The Official Health and Fitness Thread

[Corn Flake]

Gluten.... I know it's the latest "fad" thing to blame for all of our problems, but hear me out... For those who want to try and deal with weight, health and/or stomach issues without going vegan, etc, you might want to give a try to cutting gluten for a month.

My wife has struggled with stomach issues for the entire time we have been together (15 yrs now).  On a normal day she was fine but what seemed to be randomly after a meal she would have horrible stomach pains that lasted for as much as 48 hours or more.  She had been cutting out certain foods, assuming it was an allergy of some sort.  Tried cutting out pre-packaged spices, all preservatives, even cut out pork.  Someone put her on to a book called Wheat Belly which is all about how gluten is a key source of many dietary problems for the Western world and not two weeks into it, her stomach problems were gone.  She's about 2 months into it now and has never felt better and has been able to lose that "last 5 pounds" too.  Gluten is a big source of weight gain and retention, mostly because the body can't really digest it.

The only trick is finding all the things that gluten (wheat) is in, which is tricky but manageable. 

The book is by Dr. William Davis (http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/) who has tonnes of stories about all kinds of serious health issues being linked to gluten. 

Worth a read and worth a try for those who have similar issues. 

 

[Andy007]

Gluten.... I know it's the latest "fad" thing to blame for all of our problems, but hear me out... For those who want to try and deal with weight, health and/or stomach issues without going vegan, etc, you might want to give a try to cutting gluten for a month.

My wife has struggled with stomach issues for the entire time we have been together (15 yrs now).  On a normal day she was fine but what seemed to be randomly after a meal she would have horrible stomach pains that lasted for as much as 48 hours or more.  She had been cutting out certain foods, assuming it was an allergy of some sort.  Tried cutting out pre-packaged spices, all preservatives, even cut out pork.  Someone put her on to a book called Wheat Belly which is all about how gluten is a key source of many dietary problems for the Western world and not two weeks into it, her stomach problems were gone.  She's about 2 months into it now and has never felt better and has been able to lose that "last 5 pounds" too.  Gluten is a big source of weight gain and retention, mostly because the body can't really digest it.

The only trick is finding all the things that gluten (wheat) is in, which is tricky but manageable. 

The book is by Dr. William Davis (http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/) who has tonnes of stories about all kinds of serious health issues being linked to gluten. 

Worth a read and worth a try for those who have similar issues.

My wife had similar issues and also feels alot better after eliminating gluten. "Wheat Belly" has alot of interesting information and anecdotes about non-gluten diets- people not just feeling better and losing weight but actually losing allergies and curing asthma and other ailments.

Anyway if you haven't already tried it, 'Gluttino' is a gluten/wheat free brand available readily at Fortinos and they have absolutely delicious stuff. Their pasta, brownie mix and snacks are as good as any non-gluten product.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Gluten.... I know it's the latest "fad" thing to blame for all of our problems, but hear me out... For those who want to try and deal with weight, health and/or stomach issues without going vegan, etc, you might want to give a try to cutting gluten for a month.

My wife has struggled with stomach issues for the entire time we have been together (15 yrs now).  On a normal day she was fine but what seemed to be randomly after a meal she would have horrible stomach pains that lasted for as much as 48 hours or more.  She had been cutting out certain foods, assuming it was an allergy of some sort.  Tried cutting out pre-packaged spices, all preservatives, even cut out pork.  Someone put her on to a book called Wheat Belly which is all about how gluten is a key source of many dietary problems for the Western world and not two weeks into it, her stomach problems were gone.  She's about 2 months into it now and has never felt better and has been able to lose that "last 5 pounds" too.  Gluten is a big source of weight gain and retention, mostly because the body can't really digest it.

The only trick is finding all the things that gluten (wheat) is in, which is tricky but manageable. 

The book is by Dr. William Davis (http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/) who has tonnes of stories about all kinds of serious health issues being linked to gluten. 

Worth a read and worth a try for those who have similar issues.

I, too, had similar problems with gastrointestinal/malabsportion/digestion and elimination.  I was told to eliminate gluten (which is a sticky protein), and the impact of doing so proved very helpful.


However, I'm currently not on a complete gluten-free diet (I should be), and I've experimented with some foods -- for example, regular Italian pasta which is made from durum wheat semolina, as well as rice pasta (gluten-free) -- and have found that eating the rice pasta version helped me avoid the above-mentioned problems generally-speaking.  When I ate the regular pasta (non gluten-free), slowly, I began to experience symptoms all over again.


Gluten-free products tend to be costly, which is one reason I don't always buy them.  Eating 50-50 for me okay as I tend to take plenty of natural supplements for both my symptoms as well as my inflammatory processes (due to an autoimmune condition).

 

[Corn Flake]

My wife had similar issues and also feels alot better after eliminating gluten. "Wheat Belly" has alot of interesting information and anecdotes about non-gluten diets- people not just feeling better and losing weight but actually losing allergies and curing asthma and other ailments.

Anyway if you haven't already tried it, 'Gluttino' is a gluten/wheat free brand available readily at Fortinos and they have absolutely delicious stuff. Their pasta, brownie mix and snacks are as good as any non-gluten product.

Thanks Andy, will check out Fortinos for that brand.  It's tough stuff to find and as hockeyfan1 says, can be expensive.

Best place we have found for gluten free products is Bulk Barn.  They have quite a line of different flours, pastas, snacks, etc.

 

[Corn Flake]

Gluten-free products tend to be costly, which is one reason I don't always buy them.  Eating 50-50 for me okay as I tend to take plenty of natural supplements for both my symptoms as well as my inflammatory processes (due to an autoimmune condition).

Good to hear.  Yeah some companies are sure cashing in on the gluten free thing. $6 for a tiny loaf of bread?!?!?!?  Some of the whole foods shops will sell a small bag of gluten free flour for $15, which is a crazy joke. As mentioned to Andy, Bulk Barn is great for that kind of stuff. 

She's trying to find the right balance and it can sure be tricky but for the most part my wife stays right off gluten and it works well. 

Giving up regular beer was hard for her.. she's a beer girl.  Fortunately she found New Grist, which is pretty decent in taste if you put some lime in it. 

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I've been drinking Kale shakes in the morning for the past month and the benefits I've felt have been huge.

Kale
Spinach
Celery
Cucumber
Pear
Ginger
Apple
Frozen Mixed Berries
Frozen Banana
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
Blend it all up in a blender, should still be relatively thick.

It's like taking an energy drink every morning, I feel fantastic all day and the digestive benefits are great, by the time lunch roles around I'm barely hungry and will only need a small snack size thing to see me through to dinner.

In the month I've been drinking them, with little to no increase in exercise, I've dropped 27 pounds.

 

[Corn Flake]

In the month I've been drinking them, with little to no increase in exercise, I've dropped 27 pounds.

Holy Jeebus!

So that's all you have for breakfast? I need to find something that keeps me filled up from 6am to noon without feeling ready to pass out starving.  Might give this a try.

Kale always reminds me of Woody from Cheers and Veggie Boy drink.

 

[Fanatic]

I've been drinking Kale shakes in the morning for the past month and the benefits I've felt have been huge.

Kale
Spinach
Celery
Cucumber
Pear
Ginger
Apple
Frozen Mixed Berries
Frozen Banana
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
Blend it all up in a blender, should still be relatively thick.

It's like taking an energy drink every morning, I feel fantastic all day and the digestive benefits are great, by the time lunch roles around I'm barely hungry and will only need a small snack size thing to see me through to dinner.

In the month I've been drinking them, with little to no increase in exercise, I've dropped 27 pounds.

Good for you.

I have kale every morning as well.

I suspect that you were a little "backed up" and might not even have realized it.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Yeah, that certainly accounts for a little of it Fanatic and I would suggest most people who aren't getting enough fruit and vegetables are probably the same. They say that most meat eaters have several pounds of undigested meat(especially red meat) in them when they die. I was always very regular though, but this has taken it to a whole new level and it's not an unpleasant experience either.

Before I drink the shake I try to drink twenty ounces of water also, just to hydrate my whole body, especially my digestive system, this couple with the shake works wonders.

My skin and my hair has not looked better either.

 

[maplesyrup]

Way to go WIGWAL! Coconut oil is now like Frank's for me. - I put that s*** on everything! Have you considered adding some essential fatty acids? If fish, and avocado, etc (Omega 3s) aren't in your every day diet, adding this can go a long way towards your overall health. My GP turned me on to Super EFA Liquid (mostly fish oil really) as a means to improve my overall health, especially where my heart was concerned. This particular stuff is really highly concentrated and I only need a teaspoon a day. - Check it out... You won't notice it at all. Heck, I can drink it straight.     

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Living in California, Avocado's are widespread, I get plenty of them in my diet. I also take a bunch of fish oil daily to help too.

Good work lads, keep it up.

 

[maplesyrup]

Living in California, Avocado's are widespread, I get plenty of them in my diet. I also take a bunch of fish oil daily to help too.

Good work lads, keep it up.

Another green thing I'm very jealous that you have wide access too.  8)

 

[4th Liner]

The benefits of an early fitness program...

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=15065&Section=Aging

Being physically fit before age 50, not only helps extend lifespan, but it also increases the chances of aging healthily, U.S. researchers say. .

I didn't know about this, but I figured I better do it before I got too old to be able to physically push myself. I started as a New Year's resolution for 2011 - I was 48.

I've worked through injuries, but after 20 months I'm still going strong. I just had my 50th a couple of days ago and I feel great. I'm running 26 km a week (4 days on, 3 off) - I was up to over 40 km a week (5 days on, 2 off) but my back (I have degenerative disk disease - and had back surgery after blowing out my L5-S1 disk in 2003) started causing me all kinds of sciatic pain, so I've had to lower my activity to avoid it.

I want to be strong at least into my 80s, like my parents - my mom just turned 82 and my dad's still a rock at 84. If I didn't quit my old, lousy life-style, I don't think I would have had a hope in hell of making it to that age - at least in decent health.

Sometimes it can be a struggle to stick to this healthier life-style, but at least it's nice to be able to breeze through my physicals - with my doctor saying I'm as strong as an ox.

Any of you who might think you are too old, or too out of shape, believe me - you CAN still do it!

 

[hockeyfan1]

The benefits of an early fitness program...

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=15065&Section=Aging

Being physically fit before age 50, not only helps extend lifespan, but it also increases the chances of aging healthily, U.S. researchers say. .

I didn't know about this, but I figured I better do it before I got too old to be able to physically push myself. I started as a New Year's resolution for 2011 - I was 48.

I've worked through injuries, but after 20 months I'm still going strong. I just had my 50th a couple of days ago and I feel great. I'm running 26 km a week (4 days on, 3 off) - I was up to over 40 km a week (5 days on, 2 off) but my back (I have degenerative disk disease - and had back surgery after blowing out my L5-S1 disk in 2003) started causing me all kinds of sciatic pain, so I've had to lower my activity to avoid it.

I want to be strong at least into my 80s, like my parents - my mom just turned 82 and my dad's still a rock at 84. If I didn't quit my old, lousy life-style, I don't think I would have had a hope in hell of making it to that age - at least in decent health.

Sometimes it can be a struggle to stick to this healthier life-style, but at least it's nice to be able to breeze through my physicals - with my doctor saying I'm as strong as an ox.

Any of you who might think you are too old, or too out of shape, believe me - you CAN still do it!

Bravo! 

 

[Rick C.]

Okay. Summer's gone. September 1st. What better time to kick the fitness and healthy eating back into play. I could have made it Tuesday morning after the Long Weekend, but I'll start now instead - no excuses.

It's hard to post this stuff on a public forum, using your real name.  It's pretty embarrassing...  Here goes...

I jumped on the scale this morning. 349.2. Holy crap. I then had a good breakfast - which likely pushed me over 350 for a bit. 150 lbs to lose. I can do this!

This evening I'll take my darling wife out for a stroll - try and get the legs moving a little. I get out of breath walking up the stairs...

Anyone with me? Starting today, or Tuesday morning, or whenever fits for you...

 

[maplesyrup]

Good for you, Rick... Have you set any goals? The next long weekend is Thanksgiving. I challenge you to drop 10 lbs. by then. - That's just 2 lbs. per for 5 weeks. I think you can do that and I'll bet you'll probably have that done well in advance.

 

[Rick C.]

Good for you, Rick... Have you set any goals? The next long weekend is Thanksgiving. I challenge you to drop 10 lbs. by then. - That's just 2 lbs. per for 5 weeks. I think you can do that and I'll bet you'll probably have that done well in advance.

Thanks Sgt - 10 lbs by Turkey Weekend.  Deal!

 

[maplesyrup]

Good for you, Rick... Have you set any goals? The next long weekend is Thanksgiving. I challenge you to drop 10 lbs. by then. - That's just 2 lbs. per for 5 weeks. I think you can do that and I'll bet you'll probably have that done well in advance.

Thanks Sgt - 10 lbs by Turkey Weekend.  Deal!

Keep me (us) posted!

 

[Bullfrog]

I'm with you. I'm just struggling with motivation so much. I sit there and think, "boy, i should really get up and go for a walk." And then I don't. I really wish I knew how to get motivated.

I'm about 15 lb overweight, but my bigger concern is my health and fitness rather than my weight.

 

[moon111]

I'll probably offend some.  Sorry, just going on personal observations of friends/family/co-workers.  Those who I've witnessed needing to lose weight do get motivated and sometimes start an exercise routine/diet.  Some stick to it pretty good.  But outside of that, they don't move.  Homes aren't clean.  They'll run the loader rather then get out and shovel.  They'll drive a couple of blocks rather then walk.  Exercise is a good start, but to truly work, it has to be a life-style change.  Go to the gym AND cut the grass for that little old lady down the street.