January 3, 2013

Yesterday Steve and I started our wheat free plan for a month. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, because when I look at the symptoms of wheat intolerance, I can definitely say I relate to many of them. I’ve been researching it a fair bit in recent months and here is a sample of possible indicators of wheat intolerance. Bloating and gut ache Weight loss or weight gain or the inability to lose weight Low iron Diarrhoea or constipation Lots of farting Headaches Memory loss Behavioural difficulties Depression Frequent infections – cold and flu, mouth ulcers, yeast infections, etc… Stiffness in the joints Proneness to allergies Arthritis, colitis, thyroiditis, psoriasis, and more Skin rashes Food cravings Tiredness or irritability Chronic fatigue or exhaustion Unwell feeling Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage Cramps, tingling and numbness Decline in dental health   I think the symptom that stands out most to me is the ‘unwell feeling.’ How many people feel that way?   I was tested for coeliac disease after my boys were born. My sister developed it during pregnancy, which meant there was a stronger genetic chance I could also develop it as well. I came up clear, BUT I think I might go back again at the end of this month and get re-tested once I eat wheat again. It’s one of those things that can develop over time and is definitely worth being aware of – especially if there are people in the family with it. If not dealt with, it can kill you, with all sorts of cancers linked to it and much more. However, even though I didn’t have coeliac disease, things like being tired, exhaustion, sinking into depression, memory loss, aching joints, and more, have all been part of my life. Steve has chronic allergies and feels bloated when he drinks beer. Lex is currently recovering from a skin rash and behavioural difficulties often flare up. We can relate. As such I have decided to tackle it head on by making it my number one focus area for FIE January 2013. Going wheat free for a month isn’t hard, but it’s definitely a pain in the arse. The way I eat is all based around a quick sandwich in the day and the speed of preparing food is important to me as well. Now I have to think in advance, plan to make sure the cupboards are stocked up, and the hardest one is breakfast – however I got that solved with smoothies, as well as banana, yoghurt and nuts mixed together. We also stocked up on gluten free cereal and bought a couple of cookbooks, although Pinterest is a goldmine of great recipes. It’s only a month, we can do that!! With that said, we made our first wheat mistake today – here’s the yummy frittata Steve made for lunch today.  But it’s got ham in it and cold cuts are off the menu because of cross-contamination potential – damn! Bacon is OK though. The reality is, I just want to see if I get to the end of January feeling remarkably better – but maybe I can lose a few kilos too – because if that’s the case, it’s a worthwhile experiment indeed. Shit, if this is the culprit, my mission to have a zippier life might be solved in the first month. With that, I wanted to ask if anyone else can relate to any of these symptoms? Has anyone been thinking of giving wheat the boot for a short time to see if it makes a difference? Or has anyone done it and is willing to share the results? The one thing I know for sure, everyone I’ve spoken to about it has told me that they felt much better and lost weight. As such, it’s worth giving it a crack I reckon. Yours, without the bollocks Andrea    Some articles on Wheat Intolerance and Coeliac Disease WebMD – Here’s a Slideshow for a Gluten Free Diet The Daily Mail NaturalNews Foodintol – and I can relate to a lot of these symptoms ShiptonMill – this is interesting and talks about the rise of the industrialisation of food production in alignment with the rise in coeliac disease and wheat intolerance WebMD – A list of food containing wheat – no ice-cream… GlutenFreeNetwork – a comprehensive article on the what and why There are many more, but a good starting point if you’re interested.