Those of you that know me know I’m a sucker for celebrity gossip. To Chuck’s dismay, I love shows like The Real Housewives and The Bachelor. I like to catch up on my Hollywood friends by perusing entertainment sites online during my daily train commutes. Today, I came across an article from Harley Pasternak: Is It Good to Go Gluten Free? http://greatideas.people.com/2014/05/28/gluten-free-diet-harley-pasternak/
I’ve got to say that this article totally pissed me off. Now, I get it…it’s a short blurb of an article and it’s probably not meant to elicit thought-provoking, intellectual scientific discussion. I’m sure they’ve got to keep things fairly superficial for our small, entertainment focused minds. There’s my problem. You don’t introduce a topic that is both controversial and important like this one, fill it with mis-information and then end it with a flimsy sentence saying: “But before we throw money after potentially unnecessary gluten-free alternatives, let’s let the scientific community investigate further!”
I want my fellow celebrity stalkers to know this is not good advice!! Don’t wait for that – there is a ton of information out there already. There are so many things I disagree with in this short, shallow article. But, I’ll just cut to the chase. One sentence in the article said: “Researchers found that the subjects reported worsening of their symptoms with all of the diets, including the gluten-free diets.” You can’t eat gluten one day and then not eat it the next day expecting symptoms to go away. You also have to address other items that can be working against you (toxins, sleep patterns and a host of others that are topics for another blog). The best way to test for gluten (or any other food sensitivity) is through an elimination diet. You have to eliminate the food from your diet COMPLETELY for at least 30 days (many people do longer) and then re-introduce it again to see if it causes any symptoms. I would highly recommend cutting out gluten and never re-introducing it, though, as I believe it is the worst. Why? Keep reading for my references…..I just have a few more quick thoughts to get off my chest first!
I’m not a doctor or the world’s most prominent gluten expert, but Harley isn’t either. I don’t have a famous television show to carry my message, but I do have this blog and I do have first-hand experience. I think it would be awesome if everyone gave up gluten (and a host of other terrible foods) and went Paleo. The results for me have been nothing short of exceptional. Yes, I had a compelling reason to try it out. But, many others (some of whom we’ve featured on this blog) have done it and haven’t looked back because the change in the way you feel is so great! Do I expect that everyone will live this way – no. Do I hate my friends that eat gluten – of course not. Do I want you to stop reading People magazine? Don’t be silly. Do I hope you try it out and get educated on the topic from some place other than entertainment mags? Totes Magotes!!
Here are some of my celebrities that I follow specifically addressing the topic of Gluten:
http://www.thepaleomom.com/2011/11/why-grains-are-bad.html (by the way, she IS a scientist!)
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/#axzz33VFwT2Ak
http://robbwolf.com/2014/05/16/gluten-intolerance-exist/
Of course, check out anything having to do with my personal hero, Dr. Terry Wahls:
http://terrywahls.com/
Me Paleo. 