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February 2010
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Is the Gluten-Free Diet the Next “It” Diet for Health?
"I suggest avoiding gluten," is the advice given by Mark Sisson, author of "The Primal Blueprint," on his popular health and nutrition blog, Mark’s Daily Apple. Sisson believes that gluten intolerance is more common than we realize; his theory is that gluten and grains have been introduced relatively recently into the human diet, so it’s a smart idea to drop them altogether. Such belief in the benefits of gluten avoidance is not rare. Elizabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of the television show, "The View," and author of the "G Free Diet" purports that a gluten-free diet can increase energy, lower cholesterol, help you lose weight and restore health. A growing number of people are placing gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale, on their "no" list, in much the same fashion as they once banned fat and carbohydrates.
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The OmniHeart Diet: State of the Art Rx for Your Heart and Your Health
Heart disease is still the number one killer in the U.S. So, if you had a choice between eating more carbohydrates, protein or fat within a heart-healthy diet, which would it be? Before you answer, you’d probably want to know which of these three big nutrients (also known as macronutrients) is best for your heart, right? Despite millions of dollars spent annually in pursuit of the perfect diet, Americans are still not sure what to eat for optimal health. The Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial to Prevent Heart Disease (OmniHeart Trial), funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, set out to answer the great question: Which macronutrients should you focus on for heart health?
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The Top Functional Foods of 2010
As the new year unfolds, functional foods are on target to be hotter than ever. The functional food industry got its start in the 1980s, and it’s been growing steadily since then with a projected growth rate of 56 percent from 2008 to 2011. What do functional foods mean? According to the April 2009 position on functional foods by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), all foods are functional at some level, because they provide nutrients that furnish energy, sustain growth, or maintain and repair vital processes.
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Pomegranates, Winter’s Ruby Nutrient Gems
The Folklore. The pomegranate has been cherished as a symbol of celebration in many cultures over the centuries. For example, in a Turkish wedding the new bride throws a pomegranate to the ground and the number of seeds that spill out predicts how many children she will bear. Based on excavations from the Early Bronze Age, the pomegranate is believed to be one of the first cultivated fruits.
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Praise for Go Green Get Lean, the Ultimate Low-Carbon Footprint Diet
Should you eat lean or eat "green"? That’s a question Kate Geagan, M.S., R.D. finally puts to rest in her book, "Go Green Get Lean" (Rodale, 2009.) Geagan efficiently connects the dots between an eco-friendly diet and health by showing that an eating lifestyle that best sustains a healthy planet does the same for humans. The food choices you make every day have a significant impact on the environment. Just consider the amount of greenhouse gases produced by transporting food thousands of miles. In addition, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used on crops have damaging effects on soil, waterways and local wildlife.
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Restaurant Deli Sandwiches: What’s in Your Lunch?
When most of us put a sandwich together it usually involves a slice or two of meat and some cheese, and two slices of bread spread with a bit of mayo or mustard. Perhaps there’s a slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf to round it out. In a matter of minutes we have a quick and easy meal comprised of foods from at least two to four of the food groups. But, outside chefs take a slightly different approach to their creations. With the various fillings and fixings thrown into the mix, deli and restaurant sandwiches can contain as much or more than a day’s worth of calories, fat and sodium.
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Many Probiotics Don’t Deliver on Promises
A report from ConsumerLab.com, an independent evaluator of nutrition and health products, indicates that many probiotic supplements designed to provide beneficial bacteria do not contain the number of viable organisms listed on their labels. Researchers found that when a probiotic is purchased, it may contain as little as 10 to 58 percent of the amount of bacteria listed.
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Research Roundup: February 2010
Fast food linked with metabolic conditions. Using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study, a cohort of African-American and Caucasian young adults aged 25-42 years, researchers discovered that those eating the highest amount of fast food weighed more, had larger waists and higher triglyceride levels, and showed many of the other signs of metabolic syndrome.
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Phthalates Hidden in Plastics—Urban Legend or Real Risk of Danger?
Plastics have been at the forefront of urban legends, but in the case of phthalates there is legitimate concern. Phthalates are a group of chemicals called plasticizers that are added to vinyl plastics to make them flexible. They are commonly found in household and personal care items like toys, packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, nail polish and shampoo.
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