I was pleased to see this article in my latest “Bicycling” magazine:
The Word on Wheat
Is a voluntary gluten-free diet a good choice for cyclists?
By Ian Dille
I didn’t know that pro rider Christian Vande Velde is on a gluten free diet.
The article has many good facts and advice. Ian Dille even talks with Desiree Ficker, who I’ve blogged about previously.
If you are vegetarian and gluten intolerant a typical easy dinner is sauteed or steamed vegetables on top of a bed of rice. I love to add a good peanut sauce on top of the vegetables.
I first had this meal when I went on a bike tour with Women Tours. Kimberly made a delicous meal for us hungry bike riders which really hit the spot. She offered cooked, cut up chicken pieces in addition to the rice and veggies for those who wanted to eat meat. They also had walnuts to sprinkle on top.
I have been experimenting with peanut sauces and finally found a wonderful version which is also very easy to make. This peanut sauce is from the cookbook “Vegetarian Planet” by Didi Emmons. I used lite coconut milk.
I also used about 1 teaspoon fish sauce and then added enough gluten-free soy sauce to equal one tablespoon. The result is very good, a good choice to add some taste and protein to an easy dinner. Add some chopped walnuts on top for crunchiness and to add omega-3′s.
I was looking on the celiac.com forums regarding sports and fitness. “Sandylulu” wondered if celiac disease is triggered by exercise. This is a very interesting question and I tend to agree with some of the answers – during strenuous exercise while you are malnourished your body cannot handle the exertion. I was diagnosed after I had begun bicycle training. I was seeing stars and feeling faint while biking and, finally, all day long. I discovered that I was severely anemic. We eventually discovered that the anemia was due to celiac disease. I feel that exercise saved my life because if I hadn’t been pushing myself and having such serious problems, I may never have been diagnosed with celiac disease. The exercise didn’t cause the celiac disease but it brought it to my attention – to be sure!
After 3 years on a gluten free diet I’m working to get strong again and I’m doing pretty well. Now my problem is that I’m 50 years old and it’s harder to push myself!
I rode in a century ride Saturday, August 18, 2007. I paid close attention to my intake of calories because in the past on long rides I have shut down mentally and physically after 50 or so miles. I used Hammer Heed and Hammer Perpetuem mixed with water. I tried to drink one or more bottles per hour. I also had a Hammer gel each hour. I had planned to have 2 gels each hour but it didn’t happen. When you have to eat a gluten free diet you can’t eat much of what is at the aid stations. I had to pack my own food. The strategy worked, though. I finished the ride feeling great. It helps me out quite a bit to know that I can have the gluten free Hammer products with no worry. All of my training was worth it! I would recommend experimenting with the nutrition in training so that you will not have problems during an event. For instance, the first time I used Hammer Sustained Energy I think I had too much and got bloated. You may need to experiment with the amounts – based on your weight and exercise.
After the ride: Too bad, I couldn’t have a beer with the other riders. I guess I should have brought my own Redbridge beer. Have you heard about it? It’s a gluten free sorghum based beer. There are a few companies making gluten free beer but they aren’t available all over the country and Redbridge is available widely.
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