
Stephanie Rothstein, professional runner and Celiac.
“So, is there gluten in vegetables?”
I get this question a lot. I try not to laugh and poke fun, since the answer seems so obvious to me. But then I step back and remember gluten allergies are a new thing to this country, and a difficult concept for some people to grasp.
As a professional athlete, part of my job is ensuring my recovery and ability to train at a very high level on a daily basis. For years, I literally felt like my body was failing me and I had no idea why.
I felt like I was hungover, though I didn’t drink. I woke up with a headache and in a fog each morning. My iron levels were dangerously low, despite attempts to supplement twice a day. I couldn’t recover from runs, let alone life, and I feared my running career was ending before it really began.
Luckily, I had a team of doctors who helped analyze my symptoms. I went on a supervised elimination diet that eventually led to my diagnosis: I am allergic to gluten.
I started. Really, actually, started.
My friend Jason Fitzgerald, who writes the brilliant blog ![[NMA Tent RNRAZ image] NMATent 784x1024](http://www.nomeatathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/NMATent-784x1024.jpg)
![[nma racerback tank image] grey shirt cropped with white background 300x288](http://www.nomeatathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/grey-shirt-cropped-with-white-background-300x288.jpg)
Another thing people ask about all the time is cycling jerseys. I’m actually nationally recognized as the country’s 4th or 5th worst cyclist, depending on who you ask, so I didn’t exactly have the fire under my arse that was necessary to get this done.




![[890 image]](http://www.nomeatathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/8901.png)
