Gluten and I seem to get along pretty well. I mean, I don’t eat the best, but for the most part I don’t get “bothered” by too many foods.
Will reducing or eliminating gluten do anything for me?
If you are curious, try eliminating it for 30 days and see if anything changes. Do a search on marksdailyapple.com if you want to spend a few hours reading about this issue.
I was born with gluten intolerance that was not diagnosed as celiacs disease (I always vomited after eating it). By age 8 I was eating gluten without problems. Now (at age 38) I have eczema and a some stomach issues and wonder if they might have a relationship to gluten. Sadly, I do not have the discipline to give it up for more than a week without pigging out on pizza, beer, burritos, or whatever other gluten temptation is easily available.
I am not intolerant and didnt ‘think’ I had any symptoms, but after a food allergy test found out that I did indeed have a sensitivity to it. I have cut a number of things out of my diet based on the results and wouldnt be able to pinpoint exactly what eliminating it fixed, but I feel a whole lot better, have more energy, have lost weight etc. I cant think of any reasons why it would be bad for you? Instead of filling up on bread, it leaves more room in your diet for other things … hopefully fresh fruits, vegetables and GF grains like quinoa. I found out after that food allergy test that Im allergic to nuts, dairy, beef … all sorts of things that I never thought I had any reaction to, but I feel tons better since cutting all of it out. How that relates to training, performance, recovery … no idea yet, but will find out soon enough.
Gluten and I seem to get along pretty well. I mean, I don’t eat the best, but for the most part I don’t get “bothered” by too many foods.
Will reducing or eliminating gluten do anything for me?
It’s possible. Eating a ton of refined and processed starches is not particularly healthy. “White flour” is not exactly rife with health benefits. So from that standpoint, replacing pasta with something like a sweet potato or quinoa is simply about eating more nutritious foods.
Also, foods that contain gluten - or perhaps more simply for your particular case, anything made with regular wheat flour - tend to require a lot of water to digest. Heading out for a long run, you may just feel better without a belly full of pancakes and all the liquid you’ll need to break them down. I’ve never understood the idea of a “carbo-dinner” before a race. I can’t think of anything I’d want to eat less than massive bowl-fulls of pasta. Why would you want to carry all that extra weight one race day?
You need to do it! All the cool kids are doing it, so get on the bandwagon, there’s still plenty of room!
Gluten and I seem to get along pretty well. I mean, I don’t eat the best, but for the most part I don’t get “bothered” by too many foods.
Will reducing or eliminating gluten do anything for me?
It’s possible. Eating a ton of refined and processed starches is not particularly healthy. “White flour” is not exactly rife with health benefits. So from that standpoint, replacing pasta with something like a sweet potato or quinoa is simply about eating more nutritious foods.
Also, foods that contain gluten - or perhaps more simply for your particular case, anything made with regular wheat flour - tend to require a lot of water to digest. Heading out for a long run, you may just feel better without a belly full of pancakes and all the liquid you’ll need to break them down. I’ve never understood the idea of a “carbo-dinner” before a race. I can’t think of anything I’d want to eat less than massive bowl-fulls of pasta. Why would you want to carry all that extra weight one race day? If you don’t mind my asking (just curious), what’s a typical pre-race dinner for you (if you do have a “pre-race” version)?
Yes, you should read the book “Wheat Belly”.
Ben Greenfield
As someone else mentioned, you really don’t know until you try. It’s my limited understanding, but you really need to try it for at least 30 days. Reducing gluten won’t do anything for you. You have to let the lining of your stomach completely heal before you reintroduce gluten into your diet.
I am currently on a self-experiment. I went gf on Nov.1. I didn’t have an known sensitivity prior to the decision, I was just curious. I went 50 days and then I went gluten crazy – donut, pasta, burrito. Things that were in my normal diet. I didn’t wake up in fetal position the next morning with stomach pain. But it did create irregularity in my system for about 4 days.
Is that enough to keep me gf and deal with the extra planning and willpower needed (panera never smelled so good)? I don’t know. I am still gf. I also plan on eating gluten again in a few weeks to retest how I feel. Then I can better evaluate whether I should keep the lifestyle or not.
So give it a try. The hardest part is planning ahead and avoiding temptations (beer, pastry, bread).
Just to get it out of the way I am a PhD student in the lab of a CD expert.
You will get a lot of information on the internet telling you that gluten is bad for everyone and that no one should be eating gluten but their is not any real scientific evidence to back up that claim. But the science behind that thinking is that within the protein gluten there are parts of the protein that indigestible by our stomach acids and intestinal enzymes. So in a sense gluten itself does not do that body any “good”.
As Jordan eluded to in a reply to the article on the homepage there is a big difference between CD and gluten sensitivity/intolerance. As long as you can be certain that you are not celiac, eliminating gluten will not have any adverse affects. In the end its comes down to QOL. Will you QOL go up enough eliminating beer/pizza/bread to justify not being able to eat those foods?
It’s definitely worth giving it a go. There’s a lot of theories out there linking gluten to other diseases. I was diagnosed with alopecia areata a couple years ago and read in a study that there was a connection between gluten and alopecia. After losing all the hair on my head and most of my body this past summer I switched to eating gf (with a couple of relapses here and there; I’m in college and beer is soooo accessible) and haven’t noticed an improvement in my condition since but I have noticed my digestion and overall well being is a lot better. Whenever I mess up and eat a product with gluten I definitely notice a reaction from my body.
So I say give it a shot.
I am not intolerant and didnt ‘think’ I had any symptoms, but after a food allergy test found out that I did indeed have a sensitivity to it. I have cut a number of things out of my diet based on the results and wouldnt be able to pinpoint exactly what eliminating it fixed, but I feel a whole lot better, have more energy, have lost weight etc. I cant think of any reasons why it would be bad for you? Instead of filling up on bread, it leaves more room in your diet for other things … hopefully fresh fruits, vegetables and GF grains like quinoa. I found out after that food allergy test that Im allergic to nuts, dairy, beef … all sorts of things that I never thought I had any reaction to, but I feel tons better since cutting all of it out. How that relates to training, performance, recovery … no idea yet, but will find out soon enough.
That is cool to hear, and may get me to have a test done. I have eliminated nearly all grains except rice (because I am poor) from my diet. Honestly I have not noticed any difference except being able to eat a much higher volume of food at the same daily caloric intake. I am losing some weight (which was the original goal of cutting out wheat) so that is great.
Did you have the test done at a clinic?
I am reading Wheat Belly and it’s quite good, I am taking “notes” here: http://www.runningonthewhiteline.com/2012/01/wheat-belly-notes.html
I’ve noticed better energy going on week 6, biggest downside is booze. With no huge carbs in your system while drinking you get messed up fast! I’m talkin GlutenFree beer or Vodka etc. Thats the only downside I’ve seen so far.
Possible benefits don’t outweigh what your taste buds have to give up.
Possible benefits don’t outweigh what your taste buds have to give up.
Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels
.
Worst. Fad. Ever.
I am not intolerant and didnt ‘think’ I had any symptoms, but after a food allergy test found out that I did indeed have a sensitivity to it. I have cut a number of things out of my diet based on the results and wouldnt be able to pinpoint exactly what eliminating it fixed, but I feel a whole lot better, have more energy, have lost weight etc. I cant think of any reasons why it would be bad for you? Instead of filling up on bread, it leaves more room in your diet for other things … hopefully fresh fruits, vegetables and GF grains like quinoa. I found out after that food allergy test that Im allergic to nuts, dairy, beef … all sorts of things that I never thought I had any reaction to, but I feel tons better since cutting all of it out. How that relates to training, performance, recovery … no idea yet, but will find out soon enough.
That is cool to hear, and may get me to have a test done. I have eliminated nearly all grains except rice (because I am poor) from my diet. Honestly I have not noticed any difference except being able to eat a much higher volume of food at the same daily caloric intake. I am losing some weight (which was the original goal of cutting out wheat) so that is great.
Did you have the test done at a clinic?
I am reading Wheat Belly and it’s quite good, I am taking “notes” here: http://www.runningonthewhiteline.com/...eat-belly-notes.html
I had the test performed at an integrative medicine center, I think it was the Ig90 test that is described here: http://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/General_Physiology/An_Athlete_s_Guide_to_Advanced_Nutrition_Testing_2283.html
I also had the Spectracell test done for micronutrient testing: http://www.spectracell.com/mnt/
Worst. Fad. Ever.
If youre doing it just to do it, then maybe, but I would argue that a significant number of people have an insensitivity that they are unaware.
Yes, you should read the book “Wheat Belly”.
Ben Greenfield
Wheat Belly is a great read and has a lot of sound advice in it. Where it fails, imo, is the arguments the author makes against legumes & fruit. But it is nonetheless a great place to start gathering information on going gluten free.
Gluten and I seem to get along pretty well. I mean, I don’t eat the best, but for the most part I don’t get “bothered” by too many foods.
Will reducing or eliminating gluten do anything for me?
It’s possible. Eating a ton of refined and processed starches is not particularly healthy. “White flour” is not exactly rife with health benefits. So from that standpoint, replacing pasta with something like a sweet potato or quinoa is simply about eating more nutritious foods.
Also, foods that contain gluten - or perhaps more simply for your particular case, anything made with regular wheat flour - tend to require a lot of water to digest. Heading out for a long run, you may just feel better without a belly full of pancakes and all the liquid you’ll need to break them down. I’ve never understood the idea of a “carbo-dinner” before a race. I can’t think of anything I’d want to eat less than massive bowl-fulls of pasta. Why would you want to carry all that extra weight one race day? If you don’t mind my asking (just curious), what’s a typical pre-race dinner for you (if you do have a “pre-race” version)?
Don’t really have a “typical,” as I try not to get too locked into something that isn’t always available. Breakfast is ALWAYS the same, but I bring all my breakfast stuff with me. For dinner, chicken and rice is pretty common as an example. Some protein, some starches, I usually will add some butter or coconut oil to the rice to get fat. Try to keep it balanced and not get too much fiber is really my only goal.
Wheat Belly is a great read and has a lot of sound advice in it. Where it fails, imo, is the arguments the author makes against legumes & fruit. But it is nonetheless a great place to start gathering information on going gluten free.
Agreed.
Ben Greenfield