Ask most of us if we are honest and we will likely respond in the affirmative. Who among us wants to admit publicly that we are a cheat or a liar? It would be more accurate to describe ourselves as mostly honest, since there are occasions when we do some fact massaging and truth shading. And, sometimes, applying a little spin may be the better choice. Consider this hypothetical. Your mom has been working all afternoon to prepare meatloaf as a birthday treat for you. While it appears appetizing with its golden-brown appearance, it is simply not palatable. Your mom asks you directly how it is. Choose among the following potential responses. Mom, did you mix in some dog food in by mistake? Hey, are you trying to poison me? I like the ground glass. It give the meat a great crunch. Mom, this is great! I hope there will be leftovers for tomorrow, if I can wait that long! 'Mom, the meatloaf was....indescribable!' While I do believe in the e
Is gluten really Public Enemy #1? Many seem to regard it as a toxin. . Restaurants and supermarkets offer a wide variety of gluten-free foods. Years ago, physicians advised a gluten-free diet only for individuals who had celiac disease (CD), which is an autoimmune disease that largely affects the small intestine. If a celiac patient wades back into Glutenland, his or her intestine will start an internal uprising. I care for a few of these folks, but they are but a slim fraction of my patients who are shunning gluten. Gluten are proteins contained in wheat and other grains. Many adherents of a gluten-free diet believe that this is a more healthful dietary choice. For most of them, there is no supportive evidence for this contention. Why should it matter if an individual chooses to avoid gluten? After all, there’s no risk here? In fact, avoiding gluten can lead to vitamin deficiencies and increased exposure to arsenic and mercury. I’m not suggesting that