Saw a thread on here the other day about runners getting allergic reaction and a couple of athletes referred to wheat as an activator. Been thinking about giving it a shot for 60 days to see how I feel. I’ve never had any allergic relations- my wife has, but I do feel a little off the morning after during my workout if I eat a lot of bread with dinner. Hard to explain but my breathing seems to be afffected in a slight way. Anyone, in a similar situation, try going gluten/ wheat free have any feedback?
I havent cut it out 100%, but have been paying a lot of attention to trying to avoid it as much as possible. The one major thing that I have noticed is that I don’t get the energy crashes after breakfast or lunches containing a lot of gluten. Ive heard to truly heal your gut from chronic inflammation you really need to stick off of it for 6 months and introduce it back slowly and see how you respond … if you want to at all.
I think more than anything, the benefit of going gluten-free for me has been all of the other foods that I have replaced gluten with. Its more about eating beneficial grains, fruits, veggies etc in order to get full. It is nice to see more and more restaurants offering gluten free menu items if not complete GF menus. Going 100% GF will drive you a little bananas though … its in so many sauces.
Been Gluten Free for a couple of months now. I’ve got asthma, so that was my reason for trying it. Also seeing a homeopathic acupuncturist who specializes in a treatment called NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques).
So far, so good. I’ve noticed a considerable decrease in general aches and pains, and while still pathetic, my aerobic endurance is improving (and would probably improve more if I could ever get any consistency in my training, but that’s another thread…). My easy pace runs are a good 30 secs per mile lower without really trying. My threshold level is still problematic (as soon as I get at or very close to my max HR, my lungs shut down on me), but I’ve begun to notice that I can hold a high effort slightly longer than I use to.
I’m pretty good about avoiding glutens, but I’m not a zealot. I don’t go crazy over minor indiscrections. Losing the bagel a day habit was a big victory.
Hope this helps!
Brian
Been feeling great since going gluten free about 6 months ago. Only wheat I ever have is a beer or two on the weekends.
Hi Brian,
If you suspect your asthma is related to gluten issues, you should probably be a zealot about any gluten in your diet.
I cut out gluten about 7 years ago when my sis was diagnosed with celiac and we had similiar symptoms. At the time, my asthma was HORRIBLE. I racing track and i couldn’t make it one lap around without wheezing. I cut out the gluten because of gastrointestinal issues. I was on all kinds of meds for asthma at the time. After a year without gluten, my asthma has all but disappeared unless I hangout in a barn full of moldy hay. I didn’t know it then, but many celiacs present with asthma symptoms and many docs will chalk the gastrointestinal issues to gulping for air when exercising.
Long story short, If you think you have a problem with gluten, talk to a doc because you really do need to completely swear off gluten. Cheating will only keep the inflammation going.
Let me know if you want recommendations on gf brands or recipes. There are lots of good options out there now. And homemade baked goods made with millet, teff, almond and quinoa flours actually taste way better than when made with wheat flour because the flours have some flavor!
LOVE being gluten free. I tried it a few years back, but gave in after about a month. I have been pretty strict about being gluten free for about 6 months now, a few cheats here and there on birthdays and the occasional piece of toast. I feel so much better being off gluten. I actually have started to get headaches if I eat any amount of gluten now. Also, I have always had a terrible stomach, especially when running. I had to eat at least 3-4 hours before I ran, sometimes more. Now I can eat within 1-2 hours before running and I feel absolutely fine. Totally recommend gluten free, just make sure you are replacing the calories and carbohydrates you will be missing after cutting gluten!
Good luck!!
Probably bloatiness filling your body cavity. Gives less room for your lungs. I’m allergic to poultry and it’s the bloatiness afterwords that gets me more than the anaphalaxis. I get abeer gut type dealfor a couple of weeks from gastric inflamation. I can exhale great but not so much on the inhale.
My wife is celiac (look it up). She can’t eat gluten. I have gone gluten free for long stretches (weeks to months) and I have noticed zero difference. Not one iota of anything I can can point to that I can say is an improvement or hinderance.
That’s just me. If my wife eats gluten she gets very sick.
Try it. You might like it.
Remember it is very likely that something you think is gluten free in fact has gluten in it. Look at the ingredients in soy sauce. Now look at all the food that uses soy sauce.
The meat at Taco Bell uses wheat for filler. They don’t make that information readily available.
Thanks for all the feed back! Keep it coming. Anyone shed weight?
Some studies have suggested that a LOT of people have enough of a gluten intolerance that cutting it out can not only benefit the way they feel but also increase performance (one suggested a third of people if I remember correctly). I tried it. Didn’t work for me. As long as I keep lactose intake fairly low, I am good.
For me, a gluten intolerance is tied to thyroid issues, breathing problems, GI issues, joint pain, bradycardia, low blood pressure (severe enough to stop my heart once), migraines. Eliminating it has brought all of this under control. I was told by a doc that I had some type of auto-immune but they couldn’t narrow down which specifically. I was never tested for Celiac disease but tried an elimination diet on my own out of desperation. I found I do not tolerate gluten or dairy. It was kind of a magic bullet and brought everything more or less under control. I have also lost a considerable amount of weight (90 lbs) due to a properly functioning body. If you digest it correctly, you will not see a difference. If you do not, the difference could be profound. Beyond that, I am skeptical that eliminating gluten would cause weight loss by any means other than reducing the number of calories in the diet.
My girlfriend’s mother was diagnosed with Celiac just before Christmas last year. We went mostly gluten free around the New Year. I don’t have digestive issues that I recognize and I still drink beer, though less than before (more wine). I feel a bit better and eat more vegetables as a result. The only tangible benefit that I’ve recognized is that a persistent dermatitis-like rash that I developed during IM training back in '07 has completely disappeared. Cortisone cream would knock it back, especially ICW cutting back on training, but no wheat = no rash/irritation.
The rash could be one of the classic Celiac symptoms - Dermatitis Herpetiformis:
http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/whatisceliacdisease/a/DermatitisHerp.htm
.
Thanks for all the feed back! Keep it coming. Anyone shed weight?
January 2010 I was over 320 lbs and a complete couch potato. August 2010, I gave up recreational sugar and wheat in any form. By August 2011, I was down to 184 lbs through diet with no significant exercise. I started training in September 2012 and on January 24, 2012, I finished IMCDA.
I don’t know what all the connections are, but I know that I am better off without sucrose or wheat. i don’t really miss either. Once they got out of my system, they were out of my mind as well.
Thanks for all the feed back! Keep it coming. Anyone shed weight?
January 2010 I was over 320 lbs and a complete couch potato. August 2010, I gave up recreational sugar and wheat in any form. By August 2011, I was down to 184 lbs through diet with no significant exercise. I started training in September 2012 and on January 24, 2012, I finished IMCDA.
I don’t know what all the connections are, but I know that I am better off without sucrose or wheat. i don’t really miss either. Once they got out of my system, they were out of my mind as well.
Thanks for all the feed back! Keep it coming. Anyone shed weight?
January 2010 I was over 320 lbs and a complete couch potato. August 2010, I gave up recreational sugar and wheat in any form. By August 2011, I was down to 184 lbs through diet with no significant exercise. I started training in September 2012 and on January 24, 2012, I finished IMCDA.
I don’t know what all the connections are, but I know that I am better off without sucrose or wheat. i don’t really miss either. Once they got out of my system, they were out of my mind as well.
310 to 184 in a year. Damnnn. 126lbs…that’s ~ 4 less than what I weigh.
Big kudos to you for the drastic change. If only every other person had that motivation.
Thanks for all the feed back! Keep it coming. Anyone shed weight?
January 2010 I was over 320 lbs and a complete couch potato. August 2010, I gave up recreational sugar and wheat in any form. By August 2011, I was down to 184 lbs through diet with no significant exercise. I started training in September 2012 and on January 24, 2012, I finished IMCDA.
I don’t know what all the connections are, but I know that I am better off without sucrose or wheat. i don’t really miss either. Once they got out of my system, they were out of my mind as well.
WOW! Cograts on getting healthy and completing an IM!
Interesting read, but it was more dermatitis/psoriasis looking than liquid filled pimple-like blisters. Also, while your link says that the rash can appear anywhere, the areas where I got it - biceps, upper forearms and upper front thighs, are not the most common areas. I also don’t seem to have any digestive tract irritation when I do occasionally eat wheat.
My girlfriend is gluten intolerant so I have some experience with this. There are a few levels of gluten-related food issues, some of which have only been verified as medical conditions recently. In order from least serious to most: gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, and celiacs.
If you can still eat wheat without feeling terrible/bloating/getting seriously ill, then you probably have a gluten sensitivity if anything. I would say try eliminating gluten from your diet for about a month and see how you feel. If you have been having a mild reaction to gluten for some time, it can take this long just for your body to calm down and regain homeostasis per say.
If you truly are sensitive to gluten, you might not see positive results until you take away all gluten, not just big factors like bread but even trace amounts. This can be extremely tough in today’s world (it took me a long time to learn some of the minutiae of what my girlfriend could and could not eat). Here is a comprehensive list which can help you when buying food: http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html
Best of luck!
Thanks for all the feed back! Keep it coming. Anyone shed weight?
January 2010 I was over 320 lbs and a complete couch potato. August 2010,** I gave up recreational sugar** and wheat in any form. By August 2011, I was down to 184 lbs through diet with no significant exercise. I started training in September 2012 and on January 24, 2012, I finished IMCDA.
I don’t know what all the connections are, but I know that I am better off without sucrose or wheat. i don’t really miss either. Once they got out of my system, they were out of my mind as well.
your accomplishment is AWESOME and I am trying to encourage a co-worker to do the same…but I absolutely LMAO when I saw the above…sugar IS a drug and your wording couldn’t have been better…start looking out for sugar pushers on street corners and alleys…
yes I am gluten free btw and dropped 8 pounds in 3 weeks and wasn’t trying. it was mostly a bloated feeling in mid section. My energy is thru the roof. I have hyperthyroidism and am hoping this will help it. I am GF for 2 months.