You may remember that on November 4th, I committed to going grain free for 30 days. Many of you have inquired about how it’s gong, so I figured I’d provide a quick update today.
It’s going…well…normal. I feel strong now, and I felt strong before. My energy level is stable, and I’m rarely hungry. I haven’t been sleeping enough, but that’s likely due to a high intake of black coffee rather than my recent experiment. Net-net, I’m pleased with my approach. I have zero cravings for the few grains I’ve cut out. A large part of my success has to do with how I’ve replaced them.
Many people read “grain free” and commit to the challenge but without the right mindset. Just take a look at the sheer amount of heavily marketed junk foods with labels boldly proclaiming their lack of gluten and sugar. Remember, whenever a package advertises what it lacks (whether gluten, sugar, fat or anything else), it’s not mentioning what was added in. Fat free products are heavily injected with additional sugars to make them taste good. Grain free products may contain tons of chemicals, sodium and cheap fats. The removal of any substance inherently means more processing and moving farther away from real, whole foods. Going this route because you don’t want to “deprive yourself” is unquestionably worse than leaving the grains in your diet. From 100daysofrealfood.com:
Processed foods are an illusion, often appearing to be healthy (with claims like low fat, low carb, vitamin fortified, no trans fat, contains omega-3s, etc.) when these foods are in fact the very thing making a lot of Americans unhealthy, sick, and fat.
Instead, I used this challenge as motivation to remove one of the few processed foods I was still including in my daily meals. I’m essentially eating no refined sugar now, in addition to no grains. Instead, I’m getting those calories from extra fruit and veggies like persimmons, berries, apples and cabbage. I’m also devouring an extra yam daily. I’m generally proud of my routine.
Were my two daily slices of Ezekial bread killing me? Of course not. However, I’m always on the lookout for areas in which I can optimize my intake. I do love the challenge of setting a nutritional goal and getting after it. I committed to thirty days. Specifying that time period was important. From runnersworld.com:
Goals should be thought of as specific or detailed. When thinking of specific nutritional goals for training consider the what, who, when, where, which and why of the goal being set. Narrowing down the specifics of a nutritional goal makes it more likely to promote a positive result.
I still have another couple weeks left on my challenge, but so far, I have not struggled with my transition. As I look into my nutritional crystal ball, I see years of whole foods and very few wheat derived, packaged foods. I also see occasional indulgences and flexibility. I like an ice cold beer (grains) and a burger (also grains, bun) with blue cheese crumbles. I may discover at some point that I can’t say no to a particularly flavorful and healthy barley based dish. I’ll be nimble at that time.
I say it often. No rules, no judgement.
Kap
Mae Lynn Arlinghaus says
Hi Kap! I’ve been following your blog and enjoying it for some time, but never commented. But given that I am on day 18 of a 21 day detox (whole foods, no grains, no sugar, coffee or dairy) and not really feeling much different from usual (in other words, I feel good) your comments were particularly timely. I’ve been asking myself what this means. Does it mean I generally eat pretty well and I don’t have an issue with grains and dairy? Can I give myself permission to enjoy a Thanksgiving slice of pie, maybe a little eggnog? I’m thinking yes, because I know I can go back to this way of eating anytime.
BTW, I’m running the Ragnar Cape Cod you have advertised up there on the site. 😉
Peter Summerville says
Mae,
Congrats on your commitment to your new routine, sounds like things are going very well.
Here are Gabe’s past indulgences and his thoughts: https://kaplifestyle.com/2014/04/indulgences
I think I might join you on a slice of pie next week.
Thanks for chiming in!
-Peter
Mae Lynn Arlinghaus says
Thanks for posting that link, Peter. I enjoyed reading it, nice perspective. Happy Thanksgiving!
John McCarthy says
I’ve gone through strict Paleo challenges in the past and while they’ve “worked” I found cutting multiple food groups at once can wear you out after a certain number of workouts. The past four weeks I simply cut out butter from my cooking/eating and my speed/endurance has picked up and lost a few pounds right away. It’s the little things sometimes.
Peter Summerville says
John,
Thanks for sharing. What are you using as a substitute for butter?
-Peter
John McCarthy says
Peter,
For cooking purposes I use coconut oil, normally un-refined but I take whatever is available at the store, for stuff like sweet potatoes I just eat it sans butter.
Joel says
Glad to see you’re doing well with this. I am 3-1/2 months into may new grain-free lifestyle. I’ve lost 20 pounds in that time, without increasing my physical activity (which is unfortunately low to begin with). I’ve switched to cage free eggs and grass fed meats when possible. I eat fewer calories, because I am not simply not that hungry. I feel good. I have more energy. I think my body has started to get used to using fats as fuel instead of carbs. Not that indulgences can’t be had (I haven’t gotten there yet), but I am a true believer in eliminating almost all carbs from the diet unless they come from fruits or veggies (and my glass of wine with dinner). But that’s just me.
Ed H says
Kap,
The strength of your regimen lies in the removal of crutches. Crutches? You are not replacing your grains by pretending to eat grains. To me, veggie burgers are a bad idea because they keep you wanting burgers (and eating the worst part, the bun).
Human eating has been in decline for a long time. The “human nature” of trying to make things easier and better bears most of the blame. At a point in that simplification hit a cross-point that to me expedited the the decline… The invention of the sandwich. That evolved into many forms like the hot dog in bun and hamburger, but both are really variants of sandwiches.
Sandwiches added grains, then later removed those grains leaving empty calories easily converted into excess glucose. It also added and easy way to pile on other sugars and an excess of food suitable for one sitting….
Congratulations on fixing that human blunder, though it’s a byproduct of your mission. It’s tough to eat a sandwich while avoiding grains.
bill says
While I had heard of a lettuce wrap, I had never experienced one until I was traveling in China. We ate at a friend’s house, and instead of bread, everything was served on a large lettuce leaf.
Msquared says
Kap-
When you have time, I’d love to see a sample day or two of meals.
I love hearing the update and have drastically reduced my grains… My result has been mostly positive, but at times sluggish and tired.
I think I need to up the calories again and obviously get more sleep.