TTT: Veggies, Gluten, and Carbs (Nutrition)

VEGGIES

As you may recall, I recently posted HERE about going vegetarian.  Overall, things are going well, but thus far, I've narrowed the experience down to a few thoughts.

1. I am hungry much more frequently.  I figure this is due to (1) a less calorie dense diet and (2) 
2. My meals are less diverse.  Again, I'm a creature of habit and haven't found a new set of recipes just yet.
3. It is tough to eat outside of my apartment!  I've become so accustomed to my diet (fresh ingredients, no oils, low sugar, etc.) that going out or eating at another person's place becomes touchy.

I will say that I feel much lighter and don't feel any drop in energy.  So far, so good!!  However, I would love to have a dollar for every "So you're not eating protein?" or "So you can eat fish and chicken, right?" response I've gotten.  It's becoming apparent that not everyone has a grasp on this very simple diet.

GLUTEN

One of the books I'm currently reading is Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis.  I admit that I began reading it with the preconception that the whole gluten free trend is a fad that - for weight loss goals - simply comes with the side effect of lowering carbohydrate intake.  However, I now see that there is a lot more behind the diet than just a fashion fad.

There is a big difference between the original wild wheat that our ancestors ate and the wheat we see in the giant fields today.  And the examples of comparing their effects - if true - are quite eye opening.  If it's true, this puts another nail in the coffin of believing we're F'd as a country food-wise.


CARBOHYDRATES

I recently listened to a podcast by Tawnee Prazak at Endurance Planet who interviewed Dr. Timothy Noakes. After that, I went to youtube and I listened to a couple of his talks.  While Tim Noakes reaches across many topics of exercise science and nutrition, what I picked up was his view on carbohydrate intake.  Tim's own diet reflects the history of adult onset diabetes in his family (if I remember that correct), and he limits carbohydrates quite a bit.  As an endurance athlete, I've had the view that carbohydrates should be the greatest part of the diet.  However, Tim told a couple stories about how much limiting carbohydrates has helped boost performance for athletes.  If not for my recent vegetarian switch, I would have doubted this.  However, since going vegetarian, I've limited my carbohydrate intake simply by wanting to limit my intake of saltines and bread and not having an alternative to switch to.  Since this change, my carbohydrate intake has decreased and I've actually felt great.

Call me crazy, but I feel an experiment coming on.  What do you think?  Limiting carbohydrate intake little by little and testing my performance to find my limit?

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Questions
1.  Any ideas for vegetarian recipes that don't include pasta, oils, processed foods, and are low on sugar/carbs?

2.  Have you ever gone Gluten free?  Any thoughts on the diet idea?

3.  Do you limit your carbohydrate intake at all? 


DREAM.  BELIEVE.  ACHIEVE.