Achieve your peak health. Get expert health advice from Tony
Download nowThis article is sponsored by FitJoy Nutrition and authored by Dr. Chris Lockwood – president of LOCKWOOD LLC, an innovations, research, and consulting firm within the dietary supplement, nutrition and fitness industries. He has raised over $1.04MM in cash donations toward protein and dietary supplement research, is the lead inventor on five patents and pending applications, co-authored 58 peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations, has authored 100s of consumer and trade articles, and is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in sports nutrition and dietary supplements. He has previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Muscle & Fitness and M&F Hers magazines, Senior Category Director of the Diet, Energy, Food and Beverage category of GNC, Senior Brand Manager of ABB, and as Chief Scientific Officer of 4Life Research.
For most of my life I struggled with digestive issues. When out with friends, I’d refuse to eat. I would rather face temporary ridicule than the lasting stomach discomfort that would otherwise follow most meals. Dates that included a dinner or meal? No way! Ordering significantly less food than your date is like taking a girl on the Autobahn to Insecurityville! Thanks, but no thanks.
Then, something clicked when I was about 30 years old. I came up with my own version of a high-protein diet that allowed me to indulge my love for berries, fruits and certain vegetables but restricted me from having most grains and starches.
Shortly after adopting the diet, I began to notice a shift in my well-being. Not only did my stomach issues almost completely disappear, but my focus, energy and mood became more consistent, my body fat stayed low, and recovery from exercise and life’s stresses improved.
Field of Discovery
It took a few years until I could confirm – by process of addition – what foods had been causing my digestive issues. The culprit(s)? Certain grains and processed starches, mostly. While I try to focus on richly colored fruits and vegetables for carbs, I also stick to organic black rice, black or red quinoa, purple yams and sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, and millet or buckwheat when I am craving starches.
