The first time I suspected that I was sensitive to gluten was during an relaxed 20k training run with my team on the Wilson trail. That bit of the trail was not very challenging, only a few rolling hills and otherwise not much elevation. The only challenge was the heat. So I decided to have bread instead of energy gels to fuel my run. Five minutes after ingesting the bread I felt phlegmatic. Whenever we hit a slight incline I was short on breath and low on energy.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, oats, millet etc. People who are gluten intolerant are not able to digest this protein, which results in gluten passing through the small intestine undigested.
The undigested gluten can irritate the lining of the intestine and cause it to become inflamed and damaged. This can cause manifold symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, bloating, cross allergies, fatigue, nutritional malabsorption leading to a deficiency of micro nutrients such as vitamins or minerals.
According to the studies of Dr. Kenneth Fine, a pioneer in gluten intolerance research, 1 in 3 Americans are gluten intolerant, and 8 in 10 have the genes that predispose them to developing gluten intolerance. I was trying to find data for the Hong Kong population but could only find studies indicating that gluten intolerance and sensitivity is generally on the rise in Asia.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, oats, millet etc. People who are gluten intolerant are not able to digest this protein, which results in gluten passing through the small intestine undigested.
The undigested gluten can irritate the lining of the intestine and cause it to become inflamed and damaged. This can cause manifold symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, bloating, cross allergies, fatigue, nutritional malabsorption leading to a deficiency of micro nutrients such as vitamins or minerals.
According to the studies of Dr. Kenneth Fine, a pioneer in gluten intolerance research, 1 in 3 Americans are gluten intolerant, and 8 in 10 have the genes that predispose them to developing gluten intolerance. I was trying to find data for the Hong Kong population but could only find studies indicating that gluten intolerance and sensitivity is generally on the rise in Asia.
Few months later my sister was actually diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. Since we share a bulk of allergies there was chance I might have it, too. So I went gluten free to test it out.
Depending on the grade of your sensitivity the results of going gluten free can vary. Since I was less sensitive than my sister I noticed only small changes but lots of them. I was able to handle other foods I was allergic to like carrots and tomatoes. I was more awake in the morning. The brain fog which lingered 1-2 hours after waking up just disappeared. Recovery was better after workouts and I would not get the sniffles as easily as I used to.
The negative effects of re-ingesting gluten again were discreet as well. While my sister would immediately feel bloated I would only feel a bit lethargic but would also notice a sluggish digestion during the day. Since my negative symptoms were mild there would be times when I could not resist and just have a little bread. I'm German after all.
Depending on the grade of your sensitivity the results of going gluten free can vary. Since I was less sensitive than my sister I noticed only small changes but lots of them. I was able to handle other foods I was allergic to like carrots and tomatoes. I was more awake in the morning. The brain fog which lingered 1-2 hours after waking up just disappeared. Recovery was better after workouts and I would not get the sniffles as easily as I used to.
The negative effects of re-ingesting gluten again were discreet as well. While my sister would immediately feel bloated I would only feel a bit lethargic but would also notice a sluggish digestion during the day. Since my negative symptoms were mild there would be times when I could not resist and just have a little bread. I'm German after all.
A sucky night
But that all might change after lesson I learned a few days ago. My sister was in town and we had a nice dinner with friends at the latest It-venue The Brickhouse. At home my sis started packing and I was already tired and went to bed early which was around 10 pm.
Around midnight I was wide awake and just could not go back to sleep. I got up for an hour, went back to bed and rolling on the mattress until 5 am. I was knackered but somehow alert in a very exhausted way.
I wondered what might have been the cause and mentally retraced the previous day again. I did not have coffee too late into the day and only had one Paleo NorCal Magarita during dinner. But then I remembered those tortillas which I willed to be corn-made. Although I avoid any kind of grains (yes rice, corn and quinoa included) I'm sometimes pull up the silly excuse that if it's gluten free it's not that much of a bad thing to eat. So I had the tortillas of which my sis was sure was made of wheat and therefore contained gluten. And she was right.
Gluten = Bad Sleep
A quick Google search revealed that many people with either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity suffer from irregular sleep patterns or insomnia after they have accidentally or in my case stupidly eaten gluten. There are not many studies out there yet, but they all suggest a link between gluten and (bad) sleep. Some theorize that because of the gluten-caused malabsorption of nutrients people lack B12, a vitamin important for sleep regulation. Another hypothesis is that gluten affects the brain directly and messes with hormone receptors which affect our quality of sleep.
Unfortunately I can't view sucky sleep as a mild symptom. A bad night can ruin my whole day. So messing with my sleep means serious business. Guess, it's now really bye bye gluten. The German in me is suffering. But every other part (not to mention people around me) would suffer more if I were a sleep deprived zombie.
But that all might change after lesson I learned a few days ago. My sister was in town and we had a nice dinner with friends at the latest It-venue The Brickhouse. At home my sis started packing and I was already tired and went to bed early which was around 10 pm.
Around midnight I was wide awake and just could not go back to sleep. I got up for an hour, went back to bed and rolling on the mattress until 5 am. I was knackered but somehow alert in a very exhausted way.
I wondered what might have been the cause and mentally retraced the previous day again. I did not have coffee too late into the day and only had one Paleo NorCal Magarita during dinner. But then I remembered those tortillas which I willed to be corn-made. Although I avoid any kind of grains (yes rice, corn and quinoa included) I'm sometimes pull up the silly excuse that if it's gluten free it's not that much of a bad thing to eat. So I had the tortillas of which my sis was sure was made of wheat and therefore contained gluten. And she was right.
Gluten = Bad Sleep
A quick Google search revealed that many people with either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity suffer from irregular sleep patterns or insomnia after they have accidentally or in my case stupidly eaten gluten. There are not many studies out there yet, but they all suggest a link between gluten and (bad) sleep. Some theorize that because of the gluten-caused malabsorption of nutrients people lack B12, a vitamin important for sleep regulation. Another hypothesis is that gluten affects the brain directly and messes with hormone receptors which affect our quality of sleep.
Unfortunately I can't view sucky sleep as a mild symptom. A bad night can ruin my whole day. So messing with my sleep means serious business. Guess, it's now really bye bye gluten. The German in me is suffering. But every other part (not to mention people around me) would suffer more if I were a sleep deprived zombie.
