So for years I’ve been battling exercise-induced anaphylaxis (allergies). A real bitch but something I’ve learned to cope with. As I’ve upped the intensity of my workouts recently and started eating a lot more I’ve had a couple of bad reactions. After going for a run I actually felt my throat swell and tried to work past it until it got to the point where I was wheezing and about ready to pass out. So I talked to a doc and figured out that a reaction to wheat could be part of the problem. Sure enough after cutting wheat out my reactions have been minimal and I haven’t had to cut a workout short.
Obviously this has caused a major diet change. Oatmeal is out as breakfast, which is killing me because it was a major staple before. So far I’ve replaced it with hashbrowns, but there’s got to be a better choice out there. I’ve heard about quinoa and I’m considering that but I’m wondering about preparation and the nutritional value of eating it raw. Any other ideas? It’s been a lot of potatoes and rice lately.
On the plus side it’s gotten a lot easier to eat clean. It takes a lot less will power to avoid pizza when you know you’ll look like a red-faced version of the Michilin man next time you have to do anything mildly athletic.
I am allergic to wheat and it is in everything. Also allergic to corn, which is also in everything. Pay close attention to what you eat and you should notice good changes.
Yeah it is harder to find foods to eat, I stick to a basic fruit / veggie / meat diet. No bread products, crackers, pastas (I fib on this one, I love me some pasta, even if it kills me later. I have tried rice based pastas, but they didn’t do it for me. You might want to look into it though. Also Buckwheat and millet, both are not wheat.) beer, etc etc, I am sure you know.
There are a TON of websites out there concerning wheat allergies and I am sure you can find some good sources for recipes to make the foods you can eat more exciting.
Good luck and I am glad you found out.
Amazing how much better you can feel when you remove the foods you are allergic to from your diet.
Speaking of tests (sorry for hijack) i was wondering what would you guys recommend for food allergy/sensitivity tests ? the price is not a concern for me
i have read that ELISA tests or tests measuring immunoglobulin levels from injesting foods are fairly accurate (or are these the same tests ?)
i have eliminated the noticable ones for me like wheat, soy, lactose and garlic (too bad because it’s in many spices) but there could be many more minor ones causing some inflammation
I have buddy thats allergic to wheat too, he eats Ezekiel loaf and rice flour bread to get part of his carbs in. He’s my pusher man when it comes to my Ezekiel loaf.
Quinoa is very good. You just have to boil water and dump it in and wait for it all to absorb the water. (only 5-10 minutes). I like to use a veggie medley w/ chicken mixed in with quinoa. mmmm
I’m not allergic to gluten itself, and thank god because life without the occasional brew would be dire, but wheat specifically and only when combined with exercise or anything else that raises my body temperature. The past week or so going wheat-free has been working pretty well. Still no significant allergies despite pushing myself damn hard.
Thanks for all the advice guys, I’ll be grabbing some quinoa on the next grocery shop. It seems to be right around par to good old oatmeal in terms of GI so it shouldn’t be a bad breakfast alternative I think.