Jumping on a bandwagon is not something I typically do. Considering I’m a Christian minister and the book has sold a hundred bazillion copies, some find it hard to believe when I tell them I still do not own, nor have I read a copy of The Purpose Driven-Life by Rick Warren. My snarky side emerges at times when people inquire as to why I resist joining the crowd. One of my favorite retorts is that Jesus told us to follow him not the latest hip getting hyped.
For better than a year, the subject of health care reform has made headlines and we all watched our elected officials vote for something we found out later no one had actually read. One brazen legislator said Congress needs to make haste to pass the bill so we can all find out what’s in it. People jumped on the craze — not the cure.
Most would agree we need health care reform, but true to form I found myself bucking the crowd saying, “No. What we need more is for the government to promote health, not provide healthcare.” The shift I am talking about is from intervention to prevention. Forty years ago, the government made polluting unpopular through national Keep America Beautiful campaigns that promoted a clean environment (Remember the teary Indian in the canoe?). It worked, and there was a cultural shift toward a clean environment. My sense is the same needs to happen with regard to Keeping Americans Healthy. If that ever becomes a fad, I’ll jump on board. The craze is toward treatments, whereas the cure is in preventions.
That’s why I am committed to natural health. It’s preventative and deals with root causes, many of which are spiritual in nature. Natural health can hardly be considered trendy or a fleeting fad, as these things have been known and working since ancient times.
Gluten-Free: Fact or Fad?
All that being said, natural health is not immune to fads. Perhaps it was only a matter of time; lots of money is to be made in the health care industry. Companies hire “experts” to tell them what the trends are for grocery shoppers and, for example, things like the gluten-free market become all the buzz. In 2003, 135 gluten-free products were on the market. Five years later in 2008, there are 832. As you can see, gluten-free became quite the craze.
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Even without a Celiac disease diagnosis, a gluten-free diet has proven to help alleviate the symptoms of migraines and dermatitis.
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Abdominal pain
Everyone has heard something about the dangers of “gluten,” yet few people really know what it is. Most people know it has something to do with wheat products, but seem confused about the topic. If that sounds like someone you know, read on!
When we break it down, we find gluten is made of two main proteins:
Heather came in to the office with “fatigue.” She has felt tired for years. She has been to other doctors and found to have normal thyroid and other hormones. No cause of her fatigue had been found. She also had mild asthma and allergies, as well as some bloating when she eats. We performed a blood test for antibodies against gluten and they were positive, so she started on a Gluten-free diet. Over the next several months Heather was relieved of all her symptoms. She even had dry skin and hair that resolved on the diet. She was eating well, but was able to lose weight. She had the energy to get through the day, and was able to quit using her inhalers and nasal spray.
Why do people react to gluten?
A friend of mind, Ginger Klein, has agreed to share her experience of suffering from Celiac disease. Her diagnosis is not uncommon, but she shares her gluten free diet tricks she has learned over the years, as well as what do when eating out, how to cope with holidays and making favorite recipes at home. Her personal story and success will inspire anyone with gluten problems and help the rest of us understand more about those this debilitating disease.
Very few would recommend going on a “survival” diet plan to gain strength, but for Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a literal “Survivor” diet menu brought her body back to health. While filming the hit series “Survivor” in the Australian Outback, Hasselbeck lived off the land – and lived without indigestion, stomach pain and cramps, diarrhea, bloating, chronic fatigue and anemia. The key to gaining her strength was avoiding wheat. Now, Elizabeth Hasselbeck is the well-known co-host of ABC’s “The View,” author of “The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide,” mother of 3 and Celiac disease awareness ambassador.
Eating on the go, whether you are on a gluten free diet or not, is a resort many of us make even when we try to eat healthy and whole foods on a daily basis. Furthermore, if you are trying to eat every few hours, a snack bar can help when the urge to eat kicks in and when you are trying to resist processed foods, the nutrition bar seems like a healthy option. Today, the shelves of grocery and health food stores are lined with energy bars, protein bars, nutrition bars and snack bars for your convenience. But the nutrition bar jungle makes selecting the best one hard to do.  They all offer some kind of supplement in an easy to eat bar loaded with proteins, fiber, fruits, etc. Some nutrition bars contain too much sugars or gluten, for those watching wheat consumption, but the main point is to eat a bar full of nutrition. Below is an analysis of nutrition bars to see how they stock up and assist you in making a powerful punch with your purchase. Nutrition bars come in a variety of flavors and with a variety of names:
Are you like me? More often than not, I get too busy to think.
David Kekich (Living Healthy to 120: Anti-Aging Breakthroughs) is President/CEO of Maximum Life Foundation that focuses on aging research, a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to curing aging-related diseases. For more information, visit: www.MaxLife.org. David contributes to our column Living Healthy to 120: Anti-Aging Breakthroughs. MaxLife is helping to make the anti-aging dream a reality with cutting edge Bio-Engineering research and products.
Upon first hearing about “chia,” I have to admit I automatically thought of the jingle “ch-ch-ch-chia,” that’s used to market the popular Chia Pet, but that’s not why I’m bringing chia to your attention!
Roger Asmus (Go Get Thin) entered a fitness competition and won the Mr. Teenage Colorado in 1991. He was later named Mr. Mile High in 1996 and achieved his dream when he was proudly awarded the title of Mr. Natural Colorado in 1998. Roger has been highly sought after as a model and authority in the fitness world, appearing in national news and magazines sources. Roger is currently one of the top personal trainers in the country and is president of Core Health Innovations™.
