The Truth About Gluten

Lately many grocery stores have been stocking their shelves with gluten free alternatives to nearly every kind food.  This is a result of the widely spreading gluten free diet.  Millions around the world have either completely eliminated gluten from their diet, or have greatly reduced the amount they consume each day.

The reason for this change in diet is actually quite simple.  Many people are reducing their gluten consumption because they have celiac disease; when gluten causes inflammation in the small intestine of those with this illness.  Most people with this disease go their whole lives without even noticing it because in most cases the inflammation is minor, but in fact 70-80% of the population has some form of gluten sensitivity and most likely that includes you.

There are various studies that claim terminal diseases come from the consumption from gluten but the source of many of these trials is unreliable so the credibility of those claims isn’t strong.  Most people react to gluten in a more mild form such as stomach pains, acne, and binge eating.

Meals for Miles

What you eat for dinner Friday night, can have a major impact on your athletic performance Saturday morning.  Most people simply focus on what they are going to eat the day of their big basketball game or track meet, when in fact, what you eat the night before is just as important.

The first thing to do, even before considering your meal, is make sure to drink an abundance of water.  It’s impossible to adequately stress the importance of hydration and the major role it plays in the function of your brain, heart, and muscles.  Your body needs more than just a few hours to completely absorb the water you are consuming so while drinking water the morning before your event is crucial, it’s more effective if you start to hydrate the day before.