Wheat free for a week
I’ve decided to try it: going wheat free for a week or two. I got inspired by our recent podcast about food sensitivities and how they can make you tired, bloated, headache prone, etc. Actually, I don’t think I have celiac disease (which affects approximately two million Americans), and I’m not even sure I have a wheat sensitivity. What I do have—for sure—is a wheat dependence. I mean, almost every meal I eat includes wheat in one form or another. By going wheat free, I’m hoping to get better variety (more nutrient-dense foods) in my diet.
So far, I’ve noticed that GOING WHEAT FREE IS HARD. Grocery stores and restaurants are so full of everything wheat, wheat, wheat! Plus, like I said, for me it’s a conditioned thing: breakfast = cereal, usually containing wheat, or whole-wheat toast and eggs; lunch = sandwich on wheat bread; dinner = pasta made from semolina (wheat!). Sure, I always opt for whole grain, but that doesn’t fix the fact that I’m eating the same grain again and again.
On the up side, over the two days I’ve been at it, I have managed to eat more fresh fruits, more vegetables (no more bread to fill me up), and more protein-rich foods such as nuts, soy, and eggs. On the downside, I’m probably eating more saturated fat in cheese, yogurt, milk etc. And, of course, I’m still eating other grains like rice and oats.
The best thing about giving up wheat is that it pretty much means giving up convenience foods (other than, say, a LaraBar every now and then). Packaged snacks are out. So are muffins, bagels, and pastries. (I can still eat potato chips and chocolate, though.) Bottom line on mosts processed foods: Even at their healthiest, it can’t be good to eat these every day. Aside from lacking essential nutrients, they can also add up to a lot of extra calories.
Are you on a wheat-free diet? What are your strategies? What do you eat!? Help! Post your tips here, or in our Healthy Eating Forum.
Related Topics: Food, Health, Nutrition, From the Editors
July 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Good for you! My husband is going wheat free (as of last night), and it’s ridiculously hard. I think bottom line, though, is remembering that–unless you have celiac disease–going off wheat doesn’t have to be a full-blown deal. As long as you know that gluten affects you, you can choose to eat that pizza…you might just feel icky afterward. I definitely have a new appreciation of people who live a totally gluten-free existence.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Trying to cut out an allergen can definitely be overwhelming. I have a friend in LA who has introduced a new cookbook specifically for the purpose of eliminating wheat/gluten and dairy (easy to do just one of the other if you want) for two weeks, so that it’s easy and you learn a lot about how to eat and cook without that allergen. It’s called “Done with Dairy — Giving Up Gluten: 14 Days to a Delicious and Healthy You” and I know she’s getting a lot of good feedback — it’s only been out a couple months.
If you want to check it out, it’s at www.deliciousandhealthy.com/14DayCookbook — she’s got a nice free newsletter too on living without gluten and dairy.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
For several years I had been having terrible digestive issues: acid reflux, toxic gas, bloating, etc., was on drugs for the acid reflux, it was not fun and I know most of it was due to my poor diet. I read an article about the eating program, “Eat Right 4 Your Type” based on blood type, I’m an O and wheat/gluten and dairy are apparently bad for this type. I decided to give it a whirl - within a few weeks ALL my digestive issues and acid reflux were gone, plus I lost 10lbs.
I’ve read that if you eat something on a regular basis for a long period of time, you can develop a food allergy/sensitivity. While I don’t think I have celiac because I can eat white flour stuff without problems, I think after so many years of eating wheat products (bread, cereal, crackers, etc) because it’s considered healthier, after awhile it backfired….literally! There are good and bad wheat products too (not all wheat is the same), but for me giving up wheat was a good thing and if I eat wheat within 15 min I’m having problems. Giving up milk has been really hard too because I love it, and not hip on the soy/rice milk.
I ended up eating more salads/veggies/fruit, protein, soups, sushi, I’ll make “sandwiches” using brown rice cakes, and if I’m really desperate for bread, I’ll eat white, rye or sourdough, but I try to stay away from bread, which is not easy. I shouldn’t eat rice, but I do and try to eat brown.
My system and acid reflux will kick up anytime I’ve eaten something bad for me (or even too acidic), my signal is clearing my throat a lot after eating, a common and overlooked symptom of acid reflux. Sometimes this can be due to post-nasal drip, but also acid reflux so keep that in mind if you notice yourself or someone else doing it.
You may have to just pay attention to what your eating in general and see if you get any “side effects”, it might be another kind of food that’s not agreeing with you anymore. I’ve been told by several people that dairy is highly inflammatory on the body, yet you hear about how great it is. The conflicts are very frustrating for someone trying to establish a healthy diet.
Every body is different and reacts differently, there is no perfect or one-size-fits-all diet for everyone.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:51 am
You can try Ezekial Bread which is wheat and gluten free. Read the label it’s all sprout bread (no wheat) and tastes good too. The cinnamon raisin is a favorite among my sons.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I too struggle with severe acid reflux (I must go in once a year for an endoscopy and biopsy to keep an eye out for cancer). When I eat not just wheat free, but grain free, I feel great. Fat and spices do not seem to cause the reflux. The problem is sticking to the program.
My last Dr. visit did not look good. My Dr put me on one acid reducer in the morning and a different one in the evening. I also began juicing the inner part of aloe vera and taking DGL. I am praying for healing but taking healthy steps on my part just may help as well… I am planning to get back on the grain free diet soon!
A website that has been very helpfull in eating grain free is Mercola.com
August 19th, 2008 at 7:28 am
RE: Acidity . . . consider balancing your ph to completely rid yourself of acidity issues, like reflux.
There are a ton of gluten-free websites out there with great recipes and ideas for living such a life. My Mom is gluten-intolerant and I’ve recently dicovered I am, too. It’s nice to know I can make small changes to recipes and keep eating virtually the same.