I suspect, although I don't know for certain, that I'm currently gluten-sensitive. Not intolerant, because I can still eat the stuff, but I definitely notice a difference in how I feel and what my skin looks like when I do indulge in foods with gluten. And that's pretty much as deep as I'm willing to delve into the whole gluten issue; I wore myself out researching the Paleo lifestyle and I don't like the feeling of jumping on and then jumping off a bandwagon. I don't even mention, usually, that I'm eating gluten-free because if I do choose to eat pizza I don't want people thinking that people with Celiac disease or an intolerance to gluten can handle it like I do.
I first looked at the whole gluten issue when I had my pizza encounter after one week of eating Paleo (it was interesting to note that Damm had a very similar experience, even though he was eating more carbs and more variety than I was). Apparently the alleviation of symptoms, in some cases, followed by a recurrence of symptoms clued people into the possibility of a gluten issue. Some of my relatives are gluten-sensitive and have had success following a gluten-free diet. I've completely cut out gluten for a couple of weeks now (with the exception of pizza night) and I feel awesome (and that's really the only way to determine a sensitivity/intolerance, by cutting out gluten and seeing how you feel). My skin is looking better and I have actually lost those last five pounds. I no longer suffer from any internal distress, and I no longer feel as if I'm a size larger after I eat food. Whether or not cutting out gluten was the reason I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing. Maybe I'll actually get to what I consider my "fighting" weight to be (120 pounds, in case you are curious).
The only drawback to the whole gluten-free thing is that I'm no chef. I can do eggs, nuke a potato and ask Damm to grill the chicken but I have no culinary aspirations beyond that. I'm content with that, but I suspect that Damm might need a bit more variety, especially since he's not following a gluten-free diet (just a lower carb one). I have relatives who are able to look at a pantry and come up with something edible; I just see separate ingredients. There are websites, of course, with plenty of recipes, but I usually lose steam after going to the grocery store. I did once make Vodka Pasta. That's as adventurous as I get.
On a related note, I am still successfully doing pullups. My next challenge for myself is to do one-arm pushups (that might take a while) and to find a nice barbell set so I can actually challenge myself while doing squats/deadlifts. I'm definitely in a minimalist phase of strength training; do some pullups, some pushups, deadlifts/squats and some core work using my suspension system and I'm good. A big change from the isolation exercises I was doing.
Anyway, happy Tuesday. Lift something heavy. You'll feel better. At least I do.
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