Health Risks From Sitting Still

Physical Inactivity from Sitting Increases Health Risks

By Wendy Bumgardner - Reblogged from VeryWell.com plus a few comments

You need to read this. Millions of us have this same problem and this is a major cause of our health problem or future health problems. 

Sitting might be killing you, even if you get in a daily dose of moderate or intense exercise. Research is mounting, hours of sitting is its own health-risk factor.

• Sitting Raises Risk of Type II Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Early Death: A compendium of studies published in 2012 found that sitting for long periods raised the relative risk of type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease over 100%; the association was strongest for diabetes. The studies found this effect regardless of whether the sitter got the recommended amount of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise the rest of the day. Even one hour of heart pounding exercise can't make-up for 8 hours of sitting. That fact added to a bad diet and you have a recipe for an early death. 
   

• Sitting Slows Metabolism: Dr. Marc T. Hamilton says research shows that fat-burning is slowed by prolonged sitting, so you burn less fat when you finally get up and exercise. "Sitting time and non-exercise activity have been linked in epidemiological studies to rates of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease," Dr. Hamilton concludes.
• Sitting Increases Diabetes Risk in Women: A study found that the more sitting hours per day reported by women over age 40, the more their markers of insulin resistance and inflammation were increased. This points to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This was true whether or not they got moderate exercise each day.
   
• Two-Minute Walk Breaks Improve Glucose Control and Insulin Response: Breaking up sitting time with two-minute walk breaks every 20 minutes improved the body's response to a meal by 30% in a 2012 study. The study simulated an office environment with middle-aged, overweight people. Walking at light or moderate intensity for two minutes after each 20 minutes of sitting helped maintain glucose control and insulin response. There may be good benefits in developing habits of getting up more frequently during the workday and at home while video gaming, watching television or using the computer.

• Screen Time Is a Health Risk: Two hours a day of sitting in front of the TV or computer may double your risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event. Four hours a day of screen time increases your risk of death by any cause by 50%, according to findings of a study of more than 4,500 middle-aged men in Scotland.

• Sit More-Die Younger: The American Cancer Society's Cancer II study of more than 100,000 healthy people tracked since 1992 found that women who sit for more than six hours during their leisure time each day had a 37% greater chance of death than women who sat for three hours or less. Men had an 18% greater chance of death. This finding was independent of whether the people got in a good dose of exercise each day. However, the good news is that those who also got exercise had a lower risk of death than those who didn't—just not enough to overcome the presumed effects of the sitting hours.
• Sounding the Alarm About Sitting: An editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that "recent observational studies have suggested that prolonged bouts of sitting time and lack of whole-body muscular movement are strongly associated with obesity, abnormal glucose metabolism, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease risk and cancer, as well as total mortality independent of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity," say the authors.

Six Ways You Can Decrease Sitting Time

Decrease the amount of time you sit still throughout the day by using these tactics:

• Wear a pedometer: Aim not only to increase your total daily steps gradually to 10,000 steps per day, but also to log 500 steps per hour to ensure you are not sitting still for long periods of time. If you carry your phone with you all day, you may only need a pedometer app.
• Activity monitors and apps with sitting time alerts: Some activity monitors and apps can be set to alert you when you've been inactive too long.
• Screen Alerts: Those with computer-based jobs may want to install a program, such as RSIGuard, that pops up to alert them to move around each hour. For those tied to the cubicle, this can mean standing and walking in place, desk stretches, pacing while on the phone, etc.
• Treadmill Desk: Build or buy a treadmill desk so you can walk slowly while working on the computer, reading, gaming or watching videos.
• Switch to Active Video Games: Rather than play sitting-based computer games, switch to a Wii or other gaming device that includes active games that have you standing and moving.

You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

Take A Look At Future You

I REBLOGGED THIS POST FROM A WEBSITE I READ CALLED NO-BRAINERFITNESS.COM. THE AUTHOR NAILED THIS. WHY CAN'T MORE PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY DO TO THEMSELVES?

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT FUTURE YOU

Why don’t we exercise enough?

Is it because we are too lazy? Not disciplined enough? Unable to stay motivated?

If you’ve read my most recent post, you know those are essentially the questions we were left with at the end. Because we have all the evidence we need about why we should exercise.

If you’ve read anything else on this blog in the past, you know the answer is not in motivation or discipline, two strategies that will fail you eventually, or drive you (and many around you) nuts.

It is pretty clear that only the strongest Purpose can keep us going in the long term. Yet for most this sense of Purpose remains elusive.

So while it seems we have tendency to be lazy, the truth is slightly different. You could say we are “wired” to be lazy, to economize our efforts, and only the strongest of wills can hold firm on their self-commitments.

By the way, this is not a figment of my imagination, or some wild theory I just came up with. It comes from research in behavioural economics, which others could probably explain better than I can.

But I’m going to explain it to you in my own words. With the help of visuals from a really good talk I recently watched on YouTube. (Even if you think you don’t have time, if you are serious about understanding fitness and long-term health, you should be watching that talk. After reading this post.)

The Truth

Most of us have a strong discounting rate when it comes to our “Future Selves”. (That’s a term borrowed from economics, and it is highly accurate in meaning. However, most of us are not bankers and economists, thankfully. So…) To put it more simply, I hope, the problem is as follows: when you think about the way Future You will be, the possibility of a healthy and active Future You is not seen as important enough because it is too far into the future.

Even though you want to be healthy and fit (who doesn’t?), the Future You is too remote, too distant, too hard to see clearly. The present, and very near future, occupy all that your mind can really consider and act upon. No, I’m not saying we live only for the present, but we have a strong bias in favour of the short-term instead of the long-term.

Those of us who have a much stronger Purpose typically enjoy a stronger sense of that Future Self. In essence, to them it is easier to keep their eyes on the prize. (Back to our economics/finance terminology, a stronger sense of the Future You comes from having a much smaller discounting rate). In other words, a strong Purpose can be understood as considering the distant future as equally important, or even more important, than the present or near-future.

Let’s see how this works

Look again at the image at the top of this post.

You have two pictures of Future You: one that is healthy and fit, and one that is frail and, probably, suffering from some illness(es). The road to each Future You is a series of short-term actions, choices that happen everyday, with their specific consequences:

Two images of Future You…

Although there is no absolute certainly about the outcome, we know for sure what the odds are:

Take a good, hard look at those two Future You. Can you see them well? Which do you want to really be Future You? I bet I know.

So what happens? Why is it still not a complete no-brainer to exercise regularly?

Well, each of us considers those futures against the present. It is a decision process in which you pit Present You against Future You. At least in terms of enjoyment:

If the future appears not important enough, you are likely to pick doing nothing.

Conversely, if the Future You is clear enough, and important enough, your choice would be otherwise:

If Future You is “important” enough in your mind, you will act accordingly. Most of the time. Well, often enough.

That’s basically it. How well you can see Future You, and how you manage to keep Future You in mind on a daily basis, influences how you behave. How much you are eager to exercise regularly.

This works whether Future You is simply a healthy and active Old You, or an incredibly fit and muscular Two Years From Now You, or Winning A Race in 6 Months You. Future You is what you envision yourself to be like at some point in the future. Personally, the only Future You I think is truly worth having in mind, having as a Purpose, is Healthy And Active Old You. Which should make You exercise regularly, and in a reasonable way…

Future You, which becomes the source of your Purpose, is not the only contributing factor to exercising regularly, as we’ll see next time. But it is a necessary beginning. Without it, you must fall back on motivation, or worse, on discipline.

The good news is that you can improve how Future You influences Present You. You need to look at Future You regularly.

So keep a picture of Future You where you can take a good look at it everyday, just as you head out to exercise…

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

What To Eat To Lose Weight

We all know what to eat and what not to eat, but Weight loss friendly foods will help you in your quest to lose some pounds.

So what should we include in your diet if you want to lose weight?

Here are some excellent weight loss friendly foods. I want to mention, you don't see any red meat or even poultry. Why? Animal fat will add fat to your body and where I don't agree totally because white meat poultry may have a little fat but the fat is yellow fat and lies outside the meat and can easily be removed.

• Whole eggs– Eggs are incredibly nutrient dense and can help you get all the nutrients you need on a calorie restricted diet. Almost all the nutrients are found in the yolks.

• Leafy greens-Leafy greens are also incredibly nutritious and very high in all sorts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This includes calcium, which has been shown to aid fat burning in some studies.

• Salmon-Salmon is also loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help reduce inflammation, which is known to play a major role in obesity and metabolic disease.  HEALTH BENEFITS OF OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS

• Cruciferous Vegetables-A combination of protein, fiber, and low energy density makes cruciferous vegetables the perfect foods to include in your meals if you need to lose weight. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

• Boiled Potatoes-If you boil the potatoes, then allow them to cool for a while, then they will form large amounts of resistant starch, a fiber-like substance that has been shown to have all sorts of health benefits… including weight loss . Sweet potatoes, turnips, and other root vegetables are also excellent.

• Beans and Legumes-Some beans and legumes can be beneficial for weight loss.This includes lentils, black beans, kidney beans and some others.

• Soups-Some studies have shown that eating the exact same food, except made in a soup instead of as solid food, makes people feel more satiated and eat significantly fewer calories

• Cottage Cheese-Dairy products tend to be high in protein. Dairy products are also high in calcium, which has been shown to aid in the fat burning process .

• Avocados-Avocados are a unique type of fruit. Whereas most fruit is high in carbs, avocados are loaded with healthy fats.They are particularly high in monounsaturated oleic acid, the same type of fat found in olive oil. They also contain many important nutrients, including fiber and potassium.

• Apple Cider Vinegar–Apple cider vinegar is incredibly popular in the natural health community. Taking vinegar at the same time as a high-carb meal can increase feelings of fullness and make people eat 200-275 fewer calories for the rest of the day. Vinegar has also been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes after meals, which may lead to all sorts of beneficial effects on health in the long term.

• Nuts-Despite being high in fat, nuts are not inherently fattening.They’re an excellent snack, containing balanced amounts of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Just make sure not to go overboard, as they are still pretty high in calories. If you tend to binge and eat massive amounts of nuts, then it may be best to avoid them.

• Some Whole Grains-This includes some whole grains that are loaded with fiber and contain a decent amount of protein as well.Notable examples include oats, brown rice, and quinoa.

• Chili Pepper-Eating chili peppers may be useful on a weight loss diet.They contain a substance called capsaicin, which has been shown to help reduce appetite and increase fat burning in some studies.

• Fruit-Most health experts agree that fruit is healthy.Numerous population studies have shown that people who eat the most fruit (and vegetables) tend to be healthier than people who don’t.

• Grapefruit-One fruit that deserves to be highlighted is grapefruit because its effects on weight control have been studied directly.

• Coconut Oil-Not all fats are created equal. Coconut oil is high in fatty acids of a medium length, called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). These fatty acids have been shown to boost satiety compared to other fats, as well as increase a number of calories burned.

• Yogurt-Another excellent dairy food is yogurt.Yogurt contains Probiotic bacteria that can improve the function of your gut.Having a healthy gut may potentially help protect against inflammation and leptin resistance, which is the main hormonal driver of obesity.

I like this list and would only add white meat poultry. This list is an excellent choice of foods for any diet. Remember to drink about 1/2 gallon of water a day and don't drink anything with calories. 

Anytime anyone decides to change their eating plan they need to see their doctor first. Not all diets work for all people. If you're on any medications talk to your doctor, he might want to change your meds.

You can tweet me at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

Eating The Right Foods To Lose Weight

A great post from VeryWell.com explains why diet is the important part of losing weight.

Nutrition and weight loss go hand-in-hand. It really comes down to chemistry and math. Consume too many calories (energy), weight is gained. Creating a caloric deficit stimulates weight loss. Sounds fairly simple.

Everyone seems to be on the search for something quick and easy. Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs) are popular but disregard possible health risks. They are also very expensive. Seems like a risky high dollar cost to shed unwanted pounds.

I teach eating “real” quality food to maintain a fit physique and at a cost saving. Want to begin a healthy weight loss journey? Review what you're eating now in order to make healthy changes.

Healthy weight loss is no more than one to three pounds per week.

Time for a Lifestyle Change
Losing weight is a pretty straight forward process. It will require a nutrition lifestyle change together with regular exercise for best overall results. Quality healthy food choices are important.

Are you eating processed foods, dining out, drinking alcohol and soda regularly? Revising these choices will be important for success. Start by keeping a food journal. Write down what you're eating and sub out unhealthy meals for healthier selections.

Studies show people who maintain a consistent food journal have the best weight loss success. The journal allows for accountability. You will be able to repeat personal best weight loss weeks simply reviewing what has been recorded.

The Right Foods and Right Portions
Eating healthy should be enjoyable, taste great and never a burden. Essential nutrients for weight loss include lean proteins, fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats.

Eating correctly portioned meals is essential. A portion size is what can fit in the palm of your hand and simplifies eating healthy. It also reduces the need to continuously count calories.

Normal hunger occurs every two to three hours so many people take advantage of nutrient timing. Eating several small meals per day keeps our metabolism boosted. It also promotes satiety and eliminates urges to binge on guilt laden food.

Keeping the focus on consuming healthy foods will be the success in adopting a healthy lifestyle and reaching your goal weight.

Enjoy a Variety of Healthy Foods
There are a wide variety of healthy foods to satisfy the pickiest eater for weight loss and overall healthy lifestyle.

The following foods will be helpful to start your eat-right journey for successful weight loss.

Best Proteins
Chicken Breast (boneless/skinless) – 3.5oz, 30g
Turkey – 7g protein per ounce
Tuna – 6oz, 40
Salmon – 3.5oz, 27g
Halibut – 4oz, 30g
Trout – 4oz, 28g
Sardines – 4oz, 10g
Eggs (high in EFA) – 1 large, 7g
Milk – 1 cup, 8g (1% or skim, if tolerated)
Cottage Cheese – 1/2 cup, 15g
Almonds 8g, Peanuts 9g, Cashews 5g – 1/4 cup
Peanut Butter – 2tbsp, 8g
Kefir – 14g per cup
Yogurt – 8-12g per cup
Tofu – ½ cup, 10g

Top Antioxidants
Blueberries - at least a fistful a day
All rich colored berries (strawberries/blackberries/raspberries/cranberries/aroniaberries)
Sweet potatoes – at least ½ cup serving daily
Broccoli – eat ½ cup raw or 1 cup cooked daily
Tomatoes – One medium
Acai – look for quality juice
Beans - Eat two 1/2 cup servings a day of cooked or canned beans
Oats (steel-cut is the best) - Eat at least three servings of whole grains per day. A serving equals one cup cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats or 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
Spinach – one cup cooked spinach or leafy green vegetable per day
Dark chocolate - Eat a one-ounce serving daily
Red wine or Concord grape juice 4oz – 1 glass daily
Green and white tea – up to 4 cups daily

Eat Healthy Fats
Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
Wild salmon (fresh, frozen and canned)
Ground flaxseeds
Flaxseed oil
Walnuts
Herring
Sardines
Sablefish
Anchovies
Farmed oysters

Stay Consistent
In order to lose weight being consistent with healthy food intake will be necessary. There is no such thing as perfection and only progress.

Take one day at a time and know there will be slip-ups. If you do get off track, let it go and make a better choice with your next meal. Food guilt only drags us down and prevents moving in a positive direction.

Use the palm as your portion size, selecting healthy foods as listed above. Eating every two to three hours is a great beginning to reaching your goal weight and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Finding Healthy Food in a Restaurant

A good post from http://VeryWell.com will answer some questions about restaurant food. We all eat out, so how do you do that without blowing your diet?

If you're looking for reasons you're gaining weight you don't have to look any farther than the restaurant meals. We are all guilty of eating out too much. Restaurant food will add hundreds of calories to your diet. This post will give you a few tips on how to avoid some of those unwanted calories.

Choosing nutritious foods at most restaurants feels like a daunting task. Especially when menus have mouth-watering descriptions or tempting photos -- and you're hungry. If you don't dine out too often, you might be able to splurge on foods that taste good but aren't so good for you. But if you eat in restaurants frequently, you need to know how to find the healthiest foods.

Most restaurants have at least a few healthy options, and these may be noted on the menu.

The restaurant may also keep separate menus depending upon what diet is trendy. For example, you may find low-fat, gluten-free, or low-carb options are available.

You still have to examine the selections. Simply being low or free from something doesn't guarantee the special diet fare is any healthier than the regular menu items.

I've been to lots of restaurants. Here are my tips for finding the healthier foods on the menu.

Look for the healthiest entree items:

Fish or seafood such as crab, clams or scallops
Lean meat, like a filet mignon
Poultry, like chicken or turkey
Legumes such as beans or lentils
Vegetarian Entrees
Then make sure the cooking method is suitable. You don't want to add too many calories from excess fat or pile on the sodium:

Steamed
Broiled
Baked
Poached
Grilled
These menu items are usually lower in fat and calories as long as they're not drenched in heavy sauces.

Cooking methods to avoid:

Fried
Deep fried
Au gratin
Creamed
Batter fried
Food prepared by these methods are high in fat and calories, and they may be high in sodium, as well.

Speaking of sodium, these foods are very high in sodium:

Pickled anything
Soy sauce
Cocktail sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Soups or broth
Ask to have your meal prepared without these items or have them served on the side.

Choose a salad instead of the soup.

Are all salads good? A lot of them are, especially if they feature lots of greens, vegetables, and fruits, but you can still get too much fat and calories when they're laden with thick creamy dressings and cheese. Order a light vinaigrette instead, or use lemon or lime juice. Stay away from taco salads or salads topped with chicken strips because they're high in fat, calories and sodium.

If you want dessert, choose something that features fresh fruit or berries instead of high-calorie sweets like pies, cakes or ice cream treats.

Don't see any healthy-looking items on the menu? Don't be afraid to ask your server for help. Usually, you can leave out many of the ingredients you don't want or order substitutes. You may be able to purchase a half portion of your meal, or if you have a refrigerator and microwave available, you can take part of your meal to go.

You can tweet me at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

Should I Go Gluten-Free Just To Lose Weight?

There are many opinions on this subject. If there's no medical reason, why do it. If you read the post below from VeryWell.com you'll find that gluten is used in man-made foods. It's there to enhance the taste.

Gluten is a protein naturally found in many grain-containing foods, a simple product of food chemistry: gliadin and glutenin combine to form gluten, which is responsible for many of the wonderfully tasty properties foods like bread and pasta provide.

Only about 1 percent of Americans have celiac disease, a rare autoimmune disorder, and about 6 percent have a gluten sensitivity; both lead to a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms.

If you don't have celiac disease, are there benefits to going gluten-free? The True Health Initiative Council of Directors weigh in.

Joel Kahn, MD, FACC
Clinical Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Wayne State University School of Medicine

If you are not celiac you should enjoy, not avoid, whole grains. Published data in large studies identify that whole grains

improve heart health and lower the risk of heart attack
lower Type 2 diabetes risk
reduce cancer risk
support optimal body weight, and
promote a long life free of chronic diseases.

The recommendation of both the USDA and the Harvard School of Public Health is to fill 25 percent of your plate with whole grains and I agree. It's likely that increased whole grains in the diet often replace calorie-dense processed foods low in nutrients. The health implications of eating more whole grains in place of nutrition-poor options and the potential to reduce rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are enormous.

I prefer organic grains whenever possible because of reports of using Roundup before harvesting to prevent spoilage.

P.K. Newby, ScD, MPH, MS
Principal and Owner, The Nutrition Doctor; Adjunct Associate Professor of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health

The prevalence of celiac disease and related gluten disorders has risen in recent years, and many have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon as a result.

Are you among them?

The simple fact is that whole, unprocessed grains that retain their nutrients and fiber are part of a healthy diet for most people. Indeed, many Americans don’t consume the amount recommended for optimal health and disease prevention—and going gluten-free makes it even harder. As a result, those supplanting whole grains with other foods can end up having a less nutritious diet, perhaps forgetting about non-gluten containing options like quinoa or amaranth. Moreover, there is no evidence to show that gluten-free diets are particularly beneficial for weight loss, though you can lose weight on any diet as long as calories expended are fewer than those consumed.

Considering how what you eat makes you feel is always important, so if you’ve noticed a correlation with gluten-containing foods, it’s worth paying attention: gluten-related disorders are uncomfortable, and under-diagnosed. But seeing a physician for clinical testing, keeping a food diary, and thinking about your diet as a whole should be the first steps you take before cutting out entire food groups that might otherwise make it harder for you to eat a nutritious, balanced, and diverse diet.

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD
Nutrition Expert

Even though it is hip to go gluten-free, many people who are doing so don’t need to follow this type of restrictive diet plan. A gluten-free diet eliminates gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and is the primary mode of therapy for anyone with celiac disease. It is not a weight loss plan nor will it boost energy or treat autism.

However, some people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and have shown improvement by limiting gluten in their diets. If you have symptoms associated with gluten ingestion, try eliminating it and see if the symptoms subside. Be forewarned that gluten lurks in all kinds of products and going gluten-free can be challenging and expensive.

It’s best to consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you are intolerant or sensitive to gluten to rule out celiac disease before going gluten-free, too.

You've read the "pros", now read the "cons". Many of the foods containing grain, like bread and pasta, don't use whole grains. They use a manufactured version or "processed flour" or "processed wheat" that has been stripped of any nutrition that you would normally find in wheat. And if you notice in the labels that everything from donuts to cake, bread, pie crust, and any other bakery goods or snack food like chips all contain processed wheat flour.

So what, you might ask? Processed flour is just another food stuff with no nutrition that will elevate you blood sugar levels the same as "refined sugar", which by the way is another manufactured product.

When you actually eat the plant food, "like organic rice", you get all the nutrition in the grain. Any grain that has been refined or processed has had the nutrition stripped during the processing.

So "going gluten free" for most people on that type of diet is simply a way to avoid processed flour and if you want to lose weight differently avoid processed flour and only eat whole grains like rice or Quinoa.

I write several blogs and ebooks, check out some of my other sites.
gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my ebooks.

There are two Ebooks. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new Ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Get Off the Junk Food

I'm just going to come out and say it: The truth is, many of us get too many calories and not enough nutrients from fast food, candy, prepackaged goods, and sodas. Even if you’re not overweight, don’t be too quick to write off your junk-food habit as acceptable. Outwardly thin people aren’t necessarily healthy, as it’s possible to be skinny and in poor metabolic health, thanks to bad nutrition and lack of exercise. In reality, most adults and teenagers get half their calories every day from what they drink. If you feel like you're consuming too many calories the first thing to do is stop drinking your calories. 

Many of us feel compelled to eat junk food (after all, it can taste so good), but is a diet high in fat, sugar, and salt worth the trade-off of the elevated risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancers? Kicking the junk-food habit -- coupled with regular, heart-pumping exercise -- will tip the scales of healthy living in your favor.

Don’t know where to start? These simple guidelines will help you get over the hump in no time:

Knowledge is power -- and in the case of junk food, it can also be downright scary. While grocery aisles may seem fairly benign, they’re actually packed with misinformation and techniques employed by manufacturers to lure consumers into making unhealthy purchases. “They are doing everything they can to get you to make a spontaneous decision,” explains Michael Moss, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times and author of Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. 

“Typically, in the middle part of the aisle on eye level is where they put the most alluring foods,” Moss says, of items like high-sugar cereals and salt-laden chips. The healthier alternatives, such as whole-grain cereal, are often located near your ankles or way up high. Another issue? Many consumers take it for granted that labels and packaging tell the whole truth when in reality, misleading nutritional claims (think: "low-fat," "all-natural," "added calcium") are often made. “This is where they’re going after you to distract you [with] positive messages, in hopes that you’re not going to turn the package over and look at the fine print,” says Moss. And we’re not just talking about cookies and candy here, either: “Wholesome” items like bread and pasta sauces are frequently infused with a ton of added sugar. So do your homework and be a discerning shopper. You might (read: likely will) be shocked by what you find.

Many consumers take it for granted that labels and packaging tell the whole truth when in reality, misleading nutritional claims (think: "low-fat," "all-natural," "added calcium") are often made. “This is where they’re going after you to distract you [with] positive messages, in hopes that you’re not going to turn the package over and look at the fine print,” says Moss. And we’re not just talking about cookies and candy here, either: “Wholesome” items like bread and pasta sauces are frequently infused with a ton of added sugar. So do your homework and be a discerning shopper. You might be shocked by what you find.

You're probably wondering why do the grocery stores encourage you to buy unhealthy food? Don't be nieve, follow the money. Stores put a price on shelf space. Manufacturers pay for a prime location on the shelf. And unhealthy foods are more profitable than healthy food. So be careful when you shop. Just because you don't die from eating that frozen pizza doesn't mean it has any nutrition.

You can tweet me at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon