Gluten! You'd probably be better off with the horse meat.
It turned out that gluten was one of the primary reasons why in the health and fitness industry I've pursued health over fitness.
Not the obvious choice since I competed in sport at high levels since a child and competed internationally at amateur and semi professional from my teens to mid twenties.
It was during a rough three years between 2007-2010 were I suffered with depression and then had to deal with my daughter been quite sick that I started studying health (Both of these stories I won't be discussing today but will follow up openly another day on them).
Quick tip #1: If you want to study, choose a topic that has purpose and you'll remember everything.
Gluten protein effects far more than the 1% who have coeliac disease. Its believed over 80% of us are gluten/wheat intolerant. Here is a few things to keep in mind:
There are something like 300 different types of gluten intolerances also known as non-coeliac gluten sensitivity and of these there is far more associated to the brain than there is to the gut.
Part of the reason for the affects on the brain is that part of your bodies autoimmune response against gluten is to develop Gliadin antibodies. However, prolonged exposure to these antibodies is actually toxic to our own brains and can affect brain function. We're talking about everything from brain fog, anxiety, feeling lethargic to more serious things like migraines, seizures and depression (Affecting 17% but if you don't know your intolerant then how do you know that maybe diet alone is causing your depression?).
Gluten protein can not be digested by a single human being on this planet. Basically it's how well you can tolerate it and for how long. This is obviously based on how much you consume. Make no mistake about it, even those who say that gluten won't kill you still acknowledge that it's a stressor on the body. There is no nutritional value to it, your body can't digest or use it, it just wants rid of it. So why consume it?
Gluten free products are not a healthy alternative. The original gluten free products were for coeliac patients who had a damaged gut and their vili couldn't absorb nutrients from food. They are generally made with rice, corn or potato starch and would be higher GI and have a higher calorie count than wheat based products. If weight loss is your goal, you definitely don't want to be consuming these. Not to mention all the synthetic drugs in the commercial stuff.
Want to know the easiest way to lose up to 8lbs? Eliminate gluten and here's why. Are you another one that eats white bread and then goes on about being bloated? That's inflammation in the gut and an inflamed gut can hold an extra 8lb of crap. That's why when people get colonic irrigation all this green stuff comes out. Who knows how long that's been up there. Need to lose weight? Get your gut healthy and to do that losing the gluten is a great start.
Quick tip #2 - You put your hand in the fire and get burned. The reaction is soreness and blisters etc. the injuries heal but you never put your hand in the fire again. So why when you eat bread and the reaction is being bloated, lethargic, constipated or diarrhoea and who knows what else and when tomorrow comes you eat bread again. Here's the tip and read it very slowly. Listen....To....Your....body....It's....More....Intelligent....Than....You!!!!
Some resources I really really hope you check out for your own benefit and could be of benefit to those around you.
Here is a brilliant interview by a good friend Danny Lennon of Sigmanutrition.com with Dr. Tom O'Bryan on gluten. He breaks everything down really well to such simple points. This is made simple and very easy to listen to. Click Here.
Dr. Tom O'Bryan held the gluten Summit last year were he interviewed 30 of the top doctors in their field from around the world and the effects gluten has in their area of speciality. Click Here.
Other good books would be Grain Brain and Wheat Belly.
Until next week,
Love and Happiness,
John T