As you know, my "week" of gluten-free eating was actually only 5 days long: Monday-Friday. I wanted to eat my normal food during the half even if it wasn't GF, and I also wanted to be able to indulge afterwards with whatever I wanted!
In those five day, I eliminated all gluten from my diet. Some big switches were wheat/rye bread for rice bread, wheat tortillas for corn ones, and replacing some of my snacks foods like pretzels and crackers for gluten free versions. In terms of my energy in that period, I didn't notice any difference. Where I did see a difference, however, was on the digestive side of things. While I definitely don't suffer from Celiac's Disease, my stomach was much happier eating wheat free. Less irritable, happier bathroom trips. Getting all the innuendo folks? Talking about poo. Please don't stop following me. Just trying to be honest! This alone would be worth me eliminating most gluten from my diet. The plan right now it to eliminate wheat products, but not be so worried about cross-contamination since I don't think I'm that sensitive. I'll start reducing the amount of gluten I consume and see how I feel about eliminating it completely.
Price wise, snacks were more expensive. I think if you eat mostly unprocessed foods, this would be much easier to do. Relying on speciality items (especially here in Georgia) can be pretty expensive. But a sweet potato and some salad is naturally GF!
This all being said, on Saturday I was less that concerned about what was best for me. I just wanted goodness in my belly. Here's my bag of necessaries taken in the wee hours of the morning yesterday:
In those five day, I eliminated all gluten from my diet. Some big switches were wheat/rye bread for rice bread, wheat tortillas for corn ones, and replacing some of my snacks foods like pretzels and crackers for gluten free versions. In terms of my energy in that period, I didn't notice any difference. Where I did see a difference, however, was on the digestive side of things. While I definitely don't suffer from Celiac's Disease, my stomach was much happier eating wheat free. Less irritable, happier bathroom trips. Getting all the innuendo folks? Talking about poo. Please don't stop following me. Just trying to be honest! This alone would be worth me eliminating most gluten from my diet. The plan right now it to eliminate wheat products, but not be so worried about cross-contamination since I don't think I'm that sensitive. I'll start reducing the amount of gluten I consume and see how I feel about eliminating it completely.
Price wise, snacks were more expensive. I think if you eat mostly unprocessed foods, this would be much easier to do. Relying on speciality items (especially here in Georgia) can be pretty expensive. But a sweet potato and some salad is naturally GF!
This all being said, on Saturday I was less that concerned about what was best for me. I just wanted goodness in my belly. Here's my bag of necessaries taken in the wee hours of the morning yesterday:
I fueled with nuun and jellybeans, and had the blueberry muffin Larabar immediately after finishing. So far, all gluten-free. And then? Fro-yo and pizza. Yes, in that order. All I wanted was cold sugary goodness, so hubs humored me and we had dessert first! Also, I finally got my fro-yo price down to $4.39. I'm super proud! I got peanut butter, vanilla, and butter brickle flavors with almonds, chocolate chips, sprinkles, cherries and coconut.
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| Can you tell I needed a few bites before I could take a photo? |
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| Buyer's remorse. Does hubs have the prettier fro-yo? |
After this we booked it to Whole Foods and each got a slice of pizza--loaded with gluten and dairy but this girl knows what she wants. I most definitely wanted that pizza. Eaten within 120 seconds in the car. No pictures!
What foods do you crave after a race?
It's really different every time, but always lots of it! After a hot race I want something cold and sweet, and after a cold run usually something warm and savory.
If you eat gluten-free, what differences do you notice?
I already told you mine, now share your experiences please!
I am all about pizza & ice cream after a race! I could totally do build-your-own-froyo if we had it here!
ReplyDeleteYour yogurt looks yummy :)
ReplyDeleteSweet CeCe's just opened here. Thankfully I'm 25 minutes from town. I crave a cold dark beer after a race. Not healthy at all.
ReplyDeleteAlways craving pancakes! That fro yo looks so good too. What's your favorite flavor? Mine is pumpkin, cake batter, and egg nog
ReplyDeleteI always crave salt after a tough race. I never want the bagels and pastries and stuff they always have out. I want some chips! Or pretzels! Or pizza! Or a turkey sandwich! You get the idea :)
ReplyDeleteYour gluten free experience is really informative. I'd really like to know if I would react similarly. Just have to give it a try sometime, I guess!
I eat gluten free now. I have a gluten intolerance and as a result was having digestive problems. Not only that, but I'd feel tired, sluggish, and really dehydrated. None of those things are particularly great for someone that is active. I don't crave gluten at all now. I think that's probably mostly because I know what it does to me and I prefer feeling good and not eating gluten as opposed to feeling like I might keel over, but eating the pizza anyway. lol
ReplyDeleteDefinitely interesting to see how the gluten-free experiment affected you! :) For me, I don't have to totally eliminate gluten -- as long as I'm not ingesting boatloads of it, my tummy is just fine. Back in the day, though, when I was eating 90% carbs and most of those came from pasta and bread, I had awful digestive issues that were billed as "IBS" and disappeared for the most part when I stopped eating vast quantities of gluten -- but that was also when I married my hubs and moved across the country, so who knows.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to read! I may try to incorporate some gluten free items to see how it helps me. There is a coffee shop down the road from my house that sells gluten free granola bars that are actually pretty good!
ReplyDeleteI usually don't have a specific craving just extremly hungry all day long. But pizza is usually at the top of my list!
The best post race food I've ever been offered was WATERMELON! It was hot as Hades and I almost cried to see a whole table full of watermelon slabs. Heaven!
ReplyDeleteYou did exactly what I did after my half! For me it was Coldstone and pizza from my favorite local store at home. I don't think I ever have a specific craving after a run but I'll eat whatever I can get my hands on :) MOO.
ReplyDeleteEating gluten-free is an expensive pain-in-the-butt, haha. It's hard to commit to it when you don't have any real "symptoms" isn't it? I think I'll keep trying GF snacks and foods but won't ever let it be a GF-or-not-at-all kinda situation...
ReplyDeleteI always crave for something hot and soupy - like udon noodles or Vietnamese pho (rice noodles in beef stock).
ReplyDeleteAwesome food choices! I always seem to crave salty things after a race. The last full I ran, I ate a whole bag of Lays potato chips and the last half I ran, I ate a vegan grilled cheese sandwich! I usually fuel before and during with anything sweet and sugary!
ReplyDeleteCongrats again on an amazing race!
ahhhhhhh my 2 favorites!! fro-yo and pizza! haha! I love dessert first...definitely the way to go :) Glad you treated yourself after your awesome race!
ReplyDeleteSpecialty foods are definitely harder to come by and pricier in the south... But at least they are available. Just a few years ago, it would have been a real struggle to find anything "non-conventional" below the mason-dixon line. LOL
ReplyDeleteIf you have a Mellow Mushroom anywhere near you, they make gluten free pizza now, which I think is awesome, because pizza is definitely one of my most common cravings (I still crave non gf things even after nearly 2 years on the diet).
ReplyDeleteEating gf has done wonders for my digestion. I used to have terrible stomach problems and couldn't eat anything without extreme symptoms. I also had major eczema all over me, and that disappeared for the most part with the stomach symptoms.
I just noticed at my local health food store, today, that May is celiac awareness month here.
ReplyDeleteGoing wheat free from time to time seesm to make my system happier too!
I always want spicy Mexican food after a race!
ReplyDeleteYou survived the week! Congrats and that froyo looks so good! A gluten free week is on my to do list one of these days to see how to eat that way and see if I feel a difference :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go on completing your gluten free challenge. Did you carry that whole bag of fuel with you on the run? Where did you put it? I carried 1 small bag of sport beans in a pocket on the weekend and it really bothered me. I don't like wearing a fuel belt to race and really struggle with a place to hold my FOOD!!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! I've heard that eating GF really helps your digestive system even if you don't have Celiac's.
ReplyDeleteI always want salt salt salt after a race! Besides that, I usually have no appetite (weird). In both the races I ran this spring, I almost puked eating a banana after the race! On the other hand, 1 hour later I devoured a medium-sized dairy queen blizzard....maybe it's my food choices.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm a new follower and I love this post! I'm a huge fan of frozen yogurt :-) It's definitely something I crave while running. I also love a good salad after running.
ReplyDeleteGF makes for a very happy tummy. glad you tried it out. I usually make my own snacks because the GF snacks can be pricey, you are so right.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your race.
I wasn't really hungry at all after my half. I ate a banana and a protein shake because I knew I needed too, but I really wasn't all that hungry in general.
ReplyDeletei'm glad to read your recap and not surprised your gut responded to the GF diet with a smile. i imagined that would be the case. now, if only i were as strong! after races and long runs, i can't wait to get my big mug of coffee. even in the summer. weird?
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried GF...but am more and more thinking I need to maybe try it and see if it does 'settle' my system.
ReplyDeleteI really need to find a good fro-yo place...all of these blogs I read that have these pics are giving me wicked cravings....
Your fro yo looks yummy! I have never tried GF.
ReplyDeleteAwesome recap of your GF week. I crave anything salty after a race. I think it is kind of abnormal but I always want potatoe chips. However immediately after a race I want nothing. It usually takes me about an hour.
ReplyDeleteGluten-free week, check!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that pizza was amazing after a long race and lack of bread from the week! I agree with you on how GF made me feel...my recap will be coming shortly!
As far as my post-race cravings...SALT...anything salty! Last marathon all I wanted was refriend beans, then pizza, and then possibly a veggie burger ;)
I have Celiac Disease, and had to go GF several months ago. Gluten is in more foods than just breads & tortillas, though. It's in some ketchups, mustards, salad dressings, soft serve ice creams & yogurts, chips, french fries (McD's), grilled chicken breasts that have been processed (McDs again), veggie burgers (Morning Star Farms & Garden Burger brands), many vegetarian substitue products....the list goes on and on and on. It's mind numbing. Going to the grocery store takes much, much longer than it used to! lol
ReplyDeleteNow I am craving pizza and fro yo....I still can't get mine under five dollars ha! I crave pizza after a race and lots of chocolate milk. I have loved following your gluten-free week. You are amazing! You can talk about poo and anything else in the world and I would never stop following you:)
ReplyDeleteI dont eat GF but I just went to a GF restaurant this weekend, called Wallaby's... it was SO SO Good!!! you should look it up and see if it is in your area !!
ReplyDeletei always crave pizza and ice cream after a race/long run! i wish i had delicious frozen yogurt places like that around me!
ReplyDeletei have a few friends that eat GF and its made a huge difference for them. i haven't tried it but it seems like its worth a trial! i love how you have tried out so many ways of eating - its so interesting to read about your observations! and also impressive that you're so disciplined!
Thanks for the gluten-free report. :)
ReplyDeleteThat fro yo and pizza will always hit the spot for me! What I crave kind of depends on the weather, but the hotter it gets the more salty/cold things I crave. I also love getting a HUGE honking turkey sandwich with lots of mustard.
I do eat glutn free a lot, because my daughter has to and I try to join her. I do think the first week/month is the hardest and then it gets easier! I love eating this way, but if I was doing it to be healthy, I'd probably not buy the gluten free products and would just stick with fresh and natural foods!
ReplyDeleteStrangely, I always crave a giant, cold, ice-filled glass of Sprite after long runs. I have no idea why, but its the best thing ever!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing after a race is an In N' Out burger. But now that I live on the East coast, I'm #$%@ outta luck!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely don't eat 'GF' but my sister does (she has a gluten allergy) and eliminating it has CHANGED her life. No joke. Her skin is perfectly clear (she suffered with acne while eating gluten), she's thinner (she had a ton of bloating with gluten) and her 'bowel habits' are totally normal now (TMI, sorry). If gluten bothers you, eliminating it seems reasonable. I just don't see the point if you have no digestive issues with it!
Yes I am just not sure gluten free is for me but way to go!
ReplyDeleteAfter a race I crave different things, but after a marathon it is usually chocolate milk. Cold Chocolate Milk!
Sarah
PS we are doing an awesome giveaway on the blog, you should check it out!