Over the weekend, I had a discussion with someone who remarked on how America is perhaps the only country where "the poor are fatter than the rich."

I don't know if we're the only country where those with a lower income tend to have a higher body mass index, but it interesting to think about why this is.

About one in eight people in the US are on food stamps, a quarter of them children, and living off of roughly three dollars a day. That doesn't make it easy to cover one's basic nutritional needs, which causes many people to fill up on cheap, high-calorie foods with little nutritional value.

It seems unfair that foods people really need cost so much. I mean, I spent two bucks on a container of strawberries yesterday, and that's considered a bargain in New York! In a lot of ways, it's like an entire population is excluded from the healthy-eating discussion. Yeah, you can tell someone to eat salmon to get their omega-3s, but a 6-ounce fillet will run you at least five dollars. For someone trying to feed a family on a fixed income, that's just not going to happen.

Stocking up on basics like brown rice and dried beans is a good start, but we have to get more information out there and work to make it more possible to eat well on a budget. I totally sound like an idealist, but it could happen...

Here's an article about the challenges of being on a "food-stamp diet."

Tax Deductions for Eating Gluten-Free?

Celiac disease is an immune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. This condition damages the lining of the small intestine, inhibiting nutrient absorption and causing a host of health problems for people who suffer from it.

It is estimated that one in one hundred people in the United States have it, though it is one of the more under-diagnosed conditions.

Also, instead of taking medication that an insurance company can help pay for, patients with celiac disease must go to great lengths to avoid foods with gluten in them. Unfortunately, a lot of gluten-free products cost three times as much as the regular versions.

While seeing a nutritionist to learn how to get the proper nutrients from other foods likes fruits, vegetables, potatoes and rice, this New York Times piece lists some other ways in which to make living with celiac disease easier—and more affordable.

Did you know you could deduct the cost of gluten-free foods and even shipping of said products?