Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. For people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating gluten can cause serious health problems. Even for those without these conditions, avoiding gluten for medical reasons can be beneficial. In fact, gluten avoidance has become more common among people with certain risk factors and anyone looking to improve their health. Injury recovery is challenging for everyone, but especially for those who are trying to get back into the gym after an injury. You should always consult with a doctor before starting any new workout routine or nutrition plan. However, if you’re ready to get back into the gym as soon as possible after an injury, there are ways to speed up the process by incorporating gluten-free foods into your nutrition plan.
Read on to discover why gluten can be bad for you and what foods might help speed up recovery after an injury.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is the name given to a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It helps to provide these grains with their chewy texture and is also used as a binding agent in products such as imitation meat and some types of glue. It is not a single substance but a combination of proteins. Wheat is by far the most common source of gluten, making up 70-80% of all gluten-containing foods. Gluten is often added to foods that would not usually contain it, such as ice cream, milk, and non-wheat crumbed fish, to bulk them up and make them cheaper.
Why Is Gluten Bad For You?
There is a lot of debate about this, but there are a few reasons that gluten may harm your health. Firstly, gluten triggers an inflammatory response in your digestive system. This inflammation can cause gastrointestinal disorders like IBS and Crohn’s disease. Secondly, gluten can worsen symptoms of other autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and psoriasis.
Finally, gluten can disrupt your system of neurotransmitters that are important for mood and mental health by depleting serotonin levels.
How Does Gluten Impact Recovery After An Injury?
Gluten hurts the body’s ability to repair and regenerate tissue. This is particularly true for athletes and others who strain their muscles regularly. Because gluten slows the healing process by affecting the production of cytokines, it is best to avoid it during the initial stages of injury recovery.
Cytokines are essential signaling molecules that help your immune system to function and repair injuries. When you have an injury, your body releases cytokines, which promote healing by increasing blood flow to the injured area, removing dead tissue, and facilitating the regrowth of healthy tissue.
However, consuming gluten during this time interferes with your body’s ability to produce these essential signaling molecules. This can slow down the healing process, prolonging your Injury and recovery time.
Today I have an interview for you on Gluten and Injury Recovery. Enjoy the interview.
- CLICK HERE to listen to the interview with Dr. Peter Osborne on Gluten and Injury Recovery.
- CLICK HERE to listen to the interview with Dr. Peter Osborne on Gluten and Injury Recovery.
What Dr. Peter Osborne shares in the interview:
- Who is Dr. Peter Osborne?
- What influenced him to focus on the nutrition side of things?
- What is gluten?
- How did gluten become a significant issue when it comes to nutrition?
- What are the symptoms and side effects of gluten sensitivity?
- What are some examples of neurological syndromes caused by gluten sensitivity?
- How does gluten sensitivity create chronic pain in joints?
- How to perform a self-examination to see if a person has gluten sensitivity
A few things you need to know about listening to the interview:
- To listen to the interview, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the play button symbol. Then you can listen to it on your computer when you like. If you do not have time to listen to it right now, click the “download” button and download it to your computer.
- Also, the interview is up on iTunes. You can listen to it HERE or subscribe to the iTunes podcast and get all the interviews when they are ready. Enjoy!
- If you use Chrome as your web browser, it can sometimes act up when playing the interview. I suggest listening to the discussion in another web browser (Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.)
- Here is a video explaining how to download the interview recording
If you would like to get more information on Dr. Peter Osborne, you can check out his special report on Bad Food = Injury here:
Please do contact me, if you have a neat specialization or business information that would be of benefit for fitness professionals to know about. I would love to share it with the EFI world.
If you know someone who may benefit from this interview, please forward it to them.
Take care.
Rick Kaselj, MS
P.S. – If you liked this interview with Dr. Peter Osborne, you would like these other ones as well:
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