Approved Booze
I’ll start off with the disclaimer that alcohol can harm your training, Ruth said so. If you are able to completely abstain, you (and your liver!) will benefit. However if that’s not the most realistic option, you can still imbibe in moderation and not completely trash your efforts in the gym.
Mariessa made her argument about wine (or at least fermented fruit) being Paleo. But what if you’ve been trying to avoid gluten? Are the potatoes in vodka, sugar cane for rum or the grains in whiskey going to cause your careful diligence to otherwise be derailed? Over at PaNu they had a post on “approved booze”.
The benefits of moderate drinking are likely grossly exaggerated. That said, a few non-driving drinks a week won’t kill you – so here is how to do it while avoiding gluten and the lectin nasties.
WHISKEY
My sources who are experts on celiac disease say that distilled spirits, even if derived from gluten grains like wheat or rye – do not have gluten grain proteins or peptides in them.
Apart from the alcohol content and its effects on insulin response, hepatotoxicity, etc. whiskey is safe. Alcohol can affect the lining of the stomach and could in binge amounts cause a leaky gut, but used minimally is OK from a dietary standpoint, IMO.
WINE
I have mocked modern fruit as a candy bar from a tree. One fellow asked, “does that mean red wine is just candy-bar-juice?”.
The fermentation of the sugar is what makes the alcohol.
So the alcohol, some might call it “yeast shit”, is there in lieu of the sugar.
There are some putatively beneficial phytochemicals in red wine, like resveratrol, but no lectin nasties that I am aware of.
On a per-ounce-of-alcohol basis, red wine would be much better than beer for your insulin metabolism.
So red wine is good (consumed in moderation, blah, blah blah…)
BEER
Beer is loaded with maltose, a disaccharide sugar composed of two molecules of glucose this gives you a massive rise in blood glucose and concomitant insulin response when you drink it – not too good for you.
As beer is fermented and not distilled, it will have some nontrivial amounts of lectins from whatever grain(s) the yeast ate in order to crap out the alcohol that people drink it for.
It’s good to remember that many of the nutrients in grains are located in the same part of the seed that the antinutrients which the seed has developed as a defense mechanism are found. (Gluten is proteins found with the starchy part of seed however) Therefore, attempts to keep the “good” part of the seed, by emphasizing whole grain consumption, for instance, necessarily increase your exposure to the lectins (antinutrients).
So in closing, it looks like beer is the one to be most careful with. Luckily, even the big breweries are getting on the gluten-free bandwagon. Anheuser-Busch has introduced their offering called Redbridge, which Al unselfishly volunteered to try and gave it a thumbs-up!
WOD – 7.16.09
“Jeremy”
21-15-9
- Overhead Squats
- Burpees
Cash Out: 100 Double Unders. If you don’t have them, work on them for 5:00.
Marcus, great post. I trully enjoy reading your blogs and the immense paleo/zone/training knowledge that follows. This post squashes all guilt I was feeling for a wine tasting trip I am taking on Saturday.
I’m 50/50 on this workout. Yay ohs, Boo burpees!
SSSSAAAAWEEEEEEEEEET post Marcus!!!!! YAY FOR JACK! Guess i’ll have to drink more Jack in lieu of beer! Murphy get my bottles ready!
I think we need an “approved booze” tasting party.. WOD to follow!
Congrats to Cynthia who efforlessly got her double unders down today!
I don’t know about a WOD to follow- tried that this weekend resulting in a DNF much to Marcus’ amusement!
Yahoo for booze! Oh how I wish there were no calories
Today is my rest day but I must admit the WOD is beckoning . . . because. . . I <3 OHS!!!!!
CHEAT DAY PARTY August 16????? Tentative Menu:
BBQ various meats drenched in delicious non-paleo sauces
Twice Baked Potatoes (Murphy Style, sinful I promise)
Home made garlic bread
Buttery Veggies
6 layer Chocolate Ganache Cake. Deadly
Cheesecake
Adult Beverages of all Kinds!
Good God that cheat day menu looks enticing! It’s making me hungry
6:20 for the WOD today @ 75#
OHS are starting to feel much more natural. Probably should have gone heavier. Next time.
would those be paleo adult beverages?
count me in Murphy!! LOL, twice baked potatoes. Lemme know if you’ll want help!
Marcus? Why do you hate on everything I love?
Crossfit Buffalo WOD
Thrusters 7×1
185-200-210-220-225-235-245F
8:01 Yeah Scott… its 2 all going into the Friday WOD, are you ready for me to bring the pain?
WOD @ 75# 9:00 (dizzy, missed something in my diet today)
Did the WOD in the garage this afternoon – 5:47@ 95#.
100 DU in the backyard untimed
I’m soooo in Murphy! Let me know what booze you’re low on because I know you are stocked with Jack and Jager and you know I do it Costco style!
WOD 6:59 @ 55#
I’m glad everyone enjoyed the post today. I might just have to pick up a sixer of Redbridge for the gym fridge.
6:41 @ 75#
Awesome post. Awesome gym. Awesome gymmates. Awesome WOD. can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the month.
4:23 @ 95#
I am so damn sore today.
6:48 @ 95# + 20# Vest
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