Over the past month, we've done a number of demonstrations at Whole Foods stores in the Southeast. It has been an exciting adventure so far - introducing many customers to almond flour for the first time, explaining why we use the ingredients we use, and sharing stories with customers.
But what has been especially striking is that with each demonstration we encounter more people with food allergies and auto-immune diseases. This past weekend, one particular family stands out. A mother approached the demonstration stand to learn about the low glycemic index, low carbohydrate baking mixes. Her daughter had recently been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Crohn's Disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, arthritis, skin rashes, or anemia. Like many auto-immune diseases, it has become increasingly common in the past five years; incidence of the disease has risen 25% in the general population and as much as 56% among adolescents.
However, one of the promising treatments for Crohn's disease is in diet. This is true for many auto-immune diseases and especially for Crohn's. Here, many people have seen drastic improvements, and some even fully recovered from Crohn's, when they reduced carbohydrate intake, eliminated gluten & dairy & soy, and identified & eliminated individual-specific trigger foods. With food allergies, it is often a difficult to figure out all of the issues at play, but it is exciting to think diet can greatly alleviate and even cure symptoms.
Leave a comment