Food fads come and go - what we should eat, what we shouldn't eat, you know the drill. At this point in time, most experts agree that the American diet could use a serious upgrade and certain foods seem to make great scapegoats, according to Melinda Johnson (spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). Unfortunately, nutrition is too complex for a simple game of finger pointing. On closer inspection, there are numerous foods with reputations that need redeemed. One of these foods is gluten.
You've heard the gluten free diet craze. It's become popular enough that even major pizza chains have gluten free crusts. Even comedian Jimmy Kimmel has jumped on the gluten-free train, poking fun at those who follow the diet, but don't even know what gluten is (watch the video here). However, did you know that recent statistics estimate that around 1% of Americans, or even fewer have celiac disease? Some unknown number of individuals are gluten sensitive but the majority of individuals are actually physically able to eat and digest gluten with little to no issues. According to Dr. David Heber (Chief of Clinical Nutrition at UCLA), a lot of people think they have gluten sensitivity but it may actually be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gluten containing products like whole grains for example, are great nutrient sources for fiber and vitamins. Often times, the gluten-free counterpart does not pack the same punch.
Check out the article here to learn more about these redemption foods and consider giving them a second chance! Remember though, everything in moderation.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-healthier-20140531-story.html
You've heard the gluten free diet craze. It's become popular enough that even major pizza chains have gluten free crusts. Even comedian Jimmy Kimmel has jumped on the gluten-free train, poking fun at those who follow the diet, but don't even know what gluten is (watch the video here). However, did you know that recent statistics estimate that around 1% of Americans, or even fewer have celiac disease? Some unknown number of individuals are gluten sensitive but the majority of individuals are actually physically able to eat and digest gluten with little to no issues. According to Dr. David Heber (Chief of Clinical Nutrition at UCLA), a lot of people think they have gluten sensitivity but it may actually be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gluten containing products like whole grains for example, are great nutrient sources for fiber and vitamins. Often times, the gluten-free counterpart does not pack the same punch.
Check out the article here to learn more about these redemption foods and consider giving them a second chance! Remember though, everything in moderation.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-healthier-20140531-story.html