According to a recent study published in the journal Chronic Illness, women with celiac disease are more likely to report stress, depression and disordered eating, even if they are following a gluten-free diet.

The researchers found that women adhering to a gluten-free diet did experience greater vitality, lower stress, decreased depressive symptoms, and greater overall emotional health than those women not following the diet, but even so, they still experienced more stress, depression, and body dissatisfaction when compared to the general population.

Eating gluten-free, even in today’s world of readily available gluten-free fare, is a big adjustment, even when you have been eating gluten-free for years. Food becomes a central focus, rather than an afterthought. Everyday meal planning is required to be sure you have access to the right foods. Shopping at multiple grocery stores becomes the norm. Eating gluten-free creates a whole new way of life. This has the possibility of becoming stressful—and even alienating, depending on the company you keep.

But eating gluten-free—especially in those with celiac, but even in those who are gluten sensitive—is also a ticket to freedom for many people. Freedom from constant digestive issues with seemingly no solution, freedom from wondering, “What the heck is wrong with me?” and freedom from a downward health spiral that itself can cause more stress, dis-ease, and depression.

If you have celiac and you tend to get down about it, take a moment to think about what a gluten-free diet has given you, rather than what it has taken away. Sometimes a shift in perspective is all you need.

Body Dissatisfaction, body image, celiac disease, Central Focus, chronic, Chronic Illness, depression, depressive symptoms, Diet, digestive issues, Digestive Tract, dis-ease, eating, eating gluten-free, Emotional Health, food, Freedom, gluten, Gluten Free Diet, Grocery Stores, Health, Meal Planning, Norm, Perspective, Population, Spiral, stress, symptoms, Those Women, Vitality, Way Of Life, What The Heck, women Hide

Results from a recent study that lasted more than 25 years and involved more than 80,000 women ages 30 to 55 revealed that those who eat a lot of red meat—along with processed meats and high-fat dairy products—have a higher risk of developing heart disease.

Specifically, said researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, women who consume a diet high in red meat experience more heart attacks and have a higher death rate from heart disease when compared with those who tend to consume leaner protein sources such as fish, poultry, nuts and low-fat dairy products.

The data confirm previous findings about the relationship between diet and heart disease, and scientists hope that more studies like this one will increase awareness about the importance of developing healthy eating habits. Among the recommendations were simple changes such as swapping ham and cheese for a peanut butter and banana sandwich, and opting for veggie burgers instead of beef.

In addition to promoting heart health, a diet that includes plenty of lean protein sources as well as fiber-rich fruits, nuts, vegetables and whole grains has been shown to support optimal weight management and healthy blood sugar, both of which may help combat the high rates of obesity and obesity-related disease so prominent in the United States.

awareness, banana, beef, blood sugar, burgers, cheese, dairy, death, Diet, disease, eating, fiber, Fish, fruits, Health, heart attacks, heart disease, high-fat, lean, low-fat, management, meats, nuts, obesity, peanut butter, poultry, processed, protein, recommendations, red meat, risk, United States, vegetables, veggie, weight, Whole Grains, women Hide