"Gluten Free Rockin' on the Road" Guest Blog by Darius Lux

When first approached about someone being a guest on my blog I was hesitant but then after reading this story I thought that it might help someone else in the gluten free community and after all that's what I'm here for. I hope you enjoy!

What could be less rock n roll than dietary considerations?! - haha - and yet here we are in 2012, looking back on the ashes of the last few decades of rock decadence and it would seem some could have benefited well from healthier habits. A few years back I would gladly eat and drink anything put in front of me - it was ALL good. Recently tho, I have had to dig a little deeper and come up with some solutions in order to stay on point (rockin on stage is very athletic).
As I found glutens affecting me adversely over the last few years, I even wound up reflecting on it on my current record: "Time Is Now" -  in the song "No Problem" - "What do you eat and what do you think, how do you feel and what did you drink?"

If you're reading this post you probably know what glutens are and the negative impacts of bloating, decreased energy etc. Traveling thru your own hometown can be difficult enough let alone being on the road from gig to gig. Add to this that most of the time you are relying on people's hospitality and the last thing you wanna do is start complaining...but....as most gluten-sensitive people know - you gotta do what you gotta do! Funnily enough, glutenous foods are not hard to give away - by handing off bread, cake and donuts, I'll tend to make new friends rather than lose them. I also make a point to  be very clear in thanking them for what I am able to eat, which is usually something, however small.

In general, I try to make sure in advance that trigger foods are not being made for me. Outside of that you just have to get good at knowing where to go to get what you need. Tacos (made from corn) are always reliable and very widely available. If possible, I seek out Japanese, Thai and/or East Indian food since it is more rice-based than bread. Most important is keeping some staples on me - ahi/salmon jerky for protein (goes a long way), potato chips, nuts and dried fruit for carbs/energy, and whatever fresh fruit I can get a hold of - apples are great and travel well.

When it comes to the actual night of the gig, beer is a big glutenous no-no, but wine and spirits are fine and keep the rock n roll persona intact. Being gluten free is a challenge and I'm sure I have gone down in the estimation of some of my hardcore musical comrades but at the end of the day all that matters when I plug in onstage is that I give 100% and that's about feeling as good as possible - my lasting hope is that the show makes everything alright!

By: Darius Lux

To find out more about Darius and his music you can click HERE.


Thanks for stopping by y'all and please come again soon!