Gluten Free....

[Fievel]

Hey all:

For the last couple years I was dealing with a lot of problems with migraines....I knew certain things were triggers...beer, barley, etc. I could not have any of those things without having a massive headache a few hours later.

Within the last few months, I was having weird skin reactions, and my whole face would break out in hives, and my eyes would swell shut like I was in a fight.

After careful tracking of what may have caused it, I came to the conclusion I had a problem with gluten. I saw my Dr. and he confirmed my fears, and stated that I should immediately go to a gluten-free diet.

I've been gluten free about a week now, and I feel a ton better already. I haven't done any runs longer than 5 miles since the drastic change in diet, but I don't generally feel too different (yet).

Should I expect a change as I get into longer distances? Can anybody who has dealt with this help me out and give me some pointers as to how I can get carbs without the usual suspects (Breads, pasta)?

This is all new for me, so thanks for understanding.

 

[fruitfruit]

Hey all:

For the last couple years I was dealing with a lot of problems with migraines....I knew certain things were triggers...beer, barley, etc. I could not have any of those things without having a massive headache a few hours later.

Within the last few months, I was having weird skin reactions, and my whole face would break out in hives, and my eyes would swell shut like I was in a fight.

After careful tracking of what may have caused it, I came to the conclusion I had a problem with gluten. I saw my Dr. and he confirmed my fears, and stated that I should immediately go to a gluten-free diet.

I've been gluten free about a week now, and I feel a ton better already. I haven't done any runs longer than 5 miles since the drastic change in diet, but I don't generally feel too different (yet).

Should I expect a change as I get into longer distances? Can anybody who has dealt with this help me out and give me some pointers as to how I can get carbs without the usual suspects (Breads, pasta)?

This is all new for me, so thanks for understanding.

I was literally about to post on this very subject. I have less severe issues with gluten and I feel much better without it, but I am a little worried about what to eat before running. In addition to not being able to eat bananas, now I can't even have a bagel before a race!

I like to have a snack before I run, so I have been doing a Larabar or a Kind bar before, which are totally gluten free and really yummy. This has been working for me.

As for the pasta, I have tried a few of the gluten free brands and they are pretty good. My favorite are the brown rice versions at Trader Joe's. I tried a Barilla gluten free one and it tasted fine, but it smells....weird. However, when you put sauce on it you don't notice it.

For bread, the best ones I have tried are things from the Udi's brand if I really have a strong craving for bread. Their bagels are pretty good. But honestly, I have just been avoiding bread altogether because it is totally not the same in the gluten free form.

 

[mcurtiss]

A recent Cook's Illustrated has an article about "The World's Best Gluten Free Pizza Dough". worth checking out as it tell you how to make gluten free flour

 

[LindsayLoves]

I don't know much about gluten free living but a product I would endorse without a thought are Picky Bars (pickybars.com). I use them for fuel pre-run (almost all distances) and post-long run for re-fueling as they have a great 4:1 carb to protein ratio. They are my go to for training and races.

Edited to add: they are super yummy and I like them enough I get 18 auto-delivered to my house each month. I REALLY like them.

 

[dreamfinder]

I think you may be surprised at how you can get your carbs naturally. One of the biggest advantages I can think of to having to go GF is that alot of the preprocessed/packaged foods we usually rely on for food aren't an option any more. It may take a little more effort, but going the route of fresh foods that you prepare yourself will end up working out fairly well. Experimenting with different flours may surprise you. Chickpea, tapioca, rice, quinoa and other flours all make decent substitutes, just with a different resulting quality to the baked good.

For the GF prepared foods though, definitely be prepared to go through alot of trial and error until you find foods that you like. My DM's pantry is full of GF crackers and stuff that taste pretty nasty. In my experience it seems like 1 out of 6 GF products will be pretty tasty. You can definitely find GF free baked goods, my DM usually does GF zucchini bread before her runs, it's kind of weird to see her pulling out a loaf of bread at WDW for breakfast.

Side note, product I tried a month ago that is cookies from Liz Lovely. (Site here -> http://lizlovely.com) Pretty darn cookies, especially for being GF. A bit pricey, but that seems to be the reality for GF prepared foods.