Gluten Free People
I love gluten. It is a vital protein. Without it, bread would not have any of its chewy elasticity. Recently though, there is a growing movement in the USA to go "Gluten-Free".
Let us take a moment to examine what, exactly, gluten is...
GLUTEN: A protein found in wheat and other cereal flours that forms the structure of the bread dough. It holds the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the yeast and expands during fermentation. Gluten is developed when flour is combined with water and liquids, mixed, and kneaded. It provides the elasticity and extensibility (stretch) in bread dough.
So what's all the fuss suddenly about going Gluten-Free for overall health and weight loss? Does it really work as Miley Cirus, Oprah Winfrey, and countless other unqualified Hollywood types tell us?
Health magazine ( http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410322,00.html ) says this:
Some experts believe that shunning foods with gluten—a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley—helps with weight loss. And celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah have reportedly gone on gluten-free detox diets for just that reason.
But does going gluten-free really work? We asked Dee Sandquist, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Her take:
You might lose a few pounds by cutting out high-gluten baked goods that contain lots of fat …But any weight loss is probably because you’re reducing your overall calorie-and-fat intake—not because you‘re cutting out gluten. What‘s more, there’s currently no science that indicates you’ll lose weight by replacing a gluten-filled food with a nongluten food that has the same number of calories.You may eat more filling whole grains that don’t have gluten, such as corn, rice, amaranth, and buckwheat …But some of those non-gluten whole grains actually have less fiber than their gluten-containing counterparts.Some people feel more energetic on a gluten-free diet …But it may simply be because they’re cutting back on their total food intake.The bottom line: Going on a gluten-free diet for a few days may do no harm and may even give your diet a jump-start if it helps you limit calories. But it’s not a long-term weight-loss strategy, Sandquist says. And, in spite of rosy forecasts for the gluten-free-product industry, crafting a whole meal plan around the limited number of products available would be a challenge, she says.
Why, oh why, am I suddenly so interested in this topic? you ask....well, someone I know and love has non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Also, I have had many people ask me my opinion on the topic since some butt-munch "Doctor" has come out with an anti wheat campaign.
This is NOT an antigluten issue, Dr. William Davis wants everyone to ditch wheat. You can see the whole interview at : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57505149/modern-wheat-a-perfect-chronic-poison-doctor-says/
While I think that there is some science behind what he is saying, It is only a LITTLE science and a lot of anecdotal evidence. I am not an alarmist when it come to eating certain foods. Especially something so dramatically entrenched in our diets, such as wheat.
I say "Don't panic, eat your whole grain bread, and keep going." There is no hard, fast evidence that what Dr. Davis is saying is hard fact or even close to the truth. He is, in fact, trying to sell a book for about $27 on the topic. So by doing the rounds on TV and frightening a bunch of people into buying his book and giving up all wheat entirely, he is making TONS of money!!!
Keep that in mind when you stand with this quack and proclaim wheat to be evil.
If you are celiac, gluten sensitive, or diabetic by all means drop the wheat from your diet. If, however, you are a healthy adult with no prior ill effects from eating a sandwich now and again; keep going the way you are going and pass this new Quack (and his new "FAD" health claims) by, and move on with your bread-loving life!!!
Let us take a moment to examine what, exactly, gluten is...
GLUTEN: A protein found in wheat and other cereal flours that forms the structure of the bread dough. It holds the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the yeast and expands during fermentation. Gluten is developed when flour is combined with water and liquids, mixed, and kneaded. It provides the elasticity and extensibility (stretch) in bread dough.
So what's all the fuss suddenly about going Gluten-Free for overall health and weight loss? Does it really work as Miley Cirus, Oprah Winfrey, and countless other unqualified Hollywood types tell us?
Health magazine ( http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410322,00.html ) says this:
From Health magazine
Some experts believe that shunning foods with gluten—a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley—helps with weight loss. And celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah have reportedly gone on gluten-free detox diets for just that reason.
But does going gluten-free really work? We asked Dee Sandquist, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Her take:
You might lose a few pounds by cutting out high-gluten baked goods that contain lots of fat …But any weight loss is probably because you’re reducing your overall calorie-and-fat intake—not because you‘re cutting out gluten. What‘s more, there’s currently no science that indicates you’ll lose weight by replacing a gluten-filled food with a nongluten food that has the same number of calories.You may eat more filling whole grains that don’t have gluten, such as corn, rice, amaranth, and buckwheat …But some of those non-gluten whole grains actually have less fiber than their gluten-containing counterparts.Some people feel more energetic on a gluten-free diet …But it may simply be because they’re cutting back on their total food intake.The bottom line: Going on a gluten-free diet for a few days may do no harm and may even give your diet a jump-start if it helps you limit calories. But it’s not a long-term weight-loss strategy, Sandquist says. And, in spite of rosy forecasts for the gluten-free-product industry, crafting a whole meal plan around the limited number of products available would be a challenge, she says.
Why, oh why, am I suddenly so interested in this topic? you ask....well, someone I know and love has non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Also, I have had many people ask me my opinion on the topic since some butt-munch "Doctor" has come out with an anti wheat campaign.
This is NOT an antigluten issue, Dr. William Davis wants everyone to ditch wheat. You can see the whole interview at : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57505149/modern-wheat-a-perfect-chronic-poison-doctor-says/
While I think that there is some science behind what he is saying, It is only a LITTLE science and a lot of anecdotal evidence. I am not an alarmist when it come to eating certain foods. Especially something so dramatically entrenched in our diets, such as wheat.
I say "Don't panic, eat your whole grain bread, and keep going." There is no hard, fast evidence that what Dr. Davis is saying is hard fact or even close to the truth. He is, in fact, trying to sell a book for about $27 on the topic. So by doing the rounds on TV and frightening a bunch of people into buying his book and giving up all wheat entirely, he is making TONS of money!!!
Keep that in mind when you stand with this quack and proclaim wheat to be evil.
If you are celiac, gluten sensitive, or diabetic by all means drop the wheat from your diet. If, however, you are a healthy adult with no prior ill effects from eating a sandwich now and again; keep going the way you are going and pass this new Quack (and his new "FAD" health claims) by, and move on with your bread-loving life!!!
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