It must be the beginning of December because my throat is scratchy, my body aches and my head feels fuzzy. Every year during the interim between Thanksgiving and Finals Week I catch a cold. And what I could really use right now to fight it off is some chicken noodle soup, something I didn't even bother to look into when I caught a cold last year, my first year of being gluten-free. This year I'm feeling a little more creative.
I could always make my own soup, but who wants to take on that undertaking when they're sick? Gluten-free Girl has all sorts of cold/flu remedies like tea with lemon and plain chicken stock, but that's not good enough. Ooh, a brand called Kettle Cuisine makes a GF chicken noodle soup with rice noodles, but it's not something I can get my hands on quickly. I'll have to remember to stock up on that for when I'm sick again next December. Let's keep looking...
A-ha! I think I found my remedy: a big bowl of chicken pho. Chicken? Check. Noodle? Check. A little spice to clear the sinuses? Check! It might not be as familiar and homey as Campbell's in a can, but then again, it might be better.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
From one Hungry Girl to Another
Another Saturday and I'm up way too early again. I was just watching the Today Show as I thought it would help me go back to sleep (what?? Matt and Meredith aren't even there on Saturdays), when I saw a familiar face.
A couple years ago, before my great food shift into the gluten-free world, I was an avid reader of Hungry-Girl.com. A co-worker who always seems to be on a diet had showed it to me, and I found the site's witty take on unhealthy foods and recipes for really lo-cal alternatives to be pretty motivating. Now it seems Lisa Lillian has published a few successful Hungry-Girl books and appears regularly on Today. Good for her!
I didn't always try the recipes on the site, as many of them required a pantry full of base items that I didn't always keep around, like tofu shirataki noodles and ground up Fiber One cereal to use as breadcrumbs. What I really enjoyed was the News section, which always had up-to-date info on lo-cal foods in restaurants and new healthy foods hitting the market.
She also compares items with their competitors to see which one was the healthiest and the tastiest. Reddi-Wip vs. Cool Whip in a can? Reddi-wip all the way.
Even with all the success, the site remains virtually the same in format and content. She's even thrown in a couple of gluten-free news bits. Yep, I'm adding her to my Google Reader.F
A couple years ago, before my great food shift into the gluten-free world, I was an avid reader of Hungry-Girl.com. A co-worker who always seems to be on a diet had showed it to me, and I found the site's witty take on unhealthy foods and recipes for really lo-cal alternatives to be pretty motivating. Now it seems Lisa Lillian has published a few successful Hungry-Girl books and appears regularly on Today. Good for her!
I didn't always try the recipes on the site, as many of them required a pantry full of base items that I didn't always keep around, like tofu shirataki noodles and ground up Fiber One cereal to use as breadcrumbs. What I really enjoyed was the News section, which always had up-to-date info on lo-cal foods in restaurants and new healthy foods hitting the market.
She also compares items with their competitors to see which one was the healthiest and the tastiest. Reddi-Wip vs. Cool Whip in a can? Reddi-wip all the way.
Even with all the success, the site remains virtually the same in format and content. She's even thrown in a couple of gluten-free news bits. Yep, I'm adding her to my Google Reader.F
Monday, November 30, 2009
Only 3 weeks til X-mas though!
Since I had to fly home early to catch Florida/Florida State game in the Swamp on Saturday, I missed out on several days worth of Turkey Day leftovers. To cope, I spent yesterday (Sunday) eating Starburst and Peanut Butter M&Ms. The calories I consumed were likely on par with a thanksgiving meal, but it just wasn't the same. Today I'm doing much better with some oatmeal and a big glass of milk, already feeling like my pre-stuffed self.
To anyone still feeling bloated and self-hating going on four days since the great Thanksgiving feast of 2009, MSN health has a three-day, hour-by-hour plan to get you feeling good about yourself again.
Personally, I think their by-the-hour help is a bit much. Okay, you ate a lot this weekend. So did everyone else. If you don't eat that way every weekend chances are it's not going to have too detrimental an effect on your waistline. Still, I'm not against a little bit of dietary cleansing to get us feeling better after America's perennial turkey and mashed potato gorge-fest. MSN's plan includes mantras to keep you motivated and easy recipes for low-cal foods.
It's important to remember, though, that 3 days of detox followed by another week of crazy eating gets you nowhere. Theoretically, the tips offered in this "diet recovery plan" should be followed year-round. It's a lifestyle, people.
To anyone still feeling bloated and self-hating going on four days since the great Thanksgiving feast of 2009, MSN health has a three-day, hour-by-hour plan to get you feeling good about yourself again.
Personally, I think their by-the-hour help is a bit much. Okay, you ate a lot this weekend. So did everyone else. If you don't eat that way every weekend chances are it's not going to have too detrimental an effect on your waistline. Still, I'm not against a little bit of dietary cleansing to get us feeling better after America's perennial turkey and mashed potato gorge-fest. MSN's plan includes mantras to keep you motivated and easy recipes for low-cal foods.
It's important to remember, though, that 3 days of detox followed by another week of crazy eating gets you nowhere. Theoretically, the tips offered in this "diet recovery plan" should be followed year-round. It's a lifestyle, people.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Calorie Counting made simple
My sister in-law Ashley had a baby about a month ago, so one big thing on her mind, besides my adorable one-month-old nephew, is getting back to her pre-baby weight. Over cupcakes and coffee for breakfast at her and my brother's house for Thanksgiving weekend (we both agreed diets take a break at the end of November), we discussed the hassle of counting calories.
Ashley told me about fitday.com, a free calorie-counter and fitness log, which makes it easier than ever to keep track of what you eat on a daily basis.
I can remember taking a Nutrition class during my freshman year of college where we had to keep track of our daily caloric intake using special software we could only get from one of the campus computer labs. It was an interesting, eye-opening project, but having to hang out in the computer lab to do it was not conducive to accurate bookkeeping. Fitday gives people an accurate measurement of calories being taken in, as well as a good estimate of calories being burned through various activities during one's day.
There's also a premium version that can be purchased for extra perks, but the free portion is helpful enough, and it's certainly better than looking up calories in serving sizes yourself and keeping them in an old notebook. We all know that lasts about 2 weeks tops.
Ashley told me about fitday.com, a free calorie-counter and fitness log, which makes it easier than ever to keep track of what you eat on a daily basis.
I can remember taking a Nutrition class during my freshman year of college where we had to keep track of our daily caloric intake using special software we could only get from one of the campus computer labs. It was an interesting, eye-opening project, but having to hang out in the computer lab to do it was not conducive to accurate bookkeeping. Fitday gives people an accurate measurement of calories being taken in, as well as a good estimate of calories being burned through various activities during one's day.
There's also a premium version that can be purchased for extra perks, but the free portion is helpful enough, and it's certainly better than looking up calories in serving sizes yourself and keeping them in an old notebook. We all know that lasts about 2 weeks tops.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Life lessons and pink food
Last year was my first attempt at a gluten-free Thanksgiving, and it wasn't pretty. No one in my family (first and foremost myself) had yet mastered the idea of life without wheat. After all, we're from the south, land of biscuits, fried okra and gravy on everything.
Green bean casserole was off the menu for me, as were crescent rolls and any-kind-of-pie. I'm not even going to get into the failed attempt by my mother and I to make 'stuffing' out of rice.
This year, though, things are looking up. GF cream of mushroom soup is making green bean casserole possible again (sadly without the fried onions on top). My mom has perfected corn-starch based gravy over the past year, and, as I may have mentioned, Betty Crocker is bringing dessert.
And thanks this wonderful article from NPR, we're even going to take a crack at GF stuffing, using Sami's gluten-free bread, a locally-based favorite of mine.
I'm thankful for a lot this year, especially my new nephew and my ever-more-supportive friends. I'm especially thankful for all the strides companies have made to make GF life a little easier for us all. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store.
One more thing: my all-time favorite Turkey Day dish just happens to be gluten-free without and substitutions: pink salad. Best of all, it follows the tradition of women in my family of making delicious food without actually having to cook...
Ingredients:
1 medium can crushed pineapple
1 large box of cherry Jello mix
1 pint of cottage cheese (add more for a creamier salad, less for a a fluffier one)
1 big tub of Cool Whip or other whipped topping
Directions: Get a bowl and mix pineapple, Jello mix and cottage cheese. Fold in the Cool whip and let it hang in the fridge for at least an hour. Garnish with mint leaves.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Green bean casserole was off the menu for me, as were crescent rolls and any-kind-of-pie. I'm not even going to get into the failed attempt by my mother and I to make 'stuffing' out of rice.
This year, though, things are looking up. GF cream of mushroom soup is making green bean casserole possible again (sadly without the fried onions on top). My mom has perfected corn-starch based gravy over the past year, and, as I may have mentioned, Betty Crocker is bringing dessert.
And thanks this wonderful article from NPR, we're even going to take a crack at GF stuffing, using Sami's gluten-free bread, a locally-based favorite of mine.
I'm thankful for a lot this year, especially my new nephew and my ever-more-supportive friends. I'm especially thankful for all the strides companies have made to make GF life a little easier for us all. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store.
One more thing: my all-time favorite Turkey Day dish just happens to be gluten-free without and substitutions: pink salad. Best of all, it follows the tradition of women in my family of making delicious food without actually having to cook...
Ingredients:
1 medium can crushed pineapple
1 large box of cherry Jello mix
1 pint of cottage cheese (add more for a creamier salad, less for a a fluffier one)
1 big tub of Cool Whip or other whipped topping
Directions: Get a bowl and mix pineapple, Jello mix and cottage cheese. Fold in the Cool whip and let it hang in the fridge for at least an hour. Garnish with mint leaves.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Don't Panic
It happened this morning. It's why I'm up at 9 a.m. on a Sunday posting on a blog until my heart stops racing and I can fall back to sleep. It's not a full-fledged panic attack--I know I'm not dying, but my body does react like the world is ending. Like it surely will end if I don't get out of bed and do something about it. Like every little worry--work-related, school-related, financial, personal--everything I was remotely stressed out about before sleeping attacks me in the wee hours of the day.
The ironic thing is I went to bed without a care, on cloud-9 actually, after a game night with friends. Apparently that's not as strange as I thought.
1 in 4 people experience panic attacks, usually caused by "a loss or too many changes too fast," according to a Women's Health article I just Googled. There's no concrete evidence as to what causes them, the article says, other than what the writer called faulty wiring:
"One theory is that in some people the brain circuitry responsible for processing emotion and fear is in a state of hyperexcitability...This may cause the brain to mislabel nonthreatening, everyday stress as highly dangerous and set off a false alarm that sends your body into Defcon 1 status."
Another Google search has just let me know that anxiety and other neurological quirks are common celiac disease symptoms, since that same malabsorption issue I wrote about in an earlier post "interferes with neurotransmitters that regulate mood," according to about.com
Celiac talk aside, it turns out spontaneous attacks often happen when one is just lying in bed. There's no concrete way to knock them out, but the article suggests opening up about them (look at that--I'm curing myself right now!), distracting yourself (boo-yah), and the ever-present solution in our society: get yourself some drugs.
I think the distraction worked. I'm going back for another hour of rainy-day, lazy Sunday sleep.
The ironic thing is I went to bed without a care, on cloud-9 actually, after a game night with friends. Apparently that's not as strange as I thought.
1 in 4 people experience panic attacks, usually caused by "a loss or too many changes too fast," according to a Women's Health article I just Googled. There's no concrete evidence as to what causes them, the article says, other than what the writer called faulty wiring:
"One theory is that in some people the brain circuitry responsible for processing emotion and fear is in a state of hyperexcitability...This may cause the brain to mislabel nonthreatening, everyday stress as highly dangerous and set off a false alarm that sends your body into Defcon 1 status."
Another Google search has just let me know that anxiety and other neurological quirks are common celiac disease symptoms, since that same malabsorption issue I wrote about in an earlier post "interferes with neurotransmitters that regulate mood," according to about.com
Celiac talk aside, it turns out spontaneous attacks often happen when one is just lying in bed. There's no concrete way to knock them out, but the article suggests opening up about them (look at that--I'm curing myself right now!), distracting yourself (boo-yah), and the ever-present solution in our society: get yourself some drugs.
I think the distraction worked. I'm going back for another hour of rainy-day, lazy Sunday sleep.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Weight of the World
In case you forgot, most of the U.S. is overweight. I mean, it's not entirely the fault of the consumer. Food that is bad for us is cheap, while healthy foods, even vegetables, are ridiculously overpriced. That reminds me, if you haven't seen Food Inc., drop it into your Netflix queue. It's a great hunger suppressant (kidding, sort of) and a real eye-opener into how crazy messed up the U.S. Food industry is (not kidding).
Anyway, this nifty little chart gives the percentage of overweight people in countries all over the world, from Brazil to Bangladesh, and breaks down their average caloric intake into food types like cereals, meats and fats. To be honest, I'm not really sure why the U.S. is the laughing stock of the entire world on this thing. More than half of Australians are overweight, and France is inching closer at almost 42 percent. So much for "French Women Don't Get Fat."
Thanks for the link, Dennis
Anyway, this nifty little chart gives the percentage of overweight people in countries all over the world, from Brazil to Bangladesh, and breaks down their average caloric intake into food types like cereals, meats and fats. To be honest, I'm not really sure why the U.S. is the laughing stock of the entire world on this thing. More than half of Australians are overweight, and France is inching closer at almost 42 percent. So much for "French Women Don't Get Fat."
Thanks for the link, Dennis
Anemania
One of the more annoying side effects of Celiac disease is anemia, caused by one's difficulty absorbing nutrients like iron and Folate.
Young women who menstruate have a tendency for low iron already, so the fact that mine is a little lower than most wasn't alarming to me. Plus, I always thought anemia was just one of those words people used to get out of gym class. Then I took a look at the symptoms: easy fatigue/loss of energy? Ugh, check. Difficulty concentrating? Check. Headache while exercising? Insomnia? Check and check. Wait, easy fatigue and insomnia? C'mon! Luckily these are only minor symptoms compared to some of the others (Loss of sense of touch? No thank you!).
Still, I didn't really start to do anything about it until I tried to donate blood, a regular activity for me, only to be turned away.
Admitting defeat, I researched foods one can eat to increase the absorption of iron and bought some iron tablets (laughing when I saw the Publix brand had "gluten-free" right on the front of the bottle). As I found out, iron is a tricky little nutrient to keep a-hold of. For one thing, coffee and tea, candy bars, dairy products, ice cream, and soft drinks all interfere with iron absorption, meaning my iron tablet means nothing if I take it while I'm eating any of those things. Alcohol, too, lowers the rate of absorption.
Of course I don't want to feel tired and foggy, but I can't say I've given up dairy products, soft drinks or alcohol as a result. I think forgoing coffee and taking a supplement is a healthy compromise. I feel more clear-headed already.
Young women who menstruate have a tendency for low iron already, so the fact that mine is a little lower than most wasn't alarming to me. Plus, I always thought anemia was just one of those words people used to get out of gym class. Then I took a look at the symptoms: easy fatigue/loss of energy? Ugh, check. Difficulty concentrating? Check. Headache while exercising? Insomnia? Check and check. Wait, easy fatigue and insomnia? C'mon! Luckily these are only minor symptoms compared to some of the others (Loss of sense of touch? No thank you!).
Still, I didn't really start to do anything about it until I tried to donate blood, a regular activity for me, only to be turned away.
Admitting defeat, I researched foods one can eat to increase the absorption of iron and bought some iron tablets (laughing when I saw the Publix brand had "gluten-free" right on the front of the bottle). As I found out, iron is a tricky little nutrient to keep a-hold of. For one thing, coffee and tea, candy bars, dairy products, ice cream, and soft drinks all interfere with iron absorption, meaning my iron tablet means nothing if I take it while I'm eating any of those things. Alcohol, too, lowers the rate of absorption.
Of course I don't want to feel tired and foggy, but I can't say I've given up dairy products, soft drinks or alcohol as a result. I think forgoing coffee and taking a supplement is a healthy compromise. I feel more clear-headed already.
Friday, November 13, 2009
A post not about baked goods
As an almost-second-year Graduate student, I thought my PE class days had passed me by long ago. Then, last Thursday my Health/Fitness Writing class, for which I started this blog, met outside UF's Orthopedic center for a lesson in getting your ass kicked by life.
I was never a fan of PE class. I'm an incredibly shy person in most aspects of my life, and that definitely includes working out. (You can ask my gym buddy--I won't use any weight machines or free weights if anyone else is around--including him!)
But I always enjoyed group fitness classes because it generally seems like everyone is trying so hard to not look like an idiot in front of everyone else that they're not even paying attention to anyone else. And that was kind of the case on Thursday. We laughed at ourselves as we struggled to remember which foot to put forward during those killer lunges, and cheered each other on as we took turns flipping over a truck tire big enough to house a small family.
I think the most important lesson I took from it, though, is that I'd really been cheating myself during my usual work-outs. Once my legs recovered from our mini-boot-camp session I hit the gym and put in twice the effort--and felt that much better for it.
I was never a fan of PE class. I'm an incredibly shy person in most aspects of my life, and that definitely includes working out. (You can ask my gym buddy--I won't use any weight machines or free weights if anyone else is around--including him!)
But I always enjoyed group fitness classes because it generally seems like everyone is trying so hard to not look like an idiot in front of everyone else that they're not even paying attention to anyone else. And that was kind of the case on Thursday. We laughed at ourselves as we struggled to remember which foot to put forward during those killer lunges, and cheered each other on as we took turns flipping over a truck tire big enough to house a small family.
I think the most important lesson I took from it, though, is that I'd really been cheating myself during my usual work-outs. Once my legs recovered from our mini-boot-camp session I hit the gym and put in twice the effort--and felt that much better for it.
Success!
Okay so I know I already sang the praises of Betty Crocker’s new GF line of baking mixes…but now I have pictures!
My third foray into gluten-free baking was a delicious success earlier this morning when I decided to brighten up a weekend destined to be filled with school work with sweet, caloric, chocolate-chip cookies.
I’ve tried to make GF cookies before. I preferred oatmeal butterscotch because I hoped the oatmeal would help hold the cookies together. See, the real challenged in GF baking is keeping it together, literally. It’s easy enough to find alternative flours (potato, rice and millet flours are among the most popular), but none of these can mimic wheat flour on their own. They need something to bind them together. In most GF baking the binder is xanthan gum or guar gum.
Really, who the hell wants to willingly eat anything called guar gum? All I can think about was Gwar, that awful metal band who dress up like aliens and spray fake blood on their concert-goers.
My from-scratch GF baking adventures consisted of me trying to measure out the correct amount of xanthan gum, which I had acquired from a health food store, delighted to find that it had a powdery, not gum-like consistency. But I must have done something wrong, because my oatmeal butterscotch cookies didn’t say together, didn’t rise, but flattened onto the pan like little lace doilies. Tasty, but not presentable.
These cookies, however, are beautiful as box-o-cookies go. If I planned on leaving the house this weekend I might even venture to share them with people. I might not even tell them it was gluten-free!
Star-struck
One of the privileges of going to a school like UF is that students have access to some pretty well-known, interesting people. Yesterday our H/F Writing class was lucky enough to speak, however briefly, to television's Dr. Oz, "America's Doctor." The chat was brief since, you know, he had to go perform heart surgery. No big deal. He does it for fun, mostly. For about 20 minutes we were captivated by the grainy floating head on the projector screen--not unlike the Wizard of Oz himself.
"Surgery is like a dance. I can push, shove, nudge and move the heart where I want it to go," Oz said, describing heart surgery as being "magical," no matter how many times he does it.
Doctors are notorious for being bad interview subjects, so it was incredibly refreshing to hear him take questions from aspiring reporters with patience and thoughtfulness.
Oh, and unsurprisingly, Oz didn't hesitate when asked his favorite subject to discuss. Nope, it's not the heart.
"I really like talking about poop and urine," Oz said.
Who doesn't?
Monday, November 2, 2009
How to be Fat
I'm eating a brownie for breakfast. I'll probably end up eating one for lunch too. I think it's okay to have a little bit of post-Halloween leeway when it comes to getting back into the habit of not eating like a 5-year-old; that is, candy candy candy.
But the reason I'm posting about eating brownies on a health blog is that when my parents came up to watch the Florida vs. Georgia game this weekend, my mom brought with her these delicious brownies, as well as three different kinds of cake/cookie mix. All Betty Crocker. All gluten-free--they're even made in a GF processing plant!
"Your mother found these at our middle-of-nowhere Publix," said my dad. "So she had to buy them all."
That even the most rural of Publixes (Publices?) would carry these products means the world is getting GF-friendly at a much faster rate than I thought it would, and I couldn't be happier. Now let's see if I'm still saying that after all the cake mix is gone--gluten free food is known to have twice the calories and half the nurition as "regular" food.
But the reason I'm posting about eating brownies on a health blog is that when my parents came up to watch the Florida vs. Georgia game this weekend, my mom brought with her these delicious brownies, as well as three different kinds of cake/cookie mix. All Betty Crocker. All gluten-free--they're even made in a GF processing plant!
"Your mother found these at our middle-of-nowhere Publix," said my dad. "So she had to buy them all."
That even the most rural of Publixes (Publices?) would carry these products means the world is getting GF-friendly at a much faster rate than I thought it would, and I couldn't be happier. Now let's see if I'm still saying that after all the cake mix is gone--gluten free food is known to have twice the calories and half the nurition as "regular" food.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Dieting: If it sounds crazy, it probably doesn't work!
When I first started college, I had the idea that I would take the old cliche of the "Freshman 15" and flip it around, hoping to drop at least 15 pounds before I came home for Christmas. In order to accomplish this, I decided to start out with the much-advertised Special K diet, where you eat a serving of Special K as a meal twice a day for two weeks and supposedly lose six pounds. That was supposed to kick-start my diet until I got used to eating healthier...
...Except I never got around to that part. Out of laziness or convenience or downright insanity I pretty much ate Special K twice a day for two years. Whoops!
And of course I lost weight (though not anywhere close to 6 pounds every two weeks)...because anyone that eats 800-1000 calories a day while going to the gym religiously is going to lose weight. But it certainly wasn't healthy. So when I read this blog post from the NYT earlier this week about the "Cookie Diet", it sounded familiar. People eating six protein-packed, pre-packaged, over-priced "cookies" every day along with a "real" meal (skinned chicken and broccoli anyone?) to drop pounds? Well I would have much preferred cookies to the K, but the science behind it is the same and, more importantly, the weight's not going to stay off.
In fact, I've slimmed down even more since I kicked my K addiction; though, admittedly, I've had an advantage in being involuntarily gluten free. The point is, diets have to be a lifestyle choice, not a temporary fix. And anyone trying to tell you cookies are the answer to your weight problems is obviously not your friend.
Monday, October 19, 2009
iCoke mini
Normally I would be really cynical and/or snarky about something like Coke's decision to start offering 90 calorie mini cans, but I'm surprisingly okay with the idea. I usually don't like to consume my calories in liquid form (not if I'm not getting a buzz out of it at least), but sometimes there's nothing better than a little bit of ice cold calorie-tastic Coke.
Then again, my acceptance of minicoke could also have something to do with the fact that the snobs over at Slate likened the sleek little can to the introduction of light cigarettes by tobacco companies. I hardly think satisfying a sugary-sweet soda fix is going to give me lung cancer, guys, but thanks anyway.
Then again, my acceptance of minicoke could also have something to do with the fact that the snobs over at Slate likened the sleek little can to the introduction of light cigarettes by tobacco companies. I hardly think satisfying a sugary-sweet soda fix is going to give me lung cancer, guys, but thanks anyway.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Outside the bun
Seeing as how it's pretty much all I've eaten in the last three days, I felt compelled to commend Taco Bell , of all places, for making late night snacks and cheap meals on the go possible again.
Oh, Taco Bell, your black jack taco, mexi-rice and three-layer-nachos have served me well with their gluten-free goodness. Though they may be the only three options out of millions of fast food choices in this town, or any town, I couldn't wish for a more delicious fast-food fix.
So thanks, TB. See you next Thursday around 2 a.m.
Oh, Taco Bell, your black jack taco, mexi-rice and three-layer-nachos have served me well with their gluten-free goodness. Though they may be the only three options out of millions of fast food choices in this town, or any town, I couldn't wish for a more delicious fast-food fix.
So thanks, TB. See you next Thursday around 2 a.m.
Monday, October 12, 2009
No excuses
Lately my exercise activity has taken a nosedive as the fall semester (and football season...and TV season, etc.) picked up and I gradually found myself forgoing a trip to the gym citing lack of time.
Well, according to Yahoo News, my excuse is BS, along with any other excuse I may come up with other than, you know, a debilitating illness or losing a limb (and even then they'd probably have a solution).
The Web site offered these tips for anyone who thinks they're too good for a good work-out:
Well, according to Yahoo News, my excuse is BS, along with any other excuse I may come up with other than, you know, a debilitating illness or losing a limb (and even then they'd probably have a solution).
The Web site offered these tips for anyone who thinks they're too good for a good work-out:
- Think you don't have time? Start out exercising about 10 minutes per day. Before you know it, you'll want to increase the time spent working out.
- If you're too tired after a long work day, exercise in the morning before work, or during your lunch break.
- You don't have to exercise with others if you're shy; take a walk by yourself, or watch an exercise class on TV or DVD.
- Exercise indoors -- at a mall or shopping center -- if bad or extreme weather is keeping you from staying active.
- Avoid boredom with exercises that you find fun and look forward to doing. Mix up your routine with different exercises.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Gimme A Break(fast)
Being a student means I'm no stranger to bad eating habits. Most people my age wake up too late to eat breakfast before going to class or work; instead they move right on to lunch, where they gorge on 800-calorie burritos or buffet-style Krishna food.
Well, that has its own consequences. Eating breakfast has been shown to help with weight loss because it speeds up your metabolism after you wake up and because you won't be tempted to eat a huge lunch later in the day.
But then there's those of us that wake up way too early for breakfast. I'm up at 7 to be at work by 8, but my body doesn't catch up and get hungry until at least 9, so until recently I would forget to scarf down a bowl of cereal or pack something to go. And being gluten-free poses its challenges too: I couldn't just swing in to Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's on the way to work.
But I soon realized that the lack of food was definitely messing with my motivation once I got to work. By the time I got hungry at 9 I was just ready to go back to bed. A Google search for 'skipping breakfast' turned up a New York Times report stating, "Over the years, a number of studies have examined the subject [of skipping breakfast], and most have reached the same conclusion: starting a day without a solid meal tends to have slight but detectable effects on mood, memory and energy level."
Well if the NYT says it it has to be true (unless Jayson Blair wrote it), so I've changed my ways, making sure I keep some fruit in my purse in case I wake up too tired to cook an egg or something else full of protein to help keep me full through lunch. The little bit of nausea I feel from forcing myself to eat is a welcome trade off to the early-morning haze my brain used to have to work through.
Well, that has its own consequences. Eating breakfast has been shown to help with weight loss because it speeds up your metabolism after you wake up and because you won't be tempted to eat a huge lunch later in the day.
But then there's those of us that wake up way too early for breakfast. I'm up at 7 to be at work by 8, but my body doesn't catch up and get hungry until at least 9, so until recently I would forget to scarf down a bowl of cereal or pack something to go. And being gluten-free poses its challenges too: I couldn't just swing in to Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's on the way to work.
But I soon realized that the lack of food was definitely messing with my motivation once I got to work. By the time I got hungry at 9 I was just ready to go back to bed. A Google search for 'skipping breakfast' turned up a New York Times report stating, "Over the years, a number of studies have examined the subject [of skipping breakfast], and most have reached the same conclusion: starting a day without a solid meal tends to have slight but detectable effects on mood, memory and energy level."
Well if the NYT says it it has to be true (unless Jayson Blair wrote it), so I've changed my ways, making sure I keep some fruit in my purse in case I wake up too tired to cook an egg or something else full of protein to help keep me full through lunch. The little bit of nausea I feel from forcing myself to eat is a welcome trade off to the early-morning haze my brain used to have to work through.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Hoop ba-doop
While in Virginia Beach for a wedding a few weeks ago, in between eating mountains of tortilla chips and fulfilling bridesmaid duties, my friend Summer and I found ourselves wondering what to do while we waited for the excitement to start up again. All of a sudden Summer looked at me and asked, "Wanna hula hoop?"Friends Kelly, Jamie and Summer hoop it up
I did not want to hula hoop. I had never been able to as a kid and I didn't feel like learning now. Nevertheless, Summer went to retrieve them from the garage while I waited, annoyed, in her back yard. I expected to see two small, possibly neon-colored kids' hoops in her hand. Instead, she came out with two huge, weighted black hoops. She threw one to me, then positioned hers around her waist, spun it around and off she went, twirling the hoop around her mid-section then up around her neck, onto her shoulder, like a circus performer. And like a kid at at a circus, I was amazed. More importantly, I was ready to try it. Giving the giant hoop a spin I stood with one foot in front of the other and shifted my weight back and forth, letting the hoop do the work. Or so I thought. After 15 minutes in the backyard I felt like I'd done a stint at the gym.
"It's really good exercise" Summer told me later, over more chips, saying she got so good at it because she was bored with working out and, having already taken up hula hooping at various hippie festivals (see picture), decided to incorporate it into her routine. Turns out she's not the only one--weighted hoops are actually becoming quite popular at gyms and with trainers. I haven't run out to buy my own yet, but I've certainly warmed up to the idea, even looking up routines online. The only thing stopping me is the lack of a backyard. Summer probably would but I'm definitely not ready to take my hoop skills to the Uptown Village parking lot.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I'm not really a germophobe. I mean I carry hand sanitizer and I make sure to scrub my bathroom and kitchen once a week, but I also bite my fingernails at a near constant rate, often after I've touched a communal keyboard or handrail. Gross, I know, but it's a nervous habit and I don't see it going away anytime soon. Still, with all the swine flu buzz lately I can't say I haven't been more careful.
Then yesterday, Slate once again caught my attention with a tweet that simply read, "Death by airplane bathroom," followed by a link. As I'm scheduled to board a plane to Texas in less than 48 hours, I naturally clicked. And for once Slate wasn't jumping to the worst conclusion:
"'We take in humongous amounts of live organisms every day, and we are all routinely covered in fecal organisms," says Michael Bell, associate director for infection control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. 'It's a testament to our body's own defenses—if they routinely made us ill, none of us would have a chance.'"
Okay, gross, but good to know people shouldn't be freaking out.
As for dramatic airplane tweet, they offered this advice to avoid such disaster:
"Some studies have shown that flushing sends a spray of water containing bacteria that settles on people and surrounding surfaces. In general, fecal particles are only worrisome if they've come from someone with intestinal illness or diarrhea, but the best advice I ever heard was to treat all airplane bathroom surfaces as if they are radioactive; keep the lid closed when flushing, use a paper towel to handle lid, faucets and door handles after washing hands, then use hand sanitizer once back at the seat as an extra precaution."
Done and done.
Then yesterday, Slate once again caught my attention with a tweet that simply read, "Death by airplane bathroom," followed by a link. As I'm scheduled to board a plane to Texas in less than 48 hours, I naturally clicked. And for once Slate wasn't jumping to the worst conclusion:
"'We take in humongous amounts of live organisms every day, and we are all routinely covered in fecal organisms," says Michael Bell, associate director for infection control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. 'It's a testament to our body's own defenses—if they routinely made us ill, none of us would have a chance.'"
Okay, gross, but good to know people shouldn't be freaking out.
As for dramatic airplane tweet, they offered this advice to avoid such disaster:
"Some studies have shown that flushing sends a spray of water containing bacteria that settles on people and surrounding surfaces. In general, fecal particles are only worrisome if they've come from someone with intestinal illness or diarrhea, but the best advice I ever heard was to treat all airplane bathroom surfaces as if they are radioactive; keep the lid closed when flushing, use a paper towel to handle lid, faucets and door handles after washing hands, then use hand sanitizer once back at the seat as an extra precaution."
Done and done.
Monday, September 28, 2009
This post is rated GF
Two things happened today to remind me that fall is coming, despite what midday Gainesville temperatures may say. First, the temperature as I walked to my car around 7:30 a.m. was a glorious 65 degrees. I closed my eyes for a second and pretended I was taking a walk through autumn-colored leaves in some northern state. Then my friend Laura sent me a link to an article she knew I'd be interested in: Happy (gluten-free) Halloween!
Well it didn't start out so happy..."Gluten lurks unnoticed in most common candies," the article said.
Most common candies?
I consider myself to be a pretty avid label reader, and a bit of a candy fiend, so I hope the author was making an overstatement for the sake of safety, otherwise I may need to re-evaluate my latest trip down the Walgreens candy aisle. (I have read elsewhere, though, that the plants in which the candies are made are the real g-monster culprits a lot of the time, not the ingredients themselves. But that's another post.)
Anyway, the article mostly focuses on how to be a considerate candy-giver-outer on the big night for children with Celiac or gluten intolerance, and also gives a list of "all-natural" GF candy (not for me, but thanks) and Celiac-safe ingredients for those who prefer to homemake their treats. A non-health-centric news instructing the public on how to be a good neighbor to the GF kid down the street? Happy Halloween indeed!
Well it didn't start out so happy..."Gluten lurks unnoticed in most common candies," the article said.
Most common candies?
I consider myself to be a pretty avid label reader, and a bit of a candy fiend, so I hope the author was making an overstatement for the sake of safety, otherwise I may need to re-evaluate my latest trip down the Walgreens candy aisle. (I have read elsewhere, though, that the plants in which the candies are made are the real g-monster culprits a lot of the time, not the ingredients themselves. But that's another post.)
Anyway, the article mostly focuses on how to be a considerate candy-giver-outer on the big night for children with Celiac or gluten intolerance, and also gives a list of "all-natural" GF candy (not for me, but thanks) and Celiac-safe ingredients for those who prefer to homemake their treats. A non-health-centric news instructing the public on how to be a good neighbor to the GF kid down the street? Happy Halloween indeed!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Put down the Airborne and go take a nap
If you find yourself more prone to colds during the school year than the average bear, your crappy college-life sleeping habits might be partly to blame.
I'm fortunate enough to only catch a cold about once a year--usually around the end of fall semester, when projects and finals are all piling on top of each other, as is the case with most people I'm sure. Well, according to recent study, all those late nights out, or, um, studying, hinder our immune systems' abilities to fight off colds and other illnesses.
Like the NYT reported, scientists followed the sleeping habits of about 150 men and women for two weeks, then isolated them and exposed them to cold viruses. "Those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night," the article said, "were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours."
Other than the occasional weekend (during which time most college students probably participate in other activities that hinder their immune systems), I can barely remember the last time I slept more than seven hours, and I don't know many people who can. As if cramped dorms, crowded bars and shared beer bong cups didn't make college students susceptible enough, the sleep we give up to participate in the latter activities is working against us too.
I guess I should amend the title of this post, then. We're not likely to go to bed any sooner--we're much too busy for that. Go ahead and take that Airborne, then go take a nap.
I'm fortunate enough to only catch a cold about once a year--usually around the end of fall semester, when projects and finals are all piling on top of each other, as is the case with most people I'm sure. Well, according to recent study, all those late nights out, or, um, studying, hinder our immune systems' abilities to fight off colds and other illnesses.
Like the NYT reported, scientists followed the sleeping habits of about 150 men and women for two weeks, then isolated them and exposed them to cold viruses. "Those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night," the article said, "were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours."
Other than the occasional weekend (during which time most college students probably participate in other activities that hinder their immune systems), I can barely remember the last time I slept more than seven hours, and I don't know many people who can. As if cramped dorms, crowded bars and shared beer bong cups didn't make college students susceptible enough, the sleep we give up to participate in the latter activities is working against us too.
I guess I should amend the title of this post, then. We're not likely to go to bed any sooner--we're much too busy for that. Go ahead and take that Airborne, then go take a nap.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Harder, BETTER, Faster, Stronger
For a guy who doesn't like talking to reporters, Matt Herring, strength-and-conditioning coordinator for the University of Florida Men's basketball team, had a lot to say Thursday about functional training, his preferred method of getting the Gators in shape every season.
"It's not about bigger, faster stronger--it's about better," Herring told our Health and Fitness Writing class, as he explained how each exercise he puts the players through during training serves a specific purpose, and all of them combine to make the players better as a whole. (An example of a non-functional exercise, Herring said, would be bicep curls, which pretty much just serve the function of making biceps bigger.)
As to why the program adopted this form of training in the first place, Herring said "the facility has shaped our philosophy." With little room to work with in the "country club," the players' name for their not-quite-up-to-football-standard training facility (they have 2,000 sq. ft. while the football team has 20,000), the staff had to come up with the most efficient way to use the space. That meant not cramming it with machines, but instead incorporating drills that can be altered to target certain inconsistencies and weaknesses as needed into the team's training sessions.
This article, written by Professor Spiker himself, details how Herring and his staff took the boys to their second National Championship two years ago. It certainly makes sense not to waste time on exercises that don't result in performance enhancement, but Herring wasn't exactly willing to stamp his name on the idea (he actually got the idea of functional training from a man named Gary Gray ) and call it the next big thing in conditioning. While it's true the Gators took home two titles since Herring got here five years ago, it's also true that they missed out altogether on two NCAA tournaments. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens this season.
"It's not about bigger, faster stronger--it's about better," Herring told our Health and Fitness Writing class, as he explained how each exercise he puts the players through during training serves a specific purpose, and all of them combine to make the players better as a whole. (An example of a non-functional exercise, Herring said, would be bicep curls, which pretty much just serve the function of making biceps bigger.)
As to why the program adopted this form of training in the first place, Herring said "the facility has shaped our philosophy." With little room to work with in the "country club," the players' name for their not-quite-up-to-football-standard training facility (they have 2,000 sq. ft. while the football team has 20,000), the staff had to come up with the most efficient way to use the space. That meant not cramming it with machines, but instead incorporating drills that can be altered to target certain inconsistencies and weaknesses as needed into the team's training sessions.
This article, written by Professor Spiker himself, details how Herring and his staff took the boys to their second National Championship two years ago. It certainly makes sense not to waste time on exercises that don't result in performance enhancement, but Herring wasn't exactly willing to stamp his name on the idea (he actually got the idea of functional training from a man named Gary Gray ) and call it the next big thing in conditioning. While it's true the Gators took home two titles since Herring got here five years ago, it's also true that they missed out altogether on two NCAA tournaments. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens this season.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Your shower head is killing you
...or at least that's what a tweet from Slate told me last night while I was watching Gossip Girl. It linked to this article from BBC, which talks about how dirty shower heads might house dangerous bacteria that can get into your lungs and cause infection.
A similar article appeared in today's Gainesville Sun, for which the lede was, "In what may be the scariest shower news since Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho,' a study says shower heads can harbor tiny bacteria that come spraying into your face when you wash."
In your face!
Go ahead and laugh (I did), but it's no laughing matter for people with weak immune systems, like the elderly, AIDS patients and pregnant women. Studies and stories like this are good for the health industry, I guess, because they're attention-getters and they force people to think about their health and well-being. But at the same I wonder where we draw the line at what the public needs to know versus what's going to cause them unnecessary worry. Do I or anyone else really need to think about tiny microbes flying into my lungs every time I use my brand new ec0-friendly shower head?
Researchers from the University of Colorado who conducted the study suggested that people buy all-metal shower heads or replace filters (if you have a shower head with filters) often to prevent bacteria, but there's really nothing more people can do. Seems like the easiest thing would just be to not put your face directly into the oncoming water as soon as you turn your shower on, but maybe that's just me.
A similar article appeared in today's Gainesville Sun, for which the lede was, "In what may be the scariest shower news since Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho,' a study says shower heads can harbor tiny bacteria that come spraying into your face when you wash."
In your face!
Go ahead and laugh (I did), but it's no laughing matter for people with weak immune systems, like the elderly, AIDS patients and pregnant women. Studies and stories like this are good for the health industry, I guess, because they're attention-getters and they force people to think about their health and well-being. But at the same I wonder where we draw the line at what the public needs to know versus what's going to cause them unnecessary worry. Do I or anyone else really need to think about tiny microbes flying into my lungs every time I use my brand new ec0-friendly shower head?
Researchers from the University of Colorado who conducted the study suggested that people buy all-metal shower heads or replace filters (if you have a shower head with filters) often to prevent bacteria, but there's really nothing more people can do. Seems like the easiest thing would just be to not put your face directly into the oncoming water as soon as you turn your shower on, but maybe that's just me.
Monday, September 14, 2009
A crossword a day...
I just got back from a whirlwind weekend trip to my old hometown of Virginia Beach to be in the wedding of a dear friend. This is relevant information only because it was one of the least healthiest weekends I can remember in a long time. I mean, weddings are historically not the healthiest events to begin with: brides and bridesmaids starve themselves in the weeks leading up to the wedding just to gorge themselves on a feast of appetizers, prime rib, booze and, of course, cake. Add to that the fact that I hadn't been to VB in over a year and thus was using the wedding weekend as the platform for a mass reunion of high school friends and you've got the setup for three days of absolute bliss in the form of Mexican food and homemade gluten free cake. So, avoid sounding like an utter hypocrite, I'm not going to talk about eating healthy on vacation.
Flashback to my flight back from Virginia, where I was fortunate to sit by a woman and her daughter, a UNF Advertising student. As I tried to get some shut-eye on the packed plane, I couldn't help but overhear the pair reading crossword clues to each other as they attempted to complete what I soon learned was the "Easy" crossword in the in-flight magazine. I'm not great at crosswords, but I do consider myself to be better than average, and found myself half-way done with the puzzle in my head before these two figured out a 4-letter-word for "Shredded" that started with "T". Noticing I was awake and having seen me attempt the New York Times Sunday puzzle before dozing off, they asked for my help and together we finished the puzzle just as the plane touched the ground.
The experience got me thinking about my own mother, and then her mother, my grandmother, who has dementia. Neither of them have ever done a crossword, to my knowledge. But studies like this one have found that people who regularly engage in mentally challenging activities, like crossword puzzles, have a decreased risk for dementia later in life. Having seen my grandmother's decline in recent years, I believe mental health to be equally as important as physical health, and if a crossword a day keeps dementia at bay, then I'm happy I've become hooked early. I hope that that mother and daughter on the plane make a habit of doing crosswords together now that they've had the satisfaction of completing one. And I hope even more that one of these days I can convince my own mother to try one out; if not for her sake, then for the sake of her concerned daughter.
Flashback to my flight back from Virginia, where I was fortunate to sit by a woman and her daughter, a UNF Advertising student. As I tried to get some shut-eye on the packed plane, I couldn't help but overhear the pair reading crossword clues to each other as they attempted to complete what I soon learned was the "Easy" crossword in the in-flight magazine. I'm not great at crosswords, but I do consider myself to be better than average, and found myself half-way done with the puzzle in my head before these two figured out a 4-letter-word for "Shredded" that started with "T". Noticing I was awake and having seen me attempt the New York Times Sunday puzzle before dozing off, they asked for my help and together we finished the puzzle just as the plane touched the ground.
The experience got me thinking about my own mother, and then her mother, my grandmother, who has dementia. Neither of them have ever done a crossword, to my knowledge. But studies like this one have found that people who regularly engage in mentally challenging activities, like crossword puzzles, have a decreased risk for dementia later in life. Having seen my grandmother's decline in recent years, I believe mental health to be equally as important as physical health, and if a crossword a day keeps dementia at bay, then I'm happy I've become hooked early. I hope that that mother and daughter on the plane make a habit of doing crosswords together now that they've had the satisfaction of completing one. And I hope even more that one of these days I can convince my own mother to try one out; if not for her sake, then for the sake of her concerned daughter.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
In which Taylor tries to make a southern favorite G-free
I took advantage of the extended holiday weekend by cooking something I've been meaning to try since I found gluten-free bread crumbs (Corn Flake crumbs) in an Atlanta grocery store: fried okra.
I know, I know, frying things isn't exactly the healthiest option but okra is a vegetable, and an underrated one at that. Not only is it tasty fried or otherwise, everynutrient.com says it's "a good source of many nutrients including vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber, calcium, and folic acid."
I found fresh okra at Ward's supermarket and immediately thought of the southern favorite I used to order every chance I got before I went gluten-free. I'd never made it before, but okra+breading? How hard could it be?
Turns out, not really hard at all. All I did was cut the okra in bite-sized pieces,
Then I made a little bowl of milk and a little bowl of bread crumbs and started an assembly line: okra in milk, okra in crumbs (mixed with a dash of salt and pepper), okra in hot pan of vegetable oil ...
If I were to do it all over again (and I will), I would probably boil the okra in water for just a little bit so that they softened up faster. If I left them to cook too long the outside burned. Obviously. And I'd probably use whole milk or buttermilk instead of 1 percent, but, you know, this is a health blog.
All in all, it ended up a pretty good GF substitute for anyone who loves fried okra as much as I do, which is, I'm learning, not as many Floridians as I would have expected.
Oh well, more for me!
I know, I know, frying things isn't exactly the healthiest option but okra is a vegetable, and an underrated one at that. Not only is it tasty fried or otherwise, everynutrient.com says it's "a good source of many nutrients including vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber, calcium, and folic acid."
I found fresh okra at Ward's supermarket and immediately thought of the southern favorite I used to order every chance I got before I went gluten-free. I'd never made it before, but okra+breading? How hard could it be?
Turns out, not really hard at all. All I did was cut the okra in bite-sized pieces,
Then I made a little bowl of milk and a little bowl of bread crumbs and started an assembly line: okra in milk, okra in crumbs (mixed with a dash of salt and pepper), okra in hot pan of vegetable oil ...
If I were to do it all over again (and I will), I would probably boil the okra in water for just a little bit so that they softened up faster. If I left them to cook too long the outside burned. Obviously. And I'd probably use whole milk or buttermilk instead of 1 percent, but, you know, this is a health blog.
All in all, it ended up a pretty good GF substitute for anyone who loves fried okra as much as I do, which is, I'm learning, not as many Floridians as I would have expected.
Oh well, more for me!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The gluten-free fad
Slate Magazine is sort of notorious for being snarky and snobby. I'm not sure what that says about me since I follow them on my Google reader, but doing so did lead me to come across this article, which talks about how the gluten-free diet is a fad akin to the Atkins Diet, both overhyped and ineffective.
Because of Slate's aforementioned characteristics, I'm not surprised that the (somewhat pointless) article included a line like, "...Diagnosed celiacs only account for a small fraction of the bloated and still-expanding market for gluten-free products. (In total, the disease affects just 0.75 percent of the population.)."
Can someone tell me how an increase in gluten-free products is a bad thing? I live for the day I don't have to visit three different grocery stores to get what I want or pay $5 for a loaf of bread.
The article focuses on how the idea of "gluten interolerance", which is different from Celiac Disease in that it causes short-term discomfort and no permanent damage, is all in people's heads as they latch on to the latest diet craze. If people are doing this just because it's the hip thing to do, they really must be crazy. A gluten-free diet is incredibly restricted, and not all that healthful in terms of getting the right amount of nutrients (many gluten-free foods are not fortified like glutentastic ones). And it's expensive. According to a recent article in the New York Times, countries like Italy and England actually prescribe gluten-free food to Celiac patients.
The writer even acknowledges that it shouldn't matter if people decide they want to go gluten-free to feel better, citing Elizabeth Hasselbeck's new book (don't even get me started on that piece of work) as the latest testament to the good a "g-free" diet can do. Why then write an article ranting about the supposed dubiousness of gluten intolerance?
The article ends wth an apparent attempt to amend the assumptions and judgmental statements that permeate it:
"The proliferation of gluten-free products has made life for a full-blown celiac easier than it's ever been, and a greater awareness of gluten-related disorders has more celiac patients getting diagnosed than ever before. (There are still thought to be millions of undiagnosed cases in the United States.) Let's hope those gains aren't erased when the conventional wisdom shifts again and we leave this diet craze behind us."
Well, that at least the author and I can agree on.
P.S. At some point this blog will live up to its title.
Because of Slate's aforementioned characteristics, I'm not surprised that the (somewhat pointless) article included a line like, "...Diagnosed celiacs only account for a small fraction of the bloated and still-expanding market for gluten-free products. (In total, the disease affects just 0.75 percent of the population.)."
Can someone tell me how an increase in gluten-free products is a bad thing? I live for the day I don't have to visit three different grocery stores to get what I want or pay $5 for a loaf of bread.
The article focuses on how the idea of "gluten interolerance", which is different from Celiac Disease in that it causes short-term discomfort and no permanent damage, is all in people's heads as they latch on to the latest diet craze. If people are doing this just because it's the hip thing to do, they really must be crazy. A gluten-free diet is incredibly restricted, and not all that healthful in terms of getting the right amount of nutrients (many gluten-free foods are not fortified like glutentastic ones). And it's expensive. According to a recent article in the New York Times, countries like Italy and England actually prescribe gluten-free food to Celiac patients.
The writer even acknowledges that it shouldn't matter if people decide they want to go gluten-free to feel better, citing Elizabeth Hasselbeck's new book (don't even get me started on that piece of work) as the latest testament to the good a "g-free" diet can do. Why then write an article ranting about the supposed dubiousness of gluten intolerance?
The article ends wth an apparent attempt to amend the assumptions and judgmental statements that permeate it:
"The proliferation of gluten-free products has made life for a full-blown celiac easier than it's ever been, and a greater awareness of gluten-related disorders has more celiac patients getting diagnosed than ever before. (There are still thought to be millions of undiagnosed cases in the United States.) Let's hope those gains aren't erased when the conventional wisdom shifts again and we leave this diet craze behind us."
Well, that at least the author and I can agree on.
P.S. At some point this blog will live up to its title.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Health! And also, fitness!
Yes, this blog has been created for the fulfilment of a journalism class requirement, which is to document the happenings in said class as well as our own personal forays into the world of health and/or fitness.
But that doesn't mean it can't be fun! I promise to not make this a mundane rehash of class lectures and readings. I can't promise my daily life is all that exciting, but I will say that each meal is an adventure for me (more on that later.) The title is meant to be funny, not offensive and, obviously, I do hope the content of this blog does its title justice in some way.
Since this is the first post, I suppose an introduction is in order. I'm a first year grad student of journalism at the only school that matters, the University of Florida. When I went to school at the University of North Florida, where there is no football or social atmosphere of any kind, I was a gym nut. When I transferred to UF I tried to keep up my routine, but living off campus put a damper on my motivation. Still, I manage to make it to my apartment complex's gym several days a week, which I'm pretty proud of considering I no longer eat typical college fare like beer, pasta, pizza and fast food. At least, not the traditional beer, pasta and pizza...
This is because in May of 2008 I was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease Celiac, meaning the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, is damaging to my body. Many of the posts in this blog will likely chronicle new recipes I come across or new items in the grocery store that relate to maintaining a gluten free diet. For example, tonight I made homemade spaghetti sauce over rice spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti made of rice.
The sauce helps.
I'll leave you with a link that serves as sort of a complement to this blog: www.thisiswhyyourefat.com
Enjoy.
But that doesn't mean it can't be fun! I promise to not make this a mundane rehash of class lectures and readings. I can't promise my daily life is all that exciting, but I will say that each meal is an adventure for me (more on that later.) The title is meant to be funny, not offensive and, obviously, I do hope the content of this blog does its title justice in some way.
Since this is the first post, I suppose an introduction is in order. I'm a first year grad student of journalism at the only school that matters, the University of Florida. When I went to school at the University of North Florida, where there is no football or social atmosphere of any kind, I was a gym nut. When I transferred to UF I tried to keep up my routine, but living off campus put a damper on my motivation. Still, I manage to make it to my apartment complex's gym several days a week, which I'm pretty proud of considering I no longer eat typical college fare like beer, pasta, pizza and fast food. At least, not the traditional beer, pasta and pizza...
This is because in May of 2008 I was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease Celiac, meaning the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, is damaging to my body. Many of the posts in this blog will likely chronicle new recipes I come across or new items in the grocery store that relate to maintaining a gluten free diet. For example, tonight I made homemade spaghetti sauce over rice spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti made of rice.
The sauce helps.
I'll leave you with a link that serves as sort of a complement to this blog: www.thisiswhyyourefat.com
Enjoy.
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