Drink Beer On Purpose

**No Classes in observance of Independence Day**

That’s right. The guy that thinks grains and dairy are pitiful excuses for food is talking about drinking beer.

Drinking beer is not good for you. Sorry. Not much need to explain, but I will anyway..

Drinking beer will spike inflammation and leave your gut bloated. That same full feeling you get when you have wheat in your belly is actually the root of all auto-immune diseases. If you have some pronounced, or even recessive, auto-immune condition (like celiac) the proteins in these grains penetrate your gut lining and make their way into your blood stream. This process sets off a war inside your body. Thinking these proteins are foreign invaders in your blood, your immune system begins to kill you from the inside out. Not quickly, but actually as slow as you could imagine. [Cue the horror music]

If you’re like me, consuming grains (like beer) will just make you feel less than a million bucks the next day and you might have some nasal congestion. If you’re like my girlfriend Lindsey or Coach Danny, a beer can mean a rough bout of allergies and a trip back to life with asthma.

Also, a beer will spike insulin. And, as you hopefully now know, insulin is the key mechanism for fat storage. Trying to improve body composition with high glycemic foods is like trying to run under water. Lots of effort with little to show for it.

Furthermore, if you’ve been eating clean for some time, you may feel crappy after just one beer. I’ll actually also go as far as saying there is zero nutritional justification for having beer. Just like there’s zero good reason to eat grains like toast, from a nutritional standpoint.

Grains are low performance. Period. So, why am I telling you to drink a beer?

No, not because “everything is good in moderation.” That invalid set of words has been beaten to death already. I’m telling you to understand everything I’ve said above and still be able to make a decision, like drinking a beer, and understand full well what you’re in for and be able to do it anyway- guilt free.

We shouldn’t make our dietary choices about being good or bad; right or wrong. Guilt runs rampant with nearly everything we put in our bodies. Put an end to that!

Have a beer for the sake of having a beer! Don’t tell yourself it’s good for you, because it isn’t. Drink one anyway, if you want. And, feel good about it! There’s no need to be sorry for your choices in nutrition. Own it.

Last night, I stopped by the beer section at a speciality wine bar and bought a St. Peter’s Cream Stout on a whim. My reason was that I got to thinking about the folks that devote their lives to making great beer and, as someone who doesn’t drink beer or eat grains, I figured I’d like to enjoy a great beer anyway. That doesn’t have to be your reason, but it was mine.

As for the beer, it was incredible! And, no I didn’t feel great after and I drank it full well knowing all the consequences. I enjoyed every last drop, nonetheless.

This example is about beer, but the lesson is almost universal. Maybe it’s time to check out the world famous cupcake shop on the corner. I hope you aren’t THAT guy or girl that’s ordering an egg white omelette at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles either. Heck, this 4th of July maybe you can enjoy yourself guilt free. That’s a thought!

Educate yourself. Make choices. Live it up!

 

Logan Gelbrich
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Wednesday’s Workout:

Run 5K for time.