Like many of the smokers I did take the decision to cease smoking.
And oh boy, do I have reasons for it… I’ll tell you how this got into my mind, it can probably help you and perhaps sparkle the non-smoker part of your brain and allow you to start to think about quitting. Who knows?

The obvious reasons:

• Let’s face it: It stinks.
  Even though I smoked 2 packs of Marlboro a day for 7 years (that’s over 2500 days - about 102,200 cigarettes!) I never liked the smell, neither the taste of it. I didn’t. And probably neither do you. I hate the smell of my office in the morning, and I hated the smell in my car. Actually lately I wouldn’t smoke in my car. But my office was the worst part… I work over 12 hours a day on busy days, so imagine the amount of smoke it would be around the walls… and how smoky it smelled. Did I mention the clothes? OMG. As a non-smoker I can now easily identify a smoker just from the smell of their clothes. It’s incredible. Moving on….

• Health: Lung cancer and all the rest
  All of us know that we are particularly at a higher risk of getting lung cancer then everybody else. And that’s not the only thing, is it? I will just give you some facts from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

  ———————————————————————–
  Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 438,000 deaths, or about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year. This estimate includes approximately 38,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure.
  ———————————————————————–
  Cigarette smoking kills an estimated 259,500 men and 178,000 women in the United States each year.
  ———————————————————————–
  More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
  ———————————————————————–
  On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.
  ———————————————————————–
  Based on current cigarette smoking patterns, an estimated 25 million Americans who are alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses, including 5 million people younger than 18.
  ———————————————————————–
  
  How crazy is that?

• You lose the sense of taste, you lose the sense of smell and what not
  Since I stopped smoking, not only my food tastes better but I also got my sense of smell back. Not to mention that smoking can even reduce your libido, hormone production…. your body is much less oxygenated when you smoke. So you cannot deny these facts.
• Social Stigma
  Nowadays smokers are starting to be regarded as sick people, which is true. If you smoke, you’re not normal. I wasn’t, and I still am not (I’m still recovering). It’s a PITA to get out of a non-smoking bar to go outside and have a smoke. It’s serious.

I’m sure you’ll even have more reasons than those but those are the ones on top of my head now.

So how did I decide to quit?
I was watching TV with my girlfriend (my pseudo-wife) just before going to bed, and we started to talk about Smoking. I don’t even remember how the conversation got there actually. But what I remember is what made me quit on that minute. After discussing with her how bad smoking is (she followed my lead and quit too by the way), I paused for like 2 or 3 minutes. I started to ask myself one simple question, which was: “Why do I smoke?”

You guessed it, I couldn’t find a good answer. I could say “Oh yeah I started as a teenager and then the addiction got in” but even that was not a valid reason for me at that time (still isn’t). I also started to think about how better I could be if I didn’t smoke. I mean, how could my general health state improve if I decided to quit? I surfed a little on the internet trying to find those answers and most former smokers say that you start to feel the benefits of not smoking within the first 48 hours. Those are: stamina increase, senses of smell and taste. Those are actually the only ones you’ll feel right away. You’ll have more, but they will take a lot longer to appear.

Well… so far so good. My fear, and biggest fear of all the smokers I know is: Nicotine withdrawal. How could I cope with it, and what could I expect from it?

This is what I gathered at the time:

- Excessive coughing
- Fatigue
- Frustration
- Increased appetite
- Irritability
- Strong urges to smoke
- Tightness in chest
- Headaches

None of those scared me. Perhaps the “Strong urges to smoke” was the worst one, but well… I still decided to carry on.

Compare those withdrawal symptoms to the health issues you can get from cigarette smoking and do the math. What’s better for you?

References: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/tobacco_related_mortality.htm

So you’re already avoiding gluten and feel no improvements?
Try cutting down Lactose and Fructose.

Many Celiac Disease patients are unable to digest other proteins, such as Lactose and Fructose (most common). Remember that your small intestine’s villi is partially damaged, so it does make sense for it not to absorb all the nutrients correctly as it should.

I personally recommend everyone to avoid Fructose and Lactose altogether for immediate symptom relief (so you do not have to chase down the intolerance). Those proteins are VERY difficult to digest by an already damaged intestine. Give your body a break.

Ingredients/Items to eliminate (I said eliminate, not to cut down) on a low-fructose diet:

• Apple
• Dried Apple
• Pineapple
• Applesauce
• Aubergine
• Avocado
• Artichoke
• Pear
• Blackberry
• China Kohl (can be tolerated by some)
• Pea
• Strawberry
• Barley (of course)
• Grapefruit
• Green Cabbage
• Honey
• Kiwifruit
• Lettuce
• Beans of all kinds
• Mango
• Orange
• Carrot (can be tolerated by some)
• Asparagus
• Tomato
• Lemon
• Zucchini
• Onion

As I previously said, you should also try to avoid Lactose if eliminating Fructose does not work. On the worst scenario, you may need to eliminate Lactose and Fructose to obtain symptom relief.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to many conditions due to the fact that it affects the absorption of nutrients that our body naturally needs. If you’d like to learn more about Celiac Disease, please click here to read my article explaining it.

Nearly all celiacs have trouble digesting Lactose. They can be thus considered Lactose Intolerant. But what brings this additional disorder in? Simple: the damaged villi (finger-like or hair-like projections in the small intestin).

When you have Celiac Disease, your villi will get atrophic, making your system unable to break down the Lactose Molecules.

When this happens, you’ll become temporarily (we hope) Lactose Intolerant.
Some (if not most) people are able to reintroduce lactose into their diets after a few months of being Gluten-Free.

The time it takes for the villi to normalize and to be able to break down Lactose greatly varies from individual to individual, so it’s really difficult to say how much time your system will take to recover if you are a Celiac. It can take a few months (never less then 6 months), and it can take up to 2 years in other cases. Your doctor will be the only one able to provide you with a correct estimate for this to happen, with regular intestine biopsies and/or blood tests.

So my ultimate advice for you; if you have Lactose Intolerance and Celiac Disease is to avoid Lactose at all costs during the first months of recovery. Then, after getting permission from your doctor: reintroduce Lactose to your diet. But do it gradually, so you do not get any problems from doing it.

All celiacs like me start to wonder if they can eat this or that everyday. I was CRAVING for a Snickers bar. And I really mean it, it was pretty much like the pregnant’s wishes (lol). Snickers has been with me all my life, it’s my favorite chocolate bar.

So I started my research on that before I bought any.(thank god I educated myself on not buying anything that is gluten free anymore - if there’s just 1 small doubt, I just leave the item on the shelf. Much better then getting sick for 2 days!)

My surprise: Snickers is Gluten-Free! And I bought 3 of them just after I read that 2 are already gone and no I don’t feel anything. So it’s on my safe list.
By the way, Mars is also safe!

ATTENTION: Only the “Classic” Snickers is Gluten-Free. Don’t buy the other ones (Cruncher, Almond). The Almond one WAS gluten-free. As per its manufacturer, gluten has been added to it. So if you used to eat it and started to feel sick, you’ve just got your answer

Vicodin as been extremely popularized with the help of the sitcom “House M.D.“.

Vicodin is a painkiller or analgesic (an opioid one), containing mostly Hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). Most of the pills will have imprinted either “Vicodin ES”, “M357″, “Vicodin HP” or just “Vicodin” (if generic).

Vicodin isn’t unique in any way; in fact it shares characteristics with many other pills both in chemistry and even its shape.
One of the most similar drugs is “Lorcet”. Pictures of both pills bellow.

Side Effects of Vicodin:

“Weak breathing, seizures, clammy skin, severe weakness, dizziness, hyperventilation, unconsciousness, yellowing of eyes or skin, unusual fatigue, bleeding, bruising, constipation, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, muscle twitches, sweating, itching, tinnitus, hearing loss, decreased urination, and decreased sex drive. [4] Vicodin (in terms of hydrocodone) also has depressant effects on the central nervous system. [5] However, some of the less mundane effects can be desirable effects that are sought after by some. Those effects include euphoria and drowsiness, as well as slowing of the pulse.[6] Vicodin has also been linked to causing stomach ulcers, although this is assumed to be due to the addition of other non-narcotic analgesics to hydrocodone preparations (e.g., APAP, aspirin, ibuprofen).”

Overdose symptoms:

Those are actually serious. An overdose of Vicodin can lead you to come or death.
Full symptom list below:

Symptoms of a Vicodin overdose may include slow breathing, coma, dizziness, weakness, seizures, cold and clammy skin, loss of consciousness, confusion, constricted pupils, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, blueing of the tongue, and diaphoresis; an overdose may lead to death.

Source: Wikipedia.org

A good way to put Fox nervous would be to ask them to make Dr. House starting to take Lorcet instead It would do the same trick.
I wonder if they got paid for that. Well, probably not! As per Hugh Laurie, Vicodin as actually an idea from the director, who had to take them for long period of time.

And for the fans of House M.D., here’s the Vicodin Song!

Interesting Lyrics:

i’ve got vicodin
do you want to come over
i know it’s a long drive
from malibu
i got a pocket full of pills
and not one lover
and i’m feeling so bad
and so good
i don’t know what to do….

And to finish the cycle for those who don’t know House M.D. and the doctor’s funny addiction, here’s a video that couldn’t explain it better!

Till next time, later!

You guessed it. I’m a Celiac. And like 100% (I dare to say 100%) of all Celiacs, I have been misdiagnosed half a dozen of times.
Today it’s the liver, tomorrow it’s the mind (yeah I was called hypochondriac indirectly once too, so has been almost every Celiac from what I hear everyday), then it’s the gut, then it can be IBS, then it might be Chron’s Disease… arg!

My advice to the doctors: STOP IT. Stop trying to prove you know something and start listening to people. Accept your mistakes and start looking at your patients CORRECTLY before daring to diagnose something you aren’t even sure the person has got! I am so tired of hearing these stories, really! It’s frustrating. How incompetent can a doctor be?

Today I met a new Celiac (a 25 year old girl), she has been diagnosed IBS by 3 doctors in a row. She didn’t even have half the symptoms of it.
Celiac disease screening was completely “out of question” because according to her doctor she didn’t present “enough symptoms” for it. He even said that it could be due to her hormones… Lovely! Let’s blame your gender for it!

She started a gluten-free diet just right after that answer - how many of us did?
Guess what, within not even 2 weeks she was almost symptom free. Now how cool is that?
Irritability gone, behavioral changes gone, indigestion symptoms <almost> gone, anxiety greatly reduced.

Let’s hope that one day we can actually do something about these doctors. As one portuguese politician said a few weeks ago on a TV show (unrelated to this but I loved this phrase and really gotta quote it):

• “I believe people have to learn.”

Doctors really should start to take more responsibility for their patients. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most of them have the real luxury of even prescribing you totally incorrect medication and still get away with it. This is totally unacceptable, especially in the EU and the US!

But who am I to say this? I am a recently-diagnosed Celiac, who has been treated for 3 different conditions for the past 3 or 4 years.
It all started when I was 14 or so - triggered by H. Pylori - which unfortunately for me was an excuse for all doctors to prescribe me antacids for too long.

Today I know that I could have got 2 or 3 diseases from antiacid abuse (glad to say I only took them when I really needed it). I was clever and feel blessed for it now.

Let’s start to do something about, urgently - please!
Help to spread the word!

Sites of particular interest on this disease:

• Celiac.com
• Celiac Disease Foundation
• Mayo Clinic
• Family Doctor
• MedLine Plus (US National Library of Medicine)
• WrongDiagnosis.com

Thanks!

Celiac Disease (or Celiac Sprue) is a digestive condition that damages the small intestin and ultimately interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. Hence, Celiac Disease is a very serious condition, despite everything you heard until now.
It can lead to very serious conditions such as Cancer and it can also damage all parts of your body depending on the vitamin deficiencies you get due to the disease. On my particular case the neurologic system was the worst part. This was of course, due to Iron Deficieny. (Of course this varies from individual to individual)

Surprisingly enough all caused by Gluten.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.

Putting this into simple terms, the auto-immune system will attack the small intestine as soon as gluten is detected on your system.
This is why Celiac Disease is cataloged under the auto-immune diseases list. The damage is not caused by gluten itself, it’s caused by the auto-immune system - gluten just triggers the reaction. It’s pretty much like poison for Celiacs.

How does this happen?
The villi, finger-like or hair-like protrusion following the small intestine become flat. As such, no nutrients are absorbed; and typically the Celiac individual may temporarily develop intolerances to other proteins, such as Lactose.

Usually, after the villi has returned to its normal shape, the side-effect intolerances will fade away.

Symptoms of an untreated Celiac Disease:

• Irritability
  Can be mild or extreme in a few cases depending on your life style. If you’re already an easy-to-irritate person, then you’d probably fall on the “extreme” section. Stress-management techniques can be highly effective on reducing irritability. Remember to relax every now and then, you deserve it, and it will payoff!
• Depression
  Also can be mild or extreme. Suicidal thoughts might also scare your mind every now and then especially if you have no idea what’s wrong with you (which can be the primary cause of your depression…frustration)
• Trembling
  WATCH OUT FOR THIS. Great sign of this. I had this myself, on the right leg constantly. I used to thought it was due to work 8 hours on a desk (don’t ask me why). In reality this is just your body telling you that something’s not right. Even though this is a “physical” thing, it’s neurological because you do it without even noticing it. It comes right off your brain.
• Fatigue
  Megan from YouTube described this as “the pregnant-like nap in the afternoon”. I guess I cannot find anything better to describe it. I’m sure you will start noticing that you sleep a lot more then everyone else.
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis (Skin rash that will never go away)
  Dermatitis Herpetiformis is itself also caused by gluten and it’s merely a reaction of your skin to it. As you start your gluten free diet, you will start noticing that the rash will only be “active” after you have been contamined by gluten. The more gluten your system has, the worse the rash will become. Dermatitis Herpetiformis can be effectively controlled with a specific drug called Dapsone. Dapsone won’t cure you though, it’s just out there to help you control the rash. Only a gluten-free diet will clean your system and this may take up to 2 years.

Have you noticed that I underlined “untreated”? It really was intentional. Once you have CD under control, everything will go away, so hang in there!

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is one of the celibrities with Celiac Disease.
She explained what Celiac Disease is in short during one of her shows (TheView).
Here’s the video:

And here’s another one with a doctor on her show:

(don’t you all love her anyway?)

And here’s Megan’s video (the person I mention earlier) explaining what Celiac Disease is (pretty simplified):

So what’s a Celiac?
A Celiac is usually what people tend to call to an individual who has Celiac disease.

Celiac Disease is not something that you can “get” from someone. It’s genetic, inheritable from your family.
This does not necessarily mean that your parents are Celiacs as well. But it usually means that one of them carries the bad gene. On a family where those genes exist, there is a 10% chance for each member to get it. Meaning, your brother might not get it, but still carry the gene and his son has a 10% of getting it.

Don’t worry though, you’re definately not alone and this is completely manageable!
Nowadays there’s everything gluten-free, even bread!

2 of the top gluten-free food manufacturers:
Glutano
Schär

Many of my new Celiac friends keep asking me over and over if I ever tried McDonalds or other fast food restaurants, and what my symptoms were. This is most likely due to the fact that I’ve been misdiagnosed for over 5 years and I had the time to try everything out.

Now, I have to say… I don’t remember because on those times I was having symptoms almost everyday, and if I had them I wouldn’t associate them to any kind of fast food.

I did a bit of research though, and this is what I came up with:
McDonald’s is NOT gluten-free in any way, shape or form.

One of the thousands of McDonalds restaurants all over the world

Yeah I know, the brand will brag about their gluten-free fries… but come on… aren’t the chicken nuggets fried on the very same frier? Even if the oil is changed; the contamination already happened and there’s nothing you can do! Why do you think the doctor asked your mom to replace her deep frier?

Think about it.
The only safe thing you can eat at McDonald’s is their Sunday Ice Creams. Nothing else!
Not even McFlurry is gluten-free. Remember, McFlurry is mixed with chocolates and cookies (such as M&Ms and Oreo).

As such, don’t eat it. And remember what you’ve learned at the doctor appointments: eating gluten and not being sick does not mean you’re healed. You will NEVER be. This is a genetic defect. If you want to live longer, stay away from gluten.

- Andre