Archive for nutrition
Weekend Roundup! Gluten Free/Nutrition Goodies of the Week
Posted by: | CommentsI have been a bit out of touch this past week, as I have a started a new job in “real life.” It’s going to be very rewarding I think, although doubtless hard work, and of course a learning curve. That has kept me quite busy and away from GFF.
Luckily, there were lots of great articles posted this week that I can share with you.
photo credit fabcabrera
Cool celiac stuff:
It appears that scientists have isolated the 3 (yes, 3 out of thousands of protein fragments are what appear to cause the autoimmune response to gluten) peptides that cause some of the issues associated with celiac disease. This is a big step, but only the beginning of research that has yet to be completed.
Here’s the review on Celiac.com
More cool stuff:
Trauma as an example of a trigger for celiac disease
An interesting story illustration celiacs may be more prone to environmental toxins
Shirley over at Gluten Free Easily has posted a review of “7 Quick Start Tips to Leading a Healthy Gluten Free Fit Life” and is giving away a copy. Check out her post and enter to win!
Kim at Cook it Allergy Free posted an awesome article on “How to Avoid Gluten Free and Allergy Free Baking Mishaps” This is one I bookmarked and will be visiting often! As I have a relaxed attitude about “recipes”, that can sometimes lead to a cooking fail. Hopefully Kim’s tips can help me.
If you missed it a couple weeks back, I posted about the “Paleo diet” and it’s implications for those with celiac. It sparked some really great discussion and comments, so if you missed it go check it out and weigh in with your thoughts.
General nutritional cool stuff:
Back in May I wrote an article on my thoughts about a study that found better results in a group that had faster weight loss in beginning a diet, as opposed to the “slow and steady” approach. There were quite a few limitations with that study.
This week Reuters posted an article revisiting the idea after a presentation at International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Sweden. There are so many factors that play into what will be a sustainable method of people to achieve and maintain weight loss it’s not even funny. I think what this shows more than anything is that the problem isn’t the weight loss. It’s maintaining that loss. Food for thought (and no calories! Bad pun, really bad pun.)
A study was published in Food and Nutrition Research that examined the thermic effect of food (calorie cost of digestion, essentially) of 2 calorie matched meals. One “processed” with white bread and processed cheese food, and the other with multi grain and seed bread with cheddar cheese. They did not match the macronutrient (fat/protein/carb) content, but the calories were equal.
The results were interesting. Both sandwiches gave the same sense of fullness, but the “whole food” version required about double the thermic effect to digest it.
Now, the whole food version had more protein, which does require more energy for digestion. So, it would be interesting to see what would happen if that was matched.
Anyhow-more evidence that quality of food is important, of course along with quantity.
Weighty Matters on the subject
The actual paper to geek out on
Lastly, previously I have shared my thoughts on intuitive eating. Dineen at Eat Without Guilt posted a great article on the pitfalls and positives of snacking. I’ve been playing around with meal frequency myself lately and will report my findings in a month or so. Meanwhile, I thought this was a great read and gives some good tips.
Bottom line, and as always-do your research, get educated, make an informed decision based on your individual thoughts, physiology and activity levels.
Til next week! If you need more reading, head over to Gluten Free and Fit 101. Class is in!
Zucchini-The Naturally Gluten Free Veggie of the Day and Not Really Recipe Fail
Posted by: | CommentsActually it’s the naturally gluten free veggie of the summer.
Actually, all veggies are naturally gluten free. (That is, in their natural state, and barring any preparation styles using gluten, of course.)
Score!
Zucchini is an incredibly prolific vegetable in the summer. Around here, it’s everywhere-which is great, because it’s local, in season, tasty, and less expensive than some other veggie counterparts. It’s also an incredibly versatile vegetable. I wrote about one use of it here in my post about shredding it up with some carrots. It has an extremely mild flavor, and it takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it with.
So it can be used in both savory and sweet applications.
Double score!
Once again at the market this weekend I found myself face to face with some gorgeous huge organic zucchini. And they were cheap!
There were some mushrooms that looked lovely, so into the basket they went.
And tomatoes. I love me my tomatoes. (Yes, I know they are a fruit, technically so is zucchini, but lets not split hairs shall we?)
I had cooked up a couple pounds of pork tenderloin the other day, so I knew that would be my protein source for dinner. Why cook one pound when you can cook extra and have leftovers? Prepare ahead and set yourself up for healthy gluten free eating success.)
Now as you may know, I don’t generally follow recipes. I’m really bad at it. I forget to measure all the time. That’s why I do “not-really-recipes.” A guideline, a template for which to alter as you see fit and with what you have on hand.
This is great, it creates a sense of freedom and creativity.
Sometimes it also creates spectacular cooking fails.
D'OH! Courtesy The Simpsons and apchabraja
I decided I wanted to make zucchini pancake type things.
Without consulting any resources (which I should have done) I proceeded to shred the zucchini with a box grater. I thought I was so smart when I remembered to salt it to draw out the water and squeeze it dry. I decided it would be fantastic to add in the chopped mushrooms to give the zucchini a bit of a meatier texture. I threw in some sea salt, garlic, hot sauce, one egg (beaten,) mixed it up and called it good.
Heated up my pan with a bit of coconut oil (from the Misto
And what to my wondering eyes did NOT appear?
Browning. They were steaming and cooking, but no lovely carmelization and browning. The pancakes weren’t sticking together.
The mushrooms. They also have a high water content. Too much moisture=no browning for Erin. Between the mushrooms and the zucchini, I was toast. (Figuratively)
Undeterred, I mixed it all up into a pile and cooked it. And boy was it tasty!
So the moral of the story is this:
Sometimes Not Really Recipes don’t work out the way you think, but taste good anyway.
Sometimes that may happen with real recipes-not to worry!
There are a bunch of great zucchini recipes out there. Here are a few of my favorites:
The right way to make zucchini fritters at Cook it Allergy Free
Melissa at Gluten Free For Good makes a zucchini tomato basil bake (gluten free zucchini au gratin)
Shirley at Gluten Free Easily’s awesome gluten free Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Cake
And lots of ideas from Eating Well
For more cool free information on eating well and healthfully gluten free, check out GF and Fit 101.
Bring on the zucchini! What’s your favorite way to prepare it?
Saturday Round Up-Gluten Free and Nutrition Goodies of the Week
Posted by: | CommentsThere was a metric ton of great stuff posted up this week.
If you follow GFF on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll somtimes see me post up an article I think is worth a look. Sometimes it’s about celiac disease and research, sometimes it’s an awesome looking gluten free recipe, sometimes it’s solid information from the fitness aspect of things, sometimes it’s really geekazoid biochemistry stuff, and sometimes it’s just plain something hilarious.
I’ll do a “round up” post of sorts on a regular basis if you guys find this helpful, so make sure to post a comment if you like it!
photo credit fabcabrera
Celiac Disease/Gluten Free stuff:
Chris (Celiac Man) is raising funds for Celiac Awareness and summer camps that are gluten free
Carrie (GingerLemon Girl) complied a list of the recipes from the 30 Days Quick and Easy Gluten Free Meals. Bookmark it.
Wendy’s journey to leading a healthier gluten free life, and a giveaway of my ebook
Dieting and Nutrition Articles:
Last week I posted my thoughts on the idea of intuitive eating. This week I saw a couple more that I thought were interesting and thought provoking.
An overview by a registered dietitian with some tips
The always straight shooting Leigh Peele shares her thoughts on the problems with using intuitive eating for fat loss
And her thoughts on a possible solution
Weighty Matters on calorie intake and gives a link to a fairly accurate calorie expenditure calculator. Don’t overestimate your activity level when you are entering the information.
Lastly, James at Weightology gives his list of blogs to check out. I am extraordinarily flattered to be on this list with some amazing individuals. I really don’t fit in there. Some of my favorites like Alan Aragon and Lyle McDonald are included, and a few new to me that look awesome and are going on my Google Reader.
Wraps it up for now! If you like this idea, hit up a comment and let me know.
10 Tips for Healing as a Crazy (me, not you) Gluten Free Injured Athlete
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are on the GFF Facebook or Twitter, you may have heard me complaining.
Last week I twisted my ankle and fell, giving myself a grade two ankle sprain. I heard and felt the dreaded “pop” as I fell. Luckily, I landed softly in the hedge. Jeff was home to help me up, so I headed back inside, rinsed off my travel coffee mug, grabbed an ice pack, and off to work I went.
Not quite a week later and I feel much better. Swelling is minimal, range of motion is almost equal to the other side, and the feeling of instability is subsiding.
I have learned through my experience with multiple knee surgeries, that it is much preferable to let an injury heal properly, and then return to activity. Rushing it is not worth it. Future injuries are much more likely if the original was not allowed to heal. However, I am also an athlete, and so when injured get a bit cranky.
My friend Kim (aka Bootsie) at Gluten Free is Life has been dealing with a stress fracture in her foot for several months now, and she is dealing phenomenally well with the change in her routine. After the first round of anger, disappointment, and frustration, she is channeling her efforts in a new physical manner. (I am very happy to report that she is resistance training. I am a lover of the iron myself, but Kim is more of an endurance athlete. This is a change for her, and one she is embracing beautifully.)
Given both my own and Kim’s recent experiences with being injured, and my past of having extensive injuries, I decided it was high time I wrote a few tips to help keep yourself sane, and speed along your healing when injured.
The 5 Physical Tips:
-
In an acute injury, RICE.
- Rest-self explanatory
- Ice-10-20 minutes at a time, make sure to have 1 layer of cloth between your skin and the ice/ice pack.
- Compression-if needed and swelling is apparent, you can wrap the affected part with an elastic wrap. Don’t pull too tight, you don’t want to cut off your circulation.
- Elevation-this is where you get your affected body part up above the level of your torso. Think-prop your leg up on a bunch of pillow with the remote control or a book. “Honey-can you get me some tea? I have my leg elevated with ice on it.”
- Gently move the affected part within a pain free range of motion as much and as often as possible. Rule of thumb in general: is it hurts, don’t do it.
- Be sure to maximize your nutrition. Eat high quality, bang for caloric buck food. This is not the time to try to lose fat. Do not restrict calories. You need calories to help rebuild and repair. Shoot to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis. Stay well hydrated
- Sleep. Lots.
- Consider supplementation. Ideally you are getting a ton of great nutrition from your food, but these are a few that I have found helpful. They are not necessary by any stretch, but they may help. Many athletes will take advantage of any edge to potentially get back to sport quicker. Of course, please always check with your medical professional. So, in no particular order:
- L-glutamine-a conditionally essential amino acid.
L-Glutamine is especially interesting to celiacs, as it appears to be heavily absorbed in the gut and aid in gut health. It’s been anecdotally used in the strength community for recovery for a long time, but the research does not back that up. Research does show it is absorbed primarily in the gut-which for us is a good thing, as healthy gut=more nutrients absorbed=optimal healing. I wrote about L-glutamine as a supplement for gut health here.
- Probiotic, especially if your injury required antibiotics. Antibiotics negatively impact the “good” gut flora, so you want to restore that. Say hello to my little probiotic friends in my article here.
- Multivitamin, perhaps some extra Vitamin D, and a Calcium/ Magnesium combo to cover nutritional bases.
- Proteolytic enzymes . Similar to digestive enzymes, but specifically for systemic use for protein. These act in a similar manner as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory like Advil, with less worry of side effects. (That’s the really short explanation. This chiropractic article gives a nice overview of how they work.
- Good food. I know I said it already, but it really is that important.
The 5 Mental Tips
- It’s OK to be mad and upset for a while. It’s completely normal to have an emotional response to injury.
- Don’t stay mad. Allow yourself to move through the stages of mourning. Yes, it’s been determined that reaction to injury in an athlete is very similar to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ stages of grief as outlined in her book On Death and Dying. Obviously there are differences as well. However, the 5 stages are:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
It’s OK to recognize, accept, and then move through each one of these phases.
- Take charge of your return to wellness. Plan it out. Give yourself control. What CAN you do? Focus on the activities you can do, and set goals for yourself based on those activities. No negative connotations. This is not bad, it’s just different. Your injury may have been out of your control, but you can certainly control your path back to sport. Make concrete plans and a blueprint for your recovery.
- Be positive. This sounds silly, but visualize your return to doing what you love. I also imagine a tiny little construction crew inside my body, repairing, spackling, repainting all the busted up bits. Visualize sending healing light and the nutrients from your food to the injured area. I know, it sounds trippy, but I’ve found it helpful. Laugh if you wish, I completely understand. Don’t get me wrong, you have to also take the appropriate action to make yourself well. All the visualization in the world won’t make a bit of difference if you are passed out on the couch with an empty package of sugar laden gluten free donuts and a 5th of vodka.
- Set yourself up for success. Be realistic when setting your timeframes for progress and return to sport. Guidelines given by your doctor, therapist or other health professional are given for a reason. It truly does take time for healing to occur, and regardless of how much we maximize our healing, we can only speed it up so much. To some extent, time must pass.
In a perfect world, we would never get injured.
Chances are good that at one point in your life, you will be forced to take a step back. When that happens, arm yourself with these tips to keep your sanity, and the sanity of those around you.
If you’re new to GFF, please make sure to check out Gluten Free and Fit 101. And the ebook is finally done! Check out “7 Tips for Living a Healthy Gluten Free Life (without making yourself nuts in the process.)” Feedback has been awesome, and for that I thank you.
In the words of Helen Keller: ““Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
Share your injury tips in the comments!
The Paleo Diet for Celiacs?
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been struggling mightily with this one.
Seriously, I just deleted a couple pages I’d already written, and then decided that was very stupid.
Here’s the thing. I’ve said before that living healthfully and gluten free is a lifestyle, not a “diet.” I just hate the connotations that come along with the word diet. There’s so many wacky “diets” out there. And for some reason, whenever something is a “diet,” there’s always individuals who seem to latch on to the ideas or principles presented, as the next great thing that is going to cure cancer and clean your kitchen to boot.
In all fairness, the Paleo Diet in it’s purest form is a way of eating, not a “diet.” It’s kind of exploded beyond that though.
Photo Credit Rakka
A few weeks ago, I was having a e-discussion with my friend Shirley over at Gluten Free Easily about food, eating, and diet. Shirley and I share many of the same views about food in general, and she mentioned how she seems to find weight control more successfully and easily when following a Paleo-like plan.
So what is this Paleo, you may be saying?
According to Wikipedia (really, where else would you look,) “The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the “Paleolithic diet” also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.[1][2] Centered on commonly available modern foods, the “contemporary” Paleolithic diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts; and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.[1][3][4]”
That sounds pretty good, for starters, right?
Meats, veggies, fruit, nuts-this sounds like what I talk about all the time. This Paleo thing sounds pretty good, right?
And the fact that grains are excluded makes it a slam dunk for celiacs.
Well, yes, kind of.
I love the foods that they include. All naturally gluten free, all can be highly nutritious. What I don’t like so much are all the exclusions. I like beans, and find them a good source of protein and carbohydrate. Tasty, too. Same goes for dairy (as I am not casein or lactose intolerant.) And no rice, ever?
Maybe it’s just the inner rebel in me, but if someone says I can’t have something it makes me want it more.
I’ve recently been reading more from Mark Sisson at Mark’s Daily Apple. He’s taken a riff on Paleo, and called it Primal 
From what I’ve read, his approach is a bit more realistic, and flexible, which I like. He even indicates that dairy and rice (gasp!) would be acceptable in certain circumstances.
Robb Wolf also has a bit more flexibility in approach, especially for athletes, and I like that quite a bit. I recently listened to a podcast interview with him and if I am remembering correctly, his Mom has celiac disease.
Another person with some good stuff to say is Dr. Kurt Harris at PaleoNu. He has a 12 step “getting started” which I like quite a bit, with the exception of meal frequency (I think it’s more individual than he indicates.)
Here’s one of my big issues with the Paleotards, and those non-obsessed, but following one principle I have issue with.
Insulin is THE DEBIL! (Cue Kathy Bates as the Mom in the Adam Sandler movie The Waterboy
Insulin secretion is not, in fact, the devil.
James Krieger did a great overview of insulin on his blog, which I highly recommend you check out. Here’s the Cliffs Notes version: insulin is not necessarily bad, although it can be circumstantially, and if there is not a caloric surplus, (yes, calories do matter,) fat will not be stored. I also very much like the analogy that Kurt Harris uses of insulin being like a bouncer at a club. Logic and reason for the win. Insulin in the face of a caloric deficit will not magically make you fat.
Also, there is no magic to eating in a Paleo fashion which will make you lose weight.
A higher protein intake is recommended, and that is something I wholeheartedly support. However, there is no “metabolic advantage” to a higher protein diet. As James Krieger so eloquently illustrated in another post on his fine blog, the magic isn’t magic. It’s satiety.
Satiety=feeling full.
A lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet makes you feel fuller.
So, you eat less. The magic happens because you are eating less CALORIES! Yes, it’s easier because you feel fuller, but it’s not magic.
So is the Paleo or Primal way of eating a good way to go for celiacs?
I think it’s a good start. My personal approach is more moderate. I do recommend, and personally choose, to eat whole, naturally gluten free foods most often. That does, for the most part, coincide with the Paleo approach. However, I don’t like being exclusionary, especially to entire groups of food (like dairy, if you tolerate it.) I offer a free guide which gives some more of my ideas (like you haven’t listened to me enough already!) on healthy gluten free nutrition.
Accept no approach blindly. Do your research, get educated, and make an informed decision. Don’t be afraid to take bits and pieces from different areas and make them your own.
The Frankenstein Diet. I like it.
What do you think? Have you put together your own Frankenstein? Have you tried Paleo? Hit it up in the comments!
Think Thin Bars Review-Redux
Posted by: | CommentsThink Products has been one busy company.
They make the gluten free snack products ThinkThin protein bars, ThinkThin dessert bars, and ThinkThin bites.
I reviewed a few flavors of the Think Thin protein bars last year. Click here to read the reviews of the Brownie Crunch, Chunky Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mudslide, and White Chocolate chip flavors.
Julia from Think Products contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing some of the bars.
They were kind enough to send me a few samples to try.
Funnily enough, most of the flavors they sent were ones I had already reviewed. However, I did try the Chocolate Covered Strawberry dessert bar for the first time, and I have to revise my previously posted opinion of the White Chocolate Chip bar.
But first: the ingredients.
Because I’m lazy like that, I’m going to copy and paste my take on the ingredients from my post last year. This has not changed.
“At first inspection the Think Thin nutrition facts look pretty good. It’s labeled as sugar free, has about 240 calories give or take depending on the flavor, 20 grams of protein, 7-8 grams of fat, and 26 grams of carbs, 1 gram of which is fiber. However, it also has 10-13 grams of sugar alcohols. This is where it gets interesting.
A quick primer on sugar alcohols-some of you may already be uncomfortably familiar with sugar alcohols.
I know I am.
Sugar alcohols, commonly seen as malitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and lactitol, are frequently used in items marketed
as “sugar free.” They are sweeteners, and not fully absorbed into the small intestine. (Alert!Alert!) What is not absorbed by the small intestine is converted into a short chained fatty acid in the large intestine.
Sugar alcohols DO HAVE CALORIES! Approximately 2-3 calories per gram, whereas a “regular” carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram. So when you see labels that subtract out sugar alcohols from carbohydrate grams to give you a “net carb” count-that’s not strictly true.
Sugar alcohols do tend to not affect blood sugar as much as glucose, or sugar. However, they’re not a “free food.”
Here’s the bad part. Sugar alcohols, due to the whole absorption thing, can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and gas. Our celiac tummies seem to be a bit more susceptible than your average Joe or Jane. I know mine is. Strike 1.
So now a closer look at the rest of the ingredients. First ingredient is a protein blend, OK great, but wait. It has soy protein as a second ingredient in the blend. Strike 2 for me. I can tolerate some natural soy foods, like edamame, but not concentrated into supplements. Then the sugar alcohols next. More soy in “crisps.” The rest of the ingredients appear “mostly harmless” (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference ) and vary dependent on the flavor. They contain 25% of RDA for calcium and Vitamin C, A, B12, B6, and thiamin, 30% for iron, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. Nothing crazy, nice to have those in there though.”
I do not know if the formulations of the bars have changed slightly since I wrote the original review last year. Based on my tastebuds and stomach, I’d say it has.
These bars were definitely not as dry as the ones I had tried previously. Also, I did not experience any stomach upset this go ’round. Now, it’s completely possible that my digestive system is just in better shape now, so who knows, but that’s my (n=1, which is incredibly poor reliability from a research standpoint and is not to be trusted to carry over to others) observation.
New flavor: Chocolate Covered Strawberry:
I was really impressed with this. Ordinarily, I run like hell from fruit flavored stuff that isn’t fruit. It tastes incredible artificial to me. However, this had a nice, subtle, not too artificial strawberry flavor. And chocolate covered fruit is one of my all time favorite combinations. This is one of their “dessert” bars. They are smaller, have a lower calorie count at 200 calories, and have slightly less protein than the “protein bars” at 15 grams. The other dessert bar flavors are tangerine creamsicle and lemon cream pie, which I have not tried. GFree TV has done a review on Think Thin as well, and Debbie did mention she really likes the lemon flavor.
Old flavor but different? White Chocolate Chip:
This bar is different from the others in that the bar itself it chocolate flavored and colored, and the coating is white chocolate. I’m not a white chocolate girl, but this was actually quite good. It seemed to balance the flavor of the bar itself quite well. It was not nearly as dry and flavorless as I indicated in my previous review. Good improvements there. Either it was reformulated, or the bar I had purchased in Whole Foods had been sitting around for a while and wasn’t as fresh as these coming right from the company.
Overall, these are a nice option to have. They are available very widely. I even see them in the grocery store. They do have a chocolate coating and so are prone to meltage in the summer heat. Although I prefer whole foods whenever possible, these are great in a pinch, or to quench the sweet tooth fairly harmlessly. For another taste perspective, you can read my friend Kim’s review. Her main blog is Gluten Free is Life, but she is a prolific writer in the gluten free world.
Have you tried other flavors? What did you think, and which was your favorite?
Intuitive Eating-you Eat Therefore you Think? Getting your Mind into your Food
Posted by: | CommentsWhat does our brain have to do with eating, anyway?
Well, as it turns out, quite a bit.
If you have struggled at all with eating or weight issues, you’ve no doubt heard that people eat “mindlessly” or that eating is often used to deal with emotional issues that may have nothing to do with hunger.
Even if you have NOT struggled with eating, you’ve likely heard these terms. Food, eating, weight-they are all a huge part of our culture. Especially now that approximately 33% of Americans are overweight, and another 34% are obese. The implications of these numbers are staggering.
There’s always the search for the magic pill, the miracle exercise plan, the instant fix. There are thousands of diets, immense numbers of diet books, and a new weight loss guru every day.
Celiacs particularly have a special challenge with weight loss due to the absorption issues in the gut and possible hormonal wackiness.
The idea of intuitive eating is a huge subject, and one that I have wanted to discuss for quite a while. It’s such a huge subject that I was hesitant to tackle it, as it is a very individual journey.
On Monday I listened to the “2 Fit Chicks and a Microphone” podcast where Carla and Shauna discussed their views on intuitive eating. They also expressed what a giant subject this is, and provided their own personal views on intuitive eating. (Carla also mentioned she was gluten intolerant, which of course I found very interesting.) The podcast gave me the kick in the butt I needed to write this.
So what the heck is intuitive eating?
Photo credit krilm
In their podcast, Carla and Shauna renamed it “mindful eating” which I like quite a bit.
I have written in the past how awareness of what you eat can benefit you from a health and weight perspective.
Authors Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch have written a book titled Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works
I read this book several years ago, and keep it handy for reference, which I still do from time to time.
On their website, they give this definition:
“Intuitive eating is an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body–where you ultimately become the expert of your own body. You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and gain a sense of body wisdom. It’s also a process of making peace with food—so that you no longer have constant “food worry” thoughts. It’s knowing that your health and your worth as a person does not change because you ate a so-called “bad” or “fattening” food. “
The truth is, that intuitive or mindful eating is going to have a slightly different definition for everyone.
We attach so much emotional value to food.
In it’s most basic form, food is fuel. But to many of us, food also represents family, celebration, tradition. To some of us, food also represents comfort or escape. And that’s where we start to run into problems.
Not only do we eat when we’re hungry, we eat when we’re bored, lonely, upset, happy, driving, watching TV, or any other time.
Imagine if we ate only when we were truly hungry?
Imagine if we didn’t let food define us, allow it to control if we see ourselves as “good” or “bad” ie: “I was good today, I only ate lettuce” or “I was bad today, I had a chocolate cake.”
Maybe then we could start to get this obesity crisis under control. Maybe we could separate our feelings of self from our eating pattern.
Intuitive eating is not a diet, just as eating gluten free is not a diet.
And food has no inherent control on who you are.
It’s my personal opinion and experience that a combination of intuitive eating and structured eating is the way to go for weight (fat) loss.
For maintenance eating,(staying at your “happy size” when you get there) I think a full on intuitive approach is definitely a great way to go. I do think that as you are actively losing weight, that there may need to be an additional component of calorie control. You absolutely can eat too much, even if it is “clean and healthy” food and never lose the fat. In these instances, you would have to limit your caloric intake by measuring/weighing/using portion control. Calories do matter, I don’t care what zealots of any given diet plan say.
To lose weight (fat) there must be a higher caloric expenditure than there is intake. That means you may feel hungry.
Feeling hungry is not fun, but it won’t kill you either, especially if you have a lot of fat to lose. This is why I think that a more structured eating plan is necessary in a fat loss phase, especially for celiacs whose gut hormones may be a bit wacky. If you feel hungry and you are intuitively eating, you would eat. But that won’t help you if you’ve already eaten the maximum calories for the day which will still allow you to lose weight. You end up spinning your wheels and getting frustrated, “I’m doing everything right but I’m still not losing weight!” In these cases, almost always, it’s a case of too many overall calories. Even if they are healthy calories.
Carla had a great idea on the podcast. She suggested keeping a food diary which indicates not just what you eat, but how you feel before, during and after eating an item. I think this is a fantastic idea. I suggest keeping a food diary in my free guide, but I hadn’t thought about adding in the awareness component.
The key in the beginning is to keep the diary without changing anything. No judgments on yourself, just write it down. What you eat, how much you eat, and how you feel. After a week or two, you will see a large increase in your awareness of what you are putting into your mouth and how it makes you feel.
Then you can make changes as needed. If you notice that you are eating when you are already full, then stop doing that. (It’s like the guy who goes to the doctor-Doc, my arm hurts when I do this-so stop doing that.)
I know I am over simplifying, but the most important thing is to do something. Today. Now. If you are unhappy with how you look or feel, it is up to you to make a change.
You can do it. You are stronger than you think.
Over on the GFF Facebook page in the discussions tab we have a “goals and accountability” section where you can post your goal and get support and a kick in the butt if needed, so swing by and join us.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please pipe up on what you think of intuitive eating, your experiences and opinions.
What do you Mean You Don’t Like Veggies?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat do you mean it’s too hard to make them taste good?
It’s really not hard if you keep an open mind and take advantage of what is available.
I am very lucky to have a nearby market where they feature locally grown and mostly organic produce. I stop by there on the weekend and pick up whatever looks and smells good to me.
Last weekend, there was a bunch of beautiful bright orange carrots and some zucchini (aka summer squash-as I understand it summer squash can be either yellow or green, and the green variety is zucchini.)
It’s in season now, and was very reasonably priced. I loaded up my basket with those and some other goodies. Had I a clue of how I was going to prepare them? Nope. But, I knew I could figure something out.
Eat Yer Veggies!
In my opinion, that’s a key to preparing your own gluten free and healthful food.
Keep your options open if you are at a market such as this. See what looks good and is reasonably priced. When you start with fresh, local ingredients, generally you will have a much more flavorful start to your meal than if you are starting with something that has been shipped and/or processed. You won’t need fancy sauces or preparation methods to make them taste good.
Diane at The Whole Gang dedicated 30 days of recipes to this idea. It was seen in Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” TV program. It makes cooking less scary, more accessible, and better for you to boot.
So here I am with my zucchini and carrots. My Dad is in town for Fathers’ Day, and Jeff is at work, so it’s dinner for me and Dad. It was Sunday, so it’s my cook ahead for the week day.
I had been marinating chicken breasts in lemon juice, fresh garlic, and lemon pepper seasoning (this is my favorite) for most of the day. That would be our protein source.
I remembered seeing an idea to make pasta-ish ribbons from zucchini using a vegetable peeler. I thought that sounded good, so I scrubbed my veggies with water and a veggie brush and pulled out the peeler. 2 peels into it I decided that would take far too long. I am definitely not that patient.
I do have a mack daddy food processor
I had a beautiful big pile of shredded zucchini and carrot.
Now what to do?
My theory is you can never go wrong with some fresh garlic. Not in the amount that would protect you from vampires, but just a touch for some flavor.
I poured a tablespoon of coconut oil into my pan, and let it warm up over medium high heat. Then I used my garlic press on 1 medium clove of fresh garlic and added that to the pan, stirring frequently as not to burn, just get that toasty garlic aroma floating through the house.
This is when my Dad was drawn into the kitchen by the smell of garlic, and I chased him off.
The chicken was in the oven cooking away while I was doing all this, and some sweet potatoes were keeping the chicken company in the oven. Especially in Florida in the summertime, if you’re heating up the oven, you may as well make the most of it.
Add the shredded zucchini and carrots to the pan, and stir. They cook quickly, about 5 minutes or so is all you need. I added a couple shakes of sea salt and grinds of black pepper, and that was it.
Shredded veggie goodness
We had a lovely meal of chicken, the shredded veggies, and sweet potato. All naturally gluten free. All wonderfully full of flavor, and easy to prepare.
Dinner is almost served...
You can see in the photo the eggy breakfast casserole in the background, and the pot in which I was cooking rice. You can do this also, and get a bunch of good food prepared ahead of time.
What’s your favorite way to prepare vegetables? If you have tricks, please share!
Summertime, and the Gluten Free Grillin’ is Easy…
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s hot here in South Florida. Tropical hot. Steamy hot. Stupid hot. Days like this, you don’t want to heat up the oven and by extension, the kitchen.
And so we grill.
Grilling is an incredibly easy way to get a whole bunch of flavorful and healthful food prepared at the same time.
I’m a huge believer in preparing ahead for healthy gluten free eating success. If you are cooking, you might as well cook big. By cooking big, I mean so that you have lots of food leftover, and ready to package into your own takeaway meals.
Case in point—I made a reduced fat version of scalloped potatoes last weekend. It was awesome, very flavorful, and by using smaller amounts of flavorful cheese and a lower fat cheese all the cheesy goodness was maintained. I also used about 3 pounds of potatoes. That’s a lot of potatoes. However, we had plenty of food for a few days.
Grilling imparts that wonderful smoky flavor to food.
Probably I could eat a shoe if it was marinated and grilled. Or not, I don’t know for sure, and let’s not test that out. Anyway-everything tastes better on the grill. Think you don’t like a particular vegetable? Betcha you’d like it grilled. This weekend I experimented with jicama on the grill. In all fairness, I like jicama raw, but grilling it brought out even more sweetness and yumminess.
Generally, we grill a bunch of meat. If there’s room on the grill, I’ll add on some veggies. Summer squash, mushroom, onion, and bell pepper are my favorite veggie kabob. Stone fruits, like peaches, are incredible grilled. I’ve heard you csn grill romaine lettuce, although I admit I’ve not yet tried it.
The grilling process starts a few hours before the actual onset of grilling.
In the morning I’ll trim and clean whatever meat will be grilled. In this case, it was several pounds of chicken breast and a flank steak. I then use zip top bags to hold my marinade.
Marinades:
Happily, most marinades you make at home are naturally gluten free. However, if you are trying a store bought marinade, be sure to read your labels very carefully. Also check your spice mixes.
- Steak: garlic, steak seasoning spice mix (I use Montreal Steak,) fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 TBSP of coconut oil
- Chicken: garlic, lemon pepper seasoning, fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 TBSP coconut oil
- Veggies: fresh chopped basil or thyme, sea salt, cracked pepper, minced garlic (or use a garlic press,) dash of coconut oil
- Put the ingredients of the marinade in the bag, shake to combine. Add your meat/poultry/veggies. Fish generally doesn’t need to marinade as long, so you could get away with doing the fishies just before grilling.
Grilling guide:
- Stick these babies back in the fridge and go have fun doing something active. Or cleaning your house and doing laundry, which seems to happen so often on weekends.
- When grill time comes, pull your food out of the fridge and it’s ready to go. Let your meat come to room temperature before grilling, and also pat it dry. Drying the surface will help it sear.
- Grill for appropriate time.
- Enjoy cold gluten free adult beverage of choice while food is cooking. Or water or iced tea. But it’s the weekend, kick back and have an adult beverage if you’d like.
Love the grill marks. Awesomeness.
You’ve now created not just a great meal for the night, but great food for a couple days.
Package it up in some portable containers, make lunch for work, have it ready for grab and go.
You’ve now made it easier to make more healthful choices.
When you have easily accessible real food, you will be much less tempted to grab a convenient but less nutritious snack.
A resource for more grilling ideas is Eating Well. I read the magazine and visit the site often. Many of their dishes are naturally gluten free—score!
For more tips on eating gluten free and healthfully, check out Gluten Free and Fit 101. If you’re looking for a step by step system for living more healthfully gluten free, check out my new ebook!
I’d love to hear your tips and experiences with grilling! What’s your favorite thing to grill? Share it below in the comments!
Contamination in Naturally Gluten Free Grains-but Don’t Panic
Posted by: | CommentsLast week I posted about the proposed FDA guidelines for labeling an item gluten free. These guidelines would allow products with less than 20 ppm (parts per million) to be labeled gluten free. My thoughts were that if you eat one item that contains 20 ppm of gluten, there may be no issue. However, if you have multiple items, does that gluten have an additive effect? It is like eating something with a considerably larger amount of gluten?
We don’t know.
My thoughts are to focus on naturally gluten free foods and eliminate the worry. In the proposed rule, single ingredient foods that are considered inherently gluten free (think rice, millet, amaranth) can be considered misbranded if they are labeled gluten free. They would have to be labeled gluten free and also state that all foods of that type are gluten free. (Like labeling an apple low fat. It would have to say-”all apples are low fat.”)
Or not.
Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, and well known in the celiac community, was recently involved in a research study that examined naturally gluten free grains, and tested them for gluten. Their findings indicate that naturally gluten free grains can be, and are, contaminated with gluten.
So much for sticking to naturally gluten free foods to avoid the 20 ppm of gluten, eh?
Photo credit waggg
They tested 22 types of naturally gluten free grains that were not labeled gluten free. 7 of the 22 included a voluntary allergen statement for wheat. (I’m assuming that this is the “processed in a facility which also processes wheat” statement.) From Tricia’s write up on the study “products included white rice and flour, brown rice, corn meal, polenta, buckwheat and buckwheat flour, amaranth seed and flour, flax seed, millet grain and flour, sorghum flour, and soy flour.”
The results:
Let’s look first at the ones that had the allergy advisory for wheat. Out of those 7, 4 tested had above 5 ppm (5 ppm was considered the threshold for gluten with the testing they used-this is less than the proposed FDA guideline) and 3 had less than 5 ppm. Seems a bit of a crap shoot, doesn’t it?
For the remaining 15 that did not have the wheat allergen advisory, 5 items were over the 5 ppm of gluten. 10 were below.
The conclusion from Tricia’s write up:
Results of this study confirm that a certain percentage of inherently gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours are NOT gluten-free when they are purchased by consumers. Co-mingling of grain and seed can occur anywhere along the line from the field to the packaging plant.
Results also suggest that consumers can not rely on voluntary allergen advisory statements for wheat to make decisions about which products are more or less likely to be contaminated. Four of seven products containing greater than or equal to 20 ppm gluten did not contain an allergen statement for wheat while three of the products that contained below the limit of quantification for gluten did contain an allergen advisory statement.
While we can infer from this study that some degree of contamination exists in naturally gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours sampling was not large enough to make any assessment on the overall percentage of contaminated product.
Sampling also was not large enough to make any inferences on the specific grains, flours, and seeds more or less likely to be contaminated.”
- To note: This study was funded in part by Schar USA, a manufacturer of prepared gluten-free foods. It’s always good to look and see who funds any research you may be interested in. In this particular case, I certainly don’t think that Schar framed the study by intentionally contaminating anything, and the testing procedures seem very cut and dry. It does not appear that the funding would have had any impact on this study.
So what’s the take home from all this?
Well, don’t panic. As noted above, the sample size (number of products and grains tested) was not large enough to make any sweeping conclusions. It does certainly warrant additional testing, as well as continued tweaking to the proposed gluten free labeling guidelines.
For me, it reinforces what I tend to do anyway-utilize white and sweet potato, rice, and gluten free oats for the majority of my carbohydrate sources. There could still be contamination in the rice, but for now, that’s what I’m going to do.
After all, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. You just never know.
What are your thoughts?
FYI-I’ve added a new free downloadable “tips” PDF to Gluten Free and Fit 101-go check it out!
Addendum: Tricia has now added a Part 2
Leave comments below-are you going to change anything you currently eat based on this information?
