Jeremy Scott Discusses Intermittent Fasting & Gluten Free Living

• Hometown: Winona, MN
• Current Location: Scottsdale, AZ
• Height: 210lbs
• Weight: 6’2″
• Age: 30
• Favorite Food: that’s tough – I love gluten free pizza from True Food Chicken
• Favorite Exercise: Deadlifts

Connect with Jeremy Scott:

• Websites: www.jeremyscottfitness.com, www.getleanglutenfree.com
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Jeremyscottfitness
• Twitter – https://twitter.com/JSFBootCamps
• Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/teamjsf/pins/

For those who are unfamiliar with you, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in the fitness industry.

I was a collegiate athlete on a scholarship and once my playing days were over, I needed to find something else that I was passionate about and would keep me active. Strength training and helping others grew into my new passion. I started out with my fitness site www.jeremyscottfitness.com and it led to www.getleanglutenfree.com.

How long you have been a Prolab sponsored athlete and how did that come about?

I have been with Prolab, MRI and Natrol for a few years now. I had been competing and training regularly and had my own fitness business up and running, and career wise, I was picking up momentum. I like to say hard work met opportunity; a friend of mine by the name of Kyle Clarke put in a good word for me and that initially got things going. I was introduced to people in the business, and it has just taken off from there. I am truly blessed to be part of such a great team of athletes and staff members.

Tell us about your gluten free e-book that just came out and what we could expect to find in the book? Would it be beneficial for someone that has never gone gluten free before?

The Get Lean Gluten Free Cookbook has 40 simple and fresh gluten free recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner that are all easy-to-follow. These recipes will get you in and out of the kitchen fast while getting a delicious meal on the table that the whole family will love. The book is also filled with nutrition, fitness and motivational tips on how to go gluten free, eat clean, get lean, and stay that way.

The recipes call for fresh whole foods that will help boost your immunity and your metabolism, while getting you lean and fit. When you are focusing on eating clean, it is actually very simple to eat gluten free. This book is a perfect introduction for anyone who wants to try a gluten free lifestyle because the recipes are uncomplicated and contain fresh, wholesome ingredients.

How do you personally get magazine ready for a photo shoot in regards to your nutrition, supplementation and training?

I live this lifestyle 24-7-365 days a year, so not much changes in terms of my supplementation or my training. I take a variety of vitamins, micronutrients, probiotics, and minerals daily, along with my protein, creatine, glutamine, and pre workouts from Prolab and MRI. For me the biggest thing is evaluating myself in the mirror and being aware of my macro intake at all times. My carb and fat count will shift and play off one another, so I can achieve the desired look for a shoot.

How long have you been gluten free and what made you decide to try it? What are the benefits that you feel you personally get from being gluten free?

I have been completely gluten free for the last 8 months. The decision came after having a food allergy test; I was found to be highly intolerant of gluten. I had thought it for years, but always just played it off and dealt with feeling like crap after eating things like pizza, or baked goods as cheat meals. Internally I feel 100% better, no more indigestion, bloating or inflammation from foods and it feels great! By cutting out most grains from my life, I have found I am leaner overall day to day. Now living at a low body fat is rather easy and requires no major shifts in eating to attain it year round.

How hard is it to live the gluten free lifestyle and what were the biggest adjustments you have had to make?

For me it has just been about adjusting to the cheat meals and other than that, cutting out Ezekiel Bread because I used to eat Ezekiel Bread like crazy. It has been pretty simple, not eating pizza or having cookies with friends might be the biggest issue, or grabbing a beer at a baseball game with some friends. However now with so many alternative options to pick from; it’s getting easier and easier.

Who could benefit from a gluten free diet and why? Even if an individual is not allergic to gluten how could they benefit from going gluten free?

Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat, rye, malt and barley which gives bread its spongy texture. You can have subtle sensitivities to it and not even realize it.

Today, our wheat is different than it used to be. Back in the 1950’s there was an aggressive program of hybridization and cross-hybridization to get certain strains of wheat that are shorter, more durable and have more gluten in them. Our bodies are not necessarily designed to recognize and digest these newer strains of wheat, so it can cause underlying health problems.

All of these can cause our bodies to react unfavorably. If done the right way, most people can actually benefit from a gluten free diet. By cutting out gluten-containing grains and then replacing them with a lot of lean fish, poultry, meats, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, and a minimal amount of gluten free grains; you will likely find that you have more energy and less fatigue. Most people even lose weight and lean up. In addition, many people also find that a number of other underlying health issues also disappear after going gluten free.

There are tons of gluten free products on the market today and they are not all good for you. What do you personally look for in a gluten free product?

Going gluten free is not about simply going to the grocery store and purchasing everything that has a gluten free label on it. You don’t just want to replace gluten-filled bake goods with the gluten free options that are on the shelves. Store-bought gluten free breads, crackers, muffins and snacks are usually filled with starchy carbohydrates that will only spike insulin levels and add a nice puffy layer of padding around your middle.

Look for products that have high-protein flours in them, such as coconut flour, almond flour, teff flour, quinoa flour, oat flour, or millet flour. Better yet, try creating your own baked goods and incorporating some of these flours.

What do you feel is the best gluten free bread on the market and where can it be purchased?

Two of the better gluten free breads on the market right now are Udi’s, Millet Chia Bread, which can be found at most local mainstream grocery stores. And Canyon Bakehouse, Whole Grain, is another bread that can be found at many local health food stores and in some more mainstream grocery stores.

These two seem to have the best texture and hold up well in flavor against their gluten-filled counterparts. They are also made with higher protein and higher fiber flours such as millet, oat and teff.

What is the best way to approach the gluten free lifestyle when going out to eat?

When you are going out to eat, really focus on ordering simple foods. Focus on lean meats, poultry, and seafood that are prepared simply without a lot of sauces or any breading. Then add on a side of roasted vegetables and you are good to go. Try not to pick one of the more complicated menu items.

Of course, always tell your server if you have Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance and truly need to avoid anything with wheat, barley or rye and most oats, including flour, breading, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or any seasoning that might contain flour. If you are ordering a salad or other topped item note that you can’t have croutons or any topping made with bread or breading. Also ask about preparation because this can cross-contaminate foods that would otherwise be gluten free. Are the French fries made in a dedicated fryer? And always ask about a dish’s sauce. If it is described as thick or creamy, you should make sure they haven’t used a gluten-based thickening agent. Stews are worth inquiring about for this reason too.

There are so many restaurants now that are well-versed in catering to gluten free diners, so it is actually quite easy to go out and eat an amazing gluten free meal these days. Many restaurants even have specific gluten free menus that contain many of their regular menu-items with a few adjustments to make them gluten free.

Tell us what your pre and post workout nutrition looks like. Do you prefer liquids or solids and what are your thoughts on this?

Sometimes I train fasted on no food at all. Other times I will keep it 100% liquid, usually some whey protein mixed with our N-Large 3 from PROLAB, with a scoop of creatine, powdered Phresh greens, and powdered PB as well. My post workout is always liquid as well, usually 4 scoops of N-Large 3, with some unsweetened vanilla almond milk; this does the trick. I usually eat my first whole food meal of the day a few hours after training, depending on my schedule.

What do you personally do for your meal feeding frequency? Have you done intermittent fasting and what are your thoughts on it?

I have been intermittent fasting for years now, and I haven’t eaten breakfast or before 12 noon in about the last 3 years. I love ‘IF’ there are so many benefits and for me, my body personally has responded very well to it. I feel great, which is the most important thing. I typically fast from 16-20 hours each day and sometimes even throw in a 24 hour fast, either after a cheat session, or just to let my body cleanse and detox a little from everything. I don’t believe in meal frequency and I am not a huge believer of meal timing for most things. Post workout nutrition and pre workout nutrition are probably the most vital. You can eat once per day or 8 times per day I have seen people be successful both ways. There is usually something that works for everybody and ‘IF’ happens to really work for me.