Anti Wheat?

Beware of the box of death:


They should put warnings on the box, just like cigarettes....

Truth is, there isn't really enough hard data (that we've seen) to support either side.

LOLwut?

Bit of a false dichotomy there.

Humans have eaten wheat for thousands of years and it has been a staple in many areas for that long. There is a small faction of the health food/diet community claiming it might not be good for you in a very first world problem kind of way. Only one side need concern themselves with research and hard data. The other side is a basic facet of human society that goes back hundreds of generations; arguing against wheat consumption is a bit like arguing against writing on the basis of it being an unhealthy form of idea expression.

Truth is, there isn't really enough hard data (that we've seen) to support either side.

LOLwut?

Bit of a false dichotomy there.

Humans have eaten wheat for thousands of years and it has been a staple in many areas for that long. There is a small faction of the health food/diet community claiming it might not be good for you in a very first world problem kind of way. Only one side need concern themselves with research and hard data.

I think it's a bit unfair to call Celiac a first world problem. That sort of implies it's not a real problem.

I ate bread for often 3 meals a day for most of my life, like a lot of people probably...

About 3 years ago I was getting really fed up of having permanent symptoms similar to hayfever, particularly rhinitis (blocked nose), and also joint pains particualrly in knees and elbows. I was a couple of stone overweight, but that's all... never been hugely overweight such that it was that alone that was likely to be causing joint problems. Worst symptom of all was a very "gunky" throat, particularly at night... sometimes I'd wake up 30 times a night with a throat full of mucus, not being able to breath. Truly awful. This had got progressively worse for a period of maybe 3-4 years I suppose.

Anyway, to cut long story short I started doing research into food allergies, and discovered that all my symptoms were common of people with an allergy to wheat (not necessarily all gluten) - it is a particualr protein in wheat that can cause all these problems for some people.

I cut out all wheat, and literally in 3 days the symptoms eased considerably... by a week, I felt a whole lot better.

I didn't believe in it at all.

I couldn't believe all that suffering for years was so simple to cure.

I thought it was either just a coincidence, or placebo effect. So, I binged on wheat again as per my "normal" diet, and within hours the symptoms came back!... So, once again I cut it out and all has been fine since.

I read that sometimes after giving your body a long break (6 months, year or so) from an allergen, sensitivity can reduce, or even disappear... so every once in a while I try wheat again to see, but for me the symptoms just come right back within hours.

My biggest problem with it is I absolutely adore freshly baked bread! - even the smell of it in the supermarket etc. gets me craving it... suppose the craving has worn off slightly over the 3 years, or it might just be my will power that has grown stronger!

I can have maybe a sandwich or couple of slices of pizza now and again, but I soon know I've had it, and have to be really strict again for the next few days.

So, my advice is to try cutting out wheat altogether (which can be much harder than you think if you have been used to a lot of convenience or ready-made meals, as virtually EVERYTHING contains wheat!) - give it a good week and see how you feel... then go on a wheat-fest binge for a day or two and again see how you feel... then make the decision!

Hope that helps someone, if you're suffering "hayfever" type symptoms, even in the middle of winter, or joint pains, give it a try!.

Oh, my actual hayfever is not so bad being wheat free diet either!

Truth is, there isn't really enough hard data (that we've seen) to support either side.

LOLwut?

Bit of a false dichotomy there.

Humans have eaten wheat for thousands of years and it has been a staple in many areas for that long. There is a small faction of the health food/diet community claiming it might not be good for you in a very first world problem kind of way. Only one side need concern themselves with research and hard data.

I see your point. I'm looking at it from both sides, not just my own (eat all the foods as long as they don't make you sick). I was expecting Paleo people to come at this topic with how wheat is evil, then others to say it's not. It may be a smal faction in the general population, but they are rampant on these boards.
Just because people eat something, that doesn't mean it's the best option - rather what's available.

I would have never thought wheat was bad until the author of "Wheat Belly" was on Dr. Oz.
He said it is extremely addictive, as much as some drugs even.
White is bad but whole wheat is just "less bad" but still not good for you.
I'm not sure if this is true, but he guarenteed that you will lose 15 pounds in a short amount of time by not eating wheat.

However thats extremely hard... wheat is in many things we may not even realize... licorice... beer.

Dr. Oz and guests are collectively the single worst source of information on any subject but "how to waste your money on someone's BS book/supplement/program."

For the vast majority of people, wheat is just another food.

Unless you have a sensitivity to it, there is nothing wrong with it. If it triggers cravings, you may want to avoid, as with any trigger food.

If it does not cause a problem with staying within your calorie allowance and hitting your macros and you have no sensitivities to it, there is absolutely no reason to avoid it and many reasons to eat it.

8 out of 10 people have some sort of sensitivity of wheat and gluten- but few realize they do until they come off of it and find they feel better than they have in years- fatigue, brain fog, gas, bloating, heachaches, allergies , joint pain etc etc They had all their life was not normal.. That is reason enough to question whether wheat is good for anyone. I myself think it is 100% poison - read what belly, the paleo diet, and other resources on the subject.. watch fathead, google wheat , celiac disease, autoimmune disorders, depression, mental disorders and you'll see why I feel that way. Nothing wrong with cutting out the wheat for a few weeks and see for yourself if you don't feel 100% better.

8 out of 10? Really?

Source for this?

For whatever it's worth:

About two years ago I cut out most dairy in order to feel better. A few months ago, I did the same with wheat. I try to avoid it but there are times when I just can't or don't. I don't have a diagnosed gluten disorder but I know that my digestive system feels the best when I don't eat wheat or dairy.

I have read (and no, I don't remember where) that the cause of the higher levels of sensitivity in a lot of Americans is caused by the genetic modifications to wheat. These changes have made "wheat" look nothing like the wheat eaten by our ancestors for hundreds of years.

If you like wheat and carbs and you feel good, eat it. I didn't give up wheat in order to lose weight, but in giving it up, I have found I make healthier choices. I eat a lot more protein and like others have said, I generally have more engery.

Actually i've seen results too. One of my friends was having stomach problems and found out they were alergic to wheat.
They stopped eating it and dropped weight instantly, at least 10 pounds in 2 months, without changing anything else.

So although I agree that Dr. Oz throws a lot of information at you and you have to decide what you believe...

I also have noticed that things with wheat tend to be high calorie and have an addictive aspect to it. I always want to continue eating and tend to overeate when I incorporate wheat into my diet.

Wheat is not what it used to be in the 1990's. It is genetically modified "wheat."

Up to you though