October 17, 2011

• Wheat: the enemy

  Recently my dad went on a gluten free diet after reading an article in Macleans magazine written by a cardiologist. When he told me all about what he had read I was skeptical. It seemed to me that going gluten free is becoming just another health fad, which may be true. However, I found a book at a book store the other day written by a cardiologist by the name of William Davis called Wheat Belly and it's all about how wheat affects health and why it's actually very unhealthy. (And, yes, he is the very same cardiologist who wrote that magazine article.) It also describes how celiac disease is on an exponential rise due to wheat, which has been so genetically modified that it's nothing like what ancient wheat used to be. So now I'm starting to think that going gluten free isn't so much a fad as it is a recognized "treatment" for celiac disease, which 1 in 133 people have nowadays. I don't have this disease (at least I don't think I do), but Dr. Davis claims that wheat is America's number one cause for obesity.

  The book is geared more towards weight loss and how giving up wheat will help excess weight melt off. He makes it sound so easy too. He has other arguments as well that explain why wheat is so bad for you: it is so genetically modified to the point where it's not really "wheat" any more than I am my grandmother, how our bodies digest wheat and how it affects our blood glucose levels and cholesterol, and how our bodies become addicted to it. He even talks about how studies have been done to prove that elimination of gluten from the diet can calm a schizophrenic's mind. Dr. Davis even goes as far as to suggest that with all these health associations telling us to eat more "healthy whole grains" they're locking us into this vicious cycle of wheat addiction that makes us crave, buy and eat more food, thereby filling the pockets of various food companies. It sounds very conspiracy theory-ish.

  But, this book has me hooked, just like wheat itself. I'm finding this all very fascinating and I'm hanging on the fact that this guy is a cardiologist who has dealt with many patients and has seen this method tried, tested and true. So I'm conducting an experiment by going, not just wheat free, but gluten free. Apparently there is a subtle difference, but gluten is a protein present in wheat, so by eliminating gluten I automatically eliminate wheat. I started yesterday and it's been getting tough. A part of me wants to give up already because I feel hungry all the time and the journey seems daunting. Well, I guess I could attest to the addiction aspect of wheat, that's for sure. I must say I had an awesome lunch today, though, in an effort to cook and eat gluten free. So far I'm doing really well, but my body isn't liking it so much. I know the next few days are going to suck, but it's not like I'm allowing to snack on fruit and veggies in the meantime to keep the hunger away until my body levels out and my appetite reduces, which is supposed to happen once the addiction has been overcome. I must stay strong because if this works I'm going to feel and look awesome within the next few months.

  Currently Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health By William Davis see related

  Besides, if I can quit smoking, of all things, I can quit gluten!

  • 12:50 am
  • 4 Comments