Tim’s GF Approach
“To my friends at Ice Chamber, I’ve been invited to share my experience with going Gluten Free. It is a rather big subject but I hope I can convey in a short version how it has benefited me and those I know who have pursued it (independent of the IC). One of the most astonishing facts is that only 1 out of 40 people who have problems with wheat and gluten ever get diagnosed for it.
First off you don’t have to have Celiac Disease or even Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance to get the benefits of going GF. The overall biological challenge of consuming wheat and gluten is well understood and becoming more and more mainstream. The evidence of this is in how many quality GF bread, snack and baked goods companies that have come on the market recently. Whole Foods now has an entire GF section and in North Oakland there is the Mariposa Bakery that specializes in GF goods.
I studied the symptoms for a couple of years and identified several in myself. I definitely procrastinated at first because of how giving up things like pizza, pasta, sourdough and pancakes seemed an impossibility. Once I saw how many supportive products there are on the market and on the web I finally got started last June.
I committed to try it for 30 days and even gave myself an out if I couldn’t take it after 10. I prepared myself and anticipated the experience to be something like giving up smoking cold turkey. It was nothing like it. Not even close.
The first few days went quick and were made fun by trying some new combinations and substitutions. By the 4th day I noticed all kinds of changes: I slept so much better, my allergies almost completely went away and my aches, pains and recovery time from those wonderful Ice Chamber workouts shortened and my performance during the workouts improved. As a result of making my workouts better and because my body was changing its relationship to food, I lost 30 lbs in about 4 months.
As to making it through the first 10 days? and then the full 30? It made such a dramatic difference that it became one of the easiest things I’ve dealt with in life. Having said that, around the 7th or 8th month I got a little bored with some of the changes I’d made and some old cravings came up. It took a little adjusting but I found some new ways of doing things and I feel comfortably back on track.
We’re all different and you’ll all have to figure out what works best for you and your family but one thing to be aware of is that GF products are not diet foods. They can be high in calories and sugar so pay attention. Ultimately there isn’t yet a great bread substitute out there, gluten gives cakes and breads that beautiful mouthfeel and texture, but cookies, pretzels and some pastas are indistinguishable.
I found if I just come up with meals that avoid grains altogether and indulge with some of the GF products occasionally it keeps a good balance.
It wasn’t as hard as I expected it to be and seeing others enjoying the things I’ve given up is easier when I compare how I would be feeling if I was eating those things. It has been said that nothing tastes as good as being fit feels. Now I understand what that means. If it is something you are looking into and want to try I can’t encourage you enough and I wish you all the success with it.”
Blessings,
Timothy
Thank you for sharing this with us Tim. It may sound extreme for most of us, but it’s great to hear that your approach is working so well for you. Keep us posted on your progress.
Tim, I’m gonna try it for two weeks but I better not lose 30 pounds!
Tim, You are an inpiration to all of us! Your journey to better health is truly amazing. Your hard work in class (including those loud grunts!) obviously has paid off in many ways….thanks for sharing your story. Gretchen
Thanks, Tim. I’m curious. What were some of your symptoms under a gluten regime? Joe P.
Thanks for sharing Tim!! Keep up the great work!! You are an inspiration to us all
To Joe P:
Well Joe, there are actually some 200 different possible manifestations. Most of them are under the radar and attributed to other things, like arthritis, indigestion, allergies, depression or mania, eczema, being too thin or being too heavy.
Gluten is a system irritant and an inflammatory. Most people who have irritable bowel syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis and even schizophrenia have almost all their symptoms go away on a gluten free diet.
Another interesting fact that emerged through archeology and anthropology is the fact that wheat and dairy were only introduced into the human diet 10,000 years ago, before that humans lived on animal protein and vegetables. By studying bones before and after that epochal transition into domestication it has been shown that humans didn’t have osteoporosis issues with cholesterol among many other recent health challenges. It has also been shown that our skeletal structure has weakened, become smaller and our cerebral capacity has shrunk too.
There is a great book called “Dangerous Grains” and if you google the term gluten free you will see dozens of sites and companies with various takes on all of this mounting evidence.
Ultimately, you have decide for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
Best,
+
Thanks Tim for sharing your story. It’s got me thinking to check it – I need to research this a bit more for my son’s eczema