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At a family barbeque last summer, as I sat with my family under the sun and drooled for the burgers being prepped inside, I found myself stumped by a conversational topic about the trend, the myth, the legend: the almighty Gluten-free diet. My uncle, curious about the latest trend in the fitness world being someone who leads an active lifestyle, posed the simple yet puzzling question; “Okay, but what actually is gluten?” At the time, all I was aware of was that it had something to do with bread and I was a firm believer of bread, a carb aficionado if you will, so this sudden widespread intolerance towards the concept was troubling as I scarfed down another handful of tortilla chips. My cousin, a young chef in the local culinary scene, has known his fair share of diners claiming to be allergic to anything in order to avoid having it on their plate whether or not this aversion is genuine. For example, a party once insisted they were allergic to celery until the chef explained it was a vital component to their desired dish and they had to admit they weren’t actually intolerant, they just hated the vegetable. However, nothing had spread so quickly and become so popular than the necessity for everything to be gluten-free. Although Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease which prevents the absorption of some nutrients in the small intestine, is estimated to affect 1 in 133 Canadians (Canadian Celiac Association) and is a genuine medical condition along with less extreme Gluten Sensitivity, the adoption of a Gluten-free lifestyle as simply a fad or method to lose weight is highly controversial. Now with more knowledge on what gluten actually is – a combination of proteins found in barley, rye, and some grains which effects things like the elasticity and chewiness of food – I find it interesting that some people have jumped onto the latest bandwagon because they assume gluten is bad without any further information to back up their assumptions; prejudice fueled by marketing campaigns, various celebrity endorsements, and ideals that avoiding gluten will help you lose weight. In reality, for people with genuine Gluten intolerance, this sought after diet trend is a necessary lifestyle for their medical wellbeing, making it irritating that some are buying into the lifestyle as an advertised simple solution for good health. Since gluten-free diets are often highly restrictive and cut out high calorie foods, they may have some slimming effects that leave celebrities like Miley Cyrus advocating that gluten should be avoided. However, for people who do not suffer from Celiac disease or sincere gluten sensitivity, cutting out gluten may result in a lack of nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
What is your take on this controversial dietary trend? Do you think the gluten-free diet is a practical weight loss method or will it be eventually left in the diet trend dust along with other experimental fads of the past?
Sources http://www.celiac.ca/?page_id=882 http://www.livescience.com/53265-what-is-gluten.html http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/unraveling_the_gluten_free_trend My whole life, I have been a first hand witness to my fathers discriminatory actions against egg yolks. Believing that egg whites were the only healthy part of the egg, I've watched as he dropped egg yolk after egg yolk down the drain. I've asked him multiple times why he discards the yolks only to get the same two answers:
Eggs Can Kill?Honestly, I have no idea where my dad got the information that egg yolks are bad for you. Perhaps it was from one of his workout buddy at the gym or one of those headlines that state “Eggs Can Kill” or “Eggs Are Worse Than Smoking”. Whatever the case, he ended up with the conclusion that egg yolks were little time bombs waiting to skyrocket his cholesterol, clog his arteries and stop his heart. And while it is true that egg yolks contain cholesterol and fat, it's part of our essential nutrients – meaning that the cholesterol and fat contained in the yolks are considered the "good stuff" and not the “bad stuff”. Egg Yolk Benefits:
So why do Fitness Pros and Health Fanatics Tell Me to Throw the Yolk Out?Every now I'll hear fitness pros (or my dad) telling me to throw out the egg yolk. Why? Because the egg yolk contains 99% of the fat. The word “fat” is the boogeyman of the nutritional world. Back when low fat diets were all the rage, everyone was deathly afraid of fats believing that it was a direct link to heart disease. However, the reality is that fats aren’t bad; in fact actually we need them in order to survive– the good fats at least. It’s a good thing that egg yolks contain the good type. But What About Cholesterol? As I mentioned above, egg yolks are chalked full of nutrients, but what about their cholesterol? First of all, there is the issue of cholesterol and its connection to heart disease. It’s a complex issue that originated in studies in both animals and humans more than half a century ago. However, more recent (and higher quality evidence doesn’t support it). If you’re interested in learning the science of it all here is a website you should definitely check out: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-10-things-you-need-to-know-part-1/#axzz49izECF7V Otherwise here are the basics you need to know:
To Toss or Not to Toss – That is the QuestionHere’s a fun and short little video that summarizes and goes further into detail of everything I discussed above: Although I firmly stand behind my belief that egg yolks are beneficial to our health, it is still only my opinion. There are others out there who will disagree with my outlook and argue that eggs are tiny cholesterol bombs. The question is what do you believe? The choice is yours. Will you choose to eat the yolk or toss it? Sources: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/whats-the-big-deal-with-egg-yolks-anyway.html http://dailyburn.com/life/health/egg-whites-vs-eggs-healthy-choice/ http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/ask-diet-doctor-egg-whites-vs-whole-eggs http://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2011/10/11/the-nurtional-value-of-egg-whites-versus-egg-yolks-what-do-you-use/ http://www.prevention.com/content/which-healthier-eggs-vs-egg-whites |
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