When Brendan first starting eating gluten free, he started to feel better and better. It took about six months before he had regained his energy and didn't need to visit the bathroom constantly. Of course, his little yellow rubber duckie that sat on the bathtub edge missed his visits.

Then something started to happen. He started to gain weight and his regained energy was disappearing. Now, this would normally be a good thing for a Celiac who was thin but Brendan has never been thin. Gaining weight led to pre-diabetes.

After studying several nutrition books, the mystery was solved. Most gluten-free food is made almost entirely from tapioca, cornstarch, white rice and similiar nutrient-free ingredients that are very high glycemic or high carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar or glucose during digestion. The glycemic index measures how quickly one's blood sugar rises after eating something. The rise in blood sugar (glucose) causes the pancreas to excrete more insulin to escort the glucose to the cells for energy. Ahh one would think if carbohydrates' role is to produce glucose which creates energy, the more carbohydrates, the more energy.

Unfortunately, the cells cannot use that much carbohydrate and the exhausted cells run out of receptors to absorb it. Insulin then stores this excess glucose as FAT. In the meantime, the poor pancreas is getting tired since there is more glucose than it can process from this high carbohydrate food. Hence, high glucose in the blood equals an autoimmune disease called Type 2 Diabetes which is a very serious health condition and the number one cause of blindness and loss of limbs.

Eating vegetables, fruits, salads, meat, and nuts was good but Brendan longed for a cookie or muffin or piece of bread or slice of pie... Enter Char to the rescue. Char started to create goodies with almond meal, even a pizza! The food was so good that Brendan and Char decided to sell it and thus Madwoman was born.

Madwoman makes Real Food. Food that is grown in sustainable conditions without any chemicals, hormones, additives, pesticides, herbicides, or other unnatural stuff. This is the food that Mother Nature grows naturally. The same food our grandparents ate.... ahh, we mean not the exact same food because that would be sort of stale by now. We mean the food that was grown when the cows roamed the pastures and the fertilizer was natural and the chickens ran around the barnyard and turkeys actually got a suntan from being outside in the grass. Yes, Real Food does still exist and Madwoman uses Real Food ingredients whenever possible.

Why is this important? Research has shown that the chemicals in food, whether added to the seed, soil, or manufacturing process, may be killing our natural enzymes and bacteria that are required to digest food and extract nutrients. Our bodies do not recognize the molecular structure of these altered foods resulting in many "foods" we eat being seen as invaders and toxins by our immune system. Poor nutrition and over active immune system opens the door for all sorts of disease, loss of energy, cancer, and a multitude of autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, Crohn's Disease, Grave's Disease, Lupus, Psoriasis, Polymyositis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Schizophrenia, Scleroderma, and many others which are all on the increase.

Earl Butz, Secretary of Agriculture under President Nixon, created a publicity campaign against natural oils and fats in order to promote vegetable oils, trans fats, and products like margarine. His campaign was not based on any scientific research but was based on profits for agri-business. If agri-business could use the byproducts of big agriculture it would make additional profits. So, cottonseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and many other vegetable oils were created. Natural peanut oil, palm oil, butter, and lard used in cooking was replaced with trans fats created from vegetable oils. Heart disease increased and agri-business got richer (agri-business is not the farmer but the corporations that run the agricultural system.).

Many scientists and nutritionists have been trying to fight the vegetable oil battle showing the benefits of natural fats and oils but it has been a difficult battle. Palm Oil and Coconut Oil are two examples of natural oils that were attacked in Mr. Butz's campaign but are truly beneficial oils. They are medium chain fats which means they do not go through the cardiac system but are used by the liver for cellular repair.

Butter is another natural fat that has been wrongly slandered. Margarine, a manufactured unnatural "food", replaced butter as the spread of choice. Those of us of the "older" generation remember the first margarine that had to be mixed with yellow food color at home. Margarine was the "better" spread so the elite and want-to-be-elite all wanted the new margarine on their tables. Hmm heart attacks were on the increase in Western nations that used these manufactured oils and spreads. Funny how that information never hit the news.

Who gave the scientists permission to mess with our food chain? To survive, we need food, water, and shelter. Our food has been manipulated to the point where our bodies are being harmed and our water is contaminated. What does this mean for survival?

One thing each of us can do is refuse to buy food that is "bio-engineered" and only buy Real Food. This will not only help the health of each of us and our families but will also send a message to the agri-business corporations of the world that we don't want their phony food. Bio-engineered corn and soybeans are currently in 90% of non-organic processed foods. Do you trust a mega-corporation that tells you it is safe as they are making billions of dollars?

This is not a liberal versus conservative issue or an American versus some other country issue. This is a human issue! If we want to change this bio-engineering madness, we have to "vote" with our buying power. Corporations will change only when it affects their bottom line. Yes, organic food is a bit more expensive but the cost of health care as a result of eating the phony food is also expensive. What about the cost to our future generations and the quality of our lives?