arexjay

i like egg white protein powder. soy and whey don't get along well with me

El Diablo Rojo

Just had my first sandwich with gluten free bread...not good. It was rice/flax seed bread and very very dry...like eating sand.

cmh

Completely gluten free seems a bit extreme unless you have digestive issues, but I wonder if this is an all or nothing thing. It may be worth it to cut back on gluten on race day/eve and during heavy training blocks.

cmh

More mayo maybe?

El Diablo Rojo

No it's not like it was dry due to a lack of condiments. The bread itself was very dry and crumbly...the texture was almost like sand.

truckstop

We were GF for a bit, and now just watch intake.

My observations: Corn pasta is better than rice. Tastes better and has better texture. Don't bother with GF bread or pizza crust. It mostly all sucks. There are some cookies and crackers that are palatable.

Oats are ok, but make sure they're from a wheat free facility because of cross contamination. (if you're being strict).

We gave up beer for a while, and tried GF beer but just couldn't do it. Hard Cider became my replacement.

I discovered French green lentils during the GF stint and they have now become a staple. Quinoa too, but not as often.

kensuf

I just do ON pro gold whey, vanilla flavored. I can then mix it with other stuff and the vanilla doesn't overpower it.

kensuf

not all breads are equal. We're lucky to have a bakery in Tampa that does some good stuff, and the local mom & pop places carry it. You might try some of the Ezekiel breads, but I don't know which ones to recommend.

El Diablo Rojo

The more I'm reading the more this is becoming apparent. I can live without a sandwich for now. I'm only going to be strict for the first 3-4 weeks to see if I notice a real difference. After that, if I see a difference, I'll try to live a GF lifestyle but I won't let it run my life.

rankin116

Thanks, appreciate it. Problem with him is that he's young and I don't think he's taking this as seriously as I would. He was in the hospital for 4 days due to severe anemia and he needed about 4 pints of blood. Doesn't really take care of himself well, but I'll keep your offer in mind, thanks.

techlogik

Quality steel cut oats, that you need to cook for like 5-8 minutes have no gluten. They are an excellent source of extended energy carbs, plus high fiber and protein. Put some organic coconut paste in there, maybe some stevia for sweetener, all natural delicious meal.

Also, sweet potato, good fiber, carbs etc...

I have a barley allergy, everything has barley in it seemingly, breads, cereals..have to avoid that for the most part, which ends up making my diet gluten free mostly.

Good luck...doesn't hurt to try it and see how you feel.

Fat Boy

Huh? Do you know some brand I don't? I get old-fashioned oatmeal for everyday use, which takes about 3-4 minutes and steel-cut for when I have the time that takes 20-30 minutes. Is there something in between?

Greg180

Try putting it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. I do this with some GL/F items we use. Were use to the "fat" in products and the smoothness.

cmh

Right. I get that the bread was the cause, but I thought maybe you could overcome it with liberal use of condiments. Sounds like it is best to avoid GF bread altoghter.

esammuli

I usually put steel cut oats in a slow cooker before I go to bed. It's tasty and super convenient in the morning when I'm still half asleep.

dsotm

There are two reasons why people with celiac often avoid oats. The first is that the protein in oats is very similar to gluten. The second is that oats are very often processed in the same facilities as wheat, so there is quite often cross contamination.

As for good GF pasta, my favorite can be bought here:

https://www.quinoa.net/106.html

Other good sources are maifun noodles (check the ingredients though) and Pad Thai (ditto). Both of those are often simply made of rice and can be incorporated into various asian cooking very well.

Fat Boy

That's a great way to do it, but our slow cooker is the size of a bathtub, so I only get to do this when I have some other people to eat it with me. I suppose I could splurge the $10 and buy a small slow cooker. That would take some foresight, though.

tkos

I have been reading about gluten intolerance issues lately and some folks are tracing it back to the way bread is made in modern times. Flour have been enriched and changed to produce bread more quickly, thereby not properly allowing the proteins in the bread to break down properly before we eat them. I have certainly found fewer issues since making my own bread and using sour dough starter and organic flours (white, whole wheat, spelt and other grains). It takes me 2 days to make a loaf of bread. Of course this is not hands on time, but rather letting the dough do most of the work and coming back occasionally.

I would suggest for the first 3-4 week trial period that you try almost completely grain free, though. That way you can rule it out quickly. If your systems lessen then start to add various grains back in and see how that goes. With diet, slow and long term are generally needed to see any real results.

Seeds and nuts can also be hard to digest and if your system isn't 100% can lead to issues. I would almost suggest for the short term eliminating most of them as well. And sugar, at least highly refined sugar. It is also a potential gastrointestinal hardship. Get your sweet from fruits in the near term.

Sticking to a high veggie and lean meat diet over the next bit could certainly help you determine if diet is something you can play with and make a difference.

jcpups608

Van's gluten free waffles(I like the blueberry ones) are great by any standard, not just gluten free.
Bard's gluten free beer is relatively good.
Quinoa pasta seems to be the most tolerable.

El Diablo Rojo

This is duly noted!

I'm quite surprised by the response to this thread..I would have never guessed that so many racers subscribed to GF diet.

sounddevisor

Hey, EDR -

I'm a fellow UC sufferer - actually, we talked about it a bit here on BF a few years ago. I've been experimenting with going gluten free (or gluten reduced), and for me it has been very helpful in general, and it does specifically seem to have helped minimize my symptoms of UC.

It hasn't really been a problem for me getting enough carbs - there seem to be a lot of gluten-free options these days, I think people are becoming much more aware of how common it is to be gluten-intolerant, even if you don't have celiac disease. Of course, I do live in NYC where places are pretty used to catering to everyone's neurotic needs, so that probably helps too :-)

As far as specific foods - there are a lot of gluten-free breakfast cereals - some (but not all) of the Barbara's Puffins varieties, a bunch of the Nature's Path cereals - if you have a Whole Foods or some other health food store near you they should stock many of them. For pasta, I have mostly been disappointed but there is a brand called Bionaturae - their gluten-free pasta is excellent, it's the only one I've found that you could mistake for "real" pasta. There is a company called Glutino which makes a whole range of gluten-free stuff - the pretzels are really good, and the crackers are excellent. Baked goods are the hardest thing to find reasonable gluten-free substitutes for - desserts and things can be pretty good, but I have yet to find an acceptable bread-like product. I think the problem is that bread really depends on gluten to create the structure - the air pockets and bubbles that make it bread rather than a cracker. Every GF bread I have tried has been dry and just plain nasty!

One other piece of advice - I think someone earlier in the thread mentioned choosing corn-based over rice-based, maybe in regard to pasta. Too much corn can lead to constipation, so you might want to keep an eye on your balance of corn-based to rice-based until you see how your system reacts.

Good luck, and let us know how the experiment goes! Also, everybody else, keep those GF suggestions coming - I'm always looking for more good GF products.

- sounddevisor

ZeCanon

I grew up with a dad who had a full-on wheat allergy, before Celiacs became a "thing," as well as complete lactose intolerance and an egg yolk allergy. In other words, we ate pretty close to "Paleo" just because he couldn't eat anything even remotely processed. This was before gluten free aisles and the like.

I still try to maintain that diet. Every time I binge on pasta or similar I feel and ride like crap. I have a thing for bagels though. Carbs come from a lot of potatoes and rice, and some corn. Lots of fish and birds. Fruit as ride food, or oat bars. Muesli or granola for breakfast. No straight milk (almond milk always), but a decent amount of dairy in the form of cheese and yoghurt.

Eat well to ride well. It can be a bit more expensive (particularly if your'e vegetarian or vegan) but definitely worth it.

Enthalpic

EDR I’ve found a molecular mechanism that gives credence to your little experiment.
They have found antibodies against a gluten peptide in people who have both CD and UC (which is fairly common) and in people who have UC alone. This immune response damages the tight junctions leading to “leaky gut syndrome” and inflammation.

High frequency of antigliadin antibodies and absence of antireticulin and antiendomysium antibodies in patients with ulcerative colitis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204612

Inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease: overlaps in the pathology and genetics, and their potential drug targets.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19519468

Associations with tight junction genes PARD3 and MAGI2 in Dutch patients point to a common barrier defect for coeliac disease and ulcerative colitis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17989107

MDcatV

this GF stuff sounds like too much of a pain in the ass (no pun intended).

and, i've never had a gluten free baked good (of any kind) that was, well, good.

vladav

EDR, I noticed your peanut butter energy bar recipe. PeanutButter has some strong antibacterial properties within the gut - you might consider substituting Almond butter, Sunflower butter, cashew etc...


best,
and great thread btw