Anti-Aging Nutrition

/in ,

Do people constantly ask you how many kids you have when you’re barely 21 years old? Did you ever wonder why most men who seem to be interested in you are those in their mid 50’s? Do you find yourself being turned down by every eligible bachelorette because they all think their fathers were just half your age?

To look and feel young is actually within one’s control. While some people claim to have been blessed with the youthful radiance we all love to have, some others basically just worked for it. The kind of lifestyle that we live including the foods that we eat actually contributes more to looking older than the natural aging processes themselves. There are several anti-aging nutrition that may slow down one’s aging “speed”.

nutrition

One of the most common antiaging nutrition that people have been turning to is taking in antiaging antioxidants. This particular antiaging nutrition includes fruits and vegetables which help fight the free radicals and other harmful substances that speed up the aging process. Turning to antiaging nutrition also protect the brain from damage which can result to memory loss associated with aging. So if you feel like your grandmother has a better memory than you, you’re probably eating the wrong stuff.

Anti-aging nutrition does not only focus on helping you look younger. It actually works to make you live longer as well. Reducing your calorie intake is part of a whole anti-aging nutrition regimen. Studied have confirmed that too much calorie intake leads to age-related diseases. Excessive calorie is not the only one that needs to be avoided.

Too much fat intake has been known to cause heart disease as well as other deadly diseases. Changing you eating pattern to increase anti-aging nutrition in place of the harmful substances will bring you more than the physical rewards.

Exercise is a good way to delay aging. Regular physical activities not only prevent serious diseases, these also make you act with more vigor and enthusiasm. People who are doing exercises regularly emit a glow and radiate a certain positive aura. Older people who are inactive will lessen any or all of these four areas of staying healthy: strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. All of which, over time, will result in depression, leading to looking and feeling old and wasted.

Finally, anti-aging nutrition does not stop with what you eat. Sleeping well is an important factor to reduce the rate of aging. Lack of sleep can likewise lead to lack of mental alertness. An unhealthy mind and body can also result if one does not get the sufficient amount of sleep. Thus, anti-aging nutrition can also be considered as a means to “age with grace”.

How Do We Determine Nutritional Need?

/in , ,

Today, we must determine how much nourishment we need, how much physical exercise we need, and how best to accomplish those ends. Calorie needs, nutritional needs, physical needs, and education about those needs now is information we should all understand, at least as it applies to our individual self.

If you will visit your local doctor, library, or fitness center, there is massive amounts of information available to help educate and to help you make good health choices, no matter what the age group.nutritional

Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.

How do we determine that we are providing the essential nutritional needs? That knowledge comes by educating ourselves about what our individual needs are, the needs of our family, and then taking that knowledge and applying it to the foods we buy, that we prepare, and that our families consume.

Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that we take in what we need to maintain our body’s healthy state. Nutrition has become an important word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in our daily food requirements, and the FDA’s involvement in determining what is and is not dangerous for us to consume.

But what is our responsibility in the nutrition game? Do we understand what our nutritional requirements are, how to fulfill those requirements, and how to look for real nutritional value in our foods? I’m not sure that nutrition has been successfully addressed in its own right. We hear nutrition in relation to our vitamin intake, our fortified cereals and milk, and in the context that we need “nutritional value” from our food choices.

But what really is nutrition when applied to our daily bodily functions? Quite often, our vitamin and mineral needs outweigh our caloric needs. In those instances, we turn to manufactured vitamins and minerals to fill the gap. This is a part of our nutritional needs, also.

Nutrition is one of the most complex areas to gain useful knowledge about, because there are so many components, and because each person has their own individual needs. Women needs differ from those of men, and older women’s needs differ from those of a young girl. As we age, our needs constantly change; therefore continual education about nutrition is a fact of life.

The nutritional needs of a cardiac patient are different than those of a healthy, middle-aged hiker. Can you see the complexity of the situation now? What we really need is to develop a scale that determines the nutritional needs of our bodies on a cellular level, so that as we age, as our physical condition changes, or our health changes, we can recalculate our needs, based on cellular changes and content in our body.

Individuality is the key to understanding each person’s nutritional needs, and then working to educate ourselves is the key to fulfilling those nutritional needs. Good nutrition should be the ultimate goal of every person alive.

10 Steps To Detoxification in a Technology-fueled World

/in , ,

Technology. We live in a grand time of technological development. Computers, the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras and DVDs. But the human body has not ‘kept up’ with technology. Human beings certainly shouldn’t eat technology! But that is happening today as a result of the onslaught of chemicals in our foods and environments, and with the impending threat of chemical warfare.

This very second, your physical body is mysteriously functioning internally exactly the way human bodies functioned 10,000 years ago. Because our bodies today are the same as in the past, it is critical to eat, drink, and live the same as in years past – centuries past. But modern societies are adopting one of the most unnatural lifestyles known to mankind. Cancer rates and cardiovascular disease in the United States alone are among the highest in the world as a result of technology interfering with our food supply and living environments.

technology

SO WHY DETOX?

Have you ever washed greasy dishes without hot water or dish soap? The dishes don’t get clean, do they? When toxic metals and chemical food additives get inside your body, it takes a strong “cleanser” to scrub your body clean from the inside out. The combination of vitamins and minerals through detoxification work in this fashion to remove toxins from your body tissues and body organs, from your water stores, fat deposits, and within your bloodstream. Natural cleansing is critical to remove body toxins, and protects from re-depositing them somewhere else in the body.
Toxins such as lead, mercury, and the side effects of aspartame’s by-products of formic acid and formaldehyde, block nutrients from getting into normal body cells in the same fashion a lead shield blocks radiation during an x-ray.

If toxins are present within your body, oxygen and the body’s “food supply” cannot get inside your cells to supply needed nutrients, nor can the cells’ waste products get out. Diseases, such as cancer, now have an environment in which to form. When these body toxins are removed, your body can then restore a healthy balance.

IDENTIFY, REMOVE, AND RESTORE

The basic philosophy behind any effective detox program is to identify, remove, and restore. Identify what toxins are at the root of your health problems.

Identify = hair analysis
Remove the toxins by cleansing your body.
Remove = detoxification
Restore lost nutrients.
Restore = nutritional supplements

Like pealing the layers off an onion, as each layer is removed through detoxification, the underlying layers reveal what’s really behind disease symptoms. The deeper you go toward removing the ‘core’ of the problem, healing becomes long-term reality.

TEN STEPS TO DETOXIFICATION

Begin with detoxing your body of all residual chemical toxins and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try these steps for yourself, and within 30 days your symptoms should improve if not completely disappear.

The Ten Steps:

Remove all chemicals from your diet.
Learn to ‘read’ your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

Do not overlook the fact that healing from disease and illness takes faith, personal strength, and perseverance. Curing illness and degenerative diseases with a mind-body approach might be considered old-fashioned and ineffective when compared to today’s high tech prescriptions, but it’s essential that human beings remember that the roots of disease and their cures are as old-fashioned as the body itself, and healing begins with SELF.

WHAT IS A HAIR ANALYSIS?

A hair analysis determines exactly what chemicals are inside of you, including radiation. Generic medical lab tests don’t identify deep tissue toxins nor nutrient depletion the same way a hair analysis does.

The protein in hair fiber holds the composition of the body tissues for a permanent period. By analyzing your hair fiber composition, you can tell what toxins have accumulated in the body tissues and what vitamins and minerals are depleted or too abundant causing imbalances in body function.

By detoxifying unnatural chemicals and by replacing specific vitamins individual to your needs, proper health can be restored using nutrition. The human hair analysis points out these levels, making the hair analysis the BEST tool out there.

The link below provides a sample hair analysis report of a twenty-year-old male toxic in mercury. Andy has been a vegetarian all of his life, and ate canned tuna most every day. His over-all toxins were low and his nutrients were fairly balanced, but his mercury level was dangerously high which, in turn, depleted his lithium stores. Lithium is a critical element that supports emotional and hormonal development.

Thinking he was on a ‘healthy’ diet, Andy would never have known the potential health dangers within his tissues and bloodstream without having a hair analysis performed. He is relieved to know he prevented future health problems, and now knows how to adjust his diet and supplement program to achieve optimum health.

Good nutrition works.

Take the time to determine at which point you may have gotten off track nutritionally and what ‘poisons’ you have been exposed to. Detox your body of all environmental and food chemicals you have been exposed to throughout your lifetime.

Restore depleted nutrients through proper supplements and whole foods.

Toxins are at the root of most diseases, and once they are removed, health and well being return. An effective detoxification plan removes the source of disease symptoms, such as aspartame or radiation poisoning, detoxifies toxic residue from the body, and replaces specific nutrients to regain a state of wellness.

Detoxing the body removes toxins from chemicals quickly and can actually remove most chemical toxins from your body tissues and body organs, from your water stores, and from fat stores within your bloodstream, along with assisting in the elimination of those toxins via the bowels and pores of the body.

How to Deal with Gluten Intolerance in Children

/in , ,

Gluten intolerance is an issue that adults have trouble coming to terms with. It is even more difficult when it happens to a child. Parents will have their hands full just making sure that their kid eats what he or she is supposed to and avoids the gluten based foods. The good thing here is that it is easier to inculcate good eating habits in children.

Adults, who have been eating gluten containing comfort foods for years, often face withdrawal symptoms and irritation at having to give up their favorite foods. In most cases, you will not have such issues with children. If you guide them properly when young and explain the importance of eating the right foods, they will grow up with these habits.

Gluten intolerance

The first step will be to get your child diagnosed by a qualified doctor to see if they are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease.

There are a few common symptoms that are often displayed by children who are gluten sensitive.

  • Constipation, cramping and a bloated stomach
  • Lethargy, irritability and restlessness
  • Unexplained rashes on the elbows and shoulder area
  • Abnormal stools that are watery or large
  • Delayed growth

 

If your child is gluten intolerant, it is imperative that you immediately start them on a gluten-free diet. Most children will not understand what gluten sensitivity is. You will need to approach the subject in a manner that does not make them feel different or inferior.

Initially, it would help if the parent preparing the food is able to make two different versions of the same food. One gluten version and one gluten-free one. In this way, it will look like everyone is eating the same food. Over time, your child will grow to understand that their body doesn’t assimilate gluten in the same way that others do.

However, in the transitioning phase, it’s best to keep most things constant and yet maintain a gluten-free diet for the gluten sensitive child.

As the child reaches school going age, it would help if the parents spoke to the teachers and school administrators about the child’s gluten intolerance so that there will be other adults who can keep a discreet yet watchful eye on what the child eats.

It is a wonderful idea to prepare food at home for your child to bring to school. Do explain the importance of eating gluten-free foods to them. They will face many temptations at school. Friends who may eat candy and chocolates, birthday parties that they may get invited to, school camps, etc.

The best way to ensure that your child sticks to the rules is to educate them well on the topic. In some cases, the child may secretly wish to disobey their parents just to fit in with their peers. However, the old saying applies here. A burnt child dreads fire. When your child doesn’t feel too good after what he or she ate, they will automatically avoid consuming gluten based foods.

Ultimately, there is no need to be overly worried. As long as you do your best to cater to your child’s needs, they will grow up understanding their situation and will live a gluten-free life.

Tips to Dining Out If You Are Gluten Intolerant

/in , ,

One of the biggest problems that gluten sensitive people have is being able to eat outside. This problem affects their social life and they may prefer to avoid social gatherings just so that they don’t seem to be a party pooper. The idea of inconveniencing others just because they are gluten intolerant seems selfish.

Over time, this will take a toll on them mentally and they may become depressed that life has handed them a bad hand, which undoubtedly it has. Nevertheless, this is a problem that can be dealt with relatively easily.

gluten

Firstly, the gluten intolerant person needs to find a few good restaurants where the service staff will be amiable to the customer’s requests. Most good restaurants will do their best to please the customer. If you’re gluten sensitive, you must be unequivocal and tell the restaurant about your diet.

It may seem like you’re very demanding. This is not the case. You’re not a pompous ass blowing hot air and making ridiculous demands just to feel self-important. You actually have a health issue that needs a special diet. Do explain this to the waiter or whoever takes your order.

It is always best to scout a few restaurants in your area beforehand and see if they will be able to whip up a gluten-free meal for you. In this way, you will be prepared and so will the restaurant. You should also inform them beforehand if you plan on having a meal there so that they are ready.

You may also Google online for celiac friendly restaurants that are in your area. If there are, well you’re pretty much set. You can go there with your buddies and while they eat gluten foods, you’ll have gluten-free dishes to choose from too. Everybody goes home happy.

It is worth noting that you should always inform the wait staff about the possibilities of cross-contamination. This will reduce any chances of it occurring.

If you’re suddenly caught in a situation where your family or friends suddenly decide to go for a meal at a restaurant that you’re not familiar with, don’t panic.

The same rules apply. Choose a dish that is mostly made up of natural ingredients such as meat, seafood, poultry, fresh vegetables, etc. You can make a special request to season your food naturally using olive or coconut oil, spices, etc. They should leave out the artificial seasonings and sauces.

If they can make you a tasty dish without any artificial flavoring, you will surely be able to have a gluten-free meal. Of course, you won’t be able to eat the fried chicken that has been coated with bread crumbs, but you won’t be sitting there starving either.

Focus on what you can eat instead of what you can’t.

At the end of the day, it’s all about your mindset. There is no doubt that being gluten intolerant is a pain in the neck but are you going to let it dictate your level of happiness?

Of course not. There are thousands of people who lead gluten-free lives and are perfectly happy. Take the inconveniences and little sorrows in your stride. You are bigger than any negative consequence that gluten can cause you.

 

How to be Gluten-free while on a Tight Budget

/in , ,

Going on a gluten-free diet is an extreme lifestyle change. It is by no means easy. You will not be able to consume the foods that you love. Any food that contains gluten or traces of it is out of the question.

Many gluten sensitive people suffer withdrawal symptoms and many quit the gluten-free diet because of the sacrifices that are required. They’d rather put up with the discomforts of gluten intolerance than give up their comfort foods. This should never be the case because in the long run, the toll on their health and well-being will be heavy.

gluten

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, you realize that most gluten-free products that are sold are much more expensive than the normal products. This is due to the extra processing time required to remove the gluten. Of course, there is also the issue of economies of scale.

The gluten-free food market is much smaller than the market for normal food. So, everything gluten-free is produced at a higher cost which needs to be borne by those who are already suffering from gluten tolerance. Life is not fair indeed. Yet, we must roll with the blows and make the best of a bad situation.

There are several ways you can cut your costs when living a gluten-free lifestyle. This article will offer you a few tips. You can discover more ways as you go along.
First and foremost, a gluten-free diet should only be adopted by those who are gluten sensitive or gluten intolerant. It is not a trend or “healthy” choice. The gluten-free diet is not like the Atkins, paleo or Mediterranean diet. It is not healthier. It’s a solution to a health problem. If your body can handle gluten, you really need not be forking out money for gluten-free foods.

Since there are a wide variety of symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity, it would be best to go to a doctor and get a blood test done to confirm that you’re gluten sensitive. Just because you’re feeling bloated and lethargic for a few days in a row, it doesn’t mean you’re gluten sensitive.

You need to get a positive confirmation before committing to the gluten-free lifestyle. You doctor is the best person to consult.

If you are indeed gluten intolerant and you’re the only one in your family who is, don’t automatically assume that everyone in the family needs to go on a gluten-free diet. Of course, you will need to segregate your food and utensils but that’s about as far as you should go.

Making everyone in your family go on a gluten-free diet will skyrocket the food budget and not to mention, cause unnecessary hassle and irritation to the rest.

There are many foods that are gluten-free. In fact, the best and healthiest foods are gluten-free. Dairy, meat, eggs, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, rice, quinoa, etc. are all foods that have no gluten. If you adopt the Mediterranean diet and keep it gluten-free, you will have tasty food at a decent budget. It doesn’t get better than that.

Another thing you can do is make your own premade gluten-free products. There are many premade gluten-free baking mixes sold in the market. Most are relatively costly. You could buy the ingredients separately and make your own mix at a fraction of the price. It will be cheaper and most probably, healthier.

Buying in bulk will also cut your costs. Contact the supplier and cut out the middleman. Find out if any of your neighbors or friends are on a gluten-free diet. A few people ordering the same items at the same time could definitely get a good price from the suppliers.

These are just some of the ways you can keep your costs low. The fact of the matter is that most gluten-free products are unnecessary if you learnt how to eat and season your food naturally.

Pick up tips on paleo cooking and Mediterranean style cooking. Using natural ingredients to flavor mouth-watering dishes. Once you know what to do, you may be able to spend even less than a normal person would on food. It’s all a matter of being well-informed and making wise decisions.

What are the Causes and Symptoms of Celiac Disease?

/in ,

Celiac disease has a few other names such as gluten sensitive entropathy and celiac prue. All these are scary names but the disease is not life threatening. It is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the small intestines lining.

While this may not seem like a big thing, it does cause many other health problems that are far worse than Celiac disease.

celiac disease

Gluten is just a protein found in wheat and is actually what causes bread dough to rise. Gluten can be found in most commercial foods these days due to the extensive use of wheat based oils and additives.

A person who is extremely sensitive or intolerant of gluten is said to have Celiac disease. There is no known cause or cure. Some people are just more sensitive to gluten.

When these people consume gluten, the villi (hair-like structures in the intestinal lining) get damaged and as a result, the small intestines are unable to absorb nutrients from the food consumed. That is why celiac disease suffers can appear malnourished despite eating a lot.

The symptoms vary from person to person. This is what makes gluten intolerance so difficult to diagnose. Diarrhea, constipation, bloating, excessive flatulence, irritability, migraines, rashes, iron deficiency, unexplainable weight loss, inflammation, seizures, PMS and PCOS, etc. are just some of the health problems that affect people suffering from celiac disease.

People with this disease are also more prone to osteoporosis due to the lack of calcium absorption. Women are also more prone to infertility and if they do get pregnant, the chances of a miscarriage are higher than that of a normal woman who is not suffering from celiac disease.

All in all, it is not a pretty picture. The best way to combat the ill-effects of celiac disease will be to avoid gluten completely. You will need to examine your diet and food preparation with fastidious care. This will be very challenging and to a certain extent, time-consuming. Yet, there is really no choice.

A doctor will be the best person to diagnose celiac disease. He or she will conduct a physical exam on you, check your health history and probably do a blood test to measure the level of antibodies in your system.

In some cases, you doctor may do a biopsy on you where an endoscope is inserted into your mouth all the way down to your small intestine to check if there is any damage to the villi. The procedure is done while you’re sedated. Don’t panic yet.

Now that you know that there is no cause and the symptoms vary with the individual, you probably know that you have no control over the cause or symptoms.
So, what do you have control over?

Your diet. That’s what.

You know what is the best part? If you control your diet, you have control over the entire problem. You’re sensitive to gluten? Then make it your goal to avoid gluten like the plague. It is anathema to you.

Educate yourself on gluten and all that you will need to know about it. Make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle. Once you make the changes, stick with them. You will need to avoid gluten for the rest of your life. So, you will have to get used to it.

Once you can do this, any problems associated with celiac disease will slowly diminish. In some cases, the damage may take years to rectify. In some cases, they may never be rectified. Whatever the case, if you have celiac disease, you need to go gluten-free and you need to have started yesterday.

All is not lost. Start today.

 

What Can I Eat and What Can’t I Eat If I’m Gluten Sensitive?

/in , ,

The above question can be answered in just line. You can eat foods that don’t contain any traces of gluten. That’s it. All you need to do is eat non-gluten foods. Isn’t that easy? Of course it is. Conceptually easy. In reality, it’s extremely difficult to execute in practice.

We live in a world where most commercially produced food contains gluten or gluten based additives and ingredients. A bottle of tomato sauce may have gluten based starches in it. A sausage may have gluten based fillers in it. Gluten is everywhere. How do you avoid it?

gluten

Very carefully. That’s how. You will need to check and re-check your food. You’ll need to see if there was any cross-contamination from manufacture down to retail. To make matters worse, major food companies lie on their food labels too. This is well within the laws since the FDA rules are a little lax.

Your best bet will be to cook your own food and use healthy wholesome ingredients. The healthiest and natural foods such as meat, eggs, poultry, vegetables, and fruit and many grains and legumes do not contain gluten. You do have a wide variety of choices.

The problem occurs when people wish to eat foods such as cakes, breads, etc. Foods that usually contain gluten. These are the normal comfort foods that they are accustomed too. In order to eat such foods, you will need to find gluten-free substitutes.

All this is troublesome to say the least, but that’s how the cookie crumbles. There is no other way to say it… and the cookie needs to be gluten-free too.
Below is a general list of foods you should and should not eat. Use it as a general guideline.

Foods with Gluten

• Breads, cookies, pizzas, pies, pastas, croutons, cereals, crackers
• Sauces such as soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, teriyaki sauce, marinades, BBQ sauce, salad dressings
• Curry powder, mustard powder, food flavoring
• Brewer’s yeast
• Canned vegetables may contain traces of gluten additives
• Yoghurts, puddings, processed cheese
• Most processed meats such as meatballs, sausages, meat jerky
• Beer that is produced with wheat or barley

Foods without Gluten

• Seafood, poultry, meat
• Eggs
• Vegetables and fruit
• Dairy products and unsweetened yoghurt
• Rice, oats, legumes, gluten-free grains
• Wine
• Corn
• Natural spices

These are just some of the foods. The list is by no means exhaustive and only serves as a general guideline. You will need to do more research so that you are better informed and can make wise food choices. If you’re gluten intolerant, do switch to a gluten-free lifestyle.

Many people know what they need to do but they don’t do it because it takes too much effort. If you’re gluten sensitive, unfortunately you don’t have much choice in the matter. You really do need to switch to a gluten-free lifestyle.

It will keep you healthy and prevent many ailments and health issues from taking root. It will require sacrifice on your part. Just remember that nothing worthwhile was ever achieved easily. You can do it if you take it one day at a time.

How Can I Tell If I’m Gluten Intolerant?

/in , ,

About 1 in every 133 Americans is gluten intolerant. The majority of people who are gluten intolerant do not even know that they are. The reason for this is that the symptoms are so commonplace that it is easy to assume that you’re just feeling a little “off”.

Over time, people get used to feeling these symptoms and just assume that they have poor health or they are getting old. In reality, they are gluten intolerant and they’re consuming foods that is just not agreeing with their body’s constitution.

gluten

This article will highlight a few common symptoms that many gluten intolerant people experience. If you see these signs recurring in your daily life, you might want to see a doctor and check things out.

If you feel bloated, have gas all the time and suffer from constipation, you might be gluten intolerant. Your intestines are having issues with the food you’re consuming. Diarrhea is also a common symptom.

Your energy level is another indicator. Are you always feeling lethargic? You’re 28 but feel like you’re 208? Gluten intolerant people feel totally drained after a meal because of the effects in the digestive tract. The larger the meals, the more exhausted you feel. This is something that you can easily monitor.

How do you feel after you eat? Do you get irritated or angry easily? This is another sign of gluten intolerance.

Swollen glands are another indicator of gluten intolerance. In fact, this is one of the best indicators. If your glands are swollen, there is definitely an issue in your body that requires attention. If this happens frequently, you shouldn’t just brush it aside as “just one of those things that will go away”. You may be gluten intolerant.

Migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches, etc. that occur frequently after your meals could be symptoms of gluten intolerance. Many people seek treatment for the headaches by using aspirin or other methods. The relief while temporary, does nothing to solve the problem. Only a gluten-free lifestyle can put an end to your headaches.

Inflammation in the body is one of those signs of gluten intolerance that is often misdiagnosed. People think they are having muscular aches or poor blood circulation. Everything is blamed except gluten and that’s because most people aren’t even aware of what gluten intolerance is.

If your body constantly aches or if the joints feel swollen and painful all the time, you’re suffering from inflammation. Either that or you’re learning kung-fu. Since it will most probably be the former, you’re just gluten intolerant. You need to change your diet.

There is an old adage that goes, “It’s not what you eat. It’s what is eating you that causes ill health.” Sorry… if you’re gluten intolerant, it’s totally what you eat. We’ll save the adage for later. For now, you need to avoid gluten.

Even the way you feel is affected. Feeling down? Feeling depressed? Just not feeling good? It could be gluten.

Suddenly developing rashes? Eczema? Keratosis pilaris? It could be gluten.

As you can see, if you’re gluten intolerant, there are so many ways you can be affected. The best thing to do would be to keep a journal to record the food you eat and how you feel. Over time, you will notice a pattern and realize what is triggering the problems. From there it’s just a matter of tweaking your diet to end the symptoms.

Take an active interest in the way you feel and what you eat. If you planning on living a long, healthy life, you have to start today.

Discover Why the Gluten-free Diet Can Be Very Tricky

/in , ,

Yes, you read that right. The gluten-free diet can be very tricky for the simple fact that gluten can be hiding in many foods and you may not know which foods contain gluten. Following a gluten-free lifestyle is tough enough as it is without gluten playing hide and seek with you.

This article will highlight place where gluten may be hiding so that you can spot it a mile away. Of course, before even going into foods that may contain gluten, you need to be aware of foods that you can and cannot eat.

gluten-free diet

A general rule of thumb is that most natural foods do not contain gluten. Eggs, meat, poultry, vegetables, seafood, dairy, beans, nuts, legume and fruit do not contain gluten. Feel free to eat these to your heart’s content.

While there are grains that contain gluten, there are many that don’t and are perfectly safe to consume even if you’re gluten intolerant. Rice, soy, yucca, teff, millet, quinoa, tapioca, millet, potato, yucca, cassava, maize and oats (gluten-free) are all safe foods to eat. You do have choices.

Now, let’s look at why you may inadvertently end up getting gluten in your diet. In many cases, it may not even be your fault. Gluten may creep into your diet because of cross-contamination or even deceptive or poor labeling.

For example, in stores that package their gluten-free food, they often use the same preparation area for non-gluten free foods. Some crumbs from the bakery section may find their way into the cut fruit packages if a common preparation is used.

Even at home, one family member might use a knife on the whole-wheat bread and leave crumbs in the butter. The gluten intolerant person may get these crumbs into their body without even realizing it. So, separate containers will be required.

Another matter that you may totally have no control over is for processed foods. Even with products such as canned fruit or vegetables, the manufacturing line may be processing gluten containing foods too. There is a very real possibility of cross-contamination despite what the labels say.

In cases like these, you may have to contact the manufacturer and get reassurance that their product line is solely dedicated to gluten-free products. This is a hassle but it is a necessary inconvenience, especially for those who have celiac disease.

Living on a gluten-free diet is a lifelong challenge. There is no easier way to say it.

You need to be aware of foods that contain gluten. Like mentioned earlier, natural foods such as meat do not contain gluten. However, processed meats such as sausages, meatballs and ground meats may use wheat-based filler. Now you have a meat that contains gluten.

Sauces, gravies and marinades may contain gluten too. That dollop of tomato sauce you just added to your plate may have gluten flour in it. That bag of potato chips may be seasoned with ingredients that contain wheat starch.

So, you need to be alert all the time. You need to research and exercise due diligence in getting as well-informed as you can. Ultimately, this will help you make the best choices when deciding if the food you plan to eat is something you should be eating. Forewarned is forearmed.

 

Wonderfully Fit Logo

Quick Links

Home
About
Personal Training
Yoga
Pilates
Remote Training
Pricing
Daily Fit Blog
Reviews
Contact

Send Us A Message

This contact form is deactivated because you refused to accept Google reCaptcha service which is necessary to validate any messages sent by the form.