Wheat: Eliminate it and Fatigue, Brain Fog, and Weight

A year ago I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy and low iron stores (ferritin). Since then I have read many books and discovered the two issues may be related. The book I liked the best is “Wheat Belly” by William Davis, M.D. The basic information below is what I derived from his book. For further details and explanations, please read the book!

wheat

For years we have been told to eat more complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and less of the simple carbohydrates found in candy or soft drinks, but studies have now shown that modern wheat is the culprit, making us fat and unhealthy!

Amylopectin

Amylopectin, the glucose unit found in wheat, is easily digested and quickly absorbed into our bloodstreams, increasing blood sugar levels. Gram for gram, wheat increases blood sugar faster than all other simple and complex carbohydrate foods. The insulin we produce naturally in our bodies converts the glucose to fat. The higher the blood glucose level after a meal or snack, the greater the insulin level, the more fat deposited. The fat is deposited in our abdomens, encasing our livers, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, and stomachs. This is called visceral fat and is uniquely capable of causing many inflammatory processes and health conditions.

Wheat is Genetically Modified (GMO)

For the past 50 years, wheat has been genetically altered to increase farmers’ yield by making the grain heat and drought-tolerant, as well as disease resistant. Changes have also been made to modify its properties making it more suitable for the baking industry. These changes have made the common grain very popular in our lives, but have also had tremendous consequences on humans ingesting the wheat: increased blood sugar levels, inflammatory processes, pH changes, activated immune responses, neurological disorders, heart disease, cancer, skin rashes, and obesity.

What Wheat Does to Your Organs

Wheat consumption can affect almost every organ of your body; the liver, lungs, pancreas, skin, heart, brain, stomach and intestine, thyroid gland etc. It converts quickly to blood sugar, not only causing us to gain weight but also leading to many debilitating conditions not just associated with excess weight. Wheat has also been proven to worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia, autism, and ADHD.

In patients diagnosed with celiac disease, the most common wheat-related illness, gluten protein causes an immune response that inflames the small intestine resulting in stomach cramps and diarrhea. Gluten is the component of wheat that makes baked products doughy and able to rise in the baking process. Wheat is the main source of gluten in our diet. Other less common sources of gluten include kamut, triticale, rye, bulgur, and barley. Gluten, however, is not the only villain in wheat flour, there are also thousands of other strains of proteins, enzymes, and starches. These ingredients cause allergic reactions triggering rashes, asthma, and even anaphylaxis.

Eliminating Wheat from Your Diet

Unfortunately wheat is not so easy to remove from your diet as products made with it are convenient, readily available, and satisfying to eat. To avoid it, be sure to read the ingredients list on food labels keeping in mind that it is in many items other than just bread. Fill the gap in your diet with meats (not processed), vegetables, fruit,  nuts, eggs, avocados, olives, and cheese. You can actually eat larger portions of these items.

By eliminating wheat, your body’s ability to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as B6, B12, folic acid, iron, zinc, magnesium, and thiamine will improve.. Your fiber intake will also increase. Eliminating wheat from your diet may be inconvenient, but I guarantee you will notice a difference in as little as one week! You will have more energy, sleep better, feel more alert, and look trimmer.

If substantial weight loss is your goal, please read my next post...

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired?

tired

For the past year or so I have noticed a significant decrease in my energy level and suffer from constant “brain fog”.  I can’t seem to concentrate on anything for very long and get distracted very easily.  Most people I complain to shrug and laugh saying “its just age” As just turned 50, I find that hard to swallow. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Getting Started

A complete physical from my family doctor revealed my iron stores or ferritin levels were very low. As a result, I was put on an iron supplement.  My ferritin level is climbing back up, but still has a long way to go to “normal” levels.  My hormone levels are within the normal range; so I am classified as perimenopausal.  It was suggested by two different doctors that I am suffering from depression.

I also found that hard to believe, so I started digging deeper.

Naturopaths can Help

I found a naturopath online and went to see her.  Although I had to pay for this visit (my health insurance does not cover naturopathic treatments) it was well worth it.  She listened to my “story” and set up a plan. 

She suggested testing for food allergies and/or sensitivities, again at my own expense. The options were to eliminate foods from my diet to see if I felt different/better (which could take months or even years) or a blood test.   I agreed to the blood test and received results within two weeks.

Blood Test Results

I am allergic to asparagus and wheat protein.   Now asparagus is pretty easy to eliminate from my diet, but wheat?  Wheat is in everything!  Luckily I am not allergic to gluten as many others are so my diet isn’t quite as restricted. Most grocery stores sell gluten-free products these days.  I can eat barley, oats, corn, rice, rye, etc. so have switched my pastas and breads to these grains. 

The bonus is, since I quit eating wheat, I have lost approximately ten pounds (most of which I notice has come off my middle) and my cholesterol level has gone down from slightly high to the mid normal range.

Further Investigation

This naturopath referred me to a second one who is also an MD and so can order blood tests etc.  He suggested that although my thyroid test results were normal I may suffer from hypothyroidism. (low thyroid function)  My other symptoms of low blood pressure, fatigue, and the fact that I always feel cold fit this theory.  He suggested treatment with dried thyroid. Although I gave it some consideration, I decided to wait to see if my rising ferritin level and absence of wheat in my diet would make me feel better.  In the meantime, I went to a thyroid specialist who has suggested testing my saliva for adrenal gland function,  stools for dairy and egg sensitivities, and my blood for further thyroid function tests.  

These tests are in progress, stay tuned!

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