Still not sure about gluten free

Are you still trying to decide if you should consider a gluten free lifestyle?  Here are answers to the 4 most asked questions that I get from people when they are considering a gluten free diet.

Gluten free pasta

What is gluten?
Gluten is made of two protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley and is an important component in baking. Simply put it is the glue-like or sticky texture in baked goods and it is responsible for causing the baked goods to rise.

What does gluten do to the body?
Gluten doesn’t impact everyone. However, gluten does impact people diagnosed with Celiac (pronounced as See-lee-ak) Disease (CD), an autoimmune condition that damages the small intestines whenever a person eats anything with gluten. In fact, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, when people with this disease eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Visit the Celiac Disease Foundation website to find out more about the symptoms of CD.

Should you consider a gluten-free diet?
Yes, you should definitely eat gluten-free if you have Celiac Disease! Also, you should consider a gluten-free diet if you have challenges with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Autism, or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

What foods are gluten-free?
Some examples of gluten-free foods are as follows: brown rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, tapioca, brown rice flour, cornmeal, sorghum, beans, soy (use caution), poultry, beef, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, etc. There are a lot of foods that are gluten free, but the key thing to remember is that sometimes foods have hidden gluten ingredients, so make sure that you verify before you purchase. Read the labels or ask questions.

I have been eating gluten-free since 2005, and I have seen major improvements in my arthritis and I have not looked back! Do you need to consider transitioning to a gluten-free diet?  If you have more questions, please post a comment!

Stop fooling yourself and start tracking!

Just because you eat “healthy foods”, it doesn’t mean that you have the right to eat as much as you want—take it from me, “Queen of Healthy Foods”!  After slowly packing on about 20 pounds in a year, I finally get it and I can say without a doubt that it’s not just my underactive thyroid gland that’s causing all of the problems!  During the end of 2009, I realized that I have to take control and stop leaning on the “my-thyroid-is-screwed-up crutch”; and make some real hard core changes to help balance out my underperforming thyroid gland.  One of the biggest changes was I started back tracking the foods that I consumed on a daily bases.  You know the saying, “calories in equal calories out.”  Just in case math isn’t your thing, this means that the more calories you eat, the more weight you gain or lose because for every 3,500 calories you will either gain or lose 1 pound!

3,500 calories = 1 pound

So, there’s no trick or special secrets to losing weight, it’s just simple mathematics (along with exercise)!  No matter whether you are on the Jenny Craig®, Weight Watchers®, or Biggest Loser plan, or just working with your own personal trainer, they all follow this one simple principle, a controlled diet with proper exercise will result in weight loss and a healthy body.  So, if you don’t have the opportunity to try those programs, then you can achieve your weight loss goals with just a cellphone or a computer!  That’s right, it’s just that simple.

There are a plethora of online tracking tools that are FREE!  Some are better than others, but for the most part they all do the same things.  I recently started using MyFitnessPal to track my daily diary and it is awesome!  What I like about this tool is that it has an extensive database that includes lots of foods and remembers my most frequently eaten foods to make it easy to add those foods again in my log.  Also, I can track trends to see my progress over a specified time period for calories, exercise, and weight loss.  However, what really made me excited about this tool is that it has an awesome iPhone App that automatically syncs with the online account and maintains all of that information that was posted online!  This helps me because sometimes I am not at the computer, but I ALWAYS have my phone!

So whether you use MyFitnessPal.com or some other food tracking tool, just start tracking.  This, along with proper exercise, is the BEST way to help you achieve your weight loss goals.  In just 2 weeks I have lost 2 pounds, and I am definitely happy for that!

A sample of my food dairy log on Jan 29th (myfitnesspal.com)

PDF Print version of my food diary (myfitnesspal.com)

My 2-week calorie trend chart (myfitnesspal.com)

MyPyramid.gov: What Is It?

In the previous newsletter I spoke about the importance of making a lifestyle change instead of focusing on dieting.  What I meant by this lifestyle change is eating foods that work for your body’s system, as well as providing the necessary daily nutritional value.  What is the daily nutritional value that we should follow?  Unfortunately, there is not just one answer, in fact the answer is different for each person and is based upon a number of factors, such as one’s age, weight, and level of physical activity. 

 

The amount of food that a person should consume daily can be found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPyramid¹.  MyPyramid is a guidance established in 1994 by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion of the USDA to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans.  MyPyramid is based on the science-based Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which includes the recommended amounts of food and physical activity that one should have.  This guidance is only for the general public ages 2 and up is not meant to be the end all be all—meaning if you have health challenges such as food allergies, intolerances, heart problems, eating disorders, etc., then you need to consult with a health care provider.

MyPyramid includes the following nutrition components and servings of each major food group:

 

Food Groups	Daily Serving Recommendations	1 serving example
Grains	3 to 8 ounces	1/2 cup cooked rice
Vegetables	2 to 3 cups	2 cups leafy greens
Fruit	1 to 2 cups	1 medium apple
Milk	3 to 6 cups	1 cup milk
Meat & Beans	3 to 6 ounces	1oz meat;1/2cup beans
Oils	3 to 6 teaspoons	1 teaspoon oil
Discretionary Calories	165 to 510 calories	Butter, wine

Figure 1. MyPyramid recommended daily nutritional intake.

 

 

Please note that these recommendations also depend on your age, gender, level of activity, as well as your current health conditions.  If you need more assistance with putting together a balanced nutritional meal plan that is tailored specifically for you, please email info@rhondascooking.com. 

¹ “MyPyramid.gov.”  United States Department of Agriculture. May 29, 2008 <http://www.mypyramid.gov/>.   

 

Stop Dieting…Make a Lifestyle Change!

Most people go on a diet with the sole purpose to lose weight without really understanding the full implications. Dieting is not for everyone for many reasons.  They are restrictive and sometimes imbalanced and if not properly understood, diets may not be safe for many people, especially those who have challenges with heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder, obesity, etc.  So before you make a decision whether or not to start a diet, take some time to do a health assessment with your primary care physician to determine what your body needs.

 

People are different, so their need for maintaining a healthy life will also be different.  Many diets are generic and do not take into account a person’s overall health.  For instance take the popular “low-carb” diet, a.k.a. The Atkins diet, this diet requires a person to eat high portions of protein and very low portions of healthy carbohydrates; unfortunately, this may not be ideal for a person who has high cholesterol.  So, if your goal is to lose weight, the key to achieving it is to make a lifestyle change, which includes eating balanced meals that support your body’s needs, as well as exercising. 

 

I know this may sound a little over whelming, but have no fear; the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given us some help.  The USDA has developed a general plan, called MyPyramid which helps us to learn how to balance between food and physical activity, make better food choices, and maintain daily calorie needs (I will go into more detail about MyPyramid in future newletters). 

 

So don’t wait until January 2009 to set a new goal; start today.  It’s never too late to start making a lifestyle change in order to live a healthier life!  If you need help with getting started, email us at info@rhondascooking.com to learn more about our Food Lifestyle Makeovers!