ENABLING YOUR PASSION FOR HEALTHY LIVING

You May Want To ReThink Your Diet

Do you eat gluten free because of preference or necessity? If it’s just out of preference because you think it’s healthier, you may want to think again.

According to a new study coming out of Harvard, a low gluten diet may be linked to later developing type 2 diabetes. The people in the study who ate more gluten were 13 percent less likely to develop the disease.

A 30-year observational analysis of almost 200,000 people suggests that gluten devotees develop type 2 diabetes less often than occasional consumers, so long as intake does not exceed 12 grams per day. The research also shows gluten-phobes tend to eat less cereal fiber, a type of fiber found in bran, barley, and other whole grains that’s known to guard against type 2 diabetes.

“Gluten-free foods often have less dietary fiber and other micronutrients, making them less nutritious and they also tend to cost more,” Zong says. “People without Celiac disease may reconsider limiting their gluten intake for chronic disease prevention, especially for diabetes.”

[Boston Magazine]

Of course every study has it’s caveats. The results were not conducted in a lab and based on self reporting. People obviously tend to make themselves look better on paper. Ever try to write down everything you eat? Yeah, that’s what I thought…

Here’s more on the study if you are interested from WaPo.

What I really wanted to share here however is this video from JP Sears…

JP is hilarious if you don’t already follow him. I’m not against Paleo but this video is hilarious and kind of calls out some of the ridiculous principles behind one of the most popular diets right now.

I’ve always been a fad dieter but never able to stick to anything for obvious reason that include not being sustainable. I used to try not to eat bread and now that I do, I don’t really miss the extra salads.

Honestly, not following a limiting diet has helped me think of food LESS which helps me feel more in tune with my hunger levels and make better decisions.

Obviously if you have celiac’s disease or other autoimmune disease, this does not apply. I am not a doctor and am not trying to give medical advice. But this post is written by someone that thought she had a dairy sensitivity and gluten sensitivity for years.

My friend Anne, a registered dietitian from Fannetastic Food, post this week why she does not recommend Whole30 to clients. I’ve never tried it, but was curious myself. If I was on the fence about giving it a try, her post helped me decide to not.

My problem with Whole30, and other restrictive programs, is the fact that you’re being told you “can’t” eat certain foods. Sure, you might be able to avoid specific foods that you love for 30 days, or even a little longer. But what ends up happening is that when something is off limits, you want it even more. And when you do give in and have it, either during the program or once it’s over, you will likely feel pretty guilty about it.

The guilt/permission is the big problem with any sort of restrictive diet, Whole30 or otherwise, that is being done without medical necessity. Even if you tell yourself that you are allowed to have a certain food again once the program is over, knowing that it was off limits for awhile will give it a sort of “bad/cheat food” type aura. And when you do inevitably have that food again, this guilt will lead to a couple things. source

I do think dairy makes me break out and I don’t eat a ton of it (more for ethical reasons than anything these days) but I just wanted to share these posts to let all my readers out there that it’s OK to eat your child’s left over grilled cheese, to have the pizza, to eat peanut butter – yes Paleo people do not eat pb!

Stop worrying about the little things and focus on eating real whole foods. You don’t need to spend $50 on collagen. You don’t need to avoid eating barley or beans. You don’t need a lot of things. Let’s make eating much more simple, can we?

And lastly, I’m not for or against any particular diet. Currently, I’m trying to eat less meat. It’s an ethical and environmental thing for me, not so much a health concern. In case you were curious…

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