Gluten-free: The New Diet Fad isn't for Everyone

This Blog Certified Gluten Free

I read an article the other day that warned people who don't have gluten allergies not to eat gluten-free food. You have to wonder why that warning is even necessary. Only 1% of the population actually suffer from Celiac disease. Celiac sufferers find it very difficult to enjoy certain types of food because of their gluten sensitivity.  They would love to munch down on a cupcake, but have to search for specially-prepared foods or recipes that substitute key ingredients in order to indulge in what 99% of the population eats without a second thought.

So, why would someone who doesn't have a medical condition that makes gluten a forbidden dietary component, go to all the trouble of finding and buying foods that are gluten-free?  I think it's that "-free" suffix. Half of all food on store shelves have been certified to be free of something. Fat-free, sugar-free, cholesterol-free, etc. There's a natural tendency to believe that if someone went to all the trouble to take it out, it wasn't good for you in the first place and the "-free" product is superior to the product that is unadulterated.  After all, who would buy food that was labeled "Fat-Laden" or "Chock full of Cholesterol"?

Yet, with only 1% of the population actually having an inability to properly digest gluten, a full 29% of Americans polled say they want to cut down on the amount of gluten in their diet. 

Leading the way in making gluten-free foods the new fad for people who have absolutely nothing wrong with their digestive systems (no such claim is made for their intelligence) are the dieters. Not just any old dieters but famous ones, such as Gwyneth Paltrow.  Celebrities are often the driving force in ridiculous behaviors and fads, so this should come as no surprise.  And to no-one's surprise, these celebrity dieters are not only completely wrong, they're adopting a fad that is both stupid and potentially injurious to their health.

Eliminating grains from your diet leaves you with a shocking deficiency of fiber.  Since fiber is essential for the proper functioning of your digestive system , it's not a good idea to cut it out of your diet. It's also counter-intuitive for a dieter as fiber helps to speed food through your digestive tract and cut down on the number of calories absorbed. According to WebMD, fiber is good for your heart, lowers cholesterol, lowers your risk for GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), obesity and diverticulitis.Why would anyone with half a brain purposely avoid eating fiber if they didn't have to?  Nevermind, answered my own question.

On the laughable side, these "dieters" don't seem to realize that gluten-free foods are often higher in fat than other foods.  They are likely to gain weight rather than lose it, and get really sick in the process.

There are people who suffer from serious symptoms due to celiac disease and other types of wheat and gluten allergies and sensitivities.  For  vacuous, empty-headed, celebrity mannequins whose main focus is remaining trendy to adopt the gluten-free diet as a fad is simply insulting to all those who live that way not by choice, but because they have a medical condition. And as expected, almost a third of the population has no idea what is going on and is following their lead.

I Survived the Earthquake of 10/16/12

Have you ever experienced that shaking of the floor when the washer load is unbalanced and on spin? That's not what happened to me last night. 

What happened was an earthquake.

Now, living in New England, I feel pretty insulated from many things. I used to anyway, but the last few years have been pretty odd.  We don't normally get a lot of hurricanes or tornadoes.  It's just usually too cold.  Hurricanes lose strength when they get over the cold waters of the North Atlantic and except for those freak storms, like in 1938 and 1957, they don't really reach that catastrophic phase. At least, they didn't until that Irene creature tried to drown the state of Vermont last year.

No, the worst thing we deal with is the Nor'easter, which is a bit like a hurricane except it's mostly snow and ice instead of rain.  But even those really deadly blizzards strike in a decadal pattern - 1969, 1978, etc.

We definitely don't get earthquakes. 

So why have I experienced two earthquakes in New England?

The first one was probably twenty years ago.  The epicenter was in Quebec and when my chair began to shake and shiver, my first thought was that the freight train was rolling through.  Of course, I did realize eventually that the trains had not run since I was a small child and besides, they didn't run at night. By the time I opened my mouth to say "earthquake", it was over. It was a little bit like missing it.

So, I should have been prepared last night, should have recognized the nature of that shaking in an instant.  But no, my first thought was that the washing machine was spinning way too hard.  Then I realized it wasn't possible for it to spin that hard, mainly because the washing machine wasn't running at the time.  And again, by the time my brain had settled on earthquake, it was over.

I feel cheated, somehow.  I feel like I would have experienced those 5 or 7 seconds more fully if I had known from the start that it was an earthquake.  I mean, the washing machine spins every day.

The Boy was thrilled. The earthquake was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him and he wanted more. He kept hoping that we'd get an aftershock, a rumble, a tremor, something or anything that would let him relive the experience.  I almost shared his desire for more but it would have been setting a poor example for me to encourage him in hoping for another possibly destructive act of nature.

But I do want to make him happy.  So tomorrow, just before he wakes up, I will put an unbalanced load in the washer and turn it on spin.  Then I will wake him up, shouting "Earthquake"!  Just think, he'll be the only one at his school who felt it...

Modern Marriages Have Higher Divorce Rates

I read an article today that some may find surprising.  I don't think I do, but maybe for reasons other than you might think.  Wait, I need a disclaimer here:

Disclaimer:  This post will most likely contain opinions that you disagree with, or maybe you will agree with them, but in any case you probably won't admit it.  All of the instances of stereotypes that you think you see, you probably do see, but just because this post may contain some broad generalizations about men, women, life, the universe and housework, doesn't mean that it might not be spot on.

Okay, got that out of the way.

Anyway, these very brave smart researchers in Norway have found that marriages where the housework is shared equally, have a much higher divorce rate - 50% higher, in fact.  Now they have all sorts of explanations for this, including the idea that "modern" women are more comfortable divorcing.  That might sound reasonable, after all, with education and a good job, it might be less worrisome to endure a divorce and strike out on your own.  But on the other hand, aren't they also saying that modern women with a good education are less likely to be successful at marriage and relationships?

They don't say that maybe marriages work best when what is divided equally is responsibility for things that each partner is actually good at.  They don't speculate that maybe people are happier when they know their roles in a relationship and the responsibilities that go along with them.  They can't say those things because that wouldn't be modern.

They certainly won't suggest that men and women may be *gasp* different.

Consider the fact that we often joke about "man-caves", those special spots in the house where men don't worry about the decor, where the creature comforts are everything - those being a large-screen television and beer, mostly. There's a reason they are called caves.  It's a place where only the most rudimentary housekeeping takes place.  That might include picking up a dropped beverage to see if there's any left in the can to drink.  It doesn't include coasters or wiping up spills before they stain.

I know, you're going to say you know women who have carved out their own "caves" in the house.  Have a look at those caves.  Chances are they have books, highly polished tables, coordinated drapes and rugs and a cozy on the teapot.  It's not the same.  A woman's cave is simply a place to go where she gets a few minutes of quiet.  It's not a place to hibernate under a pile of refuse.

Women are just more naturally in tune with their environment.  There are good reasons for that as well as the natural instincts.  No one ever walked into a messy house and immediately thought "wow, I bet her husband doesn't help with the housework".  We all know that people are not that kind.

Let's face it, the main reason that households where housework is shared don't work very well is that wives are usually disappointed with the quality of the work men have done.  We see that it's only half-done or not done the way we like it and we either do it over again or worse, complain about what they've done. Women assume that they've done it badly so they won't be asked to do it ever again, or just to be annoying.

For the man, this effort he's put into his chore is like a gift to his wife.  It says that he loves her, he's trying to help, he's done this wonderful thing. His wife is unappreciative, he gets yelled at anyway.  What's the point?

I don't have an answer for this problem.  The answer may be to train young boys to do housework the right way.  The answer may be for women to be trained to accept any effort, no matter how small, no matter if the dishes are all put away in the wrong cupboards and if the towels are folded the wrong way.  It's unlikely any of this will work.

Perhaps the answer lies in everyone appreciating everyone else, for everything they do and treating each other with mutual respect and love.  Maybe everyone needs to lower their expectations, even the ones they have for themselves.  Trust me ladies, your husbands won't notice or mind if you didn't do the supper dishes before you went to bed or haven't done the laundry today.  They will notice and mind only when there are NO clean dishes and they haven't got any clean socks.  Until it gets that bad, they will just go with the flow.  So, relax, appreciate the fact that they don't care all that much and make it work for you.