When I started changing my eating habits, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was really just trying to be open minded, try something new, and see what happened.
In fact, I really expected NOTHING to happen. As I’ve mentioned before, I was convinced that there was a lot of “hippy bullshit” out there about nutrition.
As was so expertly mocked in Deadpool 2, while attempting to make excuses for his tardiness, Deadpool explains that he was:
“Rounding up all the gluten in the world and launching it into space, where it can’t not hurt us ever again.”
*Insert Sitcom Laugh Track Here*
That was me. If you don’t have Celiac disease, avoiding Gluten is just hipster nonsense!
Even searching for the clip from Deadpool 2 so I could quote it properly led to this article, which was the 3rd result for the Google search “Deadpool 2 gluten trailer”:
From the article:
“Fear pushes product, though, and all that marketing has convinced somewhere around 30% of us that we should reduce ALL reduce [sic] the amount of gluten in our diets.
Okay, what’s the harm in that? Plenty, if you’re missing out on key nutrients by avoiding whole grain products. Or worse, shifting to foods with higher sugar and saturated fat contents, the overconsumption of which is dangerous for EVERYONE. So even for people without advanced healing factors, gluten is usually nothing to worry about — fourth wall-breaking fad diets be damned.”
Then I learned about lectins, and after cutting gluten out of my diet, experienced the uncomfortable gas and cramping that is induced by the consumption of gluten. A state of consistent un-health and discomfort that is “normal” for so many people, including past ME.
And if you’ve read about why fat is good for you, you understand the irony in the most common dietary advice out there. Avoid fat, eat whole grains. Sugar is bad, but we don’t understand that carbs are IMMEDIATELY turned into sugar in your body.
What the Hell are Lectins?
Simply put, lectins are plant proteins that serve the primary function of allowing plants to survive and reach germination.
Even MORE simply put, lectins are how plants attempt to STOP animals from eating them.
Plants, like animals, have evolved over millions of years to optimize their chances of survival. Grains such as wheat have higher quantities of lectins before sprouting. This discourages animals from eating them until they are ready to be spread.
Lectins cause digestive issues in animals, including gas and cramping. I can attest to this from experience, but it can also be confirmed by observing the behavior of wild animals. Cows, for instance, will not seek out and eat wheat in the wild, unless NO OTHER OPTION is available. They prefer to eat grass which does not contain lectins, and contains lots of valuable nutrients.
Only when we isolate animals and give them access to no other food sources, will they resort to eating grains. And this is intentional. Farmers learned long ago that grain fed animals get fat, unlike wild, grass-fed animals.
And when you’re selling livestock for food, you want them as big as possible.
Is it any surprise that grains and carbohydrates have the EXACT SAME EFFECT on us?
Digestive Adaptation, and Why You Think Gluten Isn’t a Big Deal
At this point, you’re likely thinking to yourself:
“If any of this was true, I would be having these problems right now, but I’m not. I eat lots of bread and cereal and whole grain foods, and Gluten isn’t killing me!”
I know, it’s all “hipster nonsense”, I was right there with you.
But I’ve come to realize, there are 2 primary reasons you’re “surviving” your rampant gluten (or more specifically LECTIN) intake:
- Your gut bacteria adapts over time to allow you to more effectively digest lectin-rich foods.
- You actually feel A LOT WORSE than you realize.
For me, it was item #2 that really caused that ‘EUREKA!’ moment. Once I eliminated lectins from my diet, and carbohydrates in general, the sheer amount of improvement in the way I FELT, CONSISTENTLY was an eye opener.
Item #1 only really became apparent once I “cheated” on my diet, and reintroduced lectins after becoming fat adapted. My gut bacteria had shifted, and the microorganisms that were living off the carbs and grains I was eating died out.
This means that whenever I splurge on lectin-rich foods, my body doesn’t have any protection (from what was really a parasitic arrangement between bacteria that SHOULDN’T have been in my body eating stuff I WASN’T meant to eat).
Why It’s Worth Giving Up Gluten
The next logical step in this thought process, and a challenge I’ve heard often from people who I’ve described these issues to, is the following:
“If digesting carbs and gluten is so much worse AFTER you stop eating them, isn’t it just better to keep eating them? Having a ‘balanced’ diet, so you can eat whatever you want without it making you feel like crap?”
And while there is some obvious merit to this argument, I instantly refer back to Item #2 above.
YOU feel like crap ALL THE TIME. You just don’t realize it. I feel INCREDIBLE all the time, so it’s MUCH MORE OBVIOUS when I eat something that is harmful to my health.
Here are the 2 alternatives I’m faced with, personally, from my own experience (This is mirrored by everyone I’ve read and listened to on this topic, but I’ll speak only for myself):
- Eat a high-fat, low-carb, lectin free diet, and experience limitless energy, increased mental sharpness, improved digestion, less gas and discomfort, no acne, better sleep, increased physical strength and endurance, and avoid the plethora of chronic inflammatory diseases and conditions that include diabetes, degenerative brain conditions, joint pain, obesity, blood sugar crashes, depression, etc.
- Continue eating a ‘balanced’ diet, containing a significant amount of carbs and lectins, in order to make consuming unhealthy foods more comfortable, at the expense of ALL of the benefits in Item #1.
For me, this really isn’t a difficult choice. And for anyone who has experienced the magic of a high-fat, anti-inflammatory diet, I’ve heard the same.
I feel incredible, ALL THE TIME. When I eat something I know is bad for me, I understand CLEARLY the tradeoff I’m making.
Informed Non-Compliance
I’ll give a very recent personal example of how understanding my nutrition has influenced my choices. This may be a little TMI for some, so feel free to click away. I’ve shared the most critical information above.
Still here? Excellent.
This past weekend was Easter, which is a celebration filled with unhealthy food choices, much like Thanksgiving. In my house, which is keto-aware, if not keto-compliant, Easter lunch consisted of ham, pineapple, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, green bean casserole, a mountain of homemade rolls, and a selection of pies (in this instance, apple, pumpkin, and pudding).
I had decided ahead of time that I was going to be making DELIBERATE unhealthy choices, in pursuit of that sweet Easter pie.
For lunch, I had a small serving of green bean casserole (mostly ok, although it contained some ingredients with inflammatory oils and carbs that I would typically avoid), and big pile of ham. Delicious.
If I had stopped here, I would have experienced very few ill effects. In fact, I would only expect to have a bit of gas from the casserole.
But… pie.
I understood that in addition to the massive amount of sugar in the pies I wanted to consume, the crust was also made with wheat flour. Sugar and gluten. A nightmare for my digestion.
Even my daughter understood the choice I was making (as she’s experienced similar effects of massive carb splurges), and wished me luck:
“Three pieces of pie, huh? Have fun on the toilet all day tomorrow!”
Which is exactly the experience I knew I was signing up for. Pie today, digestive problems tomorrow. (Or more specifically, over the next 18-36 hours, in my experience.)
So I enjoyed my “cheat”. I had a piece of apple pie à la mode, a piece of pumpkin pie with Cool Whip, and a piece of chocolate pudding pie. It was fantastic.
The next day, I spent the morning experiencing some pretty severe discomfort in my abdomen from gas and cramping. I actually had to stand or lie down just to reduce the pressure a sitting position put on my intestines.
And the rest of the day was spent traveling to the bathroom about once per hour, experiencing a lot of gas and the accompanying diarrhea, as my body was desperately trying to remove the offending food from my body.
I also spent the next two days focusing on consuming electrolytes (drinking water with lemon juice, salt, and no-salt / potassium), knowing that as my body processed out the carbs I consumed, I would become increasingly ‘dehydrated’ from the loss of electrolytes that happens as you urinate the excess water your body retains to digest carbohydrates.
None of this was unexpected or surprising, as I now understand EXACTLY how my body processes the food it is given.
Getting my nutrition sorted out has given me the ability to make informed decisions about my health, and how I want to feel. I was able to get “back on track” over the next few days by eating a carnivore diet, and incorporating a 48-hour fast.
Conclusion
The human body is an extremely adaptable machine. It’s the reason we’ve survived for tens of thousands of years. So it can be easy to dismiss “hippy bullshit” about health when you can tolerate a lot of bad choices and poor health decisions for an extended period of time.
It’s not until you experience the almost euphoric state of EXCELLENT health, that you can truly appreciate the impact of improperly fueling this complex machine we live inside of.
Gluten, lectins, carbs, and inflammatory oils may be a large part of your diet. And you may feel perfectly fine, and think “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
Fair enough.
But if you’re looking to feel better, be healthier, or like me you’re just willing to TRY something new and SEE WHAT HAPPENS, give these ideas a real shot.
Because despite your body’s ability to “survive”, you can’t really appreciate what it’s capable of until you allow it to THRIVE, by feeding it the fuel it was MEANT to have.
Recent Comments