“
Despite the lack of evidence
to support wheat- or glutenelimination diets for weight
loss or health – not associated
with a clinical disorder or disease –
consumers are still looking for ways to
control their weight,” explains Jenna
Bell, PhD, RD, Senior Vice-president
and Director of Food & Wellness at
Pollock Communications. According to
our survey, consumers will continue
to lean on wheat-deprived diet
plans like the paleo diet, gluten-free
or “wheat belly” in 2014.
If there
is so much debate around evidence or
lack thereof, should we even consider
putting our children on what sounds
like yet another fad diet?
Why such a hot topic in Namibia
and South Africa? “Cereals must be
one of the worst things parents give
their children.” This was a comment
recently made and that received wide
media attention as part of a campaign
to promote low-carbohydrate diets.
This is very unfortunate. The South
African Food-Based Dietary Guidelines
for adults and children over 5 years
(previously 7 years) emphatically
states that starchy foods should be the
basis of most meals. The paediatric
guidelines recommend that after 6
months of exclusive breastfeeding,
babies should receive small amounts
of solid foods, and at one year the
basis of most of these small meals
should be starchy foods. “Starchy
foods” in South Africa, include cereals
such as wheat, maize, rice, oats and
sorghum, legumes (dried beans,
lentils, peas and soya) and some root
vegetables such as potatoes, sweet
potatoes and carrots. In Namibia
we may add mahango grain. It is
recommended that the starchy food
sources, where possible and practical,
should be in an “unrefined” or
minimally processed form to preserve
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• February/March 2014
non-starch polysaccharides (dietary
fibre), many vitamins and minerals.
This serves as energy-giving food.
So what is this paleo diet? The diet
centres around the idea that if we eat
like our ancestors did 10 000 years
ago, we’ll have fewer health problems,
will lose weight and will prevent the
onset of chronic di