At parties, I dont usually talk about what I do for a living.
Ive quickly realized that alotof people want to discussfoodas soon as they hear Im a registered dietitian.
While I love talking about nutrition (it’s my job!)
Getty / Dorling Kindersley
But, hey, I sympathize with how confusing it can be to take a stab at understandnutrition.
So, I recently asked my social media followers to send me their biggest nutrition questions.
Unsurprisingly, they happened to be ones I hear a lot from clients as well.
Here are the answers to four common nutrition questions I receive.
We should all give a shot to stay away from gluten, right?
Gluten isnt inherently bad for everyone.
You really only need to go gluten-free if its medically necessary for some other reason.
It appears as though going gluten-free may even help people with IBS who dont have these conditions.
Experts arent sure how IBS interacts with gluten.
But, hey, anything to make IBS hell easier might be worth it.
So, that was a pretty intense list of very valid reasons to at least consider avoiding gluten.
In fact, asthe paperdetails, it could be financially challenging because gluten-free food can be expensive as hell.
Take it from me: You dont need to avoid gluten for no good reason.
Do I really need to eat breakfast?
For what its worth, research on this topic is mostly inconclusive.
For every study that shows breakfast is beneficial for some reason, theres another that shows the opposite.
Thats especially true when it comes to weight, a major focus of breakfast-related research.
They also found no evidence that skipping breakfast was associated with higher overall food consumption.
Its hard to know where the truth really lies.
As theBMJstudy authors explained, so much of the evidence on breakfast and weight is low-quality.
We know thatweight is not the be-all, end-all arbiter of health, too.
Is it OK to eat carbs?
Let me put this in all-caps for you: YES!
Carbohydrates are not only delicious, but theyre nourishing as well.
Carbs are our bodies first-line energy source, theNIDDKexplains.
You need carbs to function, full stop.
This keeps you full for longer and provides more long-lasting energy.
Why is dairy suddenly bothering my stomach?
You used to be able to go to town on acheeseplate without issue.
Now your stomach burbles if you so much as glance at a wedge of brie.
Its unfair, I know.
