Indeed, I have talked to my doctor for some length about gluten foods. Supposedly, his autistic patients have seen great improvement in their conditions by avoiding these certain foods.
This is so true. At the gym I train at, we advocate the Paleolithic diet (caveman diet essentially). We have so many success stories, but the one I'll leave you with is this:
One of our athletes had psoriasis, in a pretty severe case, all of his life. He was embarassed about it, and fought it all throughout the years. He had a dozen doctors, and has gone on even more perscriptions throughout his life, but to no avail. Keep in mind, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease.
After he started with us and adopted the Paleo diet, it dissapeared. Not exaggerating one bit here - within two weeks it was gone. About a month or so later of living free of psoriasis for the first time in his 25+ years, he goes out on a camping trip with his buddies. Throws down some junk food (hotdogs with buns, chips... gluten), and sure enough, it comes BACK. He gets back to the gym the next week, back on the Paleo diet, and it dissapears once again. Hasn't been of Paleo since, and it hasn't came back since.
Although we might "feel" alright eating certain foods, we can't "feel" internal inflammation. Certain foods cause this silent inflammation, one of those being gluten and any sort of grain product, as mentioned, and the other is unfortunately dairy products. They are the root of so many auto-immune diseases. When you think about it, food is fuel. It is what our body LIVES off of. You give it things it can't process naturally, and there will be consequences/side effects. Food is like a drug.
To each, their own. But from a health standpoint, you will simply be healthier without dairy. Not trying to start any arguments here, or whether or not it's worth the "trouble" to give up dairy, but that's my advice and what I live by.
As to the whey protein question - it is still dairy. Here's where health and performance go in two different directions. Whey protein is derived from milk factions, so yes it's dairy. BUT, it is the most effecient source of protein to digest post-workout... performance. Post-workout, it's alright in my book to go after that protein shake if you're really looking for that performance edge. But a simple meal consisting of a lean source of protein and some starchy carbs (I go with sweet potatoes), will be right up there.
