Gluten Free Super Quick Mango Sorbet and yucky bugs Recipe So it’s official. The test results are in and I have some parasites I forgot the name of about a nano-second after hearing it and bacteria called H. pylori living in my body. They have moved in, built condos and house, erected high rises and roadways. They are partying in the streets, procreating live crazy and basically living la vita loca. It is a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah down there in my intestines.

I don’t know much about the parasites but those H. pylori are mean little suckers. They cause ulcers among other things. And this is what they look like: Now that you have seen them I am sure you will agree with me that there is only one thing to do – kill the little bastards! To that end I am taking the equivalent of a nuclear bomb of anti-biotics. But like all weapons of mass destruction it is hard to just kill the bad guys, innocent victims get caught in the cross fire. So for the next few weeks it is kill the bad guys, suffer through the die out, replenish my immune system to help the good guys and good old clean living. Unfortunately clean living means, among other things, no sugar. So I came up with a super easy, super quick little treat. No fat, no sugar and no cooking. All you need is a good blender. And it’s a good use for my martini glasses which will not be seeing the light of day for some time to come.

But before I get into that you may be asking yourself why on earth I am bringing up this disgusting subject on what is essentially a food blog. Well because although yes, indeed this is a food blog it is a gluten free food blog and many people who are gluten intolerant are susceptible to these kinds of infections. But don’t take it from me here is what my doctor has to say: As a doctor writing a book on the subject of gluten I am very glad that you are writing about this very important, though often overlooked consequence of celiac and gluten intolerance – hidden infections. The mechanism, for those who are interested, revolves around the inflammation that is created in the small intestine with the ingestion of gluten for so many years. This inflammatory response weakens the immune system of the intestine thereby allowing pathogenic (disease causing) organisms to gain a foothold. Every 10 minutes our small intestines are exposed to pathogenic organisms. A healthy immune system destroys them but a compromised immune system can’t defend itself adequately.

These organisms can cause a myriad of health problems including gastrointestinal symptoms, arthritis and joint inflammation, obesity and hormone imbalance, to name a few. Anyone with celiac or gluten intolerance is at risk for these infections which can be bacterial, parasitic, amoeba or yeast. I find a stool test to be the most accurate way to detect them but there are some labs I prefer over others due to their sensitivity and accuracy. Hope that helps for anyone curious. Dr Vikki Petersen Also, if an infection is found it is critical to retest to ensure that it’s been eradicated. And lastly, since the immune system of a celiac or gluten intolerant individual can take a few years to reestablish once gluten and any offending organisms have been removed, annual testing is probably a good idea for a couple of years. Best,

http://www.healthnowmedical.com/ http://www.glutendoctors.blogspot.com/ Ok, enough about yucky bugs and such here’s my easy, delish, super quick Mango Sorbet. Super Quick Mango “Sorbet”  1 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks (you get them at the grocery store all cut up and frozen) juice of 1/2 lime water chili powder – optional Put mango and lime juice in blender. Pulse a few times until the consistency of granita (you can actually eat it like this if you like). Then add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all creamy and still frozen. It will be a “soft set” frozen. Spoon into martini glass or bowl and sprinkle with chili powder if desired and eat immediately.

I encourage you to try the chili powder even if you think it sounds weird. It really adds a great touch and you can get chili powder that is not too spicy if you don’t like heat. this Gluten Free Recipe Serves 1 Person Cheers! Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog. Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.   Resource: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2008/03/super-quick-mango-sorbet-and-yucky-bugs.html