The Grand Experiment!

So, I'm a scientific person.  Just because you take one intervention and you see a change, doesn't imply direct causation.  This is what I was thinking with how amazing I had been feeling lately.  Yes, I had gone gluten-free... but was this why I was feeling great?  What happens if I eat a bit of wheat?

And so came the grand experiment!  We were heading off for the Hornets' homecoming game on Saturday- Sacramento State University versus Eastern Washington University.  Here is what I ate throughout the day:

A delicious McChicken.  Burgers you can have lettuce wrapped, or even with a GF bun, but with a McChicken there's still the spicy, moist, breaded chicken patty. It was a fantastic indulgence.  Did I mention it's only a buck?  That's value, my friends.

This was my meal during the game.  Tri tip sandwich with plenty of barbecue sauce.  It came with a side of beans and potato salad that I didn't really eat.  I enjoyed the smoky goodness of the meat most of all.

This wasn't exactly the highlight of my gluten indulgence, but it was night to not have to ration and savor each drop, like I do with my sorghum beer.

The result?  It't not really super dramatic. Minimal digestive distress, no humongous lupus flare.  The only thing I really noticed was that the following morning (Sunday) I was cranky, lethargic, and cranky (it needed to be said twice, I was a bit of a bitch to Kevin).  It wasn't until I got on my bike that I really noticed a big difference.  Weeks past, my knees moved easily as I pedaled- and typically I could go for at least an hour. But after wheatie-funsies on Saturday, I just couldn't really get moving, it just felt tight and forced.  Needless to say, I did not burn many calories.

So, am I actually gluten-intolerant?  Probably not.  But I feel much healthier when I'm leaving it out of my diet, and I still haven't had a flare since I started.  I think the best thing is that I know I won't die if I cave into my McChicken craving every once in awhile.  I'll just have to expect that I won't be rocking it in the motivation department afterwards.

Perhaps all of us would benefit from cutting back on wheat, though.  Maybe you would have more energy, bounce out of bed a bit faster, increase your time on the treadmill.  Wheat may not even be what's dragging you down- what about sweets, processed foods, or red meat?

Food for thought.  Happy Monday, everyone!  Being off the gluten again, I got in a walk, pilates at PT, 30 minutes on the elliptical, and a bit of the P90X Core Synergistics video (just enough to know I won't be able to hack it).

Any thoughts on possible changes to your lifestyle?