November, 2001

Many people experience cold- or flu-like symptoms during the holidays that might be caused by the food they eat. Sinus problems, indigestion and diarrhea may be caused by holiday foods and goodies such as turkey stuffing, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie and cookies.

People may be sensitive to wheat and not know it. Symptoms like those above and other reactions -- including fatigue, skin rashes, stomach aches and even migraine headaches according to the medical journal Neurology -- are more common during the holidays because of all the festivities involving food and often those holiday foods contain wheat. (Visit Savory Palate, Inc. for wheat-free resources.)

"Reactions to wheat should be taken seriously," says Carol Fenster, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert in wheat-free diets. "Chronic sinus congestion can lead to infection and eventually antibiotics. People who are merely intolerant to wheat become mildly ill. But for those with true wheat allergies, wheat can be fatal."

In addition, many Americans -- 1 in every 250, according to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research -- have a little known, but increasingly common autoimmune condition called celiac disease where the gluten in wheat inhibits absorption of nutrients from food. Untreated, celiac disease can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, lymphoma, and even death.

"Testing by a qualified health professional is required to see if wheat is your problem or to rule out other common food culprits such as milk or eggs," says Fenster, who began publishing wheat-free cookbooks after discovering her own wheat sensitivity 12 years ago. "An allergist diagnoses allergies; a gastroenterologist diagnoses celiac disease."

Fenster has these tips for indulging in your favorite holiday foods without unwanted symptoms:

• Purchase wheat-free foods at your local health food store or obtain them via mail-order
• Make your own food with cookbooks that use substitutes for the offending ingredients
• Offer to bring a wheat-free dish to holiday get-togethers