{"id":12550,"date":"2011-01-04T11:02:42","date_gmt":"2011-01-04T16:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/?p=12550"},"modified":"2020-01-28T11:54:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T16:54:00","slug":"gluten-free-grain-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/gluten-free-grain-free\/","title":{"rendered":"What's All the Fuss About Gluten-Free and Grain-Free?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy not-so-New Year!\u00a0 Was my last post really in 2010?\u00a0 Yes it was.\u00a0 And 4-Hour Body<\/a> author Tim Ferriss put it on his Facebook page<\/a> and tweeted it, which was awesome.<\/p>\n

If that’s how you found the site, great.\u00a0 Maybe you can chime in and help me with something.<\/p>\n

The unsexy gluten-free rage<\/h3>\n

\"\"Gluten-free and grain-free strike me as just about the most boring diet premises one could dream up.\u00a0 Especially for vegetarians, for whom grain is one of the last bastions of comforting, cooked food, nixing it sounds terribly unappealing.<\/p>\n

So the fact that everyone (including top endurance athletes) is talking about getting the grain out of their diets has left has me thinking that maybe there’s something to it.\u00a0 Drastic improvements in endurance and recovery, perhaps?<\/p>\n

Grain-free is a central premise of the Paleo diet, and one that requires no modification in my vegetarian version of Paleo<\/a>.\u00a0 Among the other credible sources in my universe who advocate low-gluten or low-grain: Brendan Brazier<\/a>, Rich Roll<\/a>, Tim Ferriss<\/a>, and Brian MacKenzie of CrossFit Endurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the case of gluten, a protein composite primarily found in wheat, the main rationale for avoiding it is that it’s difficult for our bodies to process it.\u00a0 Wheat allergies and Celiac’s disease<\/a> are the extreme cases, but proponents of a low-gluten diet say that wheat is an inflammatory in everyone, and it can slow us down and cause weight gain.<\/p>\n

Why I’m not yet a No-Wheat Athlete<\/h3>\n

Only in the past few months have I really started listening to any of them.\u00a0 I’ve reduced my wheat intake to the point where it’s a cheat food, something I’ll eat only on binge days.\u00a0 (Spelt pasta is a nearly indiscernible alternative to whole wheat, spaghetti freaks. [UPDATE: Spelt is actually a form of wheat — so not gluten free, but I still think it’s healthier than most whole-wheat products.)<\/p>\n

But I’m hesitant to give up other grains.\u00a0 I mean, brown rice?\u00a0 That’s an absolute staple for me.\u00a0 (My latest snack\/meal obsession: brown rice, avocado, Bragg’s amino acids, and lime juice.)\u00a0 Even quinoa, not technically a grain but a seed, is banished under the strictest plans.<\/p>\n

But that’s the not biggest problem.\u00a0 When I get to the point where I’m convinced that my long-term health or performance as an ultrarunner can be improved with a diet change, I’m usually pretty good at exacting that change.\u00a0 (Coffee being a notable blemish on my record.)\u00a0 That’s why I went vegetarian, and why I’m tending recently towards vegan.<\/p>\n

No, the problem isn’t that it’s too hard.\u00a0 The problem is that I’m just not convinced.\u00a0 I can’t truthfully say that I’ve noticed a single benefit since cutting out the wheat.\u00a0 In fact, I’ve just found it harder to fill the plate with enough calories.<\/p>\n

I’m hoping a few success stories will inspire me and others to stick with it, or that enough stories of failure will convince me that it’s not for everyone.\u00a0 So that’s what I’d like to hear from you about.<\/p>\n

Have you experienced significant changes in your energy levels, your endurance or strength, or y0ur recovery time since going gluten-free or grain-free?\u00a0 And while I understand the idea that gluten is an inflammatory agent in our bodies, what’s the deal with gluten-free grains?\u00a0 What’s the rationale for avoiding them?<\/p>\n

Grain-free cannellini bean curry<\/h2>\n

\"\"While we’re talking grain-free, here’s a recipe for a fantastic dish I made for the second time last night.\u00a0 It’s grain-free, not on purpose really, it just happens to be that way.\u00a0 It can accompany rice or naan if you like, but I’ve served it alongside broccoli or spinach.<\/p>\n

I’d classify it as non-spicy Indian, which is one reason it’s one of my wife’s favorite dishes we’ve had recently.\u00a0 It’s from Anjum’s New Indian<\/em>, and (sadly) it will be the last recipe I can post from that book.\u00a0 But up next is Vegetarian Times’ Everything Vegan<\/em>, so have no fear.<\/p>\n

This curry uses cannellini beans, which is slightly odd-seeming since “cannellini” doesn’t exactly sound Indian.\u00a0 But it works, and that’s sort of what makes Anjum’s book unique; for example, you might remember the black-eyed pea curry<\/a> recipe I posted a while back.<\/p>\n

A few other notes: If you don’t have asafoetida, Anjum says you can skip it.\u00a0 It’s mainly a digestive aid.\u00a0 And if you don’t have curry leaves, she often recommends substituting basil leaves, so that’s what I did here.\u00a0 I also added a little bit of lemon juice before serving.<\/p>\n

Give this one a try.\u00a0 It has a very subtle, coconuty and lightly sweet flavor.\u00a0 Which of course I had to lay waste to with a big pinch of cayenne pepper.\u00a0 Just how I roll, I suppose.<\/p>\n

From Anjum’s New Indian<\/em>, Anjum Anand, John Wiley and Sons, 2008<\/p>\n

Serves 4-6<\/strong><\/p>\n