Learn How Gluten is Sneaking into YOUR Diet

You think you're eating clean and staying clear of gluten in your diet.  However, gluten is a sneaky thing and you may be avoiding the obvious gluten containing foods like bread, pasta, and cookies, but have you thought about all the places gluten may be hiding in the food that you do eat?  Did you know that there is gluten in soy sauce?  Have you thought about cross-contamination at restaurants or from another person in your house that is not gluten free? 

It's valuable to learn about all the places that gluten could be sneaking into your diet if you are avoiding gluten or following a lifestyle that includes being gluten free.  This information is particularly valuable for anyone that has Celiac Disease, or is Gluten Intolerant, but I also think that it's worth understanding where gluten is hiding and how you may still be getting exposed to it for anyone that is looking for better health.  Avoiding gluten is one of the things on my top 10 list of things to change to make you healthier - regardless of who you are or how you currently eat.

Check out Jennifer Fugo's FREE teleclass on Wednesday September 14th at 7pm where she will walk you through 5 ways that gluten is still sneaking into you diet. Not sure if you can make the call - no big deal, as long as you sign up you will be able to listen to the recording and you'll be eligible to win some free stuff.  Got 2 minutes, watch this quick video to learn a tip about gluten contamination in your own home, and meet Jennifer.

Why should you sign up for this class?  Why not, I'm signed up - I am always looking for opportunities to learn more about how gluten could be sneaking into my food so that I can avoid it and minimize my exposure to gluten.  If you're following a Paleo/Primal lifestyle you may THINK you are gluten free, but might not realize where you still may be getting exposed to gluten.  I think everyone can benefit from being gluten free, and this call will help you understand all of the place to look for it!

Jennifer Fugo is a certified health coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and has been Named by Philadelphia Magazine as a Gluten Free Guru.  She has successfully overhauled her diet and lifestyle after learning of her own intolerance to gluten, casein, and eggs and works with her clients to help busy, constantly on-the-go individuals a system of eating and living that best suites them. 

Paleo in US News Report

Ok I'm a little late to the table on this, but I still wanted to share some of my thoughts.  US News released a report ranking the Best Overall Diets and the good news is that the Paleo diet is included on the list.  The bad news is that it's last...my blink reaction to the list is that I want to see the ranking criteria.  Any study or report that includes the Slim Fast Diet and Medi Fast Diet (which feature consuming fortified supplements instead of eating actual food) on the list of the best diets automatically raises a flag for me. 

The Top 20 Best Diets....according to US News:
1. DASH Diet
2. Mediterranean Diet
2. TLC Diet
2. Weight Watchers Diet
5. Mayo Clinic Diet
5. Volumetric Diet
7. Jenny Craig Diet
8. Ornish Diet
9. Vegetarian Diet
10. Slim Fast Diet
11. Nutrisystem Diet
12. Vegan Diet
13. South Beach Diet
14. Eco Atkins Diet
14. Zone Diet
16. Glycemic-Index Diet
16. Medifast Diet
18. Raw Foods Diet
19. Atkins Diet
20. Paleo Diet

Getting rid of sandwhiches...

Jennifer Fugo at Evolving Well wrote a great blog post called Death to the Sandwhich that I think is incredibly relevant to the readers of my blog as well.  Check out her post and let me know what you think, its funny that one of the first questions I get when I mention what I eat and don't eat is, what do you eat for lunch!  My husband took turkey roll-ups - turkey lunch meat wrapped around spinach and sliced peppers, to work for lunch and got some questions about what the heck he was eating and why didn't he have bread along with his turkey meat.  So as Jen asks at the end of her post - if you're eating Paleo or Primal, do you miss eating sandwhiches?  What are you eating instead?

Balancing Paleo

How long have you been eating a Paleo or Primal Diet?  How strict do you adhere to it?  Lately many people around me - friends, colleagues, and family - are experimenting with "going Paleo." I think its awesome that they are trying to Paleo and are changing to eating more whole foods, vegetables, high quality meats, seafood, nuts, and seeds.   

One thing that people need to be careful of when they change their diet and "go Paleo" is eating too much fruit and Paleo-friendly treats.  Paleo treats are a crutch that help you to get you through your Paleo experiment.  Things like larabars are good when you have no other options or for an occasional snack, but they shouldn't be added to your diet as a new food group.  Enjoy Paleo friendly treats occasionally too, but realize that most of them are still high in natural sugar (dried fruits) or contain a large amount of nuts (which are Paleo but again, shouldn't make up a large part of your food every day).  The key here is to find balance with your Paleo foods, your chosen "cheats", and Paleo treats.  It's ok to eat Paleo treats, but be careful NOT to overdo it - like Cookie Monster says, Paleo treats are a sometimes food.

 A strict Paleo lifestyle is not for everyone long term.  After you do a Paleo challenge, and see how good you feel eating that way, you'll integrate Paleo food choices into your normal routine.  When you experiment with adding things back into your diet, you'll start to decide what is sustainable for you, what foods you will continue to exclude and what foods you will allow once in awhile. One thing that I need to work on is balancing and not being so strict all the time.  I like being strict because I feel better when I eat that way.  Large amounts of sugar give me a headache, and not for a few hours but for days!  As referenced in my last post, after going Paleo I've confirmed that I am senstive to gluten.  When I eat things that contain gluten, I can feel it, and it doesn't make me feel good.  Every once in awhile it is a good idea to kick up your heels and have a treat, espeically if it was made specifically for you, and even if you lead a Paleo life.  This is something I'm working on incorporating into my food choices and need to experiment with having a bite of something - remembering that a small amount won't impact me too much and it could go a long way with others.

Those of you that are doing a Paleo or Primal diet, how are you doing, what are your challenges, where do you need help or need to learn how to flex?