Thought for Thursday: Gluten Free Diets - A Fad or Fiction?

When I was growing up I never heard anyone say they didn't eat gluten. Heck, I didn't even know what gluten was. But now, nearly all my girlfriends are on some sort of gluten free diet. So, I decided to do a little research to find out what exactly they were talking about.

First I had to find out what gluten was/is.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat.

Then I had to see why it's such a problem wheat is in some of my favorite foods like brea, cookies, cakes, and a whole lot more. And then I read that some practitioners also say oats could be an allergen. OMG!!! that cuts out an entire category of foods - at least in my opinion. So, why would people be willing to give up these yummilicious goodies?

I read further.

Gluten intolerance is associated with Celiac Disease, which is most common in Caucasians and people of European ancestry. And, of course, women are affected more often than men. Thus, the probable reason why most of my friends are on this sort of diet - most of my friends are women.

But then I read that the symptomology can be hard to pin down because gluten intolerance can present different symptoms for different people. So some of my friends might even be gluten intolerant and not even know it.

But - in general - here is a list of problems associated with the disease known as celiac disease which damages the lining of the small intestine:

A person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food he or she eats.

People with celiac disease are more likely to have:

Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjogren syndrome, Addison's disease, Down syndrome, Intestinal cancer, Intestinal lymphoma, Lactose intolerance, Thyroid disease, and Type 1 diabetes.

I had no idea it could wreck such havoc on a person.

I wanted to find out what the common problems are. I read that they are gastrointestinal. Some of the signs are:

Abdominal pain, bloating, gas, or indigestion,

Constipation,

Decreased appetite but it might also be increased or unchanged

Diarrhea, either constant or off and on

Lactose intolerance

Nausea and vomiting

Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody, or “fatty”

Unexplained weight loss (although people can be overweight or of normal weight)

And, if left untreated, the following symptoms may appear over time:

Bruising easily

Depression or anxiety

Fatigue

Growth delay in children

Hair loss

Itchy skin (dermatitis herpetiformis)

Missed menstrual periods

Mouth ulcers

Muscle cramps and joint pain

Nosebleeds

Seizures

Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

Unexplained short height

Only 1 in 133 Americans suffer from gluten intolerance but it is difficult to diagnose so some people might misdiagnose themselves.

I thought WOW!!! this is one disease I barely knew anything about.

I thought it was on the increase due to stress or some other common concern with our modern day lives but I had no idea of all the consequences.

Word for Wednesday

Word: Quintessential

I was writing my blogpost and I was thinking this is a quintessential example but then I thought...quintessential...I'd better make sure so I looked it up...

Can you guess what the actual meaning of the word is?


No.


Well, scroll down and you'll see it.



A little further. . .


Quintessential means "Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class: "the quintessential tough guy"."

So, I guess I was write. Sometimes it's just hard to think of a perfect example of what a word means so that you can explain it easily that's why I like doing the Word for Wednesday.

Clydesdale and Athena Divisions

So I'm new to all this marathon racing stuff. I just started running really about a year ago with my husband. We were trying to get some cardio workouts in and get back into shape, after spending the last couple decades raising three kids. It was finally time for us, since the kids were all grown up.

Anyway, we started out walking a block then running a block. When we finally made it all the way to Starbucks, yes, that was the goal, we nearly jumped up and down. We probably would have too, if we hadn't been so tired from the run.

Now I'm training for my very first marathon or 26.2 miles at fifty!

It's a serious challenge and I've been working to build up my endurance but I had no idea there were so many divisions for racing. I sort of knew about an age bracket classification but I had no idea your weight could place you in a certain category too. Well, it can and it does.

Did you know there is a Clydesdale (198 lbs) and Athena (150 lbs) division in the Pacific Crest marathon? They will even be doing an official weigh-in at Packet Pickup (now, I'm not sure I'd want to weigh-in in front of all those other runners--who are usually way thinner and more athletic-looking than me).

But the cool thing is that the Clydesdale/Athena divisions will be recognized in the TRI NorthWest Long Course Championship as well. My point, is this is an incentive to get out there are run even if you don't have the "correct" body type to do it because believe me, I don't have a runner's build. In fact, last year when I was late to the half-marathon race, because they'd moved the start line, I asked some of the people standing around, "Where's the starting line?"

"The walkers are over there," one woman said.

I would have laughed, if I wasn't insulted, "No," I told her, "I'm running."

She looked at me like I had to be out of my mind but pointed me in the right direction.

Luckily for me, because I finished that 13.1 mile run with NO problems.

Now, I'm working really hard to get my weight down so I can run the marathon without having to stop. I've read that every extra pound we carry creates 15 pounds of pressure on our joints. So every 10 pounds I lose reduces 150 pressure and at my age, I'm seriously concerned about my joints and knees.

I'm going to read more and do more research - because this helps motivate me to want to lose weight before the race but it's not easy. So, any good tips you might have would be much appreciated.

Movie Review Monday - Underworld the Awakening

Okay, so I'm a huge fanpire. But this is a story based on an age old theme and I'm not talking about Vampires or even werewolves. What I'm talking about is forbidden love. This is a true Romeo and Juliet story and what could be more apropos than a vampire falling in love with a lycan? This theme seems to be used over and over again, like with a red gnome falling in love with a blue gnome - as in Gnomeo and Juliet.

But the thing I like about Underworld is that Selene is the quintessential tough girl. She is both feminine and fatale. She is beautiful but also a death dealer. There is something alluring to me about a woman not being the victim in the vampire show. For once the woman is the one dealing the death but usually for a good cause, like saving her lover or her child.

The one thing I didn't like so much about this show in the series is that the story wasn't developed as much as it could have been. It was a lot more of the fight scenes than the story. I think there could have been more talk about the father and son Lycan duo who became the "enemy" in this episode. Like, why did the mother leave them, when, what happened to her? I was left curious about that portion of the show and walked away without any answers.

But I did like how the next movie was set up with Michael being ready to jump on the scene. I actually thought he would be the one who came to the girls' rescue in this story but nope it was the women themselves - which was fun. The mother and daughter duo were pretty tough.

All-in-all I'd rate this as a "C" movie. If you're a fanpire, and have been following the series, it's worth seeing. Kate Beckinsale is beautiful and the costumes she wears are devilishly enticing but, if you haven't been pulled in by the other shows in the series, maybe best not to see this one.

If you do see it, let me know what you think. I'd love to hear another perspective.

Have a Green Valentine's Day

Instead of being part of the consumption era by sending cards that will be thrown into the trash the very next day, think of doing something different this year.

Here are a few ideas to help you celebrate your love and protect the planet at the same time.

1) Give your loved one a membership in the Nature Conservancy
2) Read a poem that expresses your love
3) Write a love letter

Or...even better send a Valentine-A-Gram and support Loaves and Fishes

Feed senior citizens and give a gift to your loved one too. This is a program sponsored by Loaves and Fishes.

But whatever you do, I hope you have a great one . . . you know it's only a little more than two weeks away...

Sharing the Love

I have a couple of old swimsuits that I don't wear any more. I don't want to just throw them out so I'm thinking "how can I repurpose at least a portion of these things?"

I'm thinking Valentine's Day is just around the corner...so, I'm making plans to cut the swimsuit up and use some of the lycra-like fabric to make cards.

I'll work on this project this weekend. But...if you have any better ideas. Let me know.

What Not to Wear

Like most things in life, there's a trick to running and it doesn't have anything to do with athleticism or even stamina. No kidding.

It has everything to do with preparation. And, I'm not talking about the training, which, believe me, is important.

And, maybe at 50 I'm a little old and a little too fat to be training for my very first marathon. But, like I always tell my kids when I'm quoting George Eliot the English novelist (1819 - 1880), "It's never too late to become what you might have been", I'm taking the Nike motto to heart. I'm "just do(ing) it". And it's a serious challenge.

So, telling someone What Not to Wear is easy, at least when it comes to running.

What Not to Wear:

1) Combat boots;
2) High heels;
3) Soccer cleats;
4) An evening gown (who even has these...maybe movie stars);
5) Heavy clothes;
6) or even jeans

(See, EZ-smeazy)

But explaining what someone should wear is something else entirely.

Of course anyone starting a new exercise program should just wear what's comfortable. Because starting is the hardest part of the workout.

But, how do you know what's comfortable unless someone gives you a little guidance. And, that someone should be someone who's been doing the sport for a while.

Anyway, when I first started running, I wore whatever I had. There's no need to run out and buy new gear until you've been doing it for a while. But, equipment can make a difference or, at least, it can make the sport easier.

But, I'm not trying to talk people into wasting a lot of money. If you're working out and you're happy with what you've got, then great...no need to read on. But, if you're like me and you're trying to work up to a marathon, you might want to listen because running that 26.2 mile challenge is a good excuse to gear-up and, believe me, I need all the help I can get.

So, here are a few tips that I use and I'm hoping this might help you too.

Here's what I wear when I go for a run.

First, like most women, I have to wear some support (and this is serious)

Then I wear a tank top that breathes (it's a special material that wicks away sweat. It's called Climalite) because who wants to be sticky and sweaty and cold when they run? Not me.

Next I wear ear warmers. Not a hat. A hat is too hot for me. But, when I start out I'm cold so ear warmers are just enough.

Of course I have to wear running pants

These ones are my favorite because they have a little pocket where I can stash my house key and a debit card. These are important, especially if I'm going for a long run.


And one of the most important things for me is my running shoes. Being as old as I am and as heavy as I am, I need a lot of support so I don't wear out my joints or damage my knees.

And of course it's winter right now so I have to wear gloves. These are special running gloves that let the air flow through but keep my hands warm and toasty too

And, the reason I did this post, is I read another friend's post (JenontheEdge) and she said she wears wool socks when she runs. I know this sounds like foo-foo overkill, but I wear special running socks. When my sister first told me about them I thought it was silly but now that I've worn them, I swear by them. They are compression socks that won't slip or slide so no more blisters.

And just in case you can't tell which is which, they're labeled for ease of dressing (honestly - I'm really not that stupid, but I think it's funny) ;)

And, I almost never run without micoach.

It has a heartrate monitor so you never go too high into the danger zone

And, it has a stride sensor which I clip on my tanktop

I wear headphones so micoach can tell me how far I've run, what pace I'm running at, how many calories I've burnt and the time I've been running. This is the best accessory for any runner in training I can recommend.

Next I wear a lightweight running jacket and my sunglasses then I'm set - well as soon as I leash up Sasha. Then the two of us are on our way


I hope this helps all you wannabe runners out there. Happy trails to you!