their recipe, and there you are...sick.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are preventative steps you can take to help you accelerate your healing.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Eating an anti-inflammatory diet helps put out the autoimmune fires that cause celiac symptoms.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you haven't already done so, I invite you to join my complimentary 5-day challenge to Clean Out The Gluten.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Over five days I'll send you check lists to help you go through your home and create a safe haven for healing. Most folks say they've been able to do the challenge in about 20 minutes a day over five days.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To join the challenge, use the link below. I look forward to having you in the challenge.

https://drdanaschmidt.com/join-the-clean-out-the-gluten-challenge/

We are complex beings. Miracles.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Illness is a sign that there is something that needs to be addressed in our lives.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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That chronic headache may be rooted in the fact that we hate our hour commute to work every day. Pain reliever may help for the short term, but what is the long term fix? What is the healthy fix?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We have to treat the whole person. Their physical life. Their social life. Their emotional life. Their mental life.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Our symptoms stem from imbalance in our lives and that affects our entire being.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yes, we can treat the headache. But when we treat the whole person and not just their symptoms, healing truly begins.

It seems obvious, doesn't it?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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First do no harm.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Surgery, potent drugs and more should be the last resort, except, of course, in terms of emergencies.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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First we work to give the body the essentials it needs to heal and grow. The right nutrients. Sunlight. Warmth. A healing space for physical and emotional growth.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We learn to love our bodies for the miracles they are.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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First, do no harm.

Identify and treat the cause vs treat the symptoms.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yes, we want to help you feel better and alleviate discomfort and pain.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In the case of celiac, if you only treat the symptoms the disease progresses day by day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Treat the cause, which is the body's autoimmune response to gluten and other substances, then healing can begin.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The healing power of nature breaks loose in an environment where the factors for healing are present.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Keep asking "why" until you find and identify the cause of your discomfort. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As a naturopathic physician I'm part detective as we work together to identify and treat the cause.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Before you take that pain pill for a headache, ask yourself why you have a headache. Keep asking why until you can see the cause. It may surprise you what you find.

In today's world of so many doctors' visits being ten minutes, or less, this old idea of doctor as teacher is at risk of being lost.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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With so many options and much information available to us, I see it as more critical than ever that we each have a doctor who will teach us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The human body doesn't come with an operation manual.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What a gift it is when we have a doctor who can guide us, and be there to help us figure out the confusing information of how to be our healthy best selves.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Doctor as teacher, as guide, as your partner in health.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Another important facet of naturopathic medicine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Is doctor as teacher an important concept for you?

Isn't it amazing that we don't have to tell our lungs to breath, our hair to grow, or a cut to scab over. We have healing powers within us as long as we give our body the elements it needs to heal and grow.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To thrive, trees need good soil full of the right nutrients, warmth, light, and enough space to reach their full canopy. As I watch trees in a wind storm, I see, too, that they need flexibility and resilience to deal with the influences of the natural world.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Though we are different than trees, our needs are similar in terms of on-target nutrition, warmth, light, along with an environment that will allow us to reach our full potential.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We need the emotional and social skills to deal with the storms of life, skills that help us with resiliency and flexibility.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As a naturopathic physician, I work to help you create an environment to grow, heal and thrive.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The healing power of nature. A key principle of naturopathic medicine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What are you doing and learning to create your special place to thrive?

There are six foundational principles in naturopathic medicine.

The healing power of nature
Doctor as teacher
Identify and treat the cause
First do no harm
Treat the whole person
Prevention

This six principles form the core of my relationships with patients.

The same goes about what are you drinking.

Folks tend to think they are drinking enough water during the day.

Or they think they don't have that many cups of coffee, tea, sodas, alcoholic beverages, etc. But they do.

Monitor what you drink. Dehydration is not a good thing for your body.

It's always interesting to take a food diary for a week.

Yes, we may think we are eating plenty of vegetables, fresh fruit, protein, water and more.

I invite you to keep track, in writing, everything you eat for the next week.

Are you eating what you think you need for optimum health?

If not, make some adjustments. If yes, keep up the good work!