Going Gluten Free

Over the past month, I have made the transition to a gluten free diet. Not because I have a gluten allergy, but because of some issues I have been having with my body.  Back in 2007, I had an MRI on my back and was diagnosed with degeneration of L4/5.  The pain in the back eventually went away, but this past October it the pain came back with a vengeance!  From October until January, I tried about everything to reduce the pain. Slept on a piece of plywood, inversion table, yoga, stretching, dry needling, PT, and probably a few other things I can't recall.

My PT, Jon Davison, at ProActive recommended I get an epidural. He referred me over to the Integrative Pain Center next door.  I chatted with the doc about all the issues I have had over the past few years, including my back.  He was on board with the epidural, but he suggested I try a few other things. The first was a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods.  For those that know me well, this is something I already do.  The second thing was trying a gluten free diet.  At first I was hesitant, but I told him I would look into it.  With that discussion over, we scheduled an MRI to rule out any major issues prior to the epidural.  Within a few days I was back in getting the epidural.

Over the next few days after the epidural, I started reading up on endurance athletes that have gone gluten free.  The first article I came across was "Should You Become A Gluten Free Athlete" by Caitlan Chock.  There isn't a lot of scientific data in the article, but it does talk about top athletes that have made the switch with great success.  The biggest benefit of the gluten free diet is reducing the amount of inflammation that is in the body, but that isn't the only benefit! I will discuss more about that below.

After reading the article, I started searching for gluten free options of the foods I like and come to find out I already eat a diet low in gluten, but not completely void of gluten.  Since it wasn't going to be a huge deal to switch, I decided to make the switch on February 8th and haven't looked back!  Working from home made the switch even easier, but I have traveled a few times since the 8th and found it easy to eat gluten free on the road.  Most restaurants have gluten free menus, but if they don't most will have gluten free options on their menu.

Foods I eat on a regular basis....
Quino
Sweet Potatoes
Rice (White & Brown)
Gluten free pancakes (They are actually really good!)
Fruits (Bananas, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, rasberries)
Veggies (kale, collard greens, spinach, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, beets, avocados)
Oils (EVO, Grapeseed, Coconut)
Eggs
Chicken
Fish
Steak
Coconut Milk
Almond Milk
Cashews
Almonds
Walnuts


Have I felt different since I went gluten free?  Going gluten free requires you to make better choices when it comes to food.  Most processed foods and junk food contain gluten. I wasn't a big junk food guy to begin with, but this really helps keep me away from it when I have cravings.  I now eat cleaner and healthier than I ever have before.  This will hopefully lead to better performance, recovery, and overall health!

If you want your body to perform like a formula one race car you have to fuel with nutrient rich foods!  Ask yourself this each time you reach for that unhealthy item.  "Will this help me reach my goals?"  If the answer is no, put it down!  It takes commitment and can be hard at times, but if you are serious about reaching your goals whatever those may be you will stick to it.  There is a reason that America is fat, and that is because it is EASY to eat horrible.

Happy eating!