I get asked often about my opinion on nutrition and supplementation. As a coach, it is a question that is never a cut and dry answer. I have coached people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and lifestyle. This is where the “art” of coaching can make or break a career. Not everyone you see presents the same nutritional deficiencies, and a strong “science” background can assist you when putting together a plan for a client.
Part of this nutritional plan is to make sure the foods your client eats do not present a problem to the digestive system. Each person’s ability to digest and assimilate the nutrients and other non-nutritive substances is very individual. After I fought this for years, I finally woke up and started recommending food that would mesh with all of my clients.
One of the easiest ways to keep digestive problems at bay is to eat gluten-free. Not everyone has issues with gluten but it is a safe bet, when you recommend a plan, to keep the food gluten free. There are numerous reasons for your food to be gluten free and I will tell you a few of them now.
Lower intestinal inflammation: Gluten proteins are well known to be very hard to digest and assimilate so they sit around the lining of the gut and create disturbances that lead to a rush of markers of inflammation like InterLeukin-5 and InterLeukin- 6.
Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are reduced through the HPA axis: What this means is the rise in stress to the gut when you eat gluten has an up and down stream effect on the Pituitary and the Brain.
Hormones can function properly so body composition and the way you feel will drastically improve.
Boosts the Immune system: Very similar to the previous points, boosting the adrenals and the Hypothalamus has a tremendous downstream effect on keeping your immune system functioning at its best.
Better body composition: Gluten will typically stress your adrenals and have adverse effects on belly fat.
Skin problems typically diminish the less gluten that is eaten. Once again the inflammation created by the gluten is systemic and can manifest itself in numerous ways, especially through acne and psoriasis.
Auto Immune symptoms decrease as well: With the immune system not constantly being compromised with food intake it can repair itself and allow healing of many of the pathways that are under fire every day with Auto Immune disease.
As you can see, there are many advantages to eating gluten-free. Many of these benefits are for overall health, and some are for body composition and training goals. Whichever goal you are striving for you will find staying on a gluten free plan will get you to your goals faster, and with less problems than the typical “diet”.
Bryan Sauder
Head Strength Coach
St. Louis Center For Functional Medicine
