Wow... It's been almost a month since my last post on The Walking Encyclopedia and, for that, I apologize. Things have been extremely busy and my new blog has taken up much of my attention. But, I wanted to take a moment and address a growing trend: The gluten-free diet.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein compound naturally present in wheat and related grains, like barley and rye. The protein is commonly used to improve both the flavor and texture of... well, everything. While it is traditionally featured in baked goods, it pops up in many unexpected locations as a thickening and binding agent.
Gluten Intolerance, Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body has a severe allergic reaction to gluten which, in turn, causes severe damage to the lining of the intestines and prevents the absorption of necessary nutrients from food. This disease can develop at any point in life and the exact cause remains unknown.
But many people report allergic reactions to gluten intake but test negative for celiac disease. For a long time, these people were told by their doctors that it was nothing to worry about. But recent studies show that that's not exactly correct. A 2011 study showed a definite distinction between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, sometimes called gluten intolerance.
Benefits of a Gluten-free Diet
Even though only about 1 percent of the U.S population has celiac disease and 6 percent suffers from a gluten sensitivity, 15 to 25 percent of Americans eat gluten-free. And the profitability of gluten-free products is sky-rocketing despite the fact that the number of cases of celiac disease or gluten intolerance has not risen. Which means that a lot of healthy people are following a gluten-free diet.
Why? Because the proponents of a gluten-free diet have claimed all sorts of benefits from it including weight loss and even that it could help treat autism. There is no evidence to support either of these claims. Although, it should be acknowledged that people with autism are statistically more likely to also suffer from celiac disease.
Regarding weight loss, it's interesting to note that the opposite may be true. Many gluten-free products are even more full of sugars, fats and starchy flours then their gluten-full counterparts. This will significantly increase the calorie content, as well as the likelihood of weight gain.
Bottom Line: Should I be Gluten-free?
Probably not. While a small minority of people have medical conditions that require them to limit or totally cut-out gluten from their diets, the vast majority of people who follow a gluten-free diet really don't need to .
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
All About Multivitamins: Do they work? Do they have side effects? What should I look for?
Multivitamins are, undoubtedly, the most widely used supplement in the country. In fact, in 2011, it was reported in the Journal of Nutrition that one-third of all adult Americans took multivitamins and they are commonly recommended by doctors and other experts. So let's just cut to the chase: Why are multivitamins supposedly important? Do multivitamins work? Should you take multivitamins? How do you select a multivitamin from you huge pool of available products? Are there an side effects from multivitamins?
Read on, friends.
Why are They Important?
Basically, in order to keep everything in your body running properly, several nutrients are need. These are generally broken into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are the big three that everybody worries about. Namely: fat, protein and carbohydrates. (Macronutrients can, of course, be broken down further into smaller categories that we won't go into here.) But then we have all the other odds and ends which are lumped together as micronutrients. Included in this group are vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are vital to numerous bodily functions including, but not limited to, bone health, nerve function, heart health, muscle contraction and hormone production. The list could go on and on.
For the most part, people get all the vitamins and mineral they need from a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, healthy, balanced diets are becoming extinct. Which increases the need for supplementation, according to some health professionals. But true deficiencies in these nutrients are very rare in the U.S. Bodybuilding.com contends that athletes and active people will require more vitamins and minerals than sedentary people and they are probably right. Activity causes our bodies to use, and subsequently, lose these vital nutrients. Certain health conditions can also cause vitamin or mineral deficiencies. The exact symptoms will depend on the affected vitamin or mineral. But, in these cases, supplementation won't cure the cause of the deficiency.
Do they work?
To a large extent, that depends on you. More specifically, it depends on your expectations. If you are waiting for drastic changes in your mental and physical well-being, you will likely be disappointed. But multivitamins are more about maintenance. Think about it this way: In order to run properly, you car needs several fluids. Oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant and transmission fluid are all important. If one of these gets low, your car will probably continue to run for a while but it may make some new noises or get lower gas mileage. When you change the oil and fill up all those fluids, you won't notice anything major in your car's performance but the benefits are there. And your car will probably be with you longer.
Multivitamins play a very similar function. These supplements encourage healthy aging and help your body to maintain itself despite all the crazy stuff you do to it. This Australian study found that multivitamin use improved memory and decreased the risk of cognitive decline. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that multivitamins can increase telomere length in women which, essentially increase the lifespan of cells and can slow the aging process. Several studies have shown that taking a multivitamin when pregnant decreases the risk of many birth defects.
Side Effects
It's not all good news, though. One Swedish study linked multivitamin use with an increased risk of breast cancer in women although an American study conducted the same year claimed that multivitamins have no effect on breast cancer. So, while the doubt is out there, it's still unclear.
It is possible to overdose on multivitamins, as benign as they might seem. Various substances in them, such as iron, are necessary in the body but only in small doses and toxicity is possible. The risk is even higher in children. Allergies are also possible in multivitamins.
How to Select a Multivitamin
These side effects can be avoided, however, by doing your research and carefully selecting your supplement. Many vitamins have been found to contain amounts of various vitamins and minerals that differ from what they have printed on the label and some even contained lead. Consumer Search is a great place to start when researching which multivitamins to take.
As a general rule, don't be suckered into the trap of megadosing. Taking large amounts of any substance can be dangerous or just a waste of money. Look for supplements that contain no more than 100% of any given vitamin or mineral and if it falls below that number, don't feel like it's a lower quality. If you're a healthy person who eats a normal omnivorous diet, you should be getting a majority of your micronutrients from your food. Specifically, avoid large amounts of vitamin A. Megadoses of vitamin A are linked to liver damage, birth defects and bone fragility. If you're buying for a child, make sure to buy them a children's formula.
To summarize, here's a checklist:
Read on, friends.
Why are They Important?
Basically, in order to keep everything in your body running properly, several nutrients are need. These are generally broken into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are the big three that everybody worries about. Namely: fat, protein and carbohydrates. (Macronutrients can, of course, be broken down further into smaller categories that we won't go into here.) But then we have all the other odds and ends which are lumped together as micronutrients. Included in this group are vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are vital to numerous bodily functions including, but not limited to, bone health, nerve function, heart health, muscle contraction and hormone production. The list could go on and on.
For the most part, people get all the vitamins and mineral they need from a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, healthy, balanced diets are becoming extinct. Which increases the need for supplementation, according to some health professionals. But true deficiencies in these nutrients are very rare in the U.S. Bodybuilding.com contends that athletes and active people will require more vitamins and minerals than sedentary people and they are probably right. Activity causes our bodies to use, and subsequently, lose these vital nutrients. Certain health conditions can also cause vitamin or mineral deficiencies. The exact symptoms will depend on the affected vitamin or mineral. But, in these cases, supplementation won't cure the cause of the deficiency.
Do they work?
To a large extent, that depends on you. More specifically, it depends on your expectations. If you are waiting for drastic changes in your mental and physical well-being, you will likely be disappointed. But multivitamins are more about maintenance. Think about it this way: In order to run properly, you car needs several fluids. Oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant and transmission fluid are all important. If one of these gets low, your car will probably continue to run for a while but it may make some new noises or get lower gas mileage. When you change the oil and fill up all those fluids, you won't notice anything major in your car's performance but the benefits are there. And your car will probably be with you longer.
Multivitamins play a very similar function. These supplements encourage healthy aging and help your body to maintain itself despite all the crazy stuff you do to it. This Australian study found that multivitamin use improved memory and decreased the risk of cognitive decline. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that multivitamins can increase telomere length in women which, essentially increase the lifespan of cells and can slow the aging process. Several studies have shown that taking a multivitamin when pregnant decreases the risk of many birth defects.
Side Effects
It's not all good news, though. One Swedish study linked multivitamin use with an increased risk of breast cancer in women although an American study conducted the same year claimed that multivitamins have no effect on breast cancer. So, while the doubt is out there, it's still unclear.
It is possible to overdose on multivitamins, as benign as they might seem. Various substances in them, such as iron, are necessary in the body but only in small doses and toxicity is possible. The risk is even higher in children. Allergies are also possible in multivitamins.
How to Select a Multivitamin
These side effects can be avoided, however, by doing your research and carefully selecting your supplement. Many vitamins have been found to contain amounts of various vitamins and minerals that differ from what they have printed on the label and some even contained lead. Consumer Search is a great place to start when researching which multivitamins to take.
As a general rule, don't be suckered into the trap of megadosing. Taking large amounts of any substance can be dangerous or just a waste of money. Look for supplements that contain no more than 100% of any given vitamin or mineral and if it falls below that number, don't feel like it's a lower quality. If you're a healthy person who eats a normal omnivorous diet, you should be getting a majority of your micronutrients from your food. Specifically, avoid large amounts of vitamin A. Megadoses of vitamin A are linked to liver damage, birth defects and bone fragility. If you're buying for a child, make sure to buy them a children's formula.
To summarize, here's a checklist:
- No more than 100% of the RDA of any given substance
- Don't ignore store brands
- No more than 5,000 IU of vitamin A
- Ignore "special formulas" - this includes things that tout increased energy or memory. These claims are unsupported and these formulas generally cost much more.
- Do not give children adult doses.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Your baby, Sunlight and Sleep
Would you like to learn how sunlight can help your baby, and as a result, you sleep better? Then head on over to My Sweet Wolf and check out my guest post!
My Sweet Wolf is a blog following the mothering adventures of a dear friend of mine, Shannon. She posts tips, recipes, product reviews and all sorts of other entertaining, useful and interesting things! Check it out!
My Sweet Wolf is a blog following the mothering adventures of a dear friend of mine, Shannon. She posts tips, recipes, product reviews and all sorts of other entertaining, useful and interesting things! Check it out!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Life, Stress and Exercise: Maintaining Your Routine... or Trying To
First, I need to apologize for the infrequency of my posts as of late but life has gotten away from me. And thus this post.
I have made many attempts throughout the short life of this blog to keep it impersonal and objective. Perhaps this is just a by-product of my research journalism work-life, perhaps it's because I feel the need to be an example of diligent fitness or maybe it's my way of shielding myself from the trolls of the internet. Here's a secret: I think it's all three.
Let me tell you why my posts have been so sparse the past few weeks and how it has effected my workout. This is, after all, a fitness blog.
I spent the first week of January on a cruise in the Bahamas. Which was spectacular. But the problem really started there despite the fact that I lifted 3 out of 7 days in the on-board gym.
The difficulties continued when I came home. I arrived back in New York on Sunday the 8th and Wednesday the 11th, several of my close family members experienced medical emergencies. The subsequent week has been a blur of work, errands and hospital visits.
But I'm not complaining, merely painting the scenario for you. The point of this story is this: Before I left for the cruise, I was lifting 6 days a week. Since the cruise I have been lifting a mere 2, sometimes 3 days a week.
I think it's important that everyone out there knows that, despite all of my lecturing about how important it is to maintain a workout routine, I also know how difficult it is. But I also have solutions. Ok... maybe not complete solutions but at the very least we'll call them "work-arounds." These are strategies that I have used in the past and will be employing going forward that have never let me down.
Circuit Training - Consolidate your workout to cut down on the total weekly time taken up by exercise. Instead of doing isolation days, one day for chest and another for arms etc. etc., work your entire body each time you workout. Utilize compound lifts like squats and bench presses to make sure every muscle gets worked. Generally, a well-designed circuit can be done in about 30 minutes and, depending on your goals, can be done 3 times a week. For contrast, a typical routine of isolation days requires 5 days for a total of 2.5 hours per week while circuit training will only demand 1.5 hours per week.
Add It Up - Even when you're running from one place to another, your small decisions can really add up. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, don't succumb to the allure of comfort foods and take frequent walks. Of course you won't get bulging muscles with this approach but it could go a long way in stopping you from developing another kind of bulge, if you catch my drift.
Spin It - We tend to underestimate our influence over our own thought patterns, but the truth is that you can put a positive spin on just about anything and eventually get yourself to believe it. This can be a powerful weapon to ward off discouragement during periods of forced inactivity. So think about this: Very often a week or so off from your typical workout can give you a huge boost. If you've plateaued and progressed has slowed or stopped, a break could help you get out of that slump.
And to help you get moving and exercise despite whatever stressors you're dealing with, consider the fact that if you don't take care of yourself you're no good to anyone else. Just be balanced and don't spread yourself thin. Exercising when you're already sick or just plain exhausted will probably make things worse. Use your exercise as a way to alleviate stress, not add to it.
I have made many attempts throughout the short life of this blog to keep it impersonal and objective. Perhaps this is just a by-product of my research journalism work-life, perhaps it's because I feel the need to be an example of diligent fitness or maybe it's my way of shielding myself from the trolls of the internet. Here's a secret: I think it's all three.
Let me tell you why my posts have been so sparse the past few weeks and how it has effected my workout. This is, after all, a fitness blog.
I spent the first week of January on a cruise in the Bahamas. Which was spectacular. But the problem really started there despite the fact that I lifted 3 out of 7 days in the on-board gym.
The difficulties continued when I came home. I arrived back in New York on Sunday the 8th and Wednesday the 11th, several of my close family members experienced medical emergencies. The subsequent week has been a blur of work, errands and hospital visits.
But I'm not complaining, merely painting the scenario for you. The point of this story is this: Before I left for the cruise, I was lifting 6 days a week. Since the cruise I have been lifting a mere 2, sometimes 3 days a week.
I think it's important that everyone out there knows that, despite all of my lecturing about how important it is to maintain a workout routine, I also know how difficult it is. But I also have solutions. Ok... maybe not complete solutions but at the very least we'll call them "work-arounds." These are strategies that I have used in the past and will be employing going forward that have never let me down.
Circuit Training - Consolidate your workout to cut down on the total weekly time taken up by exercise. Instead of doing isolation days, one day for chest and another for arms etc. etc., work your entire body each time you workout. Utilize compound lifts like squats and bench presses to make sure every muscle gets worked. Generally, a well-designed circuit can be done in about 30 minutes and, depending on your goals, can be done 3 times a week. For contrast, a typical routine of isolation days requires 5 days for a total of 2.5 hours per week while circuit training will only demand 1.5 hours per week.
Add It Up - Even when you're running from one place to another, your small decisions can really add up. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, don't succumb to the allure of comfort foods and take frequent walks. Of course you won't get bulging muscles with this approach but it could go a long way in stopping you from developing another kind of bulge, if you catch my drift.
Spin It - We tend to underestimate our influence over our own thought patterns, but the truth is that you can put a positive spin on just about anything and eventually get yourself to believe it. This can be a powerful weapon to ward off discouragement during periods of forced inactivity. So think about this: Very often a week or so off from your typical workout can give you a huge boost. If you've plateaued and progressed has slowed or stopped, a break could help you get out of that slump.
And to help you get moving and exercise despite whatever stressors you're dealing with, consider the fact that if you don't take care of yourself you're no good to anyone else. Just be balanced and don't spread yourself thin. Exercising when you're already sick or just plain exhausted will probably make things worse. Use your exercise as a way to alleviate stress, not add to it.
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