Gluten Free - My Experience

I did it!  I am done!  Can I have some cake?  Pizza? Anything???  I spent the month of September practicing a gluten free lifestyle.  I wanted to see what effect no gluten would have on my  body.  I did admittedly cheat one weekend - I was with family, didn't prepare, and had a moment of weakness.  I could have blamed it on PMS......

So, how do I feel?  I feel fine, not much different than before.  My cheat weekend, which I positioned as a test to see the effect of gluten consumption after 2 weeks of no gluten, showed me that I do have some side effects to consuming gluten - body aches.  If I consumed it everyday, I imagine that would intensify and multiply.

The upside: I have sensitive knees; I refuse to have bad knees at 36.  I cannot remember having any knee issues during workouts or rocking heels in the month of September.  I work out 4-5 times per week - so that is huge for me.

The downside: gluten free does not mean carb free, low carb, or healthy.  I found myself eating high carb foods that are not part of my normal lifestyle - because they were gluten free.  Needless to say, no weight loss.  My general eating habit is low carb and the "good stuff" in moderation.

Overall, I think trying gluten free is beneficial to anyone who doesn't feel 100% everyday.  You never know how you will feel until you try.  I would encourage you to really think about what you want to eat and prepare for it. Otherwise you will find yourself hungry and pacing the kitchen reminding yourself of all the things that are at your fingertips that you cannot eat.  Be very aware of the gluten free food you are eating - carbs are not a friend to your waistline.  If you generally eat good whole foods (lean meats, fruits and veggies), not the boxed almost done stuff, you are 90% there.  

I would love to know your experiences, tips, tricks, and recipes!

BodyNista