Cleaning Up a Diet Without Restrictions

I catch myself saying the words: “new year, new me” every single January for years, and I get a little annoyed halfway through the month. It’s not that I feel there is anything wrong with the saying—I just think I don’t give myself credit for how good I actually am with most aspects of my life, particularly my health. I run six days a week, lift weights, eat pretty healthy, drink lots of water, stay away from smoking and heavy alcohol, and I wear sunscreen everyday. Besides working on time management this year, which has been a true failure for me since I became self-employed (this will be a separate blog post very soon!), I’ve been wanting to focus on specific aspects of my diet that I have been ignoring for years. I say out loud it is mostly about my acne-prone skin issues, but there are so many other symptoms that I feel are linked to annoying food sensitivities that I have been refusing to address.

As For These “Symptoms”…

I don’t feel I have experienced many symptoms that affect my function on a daily basis, which is the reason why I’ve just ignored them for so long. The only thing that’s really bothered me during my adult life is my acne and melasma, which I feel and have been told is primarily hormone-related. I also regularly get bloating and less than regular digestive issues. Increasing fatigue over the last couple of years has more recently been my main concern, since that specifically has been affecting my strength, running, and daily concentration on my work. Just a few months ago I was diagnosed with borderline hypothyroidism, which is definitely related to these symptoms, but diet can play a large role in managing the condition and keeping my symptoms at bay. My goal is to try and delay the need for long term hormone replacement for this health problem.

Restrictive is NOT the Way to Go…

At least not for me. Last year I went ahead and took advantage of a big discount that was going on for Everlywell—the at-home lab test. I was interested in seeing what food sensitivities I actually have based off of their kit. I know I shouldn’t take this as 100% accurate, especially after doing my own research and reading reviews about the discrepancies between these" “at-home” tests and real allergy testing. I kept in mind that this option was not testing allergies at all—just sensitivities I may have when consuming certain foods. I honestly thought my results would come out to maybe a couple at the most and it was a list of 22 foods! Now, one of the reviews I received from a handful of Instagram followers is that the case for some of these is that the test picks up foods I regularly eat, rather than something in my blood telling me I’m actually sensitive. Therefore I took the results with a grain of salt.

This long list of foods includes almond, wheat, chicken, eggs, garlic, potato, and oats, among others. Surprisingly the only dairy foods that were on the list were mozzarella and yogurt. For a few years now I have tried to stay away from dairy products after the recommendation from a dermatologist, and it made a big difference in my skin and digestive issues. I totally thought this would be number 1 on the list of food sensitivities! Regardless, the list was overwhelming for me so I did not do what was suggested which is an elimination diet. With that many foods on the list, it felt restrictive to me, and when I’ve restricted food groups in the past, it only caused me to have intense cravings and then binge eat. I feel I never minded restricting dairy all this time because I really didn’t care for it to begin with. I don’t like cheese at all, can live without yogurt, have never really been an ice cream fan, and with any recipe that called for milk I was perfectly fine using the alternatives.

Ticking Off New Year’s Resolutions

Okay, so one priority for me as far as goals go for this year is to learn something new every day. So far, I’ve been successful, and one thing I’ve learned this year is about what in milk is really the culprit of digestive issues. It’s the protein! I thought it was the added hormones some farmers use on cows or the lactose, but it’s actually specifically the A1 protein. My parents are very obsessed with A2 milk, which is made from cows that only produce the A2 protein. Once I learned all about this I decided to give this brand a try. As many of you saw on my Instagram feed, I jumped on board and took a challenge this month to switch out my milk, and I’ve been so happy about the results. No bloating, no stomach aches, and NO ACNE! I highly recommend this switch if you are sensitive to regular milk! Oh yea—and right now you can enter to win free a2 Milk for a year and a Peloton Bike + 1 year membership. Click here!

What About the Rest of My Diet?

Well, this post is the start of my goal—attempting to dial in to my current way of eating and pinpoint what is playing a role in my fatigue. I know I can be better about limiting my frozen food lunches and packaged snacks I have been eating regularly for the sake of saving time, so this will be the first thing I tackle (as I write this, I am eating plant-based air-fried chicken tenders). I also need to get back to a regular eating schedule—this will help with energy levels. I tend to get bogged down by projects and forget to eat. This will require me to make time for meal planning and being more creative with quick snack options for my work day.

Tackling this goal in 3, 2, 1… I’ll keep you all posted! Make sure to follow along on Instagram for the latest updates.

Running with IBS

Stomach problems are a common complaint among runners. It only makes sense since our intestines are jumping up and down for a long period of time, sometimes for hours. Unfortunately a more serious intestinal issue affects a smaller percentage of runners and can interfere with daily training and racing. Irritable Bowl Syndrome, or IBS, is poorly understood and does not have a specific diet or medication that can cure it. This can be extremely frustrating for runners since the symptoms can get in the way of performance. The best thing one can do is to learn how to control the symptoms, but this is highly individualized.

Causes & Symptoms

The actual cause of IBS is unknown and experiences can vary from person to person. It is important for runners, and anyone else living with this condition, to understand what triggers their own symptoms and alter their lifestyle based on those factors. IBS can cause stomach and bowel sensitivity, gas, bloating, cramping, constipation, and difficulty controlling bowel movements. It is shown that different foods and psychological disturbances such as anxiety or a stressful event can cause these symptoms to heighten.

Does Running Make Things Worse?

Unfortunately yes, it does, but not in every case. If what is causing your symptoms is stress, then running can actually make it better. Studies show that exercise is a key method to relieving stress. If your IBS causes constipation rather than diarrhea, then running can also help by relaxing the intestines and promoting more regular bowel movements. For those suffering from the opposite symptoms, running will usually make it worse and cause you to have to stop mid-run for a toilet break. During exercise, especially at a higher intensity, such as running, the blood is circulated to the muscles and away from the intestines. This lack of oxygen in the area is the cause of cramping.

Controlling Symptoms

As mentioned above, runners should first figure out what triggers their symptoms if they want to be able to run without worry. A proper diet has been shown to be a critical method for controlling symptoms, but requires a great deal of trial and error. Some foods that have been shown to exacerbate symptoms are refined and processed foods (since they require more work for the body to break down), high fiber foods, dairy products, and beverages with caffeine (I know, coffee is a must for so many of us morning runners!). 

It is best to not go into a complete diet overhaul and eliminate everything. You may only have one food group that your IBS is sensitive to so avoiding everything is unnecessary. The number one place to start is by eliminating one food at a time and tracking your intake and body responses with a food diary. Cutting out dairy as a first option has been shown to have positive results in controlling symptoms. This food group is not digested very well in general in any body, so when combined with lactic acid buildup during exercise, it can disrupt the stomach for most people anyway, so it’s an even worse situation for those who suffer from IBS.

Tips for Easing Symptoms

·     Never introduce a new food/food group right before a race! Practice keeping a steady diet for at least 1-2 weeks before the event.

·     Stick with natural mid-run fuel. Gels and sports drinks can be highly concentrated and if you do not have enough water after taking them, it can cause bloating and cramping soon after.

·     Dehydration causes nausea in general so staying hydrated before, during, and after runs is important. The best approach is to practice being hydrated ALL THE TIME.

·     Avoid foods high in protein and fat before running. Actually, it is best to give at least 2 hours for a meal/snack to digest before heading out.

·     Research shows that symptoms are not only worse just after a meal, but in the morning hours as well. Opting to run later in the day may be ideal, but most races are scheduled in the early AM, so morning runs are beneficial to train the body for race day.

Once you have an idea of what your triggers are, training will be much more comfortable. For those of you who race, be careful with the “carb-loading” leading up to the event. Instead of taking in a large amount of carbs the couple of days leading to a race, it is best to start the loading about a week before and spread the quantity over the day. It may take much more time out of your schedule and weeks or even months to really figure out what is causing your symptoms, but in order to train comfortably with IBS and avoid taking medications, which are usually antidepressants, this trial and error process is worth it.