Should wheat be avoided, even if you're not intolerant?

tumsbums
tumsbums Posts: 32 Member
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
I try to eat a balanced diet, with good amounts of carbs, fat and protein and lots of veggies and fruit!
At each meal I base it on a carb, and I do sometimes have rice, or potatoes but I can't help but notice that on average I eat a lot of wheat!

eg. Breakfast : weetabix
Lunch : two slices of bread for a sandwich
Dinner: Pasta or noodles etc


Im not allergic to it, but I still see some information now and then about how everyone should just avoid it as it is such an "unhealthy" boogie monster of the grain world!

I'm unsure as to how true this is? Is wheat something that should be avoided?
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Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    tumsbums wrote: »
    I try to eat a balanced diet, with good amounts of carbs, fat and protein and lots of veggies and fruit!
    At each meal I base it on a carb, and I do sometimes have rice, or potatoes but I can't help but notice that on average I eat a lot of wheat!

    eg. Breakfast : weetabix
    Lunch : two slices of bread for a sandwich
    Dinner: Pasta or noodles etc


    Im not allergic to it, but I still see some information now and then about how everyone should just avoid it as it is such an "unhealthy" boogie monster of the grain world!

    I'm unsure as to how true this is? Is wheat something that should be avoided?

    What kind of silliness is this, why would you avoid it? Because you saw some "information" saying it's bad? Perhaps look into the veracity of such claims
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    If you do not have any sensitivity to it then no it shouldn't be avoided!

    It offers very little in return for the calorie cost so if you are looking to strip back calories to get into a deficit, I personally would put it near the top of the list for things to cut to reduce calorie intake!
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited November 2014
    tumsbums wrote: »
    I try to eat a balanced diet, with good amounts of carbs, fat and protein and lots of veggies and fruit!
    At each meal I base it on a carb, and I do sometimes have rice, or potatoes but I can't help but notice that on average I eat a lot of wheat!

    eg. Breakfast : weetabix
    Lunch : two slices of bread for a sandwich
    Dinner: Pasta or noodles etc


    Im not allergic to it, but I still see some information now and then about how everyone should just avoid it as it is such an "unhealthy" boogie monster of the grain world!

    I'm unsure as to how true this is? Is wheat something that should be avoided?

    No, unless you want to for your own personal reasons.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    No you don't have to.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    If you eat wheat, you will die.

    Seriously. It will kill you slowly. Every day your health will become worse and worse in aggregate, until you expire.

    Do you really want to die?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited November 2014
    It depends on YOU. Only you can decide if it fits into your lifestyle and if you can successfully lose and then (more importantly maintain!) while eating lots of starches.

    That said, I would never recommend "basing meals around starch". Most of the refined stuff (everything you named) isn't very nutritious calorie wise (yes, other than filling in a magical macro number), so you don't "need it". But if you enjoy it, and you can lose AND MAINTAIN while eating some, then so be it. But I wouldn't base my meals around it regularly. Lunch, in a pinch, maybe, but it would be 100% whole grain.

  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited November 2014
    dbmata wrote: »
    If you eat wheat, you will die.

    Seriously. It will kill you slowly. Every day your health will become worse and worse in aggregate, until you expire.

    Do you really want to die?

    This is kind of true of life in general. All people's health worsens. All people die.

    Wouldn't attribute that to wheat though.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited November 2014
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    If you eat wheat, you will die.

    Seriously. It will kill you slowly. Every day your health will become worse and worse in aggregate, until you expire.

    Do you really want to die?

    This is kind of true of life in general. All people's health worsens. All people die.

    Wouldn't attribute that to wheat though.

    Nor would he. He's just trolling.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited November 2014
    Yes

    Strong support for your stance. Just because you cannot tolerate it, or do not like it does not mean others need to avoid it as well.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Yes

    No.
    I lost all my weight and improved all blood markers and BP eating all kinds of delicious, nutritious wheat. Even, gasp, white bread.
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    You don't have to avoid it... But if you feel you are eating too much of it and your diet is unbalanced, then maybe swap a meal or two out with some other type of starch?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Yes

    Strong support for your stance

    You as well.

    I like wheat, so you need to eat wheat too.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    ^ See what I did there?
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    ^ See what I did there?

    No I was too busy mirin
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Swiftlet66 wrote: »
    You don't have to avoid it... But if you feel you are eating too much of it and your diet is unbalanced, then maybe swap a meal or two out with some other type of starch?

    Or not a starch at all.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    If you don't have any sort of intolerance/allergy to wheat you do not need to avoid it. If anyone tells you otherwise ask them to present evidence for the claim that wheat is harmful.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    OP - wheat is not going to kill you ….so you can eat it and lose weight…what is not the devil….
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Yes

    you going to clarify that, or just dive bomb the thread with no legitimate reason to support your "claims"….
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    603reader wrote: »
    ^ See what I did there?

    No I was too busy mirin

    mam, can we please take this to a PM?
  • NO!

    I'm gluten intolerant and I have to avoid it if I don't want the repercussions, but seriously, if you're looking for health than eat a well balanced diet and you'll be fine. Wheat is part of that balance.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    If you eat wheat, you will die.

    Seriously. It will kill you slowly. Every day your health will become worse and worse in aggregate, until you expire.

    Do you really want to die?

    If you don't eat wheat you will die. See also : chocolate. Every person who does not eat chocolate dies.
  • nitrospop
    nitrospop Posts: 122 Member
    Unless you have celiac disease, it does not have to be avoided. That being said, there is research that shows everyone has some level of adverse reaction to gluten. There is also evidence that wheat products can be addictive since the gluten protein attaches to opiate receptors in the brain. I avoid wheat and have seen a boost to my overall health. If you're curious, give it a try for a while and see for yourself. The results are you get healthier, there is no change, or health deteriorates. What works for me may not work for you at all.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    If you eat wheat, you will die.

    Seriously. It will kill you slowly. Every day your health will become worse and worse in aggregate, until you expire.

    Do you really want to die?

    This is kind of true of life in general. All people's health worsens. All people die.

    Wouldn't attribute that to wheat though.

    Nor would he. He's just trolling.

    Lol, you and Katie leaving flags how cute.

    I'm agreeing, accepting, and validating. That's all posters want these days anyway.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    nitrospop wrote: »
    Unless you have celiac disease, it does not have to be avoided. That being said, there is research that shows everyone has some level of adverse reaction to gluten. There is also evidence that wheat products can be addictive since the gluten protein attaches to opiate receptors in the brain. I avoid wheat and have seen a boost to my overall health. If you're curious, give it a try for a while and see for yourself. The results are you get healthier, there is no change, or health deteriorates. What works for me may not work for you at all.

    Can you please present this evidence?

    Thanks
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    nitrospop wrote: »
    Unless you have celiac disease, it does not have to be avoided. That being said, there is research that shows everyone has some level of adverse reaction to gluten. There is also evidence that wheat products can be addictive since the gluten protein attaches to opiate receptors in the brain. I avoid wheat and have seen a boost to my overall health. If you're curious, give it a try for a while and see for yourself. The results are you get healthier, there is no change, or health deteriorates. What works for me may not work for you at all.

    Please post said research
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Our brains have opiate receptors?

    Wow, so that means we evolved alongside opium plants? Amazing.

    What benefits do opiates have for us?
  • Maitria
    Maitria Posts: 439 Member
    edited November 2014
    Not touching the rest of that post, but I think you mean opioid receptors. :D

    OP, if you're an overall healthy person, then I wouldn't worry about it if you aren't noticing any trouble when you eat it. If you don't have Celiac, you don't have to worry about eradicating every trace of its existence from your life. >:)

    However, I have seen some research that suggests that avoiding gluten may also be helpful to some people with a lot of inflammation or certain autoimmune conditions. More research on that needs to be done, and I don't know of any that says eating gluten is necessarily harmful to people with these conditions, just that avoiding it may alleviate some symptoms.
  • This is always a good topic for debate. Personally I avoid it, even though I've tested negative for celiac, I'm certain I have an intolerance. The way my body reacts is very unpleasant, so I choose to avoid. I don't know why there are so many folks out there that take issue with people avoiding something that makes them feel terrible regardless of some silly blood test, but to each their own.

    That being said, if your intent is to lose weight by avoiding gluten, use caution. Gluten-free products like pastries, pasta etc are not lower in calories, and in fact are often much higher in calories.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Yes

    you going to clarify that, or just dive bomb the thread with no legitimate reason to support your "claims"….

    Yes

    and to think, I got flagged for validating the op, but the PA kids are letting this just fly right by. lol.

    Such angry. Very cheerleader. LOL.
  • Maitria
    Maitria Posts: 439 Member
    This study emphasizes the vegan part of the diet in a lot of the study, but those participants were also eating a gluten free diet. I'm not sure what the reason was for the heavier focus on the vegan instead of gluten free diet, since the other group ate a "well balanced diet."

    http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/10/1175.full
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