Tips for going gluten free

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Replies

  • MelisaBegins
    MelisaBegins Posts: 161 Member
    While some people are sensitive to wheat, not everyone will benefit from giving it up. Sure if you give up all carbs, you will lose weight and probably feel better, but modern wheat is not what's making us fat. The premise of the book is just plain not correct and the author even acknowledges that if you're not dropping pounds, it's because you replaced the wheat with other carbs. That completely defeats the theory that modern wheat is the problem.

    The whole point of the book is Dr. Davis explaining that modern wheat IS the reason why so many people are obese nowadays. The wheat individuals consumed in the sixteenth-nineteenth centuries is not even close to what wheat is today. Beginning in the twentieth century, hybridization methods completely transformed wheat. Today wheat is so genetically altered. Sure, a loaf of bread thousands of years ago might look the same and taste the same but there are biochemical differences compared to a loaf of bread today. The differences in wheat protein structure cast the difference between a destructive immune response to wheat protein vs. no immune response.

    Can't the same be said of EVERYTHING we eat today vs. the sixteenth-nineteenth centuries? Meat is different. Vegetables are different. Don't get me started on organic (which I still tend to buy, especially dairy) because there is no way the soil that 'organic' produce is planted in is entirely free of chemicals. I would argue that obesity today has far more to do with how little we move our bodies as a society. I mean, who doesn't love a good snack or 10 when they're sitting in front of a screen all day? My weight loss and fitness journey since January has been achieved through moderation, portion control and moving my body most days. That is not to say that I don't encourage anyone to do what feels right for them; giving up gluten for me falls into the "life is just too short" category.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
    I dont find it hard at all.

    I stopped eating the breads, found things I like without gluten and went from there.

    Feeling HEALTHY is worth it. When I have gluten I know it and it sucks (I am allergic to gluten). So it was very necessary for me.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
    While some people are sensitive to wheat, not everyone will benefit from giving it up. Sure if you give up all carbs, you will lose weight and probably feel better, but modern wheat is not what's making us fat. The premise of the book is just plain not correct and the author even acknowledges that if you're not dropping pounds, it's because you replaced the wheat with other carbs. That completely defeats the theory that modern wheat is the problem.

    The whole point of the book is Dr. Davis explaining that modern wheat IS the reason why so many people are obese nowadays. The wheat individuals consumed in the sixteenth-nineteenth centuries is not even close to what wheat is today. Beginning in the twentieth century, hybridization methods completely transformed wheat. Today wheat is so genetically altered. Sure, a loaf of bread thousands of years ago might look the same and taste the same but there are biochemical differences compared to a loaf of bread today. The differences in wheat protein structure cast the difference between a destructive immune response to wheat protein vs. no immune response.

    people are obese because they over eat on ALL food not just wheat….

    so you are telling me I can cut out all wheat, eat over my maintenance, and I will lose weight; or conversely, I can eat in a deficit, eat carbs/wheat, and gain weight???????????

    If you are gluten intolerant (like myself) youll lose tons of bloat.

    I lost a belly that made me look 5 months pregnant. It was just from bloat! It went away without 4 days of quitting gluten.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Cutting out processed food is defiantly good for you, but unless you have a legit medical reason for not eating ....
    Citation please.

    I'd suggest the latter part applies for foods which have been processed too.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    While some people are sensitive to wheat, not everyone will benefit from giving it up. Sure if you give up all carbs, you will lose weight and probably feel better, but modern wheat is not what's making us fat. The premise of the book is just plain not correct and the author even acknowledges that if you're not dropping pounds, it's because you replaced the wheat with other carbs. That completely defeats the theory that modern wheat is the problem.

    The whole point of the book is Dr. Davis explaining that modern wheat IS the reason why so many people are obese nowadays. The wheat individuals consumed in the sixteenth-nineteenth centuries is not even close to what wheat is today. Beginning in the twentieth century, hybridization methods completely transformed wheat. Today wheat is so genetically altered. Sure, a loaf of bread thousands of years ago might look the same and taste the same but there are biochemical differences compared to a loaf of bread today. The differences in wheat protein structure cast the difference between a destructive immune response to wheat protein vs. no immune response.

    people are obese because they over eat on ALL food not just wheat….

    so you are telling me I can cut out all wheat, eat over my maintenance, and I will lose weight; or conversely, I can eat in a deficit, eat carbs/wheat, and gain weight???????????

    If you are gluten intolerant (like myself) youll lose tons of bloat.

    I lost a belly that made me look 5 months pregnant. It was just from bloat! It went away without 4 days of quitting gluten.

    my point was for people with no medical condition that still seem to want to go gluten free …
  • zaellany
    zaellany Posts: 57 Member
    I dont find it hard at all.

    I stopped eating the breads, found things I like without gluten and went from there.

    Feeling HEALTHY is worth it. When I have gluten I know it and it sucks (I am allergic to gluten). So it was very necessary for me.

    This. I went GF last year after getting diagnosed with IBS-C (I'd had progressively worse symptoms for over a year) and hearing that my only options were to get on a prescription laxative, an antidepressant, and an immunosuppressant drug. No thanks. That was the gastroenterologist's opinion - I got a second opinion and was told that going GF could help my symptoms. My doc actually recommended a FODMAPS diet, but said "eliminate gluten first, and see if that helps" (I was already off dairy at the time, but have since added it back in limited amounts). Going GF helped so much I didn't feel like I needed to do the full FODMAPS diet, which is pretty restrictive.

    I went cold-turkey and was feeling better within two weeks. No more abdominal cramping, no more pain going to the bathroom, no more random abdominal pain, no more...other stuff I don't want to mention, really. Plus, a rash I had on my abdomen cleared up, I had more energy, and just felt better in general. It was totally worth it for me.

    It's not hard at all for me to be GF because the alternative is, I feel like crap. I have tried eating gluten-containing foods periodically and the symptoms come back - I get horrific abdominal cramps. Yes, you have to be careful because lots of things contain gluten. No, I DO NOT recommend going gluten-free as a weight-loss tactic. I lost for awhile, but I have seen people GAIN weight after going GF because they substitute the same processed crap that they were eating that had gluten in it, with GF processed crap.

    I think it is totally worth it for anyone having GI symptoms to try it for a month or so, and see if it helps. You do not have to be celiac to have enough of an intolerance that you get sick from gluten. I was extremely skeptical of going GF, and now I wish I had done it years ago.

    My tips for making it work:
    - Don't worry about substituting all your existing gluten-containing foods with GF foods. Try to eat foods that are naturally GF, not engineered to be GF.
    - Eating out is the biggest challenge. If you are super-sensitive (this is usually people with celiac, but some intolerant people are as well) you may not be able to eat out any more, because of cross-contamination. I'm not so sensitive that food prepared in the same room with gluten-containing products bothers me, but some people are. You will need to research and plan in advance, and pick restaurants that are GF friendly. Chipotle is my go-to. I can't eat Chinese food out any more, at all, because of the gluten in the soy sauce.
    - There are TONS of blogs and websites that can help with foods and meal planning. You will need to plan your meals until you get more comfortable with what is/is not GF. Stock food at home and at work that is quick-prep so you don't get stuck. Not many fast-food places are GF friendly. Even foods that don't say "contains wheat" can contain gluten, but there are food databases and websites and even apps (my fave is "Find Me Gluten Free") that can help you determine what is "safe" and what is not.
    - Regardless of the...uh..."advice" others are offering...the only way to tell whether going GF will help you is A. getting an intestinal biopsy for celiac or B. going GF and seeing if it helps you. If you go GF and it doesn't help you, you can start eating gluten again. It's worth a try. I did not think it was going to work for me. It's helped me a ton. Good luck and I'd be happy to help with any other questions you have.

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