Checked Your Gluten Lately?

Gluten Free

So most of us have heard the term “gluten free” or may know someone that is gluten free, has a gluten allergy or that may even be celiac.  It is becoming more and more commonly diagnosed as people have become more aware of what gluten really is.   I am personally completely gluten free.  I was diagnosed years ago as being on the cusp of celiac disease and was warned if I did not stop eating gluten, that I would soon be joining the club.  Clearly, my body despised gluten and I had all the signs; a distended “pooch” in my lower abdomen, I was sluggish all the time, often felt like my brain was “foggy” (yes, I am blond, no that had nothing to do with it), I was always sick with some illness and caught everything going around and I always had stomach issues and pain associated with them.  I do recall having eczema and rashes that would just appear also.  Gross, I know.  So, I was diagnosed and being really young at the time, I stuck with it for a bit, but then I rebelled against my diagnosis and went back to eating gluten.  It was a terrible choice on my behalf and when I realized I was spending more and more time at the doctor’s office somewhere along the way, it finally clicked.  I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  I have been extremely active my whole life and the way I was feeling was from the things I wanted to do.  So, one day I just made a conscious decision that I was going to give up gluten completely and since that day, I have not looked back!

So I write this through the eyes of experience and over the past 17 years, I have read and learned as much as I possibly could about gluten and its effects on the body.  I am not (yet!) a registered dietician, but I can honestly tell you that I have taken nutrition courses, as well as fitness courses and my library is full of nutritional books that I have done my own research with.  I have always felt that knowledge is power and when I was diagnosed and decided to become completely gluten free for good, I wanted to know everything there was to know about my condition.  So I am going to share some of my knowledge with you and bear with me, as I will try to take it easy on your brain and not overwhelm you!  They say too much information and a confused mind makes people just say “no”…that is not what I want to achieve here.  I hope you can gain something from reading this excerpt on gluten and becoming gluten free.   Here we go!

What is gluten?  Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff, quinoa, sunflower seeds and oats. Gluten enables bread to be able to rise before it is baked. In addition, gluten firms up when it is cooked and, with the help of starch, helps ensure the bread maintains its proper shape. Gluten also has an absorbent quality, which is why bread is capable of soaking up broth. On the downside, gluten is believed to be partly responsible for causing bread to become stale.

Incidence of gluten intolerance is widespread. 70% of Americans with a European descent have a gluten sensitivity or worse and many don’t even know it.   Upwards of 15 percent of the entire American population suffer from this condition, but only about five percent of these people have been diagnosed and treated.

These are symptoms for gluten intolerance and celiac disease.  The two conditions somewhat fall into the same category, however they are very different at the same time.

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion e.g. low iron levels
• Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)
• Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)
• Aching joints
• Depression
• Eczema
• Head aches
• Exhaustion, low energy
• Irritability and behavioral changes, mood swings
• Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage
• Cramps, tingling and numbness
• Slow infant and child growth
• Decline in dental health

Celiac disease is an immune reaction, a severe onset allergic reaction, to gluten. While celiac disease is initially an autoimmune disorder, it is also a disease of malabsorbtion, because essential nutrients are not absorbed. Therefore one of the most devastating symptoms of long-term undiagnosed celiac disease is malnutrition. Gluten intolerance often has a slower onset than celiac disease, and may be hard to diagnose due to the broad range of symptoms and causes. Many people experience different symptoms or have symptoms that are similar to another condition and are often misdiagnosed.

The simplest way to discover whether or not you are sensitive or intolerant is to take 2 weeks off of gluten completely.  Do this when you don’t have any big parties or fun things going on so you can stay on track.  Now when I say completely, I mean do not even have one bite of something containing gluten. No soy sauce, no soup with a sprinkle of wheat, not one bit of pizza…it’s only for two weeks and if you feel better it will be the best thing you could have done for yourself! Now, once your two weeks of no gluten is done, start introducing gluten back in slowly with different foods, one by one.  If you get a reaction, you will know what food causes it.  You will know if you feel better without the gluten almost right away and if you do, cut the gluten for good!  If you don’t really notice a difference, go back to the gluten life you were leading.  Plain and simple, no doctor bills involved!

-Jenn Hughes, Certified Nutritionist and wife of MX Star Ryan Hughes

Time To Hit The Weights!

The new medicine:  Muscle strength

It’s not just for bodybuilders. Strength training is critical for all of us.

When it comes to exercise, regular brisk 30-minute walks through your neighborhood are no longer enough. Research shows that strength training is also key to a longer, healthier life. “Strength training in older adults is very important,” says Kelly Macauley, a clinical instructor with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.  “It can slow and reverse age-related declines in muscle mass and muscle endurance, which can keep older adults healthier, longer.”

Benefits of stronger muscles

As we age, our muscle tissue begins to decrease. By age 70, most of us have lost a quarter of our muscle strength. That’s why strength training (also called resistance training and weight training) is so vital. Research shows it can help reduce the risk of falls, osteoporosis, back pain, depression, and even arthritis. “Increased strength increases stability around joints”, says Macauley. “That helps to reduce pain associated with arthritis.”

      Studies released earlier this year suggest that older adults who engage in strength training two or three times a week appear to have improved cognitive function compared with those who don’t. A study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health published online August 6 in Archives of Internal Medicine found that 150 minutes of weight training per week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 34%. And, of course, weight training fights obesity. “The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism is at rest,” Macauley says. “Therefore, a person with more muscle mass burns more calories.”

Getting started

Strength training, like any form of exercise, challenges the heart. Check with your doctor to be sure your heart will respond positively to the challenge. Strength training also can injure your muscles and tendons, if not done properly. “There certainly are risks associated with beginning strength training without the guidance of a trained professional, like a physical therapist, as well as clearance by a physician,” says Macauley. “Potential risks can include muscle strains, tendon or ligament injury, or even more serious injury if the person has an underlying disorder that isn’t accounted for with their program.” Supervised programs, such as those offered at senior centers, the YMCA or private health club, are a good place to start.

      To avoid injury, Macauley recommends only a few exercises at t low intensity until the correct form is mastered. Working all the major muscle groups is important, but older adults should focus on strengthening the muscles around the hips and pelvis, as well as the large leg muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps), especially if you have knee arthritis.

Types of strength training

The most common workout options include weight machines and free weights. Machines can be beneficial because they guide you through a movement. They can be adjusted for height and differences in the lengths of each user’s arms and legs, and it’s important to make those adjustments. If the machine is not fitted properly, it can lead to an undesired movement pattern and to injury. Free weights allow a person to perform an exercise using a weight with a more natural arc when using a dumbbell than you can when using a machine. This helps improve coordination and balance, as well as fine motor control. “However, this can also lead to injury if the person is not properly trained in the desired movement patterns,” Macauley says. For example, lifting heavy free weights can cause you to arch your back incorrectly during an exercise. Because machines provide more support, there are fewer chances to injure yourself than there are with free weights.

      No matter which type of weight you’re lifting, Macauley suggests starting slowly. Use only 40% to 60% of the maximum weight you’re able to lift in each exercise. For example, if the most you can lift doing a bicep curl one time is 10 pounds, you should start by doing several repetitions of just 4 to 6 pounds. Then you can work your way up to several repetitions of 60% to 85% of your maximum in the months ahead. Macauley says a physical therapist or trainer can help you best decide which exercises are right for your body and current health.■

Harvard Health Letter

Harvard Medical School

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Speeding Up Your Metabolism

How to burn more calories and control your weight as you get older

Have you ever wondered why you keep getting heavier even though you exercise and watch your diet?  Perhaps you have a friend who eats dessert every night and never gains an ounce, whereas you seem to put on more weight every year.

               The answer rests in your metabolism:  your body’s conversion of what you eat and drink into either energy or stored fat.

               Unfortunately, your metabolism tends to slow down in your 30’s-which makes avoiding weight gain in later years an uphill battle. The good news is that no matter what your age or how fit you are, you can take steps to speed up your metabolism.

Three ways you burn calories

Everyone needs a different number of calories to maintain his or her weight. Your body’s caloric requirements depend on three factors, all of which can be altered: resting metabolic rate, physical activity and how you process food.

• Resting metabolic rate.  You burn calories even when you’re sleeping, reading or watching television because your body needs energy to carry out basic functions, such as breathing, pumping blood and repairing cells.  The number of calories your body uses at rest-known as your resting metabolic rate-accounts for 65 to 75 percent of the calories you use each day.

               Several factors affect your body’s resting metabolic rate. Men burn more calories than women, heavier people burn more calories than lighter ones-even though they remain heavier-and young adults burn more calories than older adults. In fact, your resting metabolic rate decreases by about 10 percent per decade after age 30. Some of this age-related decline is caused by the inevitable slowing of metabolic processes. But most of it can be attributed to the gradual replacement of muscle with fat, which burns fewer calories per pound.

• Physical activity. Your body in motion burns about 15 to 30 percent of your daily calories. Some physical activity is in the form of exercise: perhaps a bike ride or a session on the treadmill. But much of it comes from everyday activities such as gardening, cooking, walking and even fidgeting.
• Processing of food. The remaining 5 to 10 percent of your calories is burned while disgesting, absorbing, transporting and storing what you consume. The energy required for this process is referred to as the thermic effect of food.

Kick-starting your metabolism.

To speed up your metabolism, you’ll want to boost all three ways your body burns calories. Here’s how:

• Add muscle. Each pound of muscle burns about six calories a day, versus two calories a day for fat. If you’re able to replace 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of muscle, you’ll burn an extra 20 calories a day. Although this translates into a difference of just 2 pounds a year at 3,500 calories a pound, that’s 20 pounds over a decade. Strength training exercises, such as lifting weights or doing squats, lunges or sit-ups, can help you build muscle.
• Get moving. Just 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise five days a week can burn about 1,000 calories a week. That works out to about 15 pounds a year. High-intensity workouts, such as jogging or using a stairclimber, may have an additional benefit-increasing your resting metabolic rate after a workout.
• Eat more often. The American Dietetic Association recommends eating three meals and one or two snacks a day. “Studies suggest that eating smaller, more-frequent meals does increase your metabolism slightly,” says Carmen Roberts, M.S., R.D., a dietitian at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Just make sure to choose healthy snacks, such as fruit or yogurt, and don’t increase your overall caloric intake.
• Eat breakfast. Starting your day on a healthy foundation, such as a bowl of high-fiber cereal, makes it far less likely you’ll grab a fattening Danish later on. Another benefit to breakfast? Studies suggest that it gets your metabolism going. “When you haven’t eaten all night, your body is in a sluggish mode,” says Roberts.
• Consume enough protein. Although your body needs a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat each day, protein is especially important for people who want to lose weight. One reason, explains Roberts, is that your body uses up extra calories digesting protein because it’s the hardest food source to break down. Another reason is that getting enough protein ensures that any weight you lose comes primarily from fat and not from muscle. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is approximately 56 grams for the average adult male and 46 grams for the average adult female. Don’t overdo the protein, though. Eating too much protein can be hard on your kidneys and liver and may also weaken bone.
• Drink plenty of water. Your body runs more effectively when you’re well hydrated-and that includes your metabolism. Water is your best calorie-free choice.

               A small study has shown that the process of digesting two cups of water can speed up your metabolism by about 30 percent for the next half hour or so. Although 40 percent of the effect comes from the body’s warming the water from room temperature to body temperature, there’s no evidence that chugging ice water burns extra calories.

• Get your zzzs. Running short on sleep boosts levels of the hormone ghrelin, which research says can make you hungrier, slow your metabolism and promote fat retention. In one study, dieters randomized to get 5 ½ hours of sleep a night lost only half as much weight as those who got 8 ½ hours of sleep a night.
• Don’t Crash diet. If you go on a very low-calorie diet, your body will go into starvation mode-slowing your metabolism instead of speeding it up to make full use of every calorie consumed. That’s why most people shouldn’t trim more than 500 calories a day from their normal intake. The exception is people whose caloric intake is very high to begin with.
• Turn down the heat. Earlier generations generally lived in chillier homes and used up extra calories trying to stay warm in the winter. Although there’s no need to be uncomfortable, lowering the thermostat by a couple degrees in the winter may accomplish two goals: reduce your heating bills and burn a few extra calories. Exercising outdoors in cooler temperatures instead of inside a climate controlled gym may also help you burn additional calories.
• Consider caffeine and chili peppers. Small studies show that drinking caffeinated beverages, such as tea and coffee, increases your heart rate and leads to a temporary boost in metabolism. Tentative research also points to the power of chili peppers-both the hot variety that contains capsaicin and the milder sweet peppers containing capsinoid-to help increase metabolism. But don’t start up a coffee habit or make your food unpleasantly spicy in an effort to lose weight.

The Best approach

The most important components of keeping weight off remain the same: increasing activity and limiting calories. But by following the metabolism-boosting pointers above, you may have an easier time keeping those extra pounds from creeping up on you.

Summer is Here - Hydrate!

Staying Hydrated:  How much should you drink?*

We need water to keep our bodies functioning properly. But, as we get older, our thirst-response system diminishes and we may not feel thirsty even as dehydration sets in. Not drinking enough fluids can lead to constipation, balance problems and falls, urinary tract infections, kidney failure and slower healing from wounds, ulcers and orthopedic injuries.

            How much water do we need?  Contrary to popular belief, no research exists that says exactly how much fluid we should drink. However, many experts suggest that healthy adults should strive for six to eight 8-ounce servings of liquid a day.

Water woes

Hydration can come from a variety of sources, including fruit or vegetable juice, nonfat milk, low-sodium soup, even coffee or tea. Many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, berries, grapes, peaches, tomatoes and lettuce, are almost 100 percent water. Even meat is chock full of water. Water from foods typically accounts for 20 percent of the recommended total fluid intake.

            If you have kidney disease, diabetes or a thyroid disorder, you may be at higher risk for dehydration since these conditions can cause the body to excrete more water. Some people with heart, kidney or liver disease may be more likely to become over hydrated because their kidneys can’t excrete water normally. They may need to restrict the amount of fluids they drink and adjust their salt intake.

            You may also be more prone to dehydration if you take certain medications. These include antihypertensives, such as diuretics and angiotensin-coverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and anti-psychotic drugs and cholinesterase inhibitors, used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related illnesses.

            Instances in which you should increase your fluid intake beyond the suggested amounts include:

• While you exercise. For an hour of light to moderate exercise, two to three cups of luid are recommended for sufficient rehydration.
• If it's unusually hot. You'll naturally lose more fluid and need to drink more to compensate for it.
• If you're constipated. Increasing fluid intake adds moisture to the large intestine, which helps your body eliminate waste. And, if you take a laxative, you'll need to makr up for fluids you lose.
• If you're prone to urinary tract infections or kidney stones. Fluids may prevent infections and kidney stone formation. 
• If you’re sick. High fever, vominting and diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration, a condition that can be life thretening.

Warning signs
If you notice you’re urinating less than usual or if you don’t feel thirsty very often, check the color of your urine. It should be the color of straw if you’re properly hydrated. If it’s much darker, it’s a sign that you need more fluids. Other warning signs include dry mouth, decreased salivation, dizziness, sunken eyes, rapid pulse and a loss of skin elasticity.

*Johns Hopkins Medicine Newsletter