Luke Combs Reveals the Surprising Lifestyle Change That’s Made a Big Impact on His Life
“Surprisingly, this is the least country thing I’ve ever said…”
Luke Combs performs on his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour; Photo by David Bergman, Courtesy of Luke Combs
Luke Combs recently embraced a significant lifestyle change, one that he credits with positively impacting his life and mental well-being.
“Surprisingly, this is the least country thing I’ve ever said: [I’m] gluten-free now,” Combs recently revealed to ABC News.
The North Carolina native, who has previously been open about his struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), recalled noticing a “really bad” flare up of his symptoms over the summer. So much so that he says it was “beginning to get in the way of everyday life enjoyment.”
This caused him to do a “deep dive” into his health. He eventually found a doctor to run some tests on him and learned that he has a “really high sensitivity” to gluten.
According to some studies, including this one in the National Library Of Medicine, find associations between mood disorders and gluten intake.
Combs’ personal experience supports these findings.
“Ever since eliminating that, man, it’s changed my life mentally,” he revealed.
And while he said “There was no intent of, like, man, I should try to lose some weight,” he’s also noticed signs of weight loss since changing his diet.
For Combs, being a husband and father is “without a doubt” what motivates him to be healthy.
“Longevity is the goal,” he told ABC News. “Every day you get to spend with those guys is really fun and tough, and you need to be your best self to take care of them the way that you feel like they deserve to be taken care of.”
He later added, “It’s a long process, man. It’s a long road. It’s tough. It’s a challenge, man. I struggle with it every day.”
Things seems to be working in his favor because Combs was recently included in People’s Sexiest Man Alive issue.
The 34-year-old was shocked to hear that he was featured in the “Sexy at Any Age” portion of the issue and admitted, “That’s when I was like, ‘Down year, 1990, must’ve been a down year.’ I thought it was the most-cheeseburgers-eaten list, is what I thought it was…And then to see this guy on there, I was like, ‘Man, times are tough in 1990 for me to be the hottest guy.’”
Combs is fresh off the CMA Awards stage where he performed his massive hit, “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma.” Heading into 2025, the superstar will enjoy some downtime before kicking off the new year with a run of headlining shows across New Zealand and Australia. Beginning January 17, Combs will perform at Stadiums across the two countries through February 8.
Later in the year, he will headline several festivals, including Tortuga Music Festival, Stagecoach, and Boots in the Park.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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