Category Archives: Diet And Food

Runner's World

A Runner's Guide to Nutritional Sanity Runner's World The reason my lunchtime sojourns to the library workedif making me skinny but miserable can be called workingis that, like all diets ever invented, it restricted my calories. You eat fewer calories, especially while increasing your caloric ...

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A Runner's Guide to Nutritional Sanity - Runner's World

Before I moved to Tokyo, I was always curious how Japanese women stayed slim.

When I looked up the perks of a Japanese diet, however, I came across the health benefits of exotic ingredients like miso, natto (fermented soybeans), seaweed and a whole bunch of ingredients I couldnt possibly source on a regular basis in the US.

But after moving to Japan,I wound up losing 40 pounds, and it didnt really have to do with any of those special ingredients.

It had to do with how the foods were arranged, and thats something you can totally copy no matter where you are in the world.

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See, any country you go to is going to have the same basic ingredients: animal products, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, probiotics, etc.

The difference is how the food is combined, consumed and the thought process that goes behind the way of eating.

So, let me share with you seven diet tips I learned in Japan that helped me lose 40 pounds and keep it off no matter where I travel.

One big difference between Japanese meals and Western meals that often gets overlooked is that theyre hydrating.

In the West, if you have a sandwich with a coffee for lunch, the bread itself is dry (because water is baked out), cold cuts have zerowater content and the coffee is dehydrating.

But in a Japanese meal, the rice has been cooked in water, the vegetables themselves have high water content and traditional mealsinclude hydrating soups.

So, if youre the kind of person whos been lugging around a 2 liter water bottle and trying to stay hydrated (but feeling uncomfortable from the water sloshing around your stomach), then you should ask yourself if the meals youre eating have enough water content.

Instead of trying to hydrate your body by drinking a lot of water, its worth analyzing if the meals themselves are dehydrating or hydrating.

As I mentioned in the previous point, instead of adding even more water to your meal, go forhydrating foods that contain high water content like soups.

And if you want to have even more liquids, make sure they are ones that help aid in digestion like warm herbal teas, rather than water itself.

Most people think that Japanese portion sizes are small, but the overall volume of their meals are similar to what you would have in other countries.

The difference is, they add in more variety of dishes and have small portions of many kinds of foods.

One way you can go about this is to create a meal made out of deli portions of food.

For example, instead of having a large steak with a side of a large portion of green vegetables, which is common in the West, try having smaller portions of steak and vegetables, and add in a few more other dishes.

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By having a variety of foods, youre not only giving your body a variety of nutrients, but youre also increasing your satisfaction with the meal by experiencing many flavors and textures.

And to note, most people who are trying to lose weight tend to cut out major food groups, be it carbs or animal products or oils.

But the Japanese recognize that inner peace after a meal comes from having a bit of everything, rather than leaving your body craving a missing piece.

The Japanese are very conscious about combining foods in a way that optimizes digestion.

Whenever you have oily or fried foods in Japan, youll find grated radish as a garnish that helps the body digest oils.

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Whenever you have fried foods, aim to add in foods that ease the digestion of fatty foods. This includes mushrooms, burdock, radishes and citrus like a drizzle of lemon juice.

So if youre out with some friends and the only food at the bar is fried chicken, just ask for a lemon wedge to squeeze on top, and youre good to go.

The foods that stay constant in Japanese meals are protein sources like animal products or beans, plus rice, soup and pickles.

The other side dishes you add to the meals should be seasonal so you can enjoy what nature has to offer during their peak offering.

In food energetics, which is an Eastern way of looking at a food-mood connection, youll findthat eating seasonal foods helps your body acclimate to the climate.

So instead of eating imported foods and concentrating on nutrient density, the way to get one step closer to health is to trust the foods local to you are going to make you feel the most comfortable in your environment.

Japanese can have miso soup and fermented vegetables with each meal, which both aid the body in overall digestion.

But, you dont have to have miso soup to add in probiotics. Some sources you can easily try are cultured vegetables like pickles, kimchi and sauerkraut.

If youre not lactose intolerant, you can incorporate high quality yogurt. And if youre really into probiotics, you could try kombucha or travel around with probiotic supplements.

Just adding in a bit of probiotics to help your body with digestion is one of the easiest ways to help with your weight.

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If I was reading this for the first time and had no clue about the Japanese diet, I probably wouldnt think that any of this works because I grew up in the US, where weight loss is all about nutrient density and calories.

But weight loss can be easier than you think, and it has to do with eating a variety of foods and making sure your bodys systems are functioning smoothly.

When your functions are working optimally, its really hard for your body to be out of balance.

If youve ever felt curious about the Japanese diet, but felt like it would be too tough to get used to in your own culture, then these are the elements you can focus on to reap the same benefits.

Focus on variety, season and digestion, and youll be on your way to better health.

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Katheryn Gronauer, the Lifestyle Nutritionist, shows driven gals who are frustrated with their diets how to reconnect with the way they're meant to eat. She is the creator of FOODBOSS, the super unconventional online program to put you in ...

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6 Japanese Weight-Loss Tips That Transformed My Diet And Relationship With Food - Elite Daily

Eating a diet lacking in healthy foods and/or high in unhealthy foods was linked to more than 400,000 deaths from heart and blood vessel diseases in 2015, according to an analysis presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention / Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions.

Eating more heart healthy foods, and less foods with high amounts of salt and trans fats, could save tens of thousands of lives in the United States each year, researchers said.

"Low intake of healthy foods such as nuts, vegetables, whole grains and fruits combined with higher intake of unhealthy dietary components, such as salt and trans-fat, is a major contributor to deaths from cardiovascular disease in the UnitedStates," said Ashkan Afshin, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., Sc.D., lead study author and acting assistant professor of global health at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle. The institute is home of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study , which conducted the new analysis. "Our results show that nearly half of cardiovascular disease deaths in the United States can be prevented by improving diet."

The new analysis was designed to pinpoint how diet impacts heart and blood vessel disease; it relied on 1990-2012 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, food availability data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as well as other sources.

Looking at U.S. cardiovascular deaths in 2015, researchers found less-than-ideal dietary choices -- both a lack of healthier foods and an excess of less healthy foods -- played a role in the deaths of an estimated 222,100 men and 193,400 women. Researchers also evaluated the degree to which leading dietary risk factors were linked to cardiovascular disease deaths:

The team's systematic approach in quantifying how diet can contribute heart disease deaths, and in defining the healthiest diet to prevent it, are the research's key strengths, Afshin said.

The American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of eating a healthy dietary pattern that is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry and limited in fatty or processed red meat. The association also suggests limiting sugary soft drinks, salt (sodium), saturated and trans fats.

Afshin's co-author is Patrick Sur, B.A., for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 Risk Collaborators.

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Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Unhealthy diets linked to more than 400,000 cardiovascular deaths ... - Science Daily

Do men and women fare better on certain diets? Not exactly: The truth of the matter is, it really depends on the person, Robin Foroutan, a dietitian and the national spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fox News. A persons activity levels, family history, and genes can all determine what particular diet they are best suited for.

THE DISEASES YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET AS A MAN AND WOMAN

Instead, the main difference between men and women is in calorie needs, Rabia Rahman, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University, told Fox News. Men tend to have more lean muscle, which is more metabolically active meaning men burn more calories even at rest, and thus have higher calorie needs, she explained.

Still, there are some nutrients that deserve a bit of extra attention. While men and women should both strive to get adequate amounts of each nutrient, there are a few in particular that they should take extra care to get:

1. Calcium (Women) Women usually require more calcium for bone health, Litsa Georgakilas, an R.D. and LDN at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, told Fox News. Georgakilas noted that dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are all good sources of calcium, along with foods such as almonds and fortified cereals.

THE 5 MOST POPULAR PLASTIC SURGERIES FOR MEN

2. Zinc (Men) Zinc is important for testosterone production and immune function, Foroutan said, and can be found in sources like beef and lamb, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. But dont stress too much about this nutrient: Your zinc levels would likely have to be extremely low to have an impact on your sexual function or reproduction organs, Rahman told Fox News.

3. Iron (Women) Women often require more iron to replace what is lost during menstruation, Georgakilas explained. Red meat is a good source of iron, along with certain legumes like lentils, or leafy greens. But, Georgakilas said, if youre getting your iron through plant-based foods, make sure to add in a source of Vitamin C like lemon juice or a citrus vinaigrette because iron from plant sources can be harder for the body to utilize on its own.

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4. Selenium (Men) Selenium is important for certain detoxification processes in the body, Foroutan noted, which can help men detoxify compounds, like the hormone estrogen, appropriately. Selenium can be found in foods like Brazil nuts, seafood, grass-fed beef, and organ meat.

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Do men and women fare better on different diets? - Fox News

New York Times

Mediterranean Diet vs. Statins to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke? New York Times A. Both the Mediterranean diet and statins can be effective in helping to lower the risk of potentially fatal complications of heart disease. A large and rigorous study published in 2013, for example, found that switching to a Mediterranean diet ...

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Mediterranean Diet vs. Statins to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke? - New York Times

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Its hard not to notice that the range of gluten-free foods available in supermarkets has increased massively in recent years. This is partly because the rise in the number of people diagnosed with coeliac disease and gluten sensitivity, and partly because celebrities, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Miley Cyrus and Victoria Beckham,have praised gluten-free diets. What used to be prescription-only food is now a global health fad. But for how much longer? New research from Harvard University has found a link between gluten-free diets and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Gluten is a protein found in cereals such as wheat, rye and barley. It is particularly useful in food production. For example, it gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and keep its shape, and providing a chewy texture. Many types of foods may contain gluten, including less obvious ones such as salad dressing, soup and beer.

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Loaves of bread are seen at a Metro cash and carry store in Kiev, Ukraine, August 17, 2016. Gluten-free versions are not healthier than traditional bread. Valentyn Ogirenko/REUTERS

The same protein that is so useful in food production is a nightmare for people with coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly reacts to gluten as if it were a threat to the body. The condition is quite common, affecting one in 100 people, but only a quarter of those who have the disease have been diagnosed.

There is evidence that the popularity of gluten-free diets has surged, even though the incidence of coeliac disease has remained stable. This is potentially due to increasing numbers of people with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. In these cases, people exhibit some of the symptoms of coelaic disease but without having an immune response. In either case, avoiding gluten in foods is the only reliable way to control symptoms, that may include diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating.

Without any evidence for beneficial effects, many people without coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity are now turning to gluten-free diets as a healthy alternative to a normal diet. Supermarkets have reacted to meet this need by stocking ever growing free from ranges. The findings of this recent study, however, suggest that there could be a significant drawback to adopting a gluten-free diet that was not previously known.

What the Harvard group behind this study have reported is that there is an inverse association between gluten intake and type 2 diabetes risk. This means that the less gluten found in a diet, the higher the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The data for this exciting finding comes from three separate, large studies thatcollectively included almost 200,000 people. Of those 200,000 people, 15,947 cases of type 2 diabetes were confirmed during the follow-up period. Analysis showed that those who had the highest intake of gluten had an 80 percentlower chance of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who had the lowest levels of gluten intake.

This study has important implications for those who either have to avoid or choose to avoid gluten in their diet. Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that affects more than 400m people worldwidea number which is certain to increase for many years to come.

Collectively, diabetes is responsible for around 10 percentof the entire NHS budget and drugs to treat diabetes alone cost almost 1 billion annually. There is no cure for type 2 diabetes and remission is extremely rare. This means that once diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it is almost impossible to revert back to being healthy.

It is important to note that the data for this study was retrospectively gathered. This allows for very large numbers to be included but relies on food-frequency questionnaires collected every two to four years and the honesty of those recruited to the study. This type of study design is rarely as good as a prospective study where you follow groups of people randomly assigned to either have low- or high-gluten diets over many years. However, prospective studies are expensive to run and its difficult to find enough people willing to take part in them.

While there is some evidence for a link between coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes, this is the first study to show a link between gluten consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes. This is an important finding. For those who choose a gluten-free diet because they believe it to be healthy, it may be time to reconsider your food choices.

James Brown, Lecturer in Biology and Biomedical Science, Aston University

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Gluten-Free Diets Actually Increase Risks of Type 2 Diabetes - Newsweek

The below was originally posted in a blog on http://www.samkwhitaker.com

Low carb diets are becoming increasingly popular these days.

I'm sure many of you have heard about someone who's tried a low carb diet, maybe you've tried it yourself. It's almost become the trendy thing to do. But why? What's all the fuss about?

I think it partly comes down to our urge to simplify things down to absolutes; yes or no, good or bad, black or white.

With many people beginning to understand that dietary fat isn't the evil it was once thought, something else needs to take it's place.

If popularity is anything to go by, dietary carbohydrates seem to have taken the place of fat to be blamed for the obesity problem. At least in some circles.

So, is cutting out carbs necessary to lose weight?

In short, no.

Can cutting out carbs help you lose weight?

Yes.

Let me explain a little further...

To lose weight, first you need to create an energy imbalance.

Put another way, you need to consume less calories than you burn. Yep, those pesky little things called calories come into it.

Why low carb diets can work

If cutting carbohydrates out of your diet means you inadvertently consume fewer calories, then bingo, you will lose weight.

And in studies that don't tightly control food intake, low carb diets seem to work really well. But it's because they help people reduce their caloric intake, not because carbs are bad, carbs make you fat or anything like that.

The reality is, carbs tend to make up a high % of many peoples diet. So when they're told to cut out carbs, in most cases, it automatically reduces the amount of food they eat and therefore their caloric intake.

Many hyper palatable foods, (foods that are so deliciously awesome you struggle to stop eating them), are high in carbohydrates. So cutting out carbs will remove many of these hyper palatable foods from your diet. Therefore, reducing the chance of you overeating many deliciously awesome foods. The power of protein

A side effect of ditching carbs is that it tends to increase someones protein intake by limiting food choices. Which is another reason why in free living studies low carb diets do so well.

Increasing your protein intake can cause you to eat less without realising. This is because protein fills you up more than any other nutrient. So if you can maintain this way of eating for an extended period of time you'll likely be successful in reaching your weight loss goals. And it might be a really good approach for you to take.

Where low carb diets go wrong

However, if you find it difficult to stick to a low carb diet, for whatever reason, long term success will be hampered.

If you feel restricted or deprived by limiting your food choices to low carb options only, then you're less likely to be able to maintain this way of eating long enough to benefit from the reduced caloric intake.

A flaw that's common in people that fanatically promote a low carb approach, is that they think carbs are the single cause of weight gain. And keeping carbs in the diet will prevent weight loss.

If someone holds this belief, it's not unusual for them to completely overlook & disregard the role calories play. Combine this belief with the increased hunger that's inevitable on any diet, then it's easy to see how they might start eating more.

The disappearing advantage

So the low carb diet that helped them eat fewer calories to start with, turns into a low carb diet that no longer helps them eat fewer calories.

The advantage gained from cutting out carbs just vanished.

So while cutting out carbs can be a viable option to lose weight, just know that it won't always work out in the long run. It might do, but it's not a guarantee. Or a necessity.

With all that said, if you want to lose weight, the chances are you'll probably have to reduce your carbohydrate intake. But doing so is just a method of reducing your caloric intake.

As I mentioned above, many people's diets are comprised of a high % of carbohydrates. So it's almost by default that you'd reduce your carbohydrate intake, as a way to reduce your caloric intake.

(Please note the use of the word reduce rather than cut out.)

The calories need to be reduced from somewhere. And considering the advantages on satiety protein has, (among others), it probably shouldn't come from protein.

That leaves carbs & fat to reduce calories from. So it should be left to personal preference, the individuals situation, goals etc whether or not a low carb approach is a good choice.

Why am I telling you this?

I want to help you realise that carbs aren't the devil. They're not the primary cause of weight gain and you don't have to cut out all the carbs from your diet.

Viewed with the belief that carbs are to blame for the obesity problem, it's easy to run into trouble on your weight loss journey. And I want to help you along that journey with as few bumps in the road as possible.

If you believe dietary carbohydrates are the single reason you're overweight, and all you need to do to is cut them out, you're completely disregarding what really matters - calorie balance. Without being aware of the role calories play in weight loss, you could be left confused & frustrated you're not making progress.

Just to clarify, food quality does matter, I'm not saying calories are all that matter. But you need to understand that calorie balance needs to be taken into account, or you'll hit a roadblock.

The above was originally posted in a blog on http://www.samkwhitaker.com

Take home

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Low Carb Diets - Do You Really Need To Cut Out Carbs To Lose ... - Huffington Post UK

Over the course of my life, I have come up with great ideas for novels, only to see them published as I prepare to put pen to paper.

Game of Thrones, 2001, War and Peace, The Bible (King James Version), and now I find it happening again as I sat to write about gluten.

It just so happens that CNN came out with a very detailed article (found here) which does a truly excellent job of going through the whole history of the discovery of its role in celiac sprue, to todays toxin du jour.

I nearly gave up until I realized that most of my readers have fairly short attention spans, meaning that theyd much rather read a few paragraphs here, than an entire article.

So, without further ado, let me explain gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

Patients with celiac sprue are now recognized to have an autoimmune disorder. Yes, they are allergic to gluten, but thats not the issue. The issue is that when their body is exposed to gluten, it attacks their intestines as well.

Our intestines are covered in villi which is where all of the absorption of liquids and nutrients occur. People with sprue attack that lining leaving the intestine unable to absorb. This will produce severe diarrhea.

Theres no cure, but, by simply avoiding gluten, these individuals can lead completely normal lives.

Now, Americans are usually loathe to let only a small group of individuals enjoy the notoriety of an uncommon disease. So gluten sensitivity evolved.

Which has created an entirely new line of foods at the grocery store, which proudly display the gluten free sign.

It is literally on everything, including things that one would never have imagined to have gluten anyway, like popcorn, which is made of corn (this is true).

Im waiting to see these labels on things like bleach soon.

It also allows them to be picky at dinner parties, without having to rely on the vegetarian excuse. (Which is a choice, as opposed to having a condition.)

But the real question is how did this come about?

The CNN article says it was started in the 1980s when a paper describing gluten sensitivity emerged. This meant some people suffered GI distress, like bloating, when they ate gluten, but did not have sprue.

I have another theory.

In the 80s and especially the 90s, the Atkins diet was all the rage.

Now, in this particular diet, which I will confess I tried, and lost 20 pounds, you avoid all carbs.

The good news is it really does work. The bad news is that you are constantly in a state of ketosis, meaning you have foul breath, are cranky and have no energy. Its a bad diet.

However, I believe that partly due to its success, variants arose, like the paleo diet, that didnt exclude good carbs, like fruits and vegetables, but left out things like bread.

These diets also work, and you dont have the side effects of the Atkins diet.

Once again, things like bread, were vilified, but now it was because of the fact it contains gluten.

Finally, as alluded to in the CNN article, gluten has now been associated with numerous diseases including schizophrenia and autism.

Because, why not.

After all, those societies that for millennia used wheat as a major component of their diet were all schizophrenic and autistic.

The bottom line is this.

Bread is not a bad food. Gluten, for the overwhelming majority of people, is not bad for you.

Too much bread is bad, because it will make your ass look big in those jeans.

And thats not glutens fault.

So, until next time: Stay Skeptical!

Please sign up for my blog, comment, and like!! Also, dont hesitate to send me ideas for future topics you might like to see.

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Health Care Mythologies - ChicagoNow (blog)

In the pantheon of fad diets, there is perhaps none more hated on than gluten-free. And despite how annoying fad dieters are (if I hear one more person order a salad because theyre gluten-free and then ask for croutons), its not unreasonable to want to avoid foods that might possibly be bad for you. But is gluten actually bad for people who dont have a problem with it?

Theres no real evidence that avoiding gluten leads to tangible health benefits, assuming that you dont have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. But there also havent been many studies that actually asked that questiontheres just not much information out there. On Thursday we got some preliminary answers...kind of.

People who eat low gluten diets are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes, according to results presented on Thursday at the American Heart Association Meeting. Its crucial to point out here that these researchers werent looking at people on gluten-free diets. The researchers were only studying associations between eating less gluten and getting diabetes. Their study size was massive199,794 peoplebecause they looked at data from three of the largest long-term studies in the United States: the Nurses Health Study, the Nurses Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. These studies have been following hundreds of thousands of medical professionals for decades, gathering data of all kinds about their lifestyles and overall health, with the intention of understanding more about disease risk. That gives scientists a plethora of data to figure out what lifestyle factors make you more likely to get particular diseases.

When these studies began in the 70s and 80s, though, gluten-free diets werent a thing. They were a thing if you were among the less than one percent of people with celiac disease, but beyond that most people had never even heard the word gluten. So instead the researchers had to estimate gluten intake based on the study participants' answers to questionnaires about their diet, and then look to see how many people who ate low or high gluten diets ended up with type 2 diabetes. These large data sets are perfect for finding significant links between certain lifestyles and diseases.

Theyre not so great at finding causesin that they cannot determine causality at all. For example, the data could tell you that theres a statistically significant link between eating nuts and heart health, but it cant tell you that eating nuts causes a healthier heart. It may be that people who eat nuts tend to exercise more, or that people who eat nuts also eat other foods that are good for the heart. Or maybe nuts really do directly improve your cardiac capabilitieswe just cant tell that from correlational data.

So its not that eating less gluten causes an increased risk of diabetes. Its that eating less gluten is associated with an increased risk. And theres an important confounding factor there: foods that are low in gluten also tend to be low in fiber, and eating fiber found in whole grains decreases your risk of stroke, heart disease, obesity andwait for ittype 2 diabetes. Its possible that gluten intake actually has nothing to do with diabetes risk, its that people who eat less gluten also eat less fiber, and the lack of fiber is whats affecting the likelihood of getting diabetes. We just dont know yet.

If what these researchers found has more to do with fiber intake, then at least this negative outcome of eating less gluten could be mitigated by eating foods high in fiber. There are plenty of gluten-free grains that have high fiber, like quinoa, sorghum, teff, buckwheat, and oats (especially steel-cut ones). Swapping in those grains could help compensate for a lack of wheat, barley, and rye, the three grains people avoiding gluten cannot touch.

But there are other potential problems with eating gluten-free if youre otherwise healthy, many of which come back to the way we make gluten-free substitutes for common bread products.

Because the goal is often to try to create something as close to the gluten-y counterpart as possible, companies use things like processed rice flours, potato and tapioca starch, or other refined grains that can work together to create something resembling white sandwich bread or dinner rolls. Those refined ingredients tend to lack not just fiber, but also iron, folate, vitamin B12, calcium, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, as one 2010 study found that healthy people who went on gluten-free diets had significant changes in their microbiome. Wheat provides about 70 percent of two types of carbohydrates that promote growth of certain helpful kinds of gut bacteriacarbs that many other grains dont have. And again, if youre smart about your diet, you can easily eat a gluten-free diet thats also replete with the right nutrients. Substitute in high fiber, nutritious grains to compensate for the lack of vitamins and fiber. Eat more bananas, onions, and garlic to get those bacteria-promoting carbohydrates. But dont just change your diet without thinking about it.

Its easy to cut out gluten, feel better, and attribute that to the lack of gluten when really what youve done is reduced the amount of junk food you eat. Suddenly you cant eat the cupcakes that your coworker brought in, and that croissant staring at you as you order your coffee is off limits. Youre eating less sugar and fewer simple carbohydrates and wow, you feel so much better! The trouble is that long term youre likely to become deficient in other areas of your diet unless youre careful. Which many fad dieters may not be.

All this means that the upshot is more complicated than all you gluten-free dieters are idiots or see I told you that gluten wasnt bad for you! The upshot is something closer to be thoughtful about your diet. If you think you feel better not eating gluten, dont eat gluten. Whatever. Its frankly boring and obnoxious to sit around bashing other peoples food preferences to make yourself feel superior. Let people eat what they want. Just please take your diet seriously.

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How healthy are low-gluten diets anyway? - Popular Science

Great Raft Brewing donates "spent grains" to Mahaffey Farms to feed livestock. Tiana Kennell/The Times

Jonathan Tolar at work at Great Raft Brewery.(Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith / The Times)Buy Photo

Local establishments are mixing business with apassion forpreserving the environment and giving back to thecommunity.

It begins with realizing there is a problem and resolving to find a solution.

Don OByrne, owner of Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos, was unnerved by the lack of mandated environmental practices in the local restaurant industry. Sohe decided to enforce his own standards forrecycling and proper waste disposal training at his restaurants in Shreveport-Bossier City.

I know a lot of restaurateurs, including myself, who love to talk about how we source locally, source sustainably, that we manage fresh food and how we want the finest and freshest ingredients. But you dont hear a lot of guys talking about, Hey, heres what were trying to do to help the environment so that we can continue serving this clean, wholesome, fresh food, OByrne said. If we dont have a clean earth, we arent going to have any good, local or sustainable food.

Don O'Bryne, owner of Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos, finds ways to recycle waste at his Shreveport-Bossier City restaurants.(Photo: Tiana Kennell/The Times)

Meanwhile, local microbrewery Great Raft Brewing has forged a relationship with Bossier Parishs Mahaffey Farms and other local farmersto remedy a unique problem for both parties. Instead of tossingused grains left from making a batch of beer, Great Raft donates themto feed their livestock.

Local farmers save money on feedand it helps us quickly and safely dispose of the grain that would turn pretty nasty in a few days, said Andrew Nations, president/owner of Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport. Its a great way for both of us to get the most out of our raw materials.

The environmentally-friendly practices are examples of what can be done to make a positive economically and ecological impact on a community. And the recycling trailblazers have found unique ways to unify their personal passion and business tactics to make itworthwhile.

What theyre doing and why:

Recycling is an old habit OByrne instillsin his staff at his two restaurants. Its a habit learned at home from his wife, Amy, he said.

NEW:Popular juice bar says so long Bossier, hello Highland

"It came down to just the bare facts of, 'Let's do something good for our environment,'" O'Byrne said.

Its a personal passion for him, but it became a business matter. OByrne, who opened his first Don Juanz ten years ago in Bossier City, realized early on that his restaurant produced a substantial amount of waste daily.OByrne was determined to decrease his ecological footprint, he said.

After learning the average restaurant meal produces 1.5 poundsof wasteand95 percent of restaurant waste could be diverted from the landfill with proper systems in place, we felt a need to create a change in the local dining culture, OByrne said.

Great Raft Brewings production warehouse and tap room opened more than three years ago in Shreveport. They now distribute to retail stores, restaurants and bars regionally.

Evan McCommon from Mahaffey Farms collects the spent grain from Great Raft Brewery that he then uses as part of his livestock diet. (Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith / The Times)

Each batch of beer brewed uses approximately 1,500 pounds of high quality malted barley, Nations said. After it has run its course, the spent grain leftover from the malted barley can no longer used by the microbrewery, but it still has value.

Once the color and sugar is removed in the brewing process, the grains are removed and no longer needed, Nations said. This spent grain still has nutritional value and can be recycled beyond the brewing process.

There is no alcohol in the grains.

The barley that Great Raft uses in making it's beer. (Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith / The Times)

Since 2013, Great Raft has opted to donate the spent grains to a few local farmers to feed to their livestock instead of sending it to a landfill.

Farmers pick up grain several times a week totaling in roughly 12,000 poundsof spent grain, Nations said. This year we will generate over 600,000 poundsof spent grain going directly to local farmers.

How it makes a difference:

Evan McCommon of Mahaffey Farms makes three to four trips to Great Raft to pick up two to four tons of the spent grain per week. He then transports the large bins to his Princeton farm and distributes it to a portion of his cattle, pigs and laying hens.

Mahaffey Farms is a regenerative farm with a focus on building soil and biodiversity to regenerate our land and produce nutrient dense, wholesome, foods, McCommon said.

Evan McCommon, owner of Mahaffey Farms, picks spent grain from Great Raft Brewing to fed his livestock.(Photo: Tiana Kennell/The Times)

Although Mahaffey Farms cattle are grass-fed, it isnt always enough for the livestocks diet. Due to the change in genetics over the years, McCommon said some cows have problems gaining weight on a grass-only diet or with producing milk. The spent grain, which is rich in protein and fiber, acts as a supplement so the animals can recover and become healthy.

Out of our 150 head of grass fed cattle we probably have about 20 to 30 that are getting the protein supplement from the grains for recovery, McCommon said. At any given time during the summer, we give the grains at a rate of about 10 to 15 percent of the daily ration to our pigs and laying hens. Its a nice filler and saves us a few percentage points in feed costs.

A worker at Mahaffey Farms transports spent grains from Great Raft Brewing to livestock in need of protein supplements.(Photo: Tiana Kennell/The Times)

Its a well-worth the effort of transporting, as it saves the farming company about 3percent off the bottom line, McCommon said, and makes the livestock healthier.

Its a really wonderful use of a waste product from another industry, McCommon said. The grains used from Great Raft are all non-GMO, so for me as an ecologically conscious farmer, Im trying to pay attention to what goes into my animals and what ultimately comes out of my product.

OByrne ends up paying more money than saving in order to recycle to the extent he desires.

Recycling isnt mandated for restaurants, he said, but he chooses to pay extra to have recycling receptacles at his Bossier City restaurant, as well as his second location that opened in Shreveport earlier this year.

Don O'Bryne, owner of Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos, finds ways to recycle waste at his Shreveport-Bossier City restaurants.(Photo: Tiana Kennell/The Times)

He pays an additional $54 a month, per location, to have a cardboard recycling bin behind his restaurant. A plastic recycling container costs on average $45-$55 per month to use, he said.

To properly recycle oil and grease, he pays about $45 per month to have bins to dump used oil. The oil is then processed and reused for oil-based products, such as machine oils and lubricants, cleaners and soap.

And a recycling company from Dallas picks up Styrofoam products with the price varying $50-$60, depending on amount collected and how many stops the company makes in the area, he said.

He doesnt make any money on recycling, he said, but the costs of the bins of adding a team member to his staff to oversee recycling preparations are worth the costs.

Most people choose not to just because its an extra cost just to say youre recycling. But its something we believe in, OByrne said.

Leading by example:

The decisions made by the visionaries have a ripple effect beginning with benefits to the company and going further to impact their communities and further. But its an effort OByrne wants more people to be a part of, including local and state government.

Theres nothing set up yet as for the city as far as business entities go," he said. "Unless theres an outside corporation thats already set up to recycle, smaller, privately-owned businesses probably arent recycling like they could.

The City of Shreveport supplies blue recycling bins for residential homes, but not businesses, he said.

Don O'Byrne, owner of Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos, shares his recycling methods and ideas to protect the environment and food sources. Tiana Kennell/The Times

Besides the saving the environment, recycling can benefit multiple parties, OByrne said. A city mandating recycling could make money by working with recycling companies and renting out receptacles to the businesses, he said. Also, recycling practices could make the city more marketable to companies and agencies considering coming to the area.

"It's a loophole that's just overlooked. If I wasn't in the taco business, I'd be in the recycling business because I believe there's a big opportunity for it here," he said. "It's already in place in most major cities and mandatory in some major cities, as well."

But these OByrne and some other local business leaders arent waiting for change from outside parties, they are taking it upon themselves to make the change.

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