Gluten: Friend or Foe

Gluten free has been a booming trend lately, but what is this “gluten” that is making its way out of every American’s diet?

I found myself asking that same question when my sister discovered she had a thyroid disease. Due to the complications of the disease, she had to avoid eating foods that contained gluten. The months leading up to the removal of her thyroid, my family and I had to become more aware of what foods contained gluten and learn more about this key ingredient of wheat.

Webster Dictionary states that gluten is a “substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough.” Basically my sister could not eat any grain or wheat products, unless they were gluten free. After her thyroid was removed, she was free to go back to her normal diet and she could once again eat all her favorite cereals.

My sister’s illness made me more aware of what was happening in the gluten free trend. While stocking shelves in the grocery store where I worked, I noticed things that had “gluten free” labels. What confused me the most was that some of these foods wouldn’t have gluten in them in the first place, such as strawberries. And later, I came to college, where I lived with many girls who ate gluten free diets; some girls have Celiac disease, others are very allergic to gluten, and some just choose to eat gluten free foods. I found myself wondering what was so harmful about gluten, so I did some research.

I found that choosing to eat a gluten free diet can actually be dangerous if not done carefully. Foods that contain gluten are a huge source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This is when I decided that gluten isn’t a terrifying entity that is ruining the health of Americans, as some articles will lead you to believe. While it’s okay to choose to eat gluten free, for whatever reason, it’s important to be knowledgeable. The Scientific American tells us that before we go gluten free, we should be checked out by a physician and make sure to replace gluten-containing foods with other foods that are naturally gluten free and contain the nutrients that your body needs.

However, gluten isn’t detrimental to your health if you don’t have a gluten intolerance. In fact, gluten-rich foods are a fantastic source of nutrients that keep you healthy. So before you go gluten free, make sure that you’re informed and stay healthy!  

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/most-people-shouldnt-eat-gluten-free/

Your bread-loving friend, Danielle.

I'm An Agronomist

So I'm not really an agronomist but that is the name of a website created by Iowa State University that is dedicated to agronomy education. I found the site while visiting a few friends in Ames, IA this past weekend who had an "I'm An Agronomist" magnet on their fridge. Good advertising, I think.

Anyway, here on Food For Thought, we strive to provide a window into all aspects of agriculture so today I thought an inside look at agronomy would be a change-up.

The motto of I'm An Agronomist is "applying science to fuel and feed our global society" - very catchy and very true. The website addresses issues like bio-energy development, how to confront world hunger and protecting human health. I'm pretty interested in feeding 9 billion people in 50 years so I clicked on the World Hunger link and was pleasantly surprised at the tactics agronomists are using to help solve our world hunger problems:

There are now 854 million undernourished people in our world 820 million in developing countries, 25 million in countries formerly controlled by the Soviet Union, and 9 million in industrialized countries. These numbers reflect the intersection of complex historical, economic and political problems that together have created chronic poverty. The companion to poverty is hunger fed by a lack of access to fertile land and resources to grow food, and /or a lack of sufficient opportunity to generate income to buy food.

The solution to hunger must start from the ground up especially since many of the worlds hungry also live in rural areas. Agronomists use skills and knowledge across the areas of soils, agroecology, climate, crop diversity, and plant breeding to help identify and analyze systemic problems facing the agriculture of an area. Contributing this training to the knowledge and practices of local farmers, in the context of their culture, could generate creative ideas that have the potential to take aim at one of the most unjust and unacceptable problems of our time. In this way, agronomists are, "confronters of world hunger"

I was also interested in the human health portion and after checking out that particular page I learned some nifty info on healthier soybean oils. I'm a supporter of fried chicken, chicken fried steak, fried potatoes, etc - so healthier oils to use while preparing those tasty dishes is relatively important to me.
Neat, huh? I also found a cool podcast link, YouTube videos from ISU's Agronomy Channel and if you're ready to bleed agronomy, red and gold --- several desktop wallpaper themes.

I enjoyed reading more about agronomy and the different technologies utilized in crop production, and I hope you'll give the I'm An Agronomist website a look.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Obesity Epidemic

In following up with Brandon's recent post about the tragedy that is hunger occurring around the world, there's a polar opposite issue that many are dealing with here in the US.

OBESITY

It's a human health epidemic and it's amazing to me that you can travel 6 hours in a plane in any direction and witness the two situations. Gives new meaning to feast or famine.

Check out this website put out by the CDC. You can literally push "PLAY" on the map and watch Americans become more and more obese. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

Best Regards,

Tera Rooney

Want to boost your brainpower? Eat meat!

Or more specifically, beef.  Dr. Mike Moreno, author of The 17-Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Redesigned for Rapid Results, created a list of must-have brain enhancing foods.  You can read the whole list and article online here.

Number one on the list was BEEF. Beef is high in iron, which improves memory, alertness and attention span. It's also a good source of zinc and protein. For more nutritional facts about beef and how to make it part of a healthy lifestyle check this out.

Other awesome proteins that made the Top 17 were:
#6 - Chicken - High in tyrosine - an amino acid essential for production of the substances epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine which are responsible for alertness.

#9 - Eggs - Boost memory through rich supplies of the B vitamin choline.

#10 - Egg whites - High in protein - help improve alertness and produce norepinephrine.

#13 - Pork - Be inspired by pork's wealth of Vitamin B1 that helps facilitate communication among nerve cells.

#16 - Tuna -  Full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help build and maintain myelin that aid in communication among nerve cells.

I've got some more work to do on my thesis, so I think I'm going to load up a plate with beef, pork and chicken and settle in for a night of brainstorming.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Pass Me the {Chocolate} Milk!

School lunch programs all over the nation are undergoing unnecessary makeovers. First, there was Meatless Monday in Michigan and now several school districts have, or are considering, removing milk from school lunches. This decision is based on the fact that flavored milk, such as chocolate, contains 3-4 tbsp of sugar more than regular white milk. However, by pulling milk from school lunches, children are left no other choice to drink water, juice or soft drinks.  Did you know that chocolate milk is much healthier than several other lunchtime beverages?

Many children choose not to drink milk if chocolate milk isn't an option (I know this was true for me as I usually drank two chocolate milks at lunch). Not receiving the calcium, Vitamin D and protein that milk provides is far more detrimental to children's health than the 3 tbsp of sugar in chocolate milk.  I feel as if administrators looking to eradicate milk from school lunches are missing the forest for the trees.

A study presented at the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference reveals that eliminating chocolate and other flavored milks from school cafeteria menus resulted in a dramatic drop in milk consumption along with a substantial reduction in nutrients—which are not easy or affordable to replace. The study included nearly 700 measurement days over three months at 58 elementary and secondary schools across the country. When flavored milk was not available, many children chose not to drink milk and missed out on the essential nutrients that milk provides. On days when only white milk was offered in cafeterias, milk consumption dropped an average of 35 percent.

The study results indicate to replace the nutrients lost from the decline in milk consumption:

• Required three to four different food items to match milk's nutrient contribution.
• Added back more calories and fat than were being reduced.
• Added back roughly half the sugar, netting a savings of only 15-28 grams per week.
• Cost an incremental $2,200 to $4,600 more annually per 100 students.

So, instead of trying to remove healthy choices from school menus, administrators should focus on educating children on the health benefits of meat and dairy products and a balanced diet. Remember:  For the greatest amount of nutrition, at the most reasonable cost, chocolate milk is the choice with the most muscle.

For more information on chocolate milk in school lunch programs check out the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and to learn more about the study visit http://www.milkdelivers.org/schools/flavored-milk/

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Image: http://www.wmmb.com/wdc/ChocolateMilkHasMuscle.aspx

Heart Healthy BEEF

The American Heart Association just recently identified three beef cuts that fit its Food Certification Program. The program places a heart check mark on products that meet criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol content. The three beef cuts that met the American Heart Association's criteria for extra lean and now are certified to display the heart-check mark include:
•Boneless Top Sirloin Petite Roast (select grade)
•Top Sirloin Filet (select grade)
•Top Sirloin Kabob (select grade)

The certificiation is due in large part to efforts by The Beef Checkoff Program. The heart check mark is a easily identifiable icon to consumers - in fact, 75% of primary grocery shoppers say that the heart check mark improves the likelihood that they will purchase the product.

There are over 25 cuts of beef the meet USDA standards for 'lean' including the T-Bone, sirloin, flank steak and 95% lean ground beef. "Lean beef helps Americans build a healthy diet and manage their waistline because one three-ounce serving provides 10 essential nutrients for about 154 calories, helping you meet the new Dietary Guidelines," says Cheryl Hendricks, a registered dietitian with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

So next time you're at the grocery store - fill up your cart with some heart healthy beef, chock full of ZIP (zinc, iron and protein) products like the sirloin. Your family will love you for it!

** Statistics and information in this post were taken from Sirloin earns heart-healthy rating, an article recently featured in Drover's CattleNetwork ** 



Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Holy Cow!

We at K-State aren't always proud of the student newspaper's articles that are written about food production or agriculture. In the past few years there has been an increase in negatively skewed articles.

This week I was pleasantly surprised! Holy Cow hit the front page of the Collegian and presents a valid, fact-based and positive view of food production in the beef industry.

Check it out - http://www.kstatecollegian.com/news/beef-offers-protein-weight-loss-solutions-1.2470816

My best,

Tera Rooney

Pointing Fingers

Tuesday night, while doing laundry (actually, avoiding doing laundry) I caught up on reading the ag blogs in my inbox. One recent news piece by Gary Truitt of Hoosier Ag Today caught my eye – “Send Out the Clowns.” This title did its job and got me to read the whole piece, which to my disappointment brought to my attention a watchdog group called Corporate Accountability International, blaming McDonald’s and other fast food chains for obesity in children. As I continued to read I vowed three things:

1. I will teach my children how to control their weight by eating healthy foods
2. I will achieve #1 by cooking providing balanced, wholesome meals that are high in protein and fiber – aka dairy products, meat and vegetables
3. In addition to #2, my children will not be sheltered from McDonald’s and the like – they will undoubtedly eat there however, they won’t need the super-sized drink and fries. Portion control is essential

Let’s examine a few points here – in the article, Gary says, “What we need here is a personal accountability group not a Corporate Accountability group.” It is not Ronald McDonald, or The King or the talking Chihuahua’s fault that children are overweight. Parents who are irresponsible with their children’s diet and lifestyle are to blame. Period. Instead of allowing kids to play video or computer games for 4-5 hours/day, get a dog and make it your child’s job to walk it every day. Encourage your kids to sign up for school sports team, a dance club or take them to the park for a some Frisbee or catch.

Also, has anybody ever heard of the Ronald McDonald House? They’re dedicated to helping children and their families in times of need and despair. Just look at their mission statement “The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children.” Nowhere in there do I read, “Turn children into Butterball Turkeys by deceiving them into eating far too much.” Their efforts include providing mobile mental, dental and medical education to children, providing for support for families with critically ill children and most recently providing dental, mental and medical attention to underprivileged children.

I understand that there are other factors involved in childhood obesity – genetics, environment and household income are a few. However, those obstacles can be combatted with proper diet and exercise.  For example, beef is high in protein which fuels an active lifestyle (running, playing sports) which in turn keeps kids in shape.  Lots of exercise yields hungry children which leads us back to beef and protein. 

The only way to point a finger at the child obesity culprit is for a parent to look in the mirror – then start pointing.

Until next time,
~Buzzard~