Archive for nutrition
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Posted by: | CommentsThis doesn’t have anything to do with celiac disease, per se.
However, last time I checked we are all human. As such, we need to eat in order to survive. Also, we need to not eat too much in order to survive, to have maximal health, to like the way we look.
Right?
Food is an integral part of our society-it’s used in celebration, in mourning, in times of stress, in times of joy. As a society, it seems as if the food is primary concern for some occasions. Food is constantly on televison, popping up on our computer, in radio commercials.
As individuals with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, food becomes even more powerful. It has the ability to fuel us, make us strong, make us healthy.
And also to make us sick.
Imagine if thoughts about food, and control of that food consumed all your thoughts. That you felt so out of control in your life that you controlled the one thing you could-what you ate. For some, this can turn into an eating disorder.
I am not a counselor. I have not had a “eating disorder.” I am not qualified in that sense.
However, I have dealt with thoughts of disordered eating. As a physique competitor, there are times in preparing for competitions where calories are cut in order to lose fat. You weigh and measure everything that goes into your mouth. You don’t consider eating anything that you haven’t already mapped out for the day. You plan your activity around your meals. As a side effect of dieting, sometimes you have cravings which must be ignored, and then you plan the treats for what you will eat after the show, stocking up a stash. Sounds a little nutso, doesn’t it? This is considered normal, and to some extent is necessary in the preparation phase of a contest for a physique competitor. For some, this also leads to a severe backlash after the show, with regain of fat in excess of where they started. You think to yourself-what is “normal” eating? I have been very aware of these possibilities, and stayed on top of my thought patterns. I have also been guided through my preparations with intelligent programming and nutrition.
Others are not so lucky. Many others for various other reasons, have developed eating disorders.
Many thanks to my friend Kim at Gluten Free is Life for posting her story, and making me aware of the significance of this week. She is truly an inspiration and I am very proud to call her my friend.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 21-27th.
From National Eating Disorders.org:
The mission of NEDAwareness Week
Our aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.
The statistics are staggering:
“In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder (Crowther et al., 1992; Fairburn et al., 1993; Gordon, 1990; Hoek, 1995; Shisslak et al., 1995).”
I have two reasons for posting this :
-To help with awareness, obviously. This is an issue that hits close to home, as I have too many friends and family who have been affected.
-To make you aware how powerful your thoughts can be.
I know there are many who would like to, and need to, lose fat. It has to be done-for health, for happiness, for self-worth. It’s time to take the unnecessary power away from food that we have given it as a society. Food is ultimately just fuel. It can be very pleasurable, an experience, and should be enjoyed. But it does not have the ability to control you. The food does not control whether or not you put it in your mouth. You do. (I touched on this a bit in Food Power-A Superhero for Good or Evil.)
So enjoy your food. Make smart choices. Fuel yourself optimally. Most importantly, be well.
To check out sensible information on setting up gluten free nutrition plan, click here.
Resources for more information on eating disorders:
National Eating Disorders Association
Bodysport Radio podcast interview which discusses disordered eating in athletes here
Book which I found very helpful:
Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works
Please feel free to share your thoughts or experiences below. We are a no-judgement gluten free and fit community, and you are safe here.
Gluten Free Snack Product Review-Zing Bars
Posted by: | CommentsShockingly, the time has come.
There is actually a nutrition bar that has a quality ingredient list, positive nutritional profile, and really good taste.
Did I mention how good they taste?
It’s AmaZing! (That’s actually part of the compant tagline, I can’t take credit for being that creative.)
Zing bars were created by a team of nutritionists who were unable to find a bar they liked enough to recommend to their patients. So, they created their own. I am so glad they did that!
From the Zing Bar website “We could create our own all-natural nutrition bar. Our take on the perfect snack. A bar with everything we wanted it to have, and nothing we didn’t. A healthy balance of carbs, protein and beneficial fats, but no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives. No trans fats, synthetic vitamins, or allergy-aggravating gluten, wheat or
soy protein.”
The Zing Bars come in 5 flavors: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cranberry Orange, Almond Blueberry, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. All flavors are gluten free, and the peanut butter chocolate chip and cranberry orange flavors are also dairy free.
Protein sources in the bars are rice protein, whey (in the bars which contain dairy) and a bit from nut butters and nuts.
The fats come primarily from the aforementioned nuts and nut butters. Carbohydrate sources (dependent on flavor) are from fruits (blueberry, cranberry, apples,) brown rice crisps, gluten free oats, Fruitrim, and agave or brown rice syrup.
Fruitrim (R) is a liquid, carbohydrate-based ingredient formed from fruit juice and dextrin is helps the bars retain moisture and extends shelf life. The bars also contain inulin/chicory root for a bit of added fiber.
The nutritional profile is similar for all flavors, but does vary a bit, so here’s a basic idea:
1 bar:
210 calories
25 grams of carbohydrate which includes 4 grams of fiber
9 grams of fat
11 grams of protein
The taste.
I was admittedly floored when I tasted these. They are moist, have chunks of whatever is appropriate to the flavor (blueberries, almonds, chocolate, etc.) and are plenty sweet without being overly sweet. The Chocolate peanut butter flavor has a chocolate coating, which was a pleasant surprise. Given that, this is the one flavor that has melting potential, so keep that in mind if you leave one or two in your glove box for “emergencies.” (Yes, I do that. I get really irritated when I get hungry, and having something available is best for everyone in the state.) I didn’t get to try the Cranberry Orange-I handed it to Jeff, because he’s big fan of that flavor combo. He tried it, said “Wow. This is really good.” And ate the whole thing. His feedback was-”really moist, and lots of flavor, lots of cranberries.” This is from a gluten-eater. I am a chocolate hound, as you guys have heard me say before, and the Almond Blueberry I liked just as much as the chocolate flavors. They are that good.
This would make a good between meal snack, something convenient to keep in a purse or backpack in case hunger strikes. (I also give some other ideas in my “Top 10 portable gluten free snacks” post.) It would even make for a good pre or post workout snack, although the fat is a tad high for that purpose. These would be perfect to keep on hand for your kids-a much healthier choice than a couple of cookies. I will be taking them on our road trip to Tennessee, and out with us when we go hiking-the mix of protein, carbs and fat is perfect for giving some sustained release of nutrition.
These are a great option. Thank you to Stacey for sending me each flavor to sample.
The folks at ZingBars have given the Gluten Free Fitness community a discount code, which is for $10 off a box of 12 bars, and there is no limit to how many boxes you can purchase with the $10 off. However, it expires on 2/28/10.
The discount code is “gffitness” You can order online here.
Let me know your thoughts on the bars in the comments below. Have you tried them? Favorite flavor?
Also, if you’d like more free information on setting up a healthy gluten free nutrition plan click here.
Gluten Fitness And Wellness Podcast: Interview With Shelly Stuart
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In this weeks Gluten Free Fitness and Wellness podcast, Erin talks to registered clinical nurse Shelly Stuart about her experiences with celiac disease, how gluten affects celiacs from an easy to understand clinical view point, and how she deals with celiac disease in her family. Shelly shares useful resources and information throughout this podcast so tune in to find out more. This episode is part 1 in a series of three, two more will follow in the coming weeks.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Show notes Gluten Free Fitness and Wellness podcast: Episode 2
Interview with Shelly Stuart, the Gluten Free RN-Part 1
Shelly’s website: http://www.celiacnurse.com/
Shelly on Twitter: GlutenFreeRN
12 part series on Symptoms of Celiac Disease http://celiacnurse.com/category/12-part-series-cd-symptoms/
Intestinal Villi information and how to improve villi health http://celiacnurse.com/10-facts-about-intestinal-villi-health-for-individuals-with-celiac-disease-or-gluten-intolerance/
Celiac Maniac Radio show : http://theceliacmaniac.com/?page_id=942
Additional notes from Shelly:
On the podcast, Erin and I discussed probiotics. Christina Tennyson
(MD), from the Celiac Disease Center in Chicago, mentioned that she is
not sure about recommending probiotics yet. Probiotics might help to
inhibit pathogens and modulate the immune system. However, there are
many unanswered questions. With Celiac disease, what are the best and
safest strains to use? Is there a possibility that a Celiac’s immune
system may respond to probiotics differently? A 2008 study, “Antigenic
Proteins Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus That Are Recognised By Serum IgG
Antibodies In Children With Type 1 Diabetes And Coeliac Disease”,
highlights this possibility. As with any food, gluten contamination
leading to an immune reaction is also a concern? Overall, is there
enough research to know how probiotics will affect those with celiac
disease? I do take probiotics and I have not had a reaction that I’m
aware of. However, as we know with silent Celiac Disease, pathological
changes can be occurring within the body without any obvious symptoms
(2,6,8). If you are interested in consuming probiotics, I recommend
that you talk to your medical doctor to discuss the pros and cons
before making any changes.
Erin and I also discussed whether Celiac Disease is more prevalent in
men or women. I would like to clarify that Celiac Disease tends to be
diagnosed more in women. However, population sampling has demonstrated
that the prevalence of Celiac Disease is fairly equal between men and
women. It seems reasonable to suspect that perhaps women seek medical
attention for their symptoms earlier than men, or women may have more
encounters with physicians due to regular physicals (8).
I would also like to mention that it is possible to have a gluten
sensitivity even if you test negative for CD. It is also possible that
some of your symptoms could be due to a food allergy/sensitivity or
other disease process. Allergy testing by an allergist and/or a
naturopathic physician may help to investigate this possibility. Other
tests can help rule out other diseases.
I encourage everyone to have their symptoms thoroughly investigated by
their MD and specialists before implementing a therapeutic diet or
making any changes. As well, I recommend waiting until CD/gluten
sensitivity testing is complete before initiating a gluten-free diet
because it may create a false negative. Consult your MD, Registered
Dietician, or other medical specialists involved in your care to
determine if nutrient supplements should be taken and to identify
appropriate dosages for you. Toxicities can occur with over
supplementation and this can lead to permanent damage. A Registered
Dietician can also provide guidance to ensure all nutritional needs
are met.
Gluten Free “Healthy” Treats-Kind of Recipes:Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve mentioned before my love for chocolate. I really, really like chocolate. To the point where I don’t think I’ve ever even had a flavor of ice cream that wasn’t some kind of a riff on chocolate. Really.
When I plan on having a splurge, it always involves chocolate. I follow the 90/10 rule for the most part-if I eat well 90% of the time, the other 10% I can have whatever I want and it won’t have negative repercussions on my health or physique.
Many people will do just fine taking this to 80/20.
On that splurge, I don’t worry about calories. Many times a small amount of “real” ice cream is much more satisfying than a larger amount of “fake” ice cream. And to me, a bit of really dark chocolate is a square of heaven.
But sometimes you want something sweet, but maybe you don’t want to have a full-on splurge. You may want to keep it somewhat “healthy” and yet still quench the sweet tooth.
For that, I have some answers.
For the Superbowl this past weekend I made two items that fit that bill to perfection.
Mmm...chocolate....
I was inspired by Shirley at Gluten Free Easily and her recipe for Flourless Oatmeal Cookies. I actually stayed very close to the original recipe. The only substitutions I made was that I subbed out a bit of nonfat Greek yogurt for half of the butter, and used egg beaters. This recipe does not use much sugar, but you could also use stevia-I did not this go round.
If you do, let me know how it goes!
Flourless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thanks Shirley!)
-3 TBSP unsalted butter
-scant 1/4 c of nonfat plain Greek yogurt
-1.5 cup gluten free oats
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/4 cup packed brown sugar
-1/8 tsp sea salt
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 c egg beaters
-2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
-Preheat oven to 350 F
-Melt the butter. Let it sit while you combine and whisk together the oats, sugars, and salt.
-Cream the butter and yogurt with an electric hand mixer. Add the vanilla and egg beaters.
-Add the wet to dry and combine with a wooden spoon. Add in the chocolate chips and combine.
-Chill in the fridge (Supposed to be 30 minutes, I was impatient and gave it about 15)
-On a baking sheet lined with parchment, place small rolled balls of dough and flatten slightly.
Fun tip-a baker friend of mine told me a long time ago she uses a tablespoon measure that looks like an ice cream scoop to measure out her drop cookies so they are uniform. It works great!
-Bake for 12-17 minutes. Mine took 17, which was odd, but I’m OK with it.
These were awesome. I admit I did taste the batter, but for the most part they made it into the oven and to the party.
They were a huge hit-they were crunchy and wonderful. I was the only gluten free person in attendance, and everyone loved them. Given that they are treats, they are relatively healthful as well.
The second treat I made was Black Bean brownies. Various versions of this recipe have been floating around for a while now, but I saw this one at Lean Bodies Fitness, which is a community I am a part of. If you’ve never tried these, I highly recommend. I didn’t tell anyone the “secret ingredient” until after they tried, and raved about, the brownies. They couldn’t believe it. These make a very dense, fudgy brownie. Not a cake-like brownie. The next time I make these, I am going to substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for the bananas. Banana flavor is good, but I’d like to see what they are like without it. Made with this current recipe they are actually vegan.
Mmmm...more chocolate...
Black Bean Brownies
-Preheat oven to 350 F
-Rinse VERY well one 15 oz can of black beans.
Combine in food processor-
-Rinsed black beans
-2 bananas
-1/3 cup agave nectar (or any sweetener of your choice)
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1 tsp vanilla
Process very well until smooth. I added 1/4 tsp of spoonable stevia also.
-Add 1/4 cup gluten free oats and process again
Put mixture into a nonstick-sprayed 8×8 pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
These are great ways to feed the sweet tooth without expanding your waistline. However, they do have calories, and just like anything, moderation is key. If you eat the whole batch in one sitting it defeats the purpose a bit.
For more sensible information on setting up a healthy gluten free way of eating, click here.
Let me know what you think in the comments!
Not Really a Recipe-Baked Chicken Edition
Posted by: | CommentsWe eat a lot of poultry. I’ve mentioned before my fear of sprouting feathers and clucking.
There was recently a Twitter discussion about eating chicken-and Sandra of the Gluten Free Optimist (aka Maryland Celiac) mentioned her need for more ideas for baked chicken. And a dislike of Italian Dressing, BBQ, sour cream, and mushrooms. (Did I get them all? I hope so!)
So consider this the baked-chicken-with-none-of-those-ingredients “not really a recipe.”
When it comes to baking (or roasting) chicken, there are 3 basic methods I use. The first is marinades, the second rubs, and the third just seasoning prior to tossing them in the oven. I generally use boneless skinless chicken breast, as I enjoy the lean protein and ease. I am also very fortunate to have a local market where I can get boneless skinless chicken breasts in a family pack size for $1.49/lb. You could of course always use skinless boneless chicken thighs as well, and I have a suggestion for bone-in and skin on chicken breast at the end of this post.
Marinades:
Marinades are time intensive, but not labor intensive. It does require a bit of pre-planning to allow to meat enough time to sit in the marinade, get tenderized and absorb all that flavor. Allow at least an hour to marinade, several hours would be better. I have even (accidentally) allowed chicken to marinade for almost 24 hours, and it was OK. I would not recommend that though, as the chicken can get very mushy and kind of gross as the acids in the marinade break it down more than you want it to. I tend to use zip-top plastic bags to make the marinade, then add the chicken and squish it all around so it is evenly distributed. Toss it back in the fridge and let it do it’s thing!
Ideas for marinades:
(For all of these, you can add about 1/4 cup of olive or canola oil to the below combinations)
-Lemon or lime juice, fresh peeled and cracked garlic cloves, cracked black pepper, sea salt
-Red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt
-Apple cider vinegar, fresh chopped garlic, sea salt
You get the basic idea. You want something acidic (citrus juice, vinegar), some herbs/spices, and then a bit of oil. The only vinegar I don’t use with chicken is regular balsamic-because it makes the chicken an unappealing brown color. (although it tastes great.) I have used white balsamic which is very tasty. You can see that you can mix and match these to fit whatever you have on hand. If you have fresh herbs you can use those also. My favorite is lemon juice, garlic, salt/pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary and thyme. Very often I don’t have rosemary and thyme fresh, so I’ll use dried.
Rubs:
Rubs are exactly as it sounds-a spice mixture that you rub onto the chicken and let it infuse flavor. You can take any of
the ingredients you would use in a marinade (just use a tiny bit of the acid and the oil-just enough to make a paste) and chop/process the solids very small, and use that as a rub. If you can, allow these to sit about 10-15 minutes prior to cooking. Not as time intensive as a marinade.
Other ideas for rubs:
-Cumin, cayenne, and 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (these are found canned, usually in the ethnic food section-a great smoky flavor)
-Cinnamon and cayenne. Sounds bizarre, I know-but it’s really, really good. You can also add a tiny bit of brown sugar.
-Onion and garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper
-Tarragon, garlic, lemon zest
Easy seasonings:
This is the simplest-just pull out the jar/can, sprinkle, flip, sprinkle, and put into the oven. Here are a few I like:
(Remember-always check labels for hidden gluten in case a manufacturer changes their formula.)
-Crazy Jane’s Mixed Up Salt
-Lemon pepper
-Lime pepper
-Creole seasoning
-Greek seasoning
-Old Bay
-Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce-not quite a seasoning, but just as easy. Cover the chicken with sauce before cooking-viola! Healthier not-wings 
If you are using skin-on versions, just make a slit in the skin, and put the rub mixture/seasonings inside the skin as well as on the outside. Really rub it in well, and make sure to cover as much surface area as you can. It gives a really nice flavor.
Hopefully this helped give you a few ideas for chicken. For more (free!) information on gluten free and healthy nutrition planning click here, or enter your contact info below this post.
Share your favorite way to prepare the bird of honor in the comments below! You can never have too many ways to cook chicken….
Supplements for the Gluten Free Athlete-Glutamine Edition
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a shocker-I have a fitness background. In the fitness world, there is something that is affectionately referred to as “bro-science.”
Interestingly enough, there is actually a definition for “bro-science” at urbandictionary.com. “Broscience is the predominant brand of reasoning in bodybuilding circles where the anecdotal reports of jacked dudes are considered more credible than scientific research.”
There has been much debate surrounding glutamine in the weight training world. It was touted as a recovery booster/fat mobilizer/muscle sparing/ all that and a bag o’ chips for many moons, and turns out that the research doesn’t support that position.
( Gleeson M, Dosing and efficacy of glutamine supplementation in human exercise and sport training J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):2045S-2049S among others.)
photo credit www.willsunphoto.com
There are many good bros and female bros (bras?) out there fighting the good fight and protecting the world against the proliferation of bro-science. A few are Alan Aragon, Lyle McDonald, Leigh Peele, and Cassandra Forsythe, as well as my buddy JC Deen. There are many others of course-but these are a few I reference regularly and have in my Google Reader.
Ok, so what does this have to do with celiac disease, living gluten free, or glutamine supplementation?
Although glutamine may have limited benefit from a sports performance/physique enhancement perspective, it may be much more useful for gut health.
First of all, what is glutamine? Glutamine is an amino acid. It is considered conditionally essential (meaning there may be times when the body cannot produce enough, and it must be ingested through the diet.) The gut tissue has been found to absorb up to 65-76% of ingested glutamine. Also, glutamine is used for fuel by the cells in your body that fight disease and infection. When plasma glutamine levels are lowered, this can contribute to suppresion of the immune system. In short, glutamine helps reduce inflammation, improve immunity, promote repair, and assist in production of other important factors in the gut.
I have to note that in looking through the scientific research, I have found studies that support these statements, and other studies where no significant difference has been shown. As always, this is a case of buyer beware-educate yourself, discuss it with your doctor or health care practitioner, and make an informed decision. It will not hurt you, but it may not help either. There has been quite a bit of supporting evidence that it is beneficial for gut health.
Some of you may be thinking-”But glutamine is an amino acid found in gliadin-and a reaction to gliadin is what is examined when gluten intolerance is being tested.” Dr. Stephen Wangen in his book “Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understanding of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance.
Note: Glutamine can be found in two forms, and this is particulary important to note if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. There is L-glutamine, which is the free form amino acid, and glutamine peptides. Glutamine peptides are often sourced from wheat, and can cause a reaction in those with sensitivity. Avoid glutamine peptides, and if you choose to supplement look for L-glutamine.
Dr. Wangen states that due to the fact that the small intestine uses glutamine as a primary energy source, providing extra L-glutamine can assist in speeding the healing of the digestive tract. He recommends a dose of 3 grams (3,000 mg) split into 3 doses throughout the day.
Shari Lieberman also discussed L-glutamine supplementation in her book “The Gluten Connection: How Gluten Sensitivity May Be Sabotaging Your Health–And What You Can Do to Take Control Now
There also have been studies of non-celiac endurance athletes which have shown protective immune system qualities when the training load is high. (L. Castell, The effects of oral glutamine supplementation on athletes after prolonged, exhaustive exercise. Nutrition Volume 13, Issues 7-8, July-August 1997, Pages 738-742 )
So what does this mean to the celiac or gluten intolerant athlete?
It means that supplementing with L-glutamine may be a worthwhile expense. If you are training hard, your immune system and gut can use all the help it can get with recovery. It can help with antioxidant control of free radicals produced in exercise. By maximizing your gut health, you are maximizing absorption and therefore fuel.
What’s your opinion? Have you taken L-glutamine? Leave your feedback in the comments!
For more sensible information on setting up a healthy gluten free nutrition plan, click here or submit your info below this post.
Share your thoughts!
Resources:
McDonald, Lyle. The Protein Book. Salt Lake City: Lyle McDonald Publishing 2007.
McArdle, Katch and Katch.Sports and Exercise Nutrition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins 2005.
Lieberman, Shari. The Gluten Connection. How Gluten Sensitivity may be Sabotaging your Health-and what you can do to take control now.New York: Rodale 2007
Wangen, Dr. Stephen. Healthier Without Wheat. A New understanding of wheat allergies, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten intolerance. Seattle: Innate Health Publishing
van Der Hulst et al. “Glutamine and the preservation of gut integrity” The Lancet, Volume 341, Issue 8857, Pages 1363-1365
Gluten Free Fitness and Wellness Podcast-Episode 1. Ready to Rock it –Celiac Style
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Today I’m going to give you a bit of information about me, and what we’re going to be covering in the podcast. I’d love to hear your feedback about what you would like to hear about, so things will be flexible according to the feedback you give me!
-My history-my education, my fitness background, and my celiac diagnosis
-My philosophy –celiac disease as a gift, not a burden. Eating well to live well-importance of good food and the impact on our health, outlook and life quality.
-My goal for the podcast-to bring science based information and put it into a very fun and easy to understand format. To interview experts in the field and get their take on what they feel is important to know. To compile and explain information as it becomes known relating to gluten intolerance and celiac disease. To share my ideas of what can help you live a healthier live-and do it more easily. To answer questions and provide resources.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Todays’s Cage Match-Gluten Free-”Diet” vs. Lifestyle
Posted by: | CommentsLiving gluten free has received quite a bit of mainstream press lately. The Dr. Oz feature of course comes to mind, and there was a 12 page special report in USA today in November, and numerous other articles in publications including the NY Times.
Diet versus lifestyle
With the rising awareness of a gluten free “diet” comes increased numbers of people trying the “diet.” Here’s the reason I am adding quotations every time I use the word diet here. There’s a method to the madness, I promise.
“Diet” as per Dictionary.com has several different meanings and uses. It can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adjective:
1-food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health
2-a particular selection of food, esp. as designed or prescribed to improve a person’s physical condition or to prevent or
treat a disease
3-such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight
4-to select or limit the food one eats to improve one’s physical condition or to lose weight
This is only a small selection of the 10 potential meanings.
You can see how this one little word has multiple conotations associated with it. Most people associate the word “diet” with the 3rd definition, from my experience. A lifestyle approach to diet would be definition #1. With the media exposure of the gluten free diet, there are some who are associating the gluten free diet with a weight loss diet.
Not so fast, buttercup. This is not necessarily the case. Any method of eating can be a weight/fat loss diet. It depends on activity level, what you eat, but most importantly how much you eat. Can you gain weight on a gluten free diet? Hells yeah. You can lose it too. You can gain/lose weight eating anything. The laws of thermodynamics do not change.
Let’s take a very quick and admittedly non-complete look at some popular “diets.”
Atkins-taken in it’s purest form, the idea of eating meats and vegetables, and fats only. Excludes a complete food group.
South Beach-a balanced diet including all food groups eventually, but in their whole forms.
At their inception people by and large did quite well using these methods of eating, provided their daily caloric intake was less than their daily expenditure. Then, there was the advent of the Atkins bars, and pancakes, and the South Beach cereal, and more bars, etc and so on. These foods made it easier for people to consume more calories. It’s much easier and quicker to eat several to many hundred calories worth of a nutrition bar than of chicken and broccoli. The satiety (fullness) factor is less, so more is eaten. And guess what? No more fat/weight loss.
The gluten free “diet” in it’s purest form is a very healthful diet, and can certainly aid in controlling calorie intake.
Peter Bronski just did a blog post (here is his Gluten Free Athlete profile) on a brochure he found at his local market.
Check this out : (Excerpt from Pete’s post, click here for the full article)
* Eat more non-processed foods.
* Eat an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit.
* Eat a serving of beans or legumes and nuts daily.
* Eat fish twice a week, especially wild salmon.
* Pay attention to your calcium and vitamin D intake to maintain healthy bones.
* Choose lean poultry and meats as well as low-fat dairy products.
* Balance the food that you eat with daily physical activity.
This was the brochure on “Living a Gluten Free Life.”
Sounds like an awfully nutritious way to live to me.
Where we can get into trouble is just like in any other “diet.” The gluten free cookies, candies, cereals-these are items
where it is very easy to overeat calorie wise.
So when people ask me if they can lose weight on a gluten free diet, the answer is yes. It’s not rocket surgery. You can lose weight eating Burger King if you keep your calories where they need to be. (I DO NOT recommend that-it’s just an illustration.)
Does this mean that everyone should go on a gluten free diet? Heck no. For those with celiac disease and gluten
intolerance, living gluten free is not an option, it’s a necessity. And you can choose to eat gluten free in whatever
manner you wish. For those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, this is not just a “diet.” It’s a lifestyle, and a
medical necessity. It’s a way of life and a way of living. It’s extremely important that manufacturers and restaurants
understand the medical implications of the gluten free distinction and follow good practices, not just jump on the gluten
free bandwagon.
There are those have not been diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease who choose to live gluten free. They may be part of the many who are undiagnosed. It may be a personal decision. Honestly, the description provided by the brochure above would be a beneficial way for most people to eat.
Bottom line-there is no “magic” in a gluten free diet. If by going gluten free you cut out processed carbs, then by default your calorie intake may drop, which will cause weight loss if your activity stays the same. It’s not magic. It’s math.
For more free information on living a healthy gluten free nutritional lifestyle, click here.
What are your thoughts? Have you experienced people asking you about a gluten free diet? Speak your mind in the comments below!
Excuse me sir, there’s sugar in my…..
Posted by: | CommentsIn the past two days, two things happened that really lit a fire under my butt.
The first-well, let me set the stage for you. I love vegetables. Really and truly, I’m a freak that way. I don’t like okra. Too slimy. Aside from that, I love me some veggies. I eat a lot of frozen vegetables in addition to a metric ton of salad greenery. The other day I pulled out a box of Sugar Snap peas from the freezer. For my frozen veggies I buy whatever is on sale/cheapest. Usually I buy the store brand, but Publix doesn’t have their own snap peas. (Why is that, Publix? Enlighten me.) So, I get whatever is on sale. This past week the Green Giant boxed veggies were on sale for $1 each.
Score!
I grabbed a bunch of the Sugar Snaps that I love so, after checking out the boxes and finding the “Simply Steam” snap peas.
Looks fairly harmless...
It states on the box: “Picked at the peak of perfection. Simply Steam in the bag! No sauce, just enough liquid to cook.”
Sounds good, and off I go.
The time comes, and I toss a bag into the microwave. As it’s cooking I am reading the label as I always do. These are simply steam, no sauce, right? Right. But guess what is in the ingredients. There’s 2 ingredients. The first is, thankfully, sugar snap peas. Guess what the second is?
No, it’s not gluten, thank heavens.
SUGAR!!!!
What the *$(*#^@!!!
They went and added sugar to sugar snap peas!
Now I’m ticked. If I’m going to eat sugar, I want to be in control of when, and how much. And quite frankly, it’s going to be some sort of chocolate. It’s sure as anything not going to be in my SIMPLY STEAM veggies!! I ranted about this to my fiance, who smiled and nodded. He’s seen this enough over the past 7 years to know not to say anything when I get going.
I can’t for the life of me imagine why adding sugar would be necessary. I checked the bag of sugar snap peas that I had bought previously (the 365 brand from Whole Foods) and there was 1 ingredient. Sugar Snap Peas. So apparently adding sugar is not necessary for the freezing process, and I can’t imagine why it would be.
So there was that.
Then, yesterday I stop at the store to pick up some spaghetti. Jeff had asked for spaghetti for dinner, and I don’t keep it in the house, so I stop to pick some up. (On the rare occasions when he asks for spaghetti I make spaghetti squash for myself) I’m feeling a bit strapped for time, so I start looking at the jarred marinara. Guess what’s in them-SUGAR!! A lot of sugar. Seriously.
I didn’t look at every single one, (although I was so ticked off I almost did) but for the ones I did check out, sugar was usually the third ingredient. A serving of spaghetti sauce contained about 13-14 grams of sugar. For reference, that’s approximately equivalent to 4 ounces of Coke. Regular, full on sugar Coke. How crazy is that?
I realize that a small amount of sweetness may be needed to cut the acidity of tomatoes. I learned from my Mom how to make tomato sauce from scratch, and I was taught to add a spoonful of sugar. Not several cups of sugar.
Here’s what I learned from these experiences. Always, always read your ingredients and labels. Not just for gluten, but everything. Cook from scratch whenever possible to control quality as well as quantity of ingredients. And if you must use jarred sauce, read the label. I’m sure that there are sauces that exist that are lower in sugar, we just have to look for them.
You read about the obesity epidemic, about soaring health care costs, about the evils of high fructose corn syrup, about this generation of kids dying before their parents. I like to think with a little awareness and education we can make a difference in these sobering statistics.
Is it the HFCS? Or is it simply the large portions of all sweeteners-in items where they are neither needed or expected?
Be aware. Read your labels. Be an educated consumer. If you feel so inclined, patronize manufacturers that do not practice random adding of sugar or various forms of sugar.
OK, stepping off my soapbox. For the moment.
For slightly less ranting, but more free information on setting up a healthy gluten free diet, click here.
What are your thoughts? Have you run into this before? Where have you seen sugar unexpectedly? Share ‘em, peeps-shoot up a comment below!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Protein Bar-”Kind of a Recipe”-Trail Mix bars!
Posted by: | CommentsIt was time. Time to attempt a protein bar with one of the non-dairy proteins. I was a little scared, to be honest. Whey protein is very friendly when it comes to baking gluten free, and I wasn’t sure how the rice protein would react. (I decided to use the rice protein instead of gemma since some people may already have rice protein on hand. Gemma protein is a bit newer on the scene.) Check out my dairy free gluten free protein powder 101 if you missed it for more info on these powders.
I saw a recipe in Eating Well that sounded good, but it was a refrigerate only bar, and for whatever reason I never have good luck with these. Probably because I live in the sub tropics of South Florida and they melt. Immediately. Upon removing from the fridge. Anyhow-I like to bake my protein treats. So I decided to improvise.
As I’ve mentioned before, I tend to treat recipes as a guideline more than a set-in-stone idea. Hence the “kind of a recipe” title. So please do the same with this-these are all experiments and works-in-progress.
I thought the rice protein may produce a bit of a crumbly texture, so I tried to compensate with a bit more moisture. After cooking, I think I could have added a little more, so keep that in mind and let me know how you make out. Next time I’d add another mashed banana, more applesauce, or more eggs or egg whites. Something for just a bit more moisture. I would have reached for greek yogurt or ricotta cheese ordinarily, reminded myself-”no silly-these are dairy free!”
Mmmmm.....yummy
OK onto the good stuff:
Ingredients:
First thing I did was spread 30 grams of slivered almonds and 1 cup of gluten free oats on a jelly roll pan and toast them at 350 for about 10 minutes until fragrant and awesome smelling. While that is in the oven combine:
the Wet ingredients:
-1 mashed medium banana
-4 oz unsweetened applesauce
-80 grams of diced dried fruit (I had cranberries, apricots, and cherries)-I let this sit in the wet ingredients to plump a bit
-1 tsp vanilla
-.5 cup egg white
-1 TBSP coconut oil (you may need to melt this a little first if it’s in solid form)
Combine all of the above wet ingredients. To that add:
-.5 tsp stevia (I use the spoonable kind-you can use whatever sweetener you want here)
-3 scoops of rice protein powder (measures to approximately 1 cup-mine was chocolate flavor and sweetened, so you may need to add sweetener or additional spices (cinnamon etc) if yours in unflavored.) I used True Protein rice protein that I reviewed here
-2 tsp cinnamon
-2 TBSP cacao powder
-The toasted oats and almonds that by now have come out of the oven, either that or they’re burnt by now 
Add the dry to wet. Actually, add the protein powder first because that takes a bit more mixing. Then add everything else.
Spread into a 8×8 pan sprayed with non stick spray.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Definitely not longer or they will get too dry.
Here’s the nutritional breakdown based on my protein powder:
6 servings (this is 6 good-sized squares)
per serving:
225 calories
6 grams of fat
27 grams of carbohydrate, 4 of which are fiber
18 grams of protein
These were very tasty. The slivered almonds gave a nice crunch, and the dried fruit is a nice chewiness. They kept their shape well, and can be wrapped up in saran wrap and stuck into a lunch bag. (I know some you are thinking snacks for the gluten free dairy free kiddos You can add some chocolate chips on the top prior to cooking to make them more attractive to the kidlets. They would also make a good grab and go breakfast snack, since time can be an issue in the morning. To make a bit more substantial meal you can add a few hard boiled eggs or egg whites and off you go. I do think the rice protein made them a bit more crumbly, and I’m curious to see how the gemma protein cooks. But that’s next time
For ideas and guidance on setting up a healthy eating plan you can get my free outline below, or click here for more information.
Let me know how they turn out for you and any modifications you make! Share in the comments below!
