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Gluten Madness – Real or Hype?

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I just read a really great article (for a change) in the March 2015 issue of Self magazine titled “What’s So Wrong With Wheat?” by Catherine Price. I wish I could find a link to the article to share, but alas, no such luck. The gist of the article is that the author wanted to talk to actual scientists with decades of experience with wheat (growing it, treating allergies of it, etc.) instead of relying on the usual hype-based sources. Research scientists did find that some people feel better on a gluten-free diet even if they weren’t diagnosed with Celiac disease or a wheat allergy but they couldn’t conclusively say why.

And here’s where my favorite part of the article kicks in: “Daniel Leffler, M.D., director of clinical research at the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, points out that ‘it’s human nature to think that it’s what you take out that makes you feel better, but it might also be what you add.’ In other words, some of the supposed benefits of a gluten- and wheat-free diet may be less about the lack of gluten or wheat and more about overall dietary and lifestyle changes. If you replace highly processed and refined wheat-based carbohydrates with unrefined, nutritious and lower-calorie choices like vegetables and fish, you may well see an improvement in your health.”

It is really difficult to scientifically prove exactly what element of a diet causes an increase or decrease in health because there are so many variables involved. Let’s say you normally eat about 1800 calories a day including a sandwich on 2 slices of wheat bread for lunch and a 1-cup serving of pasta for dinner. If you took out the bread and pasta, that would remove 20% of your calories for the day. In order to avoid hunger, you’d probably increase your intake of meat or produce. Now you can no longer say whether it’s the lack of wheat or the increase of something else that has made you feel better or worse.

All very interesting and confusing stuff! But still in line with my philosophy that making little changes in the direction of health is for the best and getting too caught up in any hype or trend isn’t worth it.

Write It Down!

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After I wrote my New Year’s post, I realized I neglected to mention how important it is to write your goals down. Today I was listening to a lecture online and heard a statistic that we are 300 times more likely to do something if we write it down. That’s pretty powerful stuff!

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year and welcome to my refreshed website and blog – thanks for visiting!
The beginning of a new year is a time when our minds turn to resolutions – firm actions we want to take to improve ourselves.  In the best of cases, we feel a surge of energy and excitement from this new commitment to an area we want to prioritize in our lives.  Whether your intention is to simplify your life and become more mindful, add some spice to your life by exploring a new hobby or upgrading your diet to include more fresh produce, I think this is a great time to capitalize on that energy and create a plan to make your aspirations a reality.  Here are some thoughts on ways to keep the fire burning so that this year’s resolutions don’t fizzle and fade.
Connect with the “Why”
Successful change makers think about the reasons behind their goals.  It’s important to connect with your motivation because if you are trying to do something for someone else or haven’t thought through exactly why you want to make a change now, it will be easy to let your new habits mindlessly slip away.  This year, I’m focused on growing my business.  For me, the “why” behind that is I want to take pride in achieving financial stability by creating my ideal work environment where I have the freedom to do the things in life I enjoy and improve the health of my clients.  When procrastination sets in and I’d rather hit happy hour than work on my website (busted!), I tap into the feelings behind the resolution and find the motivation to stick to the plan.
Start from Your Strengths
I’m a positive person and a maximizer – I think change works best when you take the time to think about what you’re good at and what comes naturally to you and build from there.  Let’s take my procrastination with the website example.  I have been resolved to grind my teeth and call on my miniscule reserves of willpower to sit down at my computer at home for a day and crank it out.  But I hate being isolated in my apartment to do something that intimidates me.  While this has been on my to do list for months, it still hasn’t happened.  So I thought about what I do like – being social and collaborating – and I asked a friend for help.  We set aside a couple hours and lo and behold my website was up and running with no broken links and I had a bit of fun while doing it.
Set a Goal and a Plan
This is the classic, “if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?”  Define what you want to achieve and how you’re going to make it happen.  Maybe you’re fulfilling a lifelong dream of traveling to Europe and you want to have the energy to take in everything you want to see.  Your goal may be to condition yourself to be able to walk comfortably for a couple hours at a time including a few flights of stairs or hills along the way.  Knowing that you feel energized when you spend time outside, set a daily/weekly/monthly plan that allows you to gradually increase the frequency, distance and incline of enjoyable hikes in your area.  Check in with yourself once a week to pat yourself on the back for a job well done or adjust your plan as needed.
Take it Easy
Let’s say you’re overweight and your doctor has told you that your health will be compromised if you don’t lose weight.  You could resolve to make drastic changes by cooking all your healthy meals at home from scratch and hitting the gym for at least an hour every day even though you hate cooking and you feel like everyone at the gym is giving you the stink eye because you’re not a 20-something fitness model.  Take it easy!  If you love eating take out, then keep doing it but in a mindful way by knowing the nutritional value of what you’re eating and choosing more healthy options when you can.  If you’re sitting all day at work and on the couch, then get a pedometer to see how many steps you’re taking now and gradually increase the amount of movement you get in each day over time.  Life is tough enough without adopting an all or nothing approach – give yourself a break!
Call in Reinforcements
Do you have health and fitness goals you want to achieve in 2015?  I can help!  Improving your health statistics with a goal of reducing your needed medications, increasing your sense of calm and well-being, becoming more strong and flexible, training for a running race, sustaining a healthy weight and lifestyle – these are all areas where my training and knowledge can help supercharge your intentions and result in success.