Gluten is a protein found in common grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Those affected with allergies to these foods (the most serious allergy being Celiac Disease) must follow a strict gluten-free diet in order to experience relief from their symptoms. Despite eliminating the ingestion of the allergen, gluten-free individuals begin to suffer from adverse side effects. In recent years, many Americans have begun to live an entirely gluten-free lifestyle with no medical necessity to do so. Many believe it to be a healthier diet, and even more believe it is an effective weight-loss tool. With this growing fad of adopting a gluten-free diet, under the false pretenses of varying health benefits, many Americans are exposing themselves to unnecessary health risks, over-priced and narrowly available foods, and an overall depletion of dietary needs.
The popularity of a gluten-free diet has risen in recent years due to several factors and misconceptions. A decade ago, gluten allergies were thought to be rare outside of Europe. Now, however, the number of Americans living with an entirely gluten-free lifestyle continues its exponential growth. The statistics of those adopting the diet show a vast combination of people, ranging from those with severe Celiac Disease to those with a desire to lose weight (Sapone). The factors and misconceptions include: the growing number of people with gluten allergies, the idea that gluten is harmful and has no nutritional value, and the idea that a gluten-free diet generates weight loss.
The first factor for the rising number of gluten-free individuals, which is likely the leading cause of the increase, is due to the exponentially growing number of people with a gluten-related allergy. The current s...
... middle of paper ...
...Hallert, C., C. Grant, S. Grehn, C. Grannot, S. Hultent, G. Midhagens M. Strom, H. Svensson, and T. Valdimarsson. “Evidence of poor vitamin status in coeliac patients on a gluten- free diet for ten years.” Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 16.7 (2002).
Wiley Online Library. February 17, 2014.
Karr, Tammera J. “Understanding Wheat and Gluten: Issues in Today’s Clients.” Annals of
Psychotherapy & Integrative Health (2013). Academic Search Complete. Web. February
5, 2014.
Murray, Josephy A. “The widening spectrum of celiac disease.” The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition. 69 (1999): 354-65. Academic Search Complete. Web. February 5,
2014.
Singh, J., and Kevin Whelan. “Limited availability and higher cost of gluten-free foods.” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics vol. 24 (2011): 479-486. Academic Search Complete.
Web. February 5, 2014.
Tackett, J. L., Lahey, B. B., van Hulle, C., Waldman, I., Krueger, R. F., & Rathouz, P. J. (2013).
Tadić, A., Wagner, S., Hoch, J., Başkaya, Ö., von Cube, R., Skaletz, C., ... & Dahmen, N. (2009).
With reference to the Scientific American article, the central tenet of a weight loss plan is stated to be a balanced diet. Restricting food groups is listed as a key mistake by dieters that should be avoided for health reasons. Eliezer often men...
Stanley, J., Gannon, J., Gabuat, J., Hartranft, S., Adams, N., Mayes, C., Shouse, G. M.,
set my gluten free." . Fox News, 08 Jan 2013. Web. 1 Feb 2014. .
Zhang, Y. B., Harwood, J., Williams, A., Ylänne-McEwen, V., Wadleigh, P. M., & Thimm, C.
In the last couple of decades, dieting trends have astronomically increased. The average dieter has trained his or her ears and eyes to react to the word ‘fat’. Low fat, reduced fat, fat free- these are all words that until recently have set alarms off ringing in the typical dieter’s head. Recently, new vocabulary, such as ketogenic, ketosis, and low carbohydrate have stepped into the dieter’s world and questioned, or rather challenged, the ‘fat’ free method of dieting. So, after you have devoured the entire box of ‘fat’ free cookies perhaps you will ask yourself....WHAT ABOUT THE CARBOHYDRATES???
Link, B. G., Struening, E. L., Neese-Todd, S., Asmussen, S., & Phelan, J. C. (2001). The
In the position paper, “Total Diet Approach to Healthy Eating,” The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics discusses the idea of a total diet approach, and why it has been recommended.1 The Total Diet Approach focuses on overall eating behaviors that supply adequate nutrients to meet energy requirements and other important benefits.1 The position paper also discusses issues regarding ethnic health disparities, and the way the total diet approach can help deal with them.1 The consumption of nutrient rich foods and beverages in moderation, along with the incorporation of physical activity are the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.1 The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics refers to this as the total diet approach to healthy eating. 1 This approach
5. A. Mathur, E. Franco, J. Leone, H. Osman-Mohamed, H. Rojas, N. Kemmer, G. Neff,
Liu, J., Wang, Z., Huo, Y., Davidson, S. M., Klahr, K., Herder, C. L., Sikora, C. O., & Peterson,
Tamborini, Ron ; Eastin, Matthew S. ; Skalski, Paul ; Lachlan, Kenneth ; Fediuk, Thomas A. ;
Barker, V., Giles, H., Hajek, C., Ota, H., Noels, K., Lim, T-S., & Somera, L. (2008).
Other diet programs rejected by Flatt include the extreme diet programs, weight loss supplements, and going gluten-free. He explained that some people give up gluten because their bodies cannot tolerate it. Others stay away from it because they think it will help them lose weight.
Healthy eating is often looked upon dietary regimen for losing weight. However, the true definition of a diet is the food the body human body consumes over a period of time. A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A useful diet to promote healthy eating should draw from all food groups because one single group cannot provide everything the human body needs to maintain great health. Healthy eating simply means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. An often misconstrued concept of healthy eating is eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible. However, there is a behemoth problem with this concept. The definition of healthy eating clearly states consuming food from all food groups. The human body can actually use fats, oils, sugars, carbs, and dairy as benefi...