Wheat: The Research That Currently Has Me Boggled

See? This is what happens with wheat! It makes you so crazy you start shucking clothes and the next thing you know you’re running through a scratchy field with nothing but your wheat-club to defend yourself with! Oh the horror – I must avert my eyes. (photo credit)

Claim: Modern (a.k.a. monkeyed-with) wheat is bad for you. If you take all wheat products out of your diet then you’ll lose weight, look like a Greek God and have your pick of the Kardashian sisters (If I were you I’d avoid that Kim one, she seems just a wee bit flighty).  This week Boing Boing featured a book called Wheat Belly  by Dr. William Davis which lays pretty much all that ails civilization at the feet of the grain once called “the staff of life.” He calls it “triticum fever” and says it is even more dangerous than sugar.

First reaction: I knew it! Anything genetically modified or bred down to a single strain is evil! Plus, people have a hard time losing weight and people eat a crap ton of wheat products – totally makes sense! Time to chuck the whole wheat flour!

Second reaction: My favorite breakfast ever is cracked wheat – wheat kernels boiled until they “pop.” And I don’t have a “wheat belly” (I think).

Third reaction: But that proves his point – you love it because you are addicted to it! You sick, sick girl! If you love it, let it go! If it comes back to you (in what… the form of French bread? Yes, please) then it was meant to be.

Obviously it was time to call in the big guns: my nutritionist. I waited with bated breath as she contemplated my newest neuroticism. “Wheat isn’t the problem,” she started and I heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s the flour. Flour, even whole wheat flour, is super processed. Try to avoid any kinds of flours.” Sensible! And from a professional! My cracked wheat was saved! But then I realized that means no cookies, muffins, crackers, 99% of cereals, pretzels and of course bread. No more naan?!

And then I crawled into bed and admitted defeat. I just couldn’t muster up any more energy to care about this. Perhaps cutting out wheat is the “magic bullet” that will cure obesity. But then haven’t we heard the exact same promise, complete with research studies out the ying, about dairy, soy, animal products, saturated fat and all grains? Aaaaand this is exactly how I became orthorexic back in the day. Rather than marinate in my frustration, I found the perfect cure. The Boing Boing commenters. They made my day. Enjoy:

From Ian Wood: “My diet consists entirely of Crisco. I wear a size 32 and have the sexual stamina of an entire troop of Bonobos. My e-book, Shorten Your Way To Health is available on Amazon.”

From Stefan Jones: “You know what’s worse than Wheat Belly? An Oatmeal Butt. Even worse is having an Quinoa Wattle under your chin. The ancient Aztecs had those, and look how they ended up.”

From p9000: “I played bass for Wheat Belly, European tour, ’79.”

From xunker: “No, we’re not [addicted]. Seriously, do you know how hard it is to snort a line of bread dough?  Not to mention getting it in a syringe and shooting it.”

From The Howl: “You know what else causes sagging, distended bellies? Starvation. Those high-yield semi-dwarf varieties decried above have saved millions of lives. Every time someone buys this book, Norman Borlaug sheds a tear.”

Again from Stefan: ““We don’t have ideal human food. ” Oatmeal with sardines. The kind of sardines that come in hot sauce. You’ll never eat enough to get obese, and most predators will stay away from you. Trust me.”

From James Kimball: “Imagine a diet that banned all food from cardboard boxes – it would help people, but not because the cardboard made the food worse. If there were a craze of cardboard-free products, they wouldn’t be any improvement, since the food would still be processed junk. ”

From Brian Sprague: “”Has a greater impact on blood sugar levels than a candy bar.” Which is why endurance athletes carry slices of whole wheat bread instead of glucose gels.  Oh, wait.”

AGAIN from Stefan (brother was on a roll!): “” . . . after that 4-week period you discover new mental clarity . . .” In this day and age, achieving mental clarity is just begging to get depressed over the state of the world. I demand a comforting level of delusion, and Hot Pockets!”

In the end I decided to try my nutritionist’s advice (apparently I pay her so I can argue with her?) and go from there. What do you think about wheat? Is it different from other grains? Have you ever tried avoiding it? Anyone else get caught up in the research wars like I do??

P.S. In regards to Intuitive Eating questions about limiting flour products: IE is all about eating in a way that makes your body feel and work at its best. It’s eating what you need not necessarily what you want and learning to distinguish between the two. Geneen Roth talks about how she avoids sugar – not because it’s a “diet” or “bad” but because it makes her feel sick. It’s a fine line but I hope I haven’t crossed it…

71 Comments

  1. Quite possibly the SANEST blog post I’ve ever read. I’m a-ok with grains, even (gasp) wheat, especially after I spent 4 weeks poisoning myself with USDA suggested levels of them (I blogged about it). I was a little anti-grain for awhile there (I drank the kool-aid. *hangs head in shame*), actually for a whole year. Then I added them back into my diet as an experiment, and lo: not only did I not explode into diabesity, I actually saw marked improvements in energy and workout efficacy. I even lost a pound. What, from CARBS? Shocking.

    • Hahah – thanks! Sounds like you and I have gone through similar processes. I probably should have mentioned in the post that I’ve given up grains several times and for whatever reason it’s never gone well for me (gained weight, felt awful etc) – I guess we’re all a little different and maybe I need to stop rethinking what works for me with every study that comes along!

  2. LOL, your internal dialogue is hilarious and I swear I’ve heard it somewhere before…oh yes my own crazy brain! 🙂

    I now avoid all research information because I realized a common pattern: 1:OMG new research everything I’m doing is wrong and I’m going to hell in a handbasket, must…change…everything…now!! 2: wait, now that I think about it that sounds kind of hokey, I’m generally doing ok health wise and messing with that just increases the crazy in my head 3: screw it, they’ll just come out with research in a month that proves this wrong, pass the bread/sugar/salt/eggs/fat/chocolate!

    • Did your nutritionist say anything about grinding your own wheat into flour? Is that ok? Also, loved the comments you shared! Hilarious.

      • Yeah, she said that is better but still not as great as eating the whole grain itself. She said that grinding it into flour reduces the amount of work it takes your body to digest it as it starts the digestion process for you. And making your body work harder to break it down means it enters your bloodstream less quickly.

        • I grind my own wheat for bread and cookies and whatever else I make. And I don’t feel one bit guilty about it. I like carbs. My body needs them. I don’t ever feel full without a nice balance of fat and carbs, and sometimes salt. 🙂

          I think the research is always going to go back and forth, but I’m sticking with the whole foods idea. I’m going to have to try cracked wheat. I make my kids eat oatmeal twice a week, but I hate oatmeal, so I feel guilty. Maybe if I was eating cracked wheat I wouldn’t feel like such a hypocrite. Plus, I could rotate my food storage faster, right? 🙂

  3. Oooh, I’ve heard some buzz about that book! It sounds interesting. Somehow, I doubt it will catch on quite as much as Taubes’ book. I try to eat (*try* being the very important word here, as I’ve been trying but failing as of late, but I digress. . . ) no carbs for 2 of 3 meals out of the day, which means no wheat. It works for me.

    In fact, I’ve fallen off my healthy eating wagon and have been indulging in not only Halloween candy (egads, I have a child who doesn’t want the chocolates!!!) but also pasta, bread, etc. in moderate amounts. The combo of the two have been awful. I feel bloated, icky, hungry and cranky. . . yet I want more. Of both the sugar and the bread. So, I can see there is something to it. Sugar in prepackaged foods I think is worse, but I can see overeating wheat/carbs being bad too.

    • Isn’t it weird how it’s so on/off with healthy eating? I’m the exact same way. I’ll be humming along all healthy for weeks and then get knocked off by a piece of candy that turns into 20 that turns into days of sugar hangovers. I really do think that sugar is addictive.

  4. Hat’s off to Dr. Davis for exposing the issues with genetically modified wheat. Since the federal government has pushed citizens to increase the whole wheat intake and reduce the amount of protein consumed, the population has seen an alarming increase in obesity. Davis’s conclusions about wheat are correct. Although he is a little over the top in some of his claims (wheat is more addictive than heroin,etc.) he is spot on and is simply helping Americans see the folly of a dietary system based on wheat and grain consumption.

    • Wish I could ‘like’ this post!! The more Americans follow the government ‘guidelines’, the more unhealthy our country gets. And please note there’s a super-industry behind many of the food coalitions and their advertising, etc.

    • Oh I agree with you both for sure about a) genetically modified foods and b) the HUGE problems in the governments food recommendations. I don’t know if I can jump on the “all grains are bad” wagon though. Maybe I’m just lucky but I don’t feel bad when I eat whole grains. Although I do like my nutritionist’s point about flour vs. the actual grain. I wish there was a way to try ancient wheat – whatever kind that was.

      • Obviously I am replying to a comment posted almost 2 years ago, but it bears being said, you can google the names of the ancient wheat and there are people growing it now-a-days. Its not cheap, but its the closest there is on the planet to what they had waaayyyy back when.

  5. (LOVE the comments!)
    I recently discovered that I need to limit how much wheat I take in. Small amounts are fine, but too much makes for an unhappy tummy. I used to think I was overeating, but it turns out certain things just don’t agree with me. (And I just blogged about this today!)
    Having said that, I don’t see a need to cut it out of my diet entirely. I don’t have Celiac or intolerance. Just need to watch my portions.

    • Yes, it does seem that lots of people have bad reactions to wheat and I think you should def. eat what makes your body feel its best. That said, have you noticed a difference between eating things made with wheat flour and eating the actual whole wheat grains? I wonder if part of the problem is the processing of it…

  6. Oh, the ongoing research wars, they make my head hurt a little. I wish the scientists would just make up their minds about….everything really, but particularly things that impact my life.

    Wheat is here to stay for me, until someone tells me I’m celiac or have a gluten-intolerance. Then I’ll revisit the issue.

    Also, I live in the bread-basket. Between canola, wheat, cows and oil, I’m like 100% certain this province would not exist. I don’t eat meat, and I walk or use public transportation, and I prefer olive oil for savory foods and butter for sweet….so if I give up wheat…well…it just seems like a bad idea, and I don’t want to anger the farmers. They have big pitchforks and do manual labour, so I’d lose that battle.

  7. For the past few months, I’ve reduced my wheat intake. Not because I think wheat is bad, but because it takes the place of other foods (moar veggiess!!!)…yes, inspired by your post https://www.thegreatfitnessexperiment.com/2011/04/controversial-carbohydrate-paralysis-by.html . I’m not going to go out of my way to avoid it (I’ll leave that to those who truly are allergic to wheat or gluten), but if I can avoid it (do I really need to eat brown rice AND chappati?) I will. That, and I agree with the nutritionist about flours being an issue, so I’d rather have an intact grain (rice), than something that’s quickly digested (flour).

    But I’m not going out of my way to avoid it. That’s too much effort. I’ll crave WW pasta, so I’ll eat it. The bagel looks good, so I’ll go for that. Mom made samosas…I’m ALL over that. But that’s AFTER making sure that I get my veggies. Veggies, veggies, veggies. Seriously, instead of demonizing food and driving everyone crazy, we should really emphasize the foods that should be the star of the meal. Veggies. Veggies. Veggies.

    • Yay for veggies! Totally agree! And it sounds like you and I have a pretty similar philosophy. Although now I want chapati…mmm.

  8. I’ve been playing with a no wheat diet for a year. When I’ve cut wheat totally out of my diet I have more energy, no cravings, less hunger, no bloating or general body aches. I add a few wheat products to my daily menu and I’m an addict on a binge that takes a week of recovery. I believe the claims of “Wheat Belly” from my own personal experience.

    • Yes it does seem to impact quite a lot of people badly – maybe I’m just lucky? I’m glad you have found what works for you! All the symptoms you described, I get too – but from sugar. I seriously think that stuff is like white crack for me.

  9. Those comments are so funny! But, ugh, those research wars are making me nuts! Grains are bad, legumes are bad, fruit are bad, fat is bad, animal products are bad, etc. Is there anything I can still eat, except for a few vegetables?!
    I’m actually surprised that your nutritionalist says that you should “Try to avoid any kinds of flours”. Even whole grain (like rye, spelt, buckwheat) flours?! I must admit that I love bread and baked goods, maybe a little too much, and I can’t imagine living without. This spring I tried a gluten free, vegan diet for a few days, just to see how it feels. In short, I didn’t feel any different, but maybe a few days are not enough?
    Anyway, I still believe in moderation, focusing on whole, plant-based food. Veggies for the win! 😉

  10. Supposedly, wheat is one of the “triggers” for my form of eczema, along with dairy and everything else that makes the world worth living. Just kidding… kind of. Since my skin condition is mostly under control outside of high exposure to other known environmental factors, I have yet to excise wheat from my diet. That and wheat is CHEAP. At least in the form of pasta. I’ve recently upped my potato consumption to see if that can off-set the pasta, but when you’re looking for a cheap, easily vegetarian meal (because meat is expensive, yo) — a bowl of pasta with green beans is hard to beat. For the sake of what makes my body feel better I’ve largely reduced dairy consumption and cut out almost all sugar. I know I should probably give up the pasta too — when you can feel it hit your blood stream, it does kind of have a sense of addiction. But what to replace it with? I like rice and beans as much as the next graduate student, but I really don’t want to base my diet on ’em.

  11. LOVED reading the book comments! Made me laugh first thing in the morning. However… I’m glad you addressed IE, but it seems like you’re still getting caught up in what other people say you should eat, and not listening to your own body. Seems like a dangerous place to play. Also, yesterday’s post on adderall? Screw perfection, give me the messy, imperfect, undrugged real deal any day!

    • Yeah – when you put it like that… yeah. I was thinking the other day I needed to make an appointment with my therapist again. It’s funny how it seems to come out on a subconscious level before I consciously realize that I’m going nutty again. As far as IE, it is a really fine line between getting caught up in restricting and being overly crazy and at the same time finding what makes you feeel healthiest. Geneen encourages everyone to learn as much about nutrition as they can and test out different foods to see how your body responds to them. But I do have a tendency to take this too far… I’ll give my therapist a call either way – can’t hurt;)

  12. After reading some of the Wheat Belly blog I decided to experiment with taking wheat out of my diet for a month or so. I am about 2.5 weeks in. I have not lost any weight or belly to speak of, but I have been surprised that I have a bit less appetite, and I don’t need the bread and wheat products like I thought I would.

  13. I’m gluten intolerant (diagnosed by a DOCTOR not by myself) so I naturally limit wheat, but more so than that, I also overate pasta and rice in college, so I just don’t want them much anymore. I’d rather eat my whole plate of veggie stir fry at a thai restaurant than eat half and “fill up” with white rice.

    The research though. I haven’t read this book, but my science-y self definitely gets sucked in and I tend to agree. To a point. I think the idea behind wheat = bad is that wheat is associated with highly processed foods. I haven’t read a single study (but please tell me if there is one!) that separated those two variables. Everything I’ve seen just looks at the impact of “wheat” on obesity/insertotherhealthclaimhere. But from where was the wheat in these study subjects’ diets coming? Cracked wheat ground into flour or gluten free pretzels? Big difference. What made up the rest of their diet (since we also know that the whole diet is what affect overall health)?

    I like my cookies though. Obviously.

    • Yeah, I would really like to see some research separating processed wheat from wheat as a whole grain too… And I like your cookies too;)

  14. I have a tendency to think ‘but people have been eating wheat for hundreds of years and the obesity epidemic is new!’ However, I suppose it is true that the wheat products we eat now are quite different (and, I suspect the amounts, plus most of us don’t get nearly as much activity in our day to day life).

    I really don’t know, I feel like we’ve made food too complicated. But in general I don’t believe that wheat is evil.

    That said, I’m currently doing a little no dairy, no wheat experiment (see the most recent posts on my blog if you are interested) to see if makes any difference in how I feel, or if it will help with my eczema.

  15. Yah. No. I’m limiting all things processed as much as possible, regardless of the “whole grain” label… But I’ll still crack and / or grind my own wheat, thank you very much. There’s just nothing better than a good ol’ bowl of cracked wheat on a cold morning.

    And those commenters are comic genius!

  16. My husband and I cut the wheat from our diets more than a year ago (other than an occasional work-place birthday cake) and we’re planning to keep it that way. My husband’s chronic case of GERD (acid reflux) is totally GONE. I was already very healthy, but I also feel pretty gross (gassy, nauseous) after eating wheat.
    It’s not all about the carbs. You can benefit from trying wheat-free from a month while still getting plenty of carbs from fruit, potatoes, rice, veggies, etc.
    Once you decide to avoid wheat, you discover how frequently it’s used as an ingredient. It’s in soy sauce, meatballs, salad dressings, seasonings, etc.

    • So true about wheat being in everything!! And I’ve heard other people talk about the GERD-wheat connection. Still though, I have to wonder if the difference is in how processed the wheat is? Would you guys still have the gross feelings after eating, say, cracked wheat? Or even an “ancient” type of wheat?? Not saying you should try for me – just curious in general.

      • I think the GERD connection is to gluten, is it not? Gluten acts as an opiate on flat muscles, reducing peristoltic action and thus stuffing up digestion (hello, constipation!). So processing levels would be irrelevant. I think. I’m off grains and feel better for it (although often frustrated at the lack of quick and easy food options) but am not good on the bioscience reasons for things.

  17. I have to take a few minutes to defend eating by government guidelines. It seems quite the fashion to trash them and blame them for a lot but if you follow them correctly, you’ll have an amazingly healthy diet. People like to pick on pieces of it without following all of it. I logged my intake at mypyramid.gov for 2 years , watching the analysis carefully and adjusting to make sure I got as many “smiley faces” as I could. I lost over 100 lbs and brought my lipid profile from borderline to astonishing: Total chol 164, Trig 71, HDL 67. Even my doctor was suprised by these results as she thought the USDA guidelines encouraged eating that was good for Ag industry but not the people eating by it.

    • Oooh – this is super interesting! I’ve actually never heard anyone say this before (maybe people are too afraid to say it when it’s becoming increasingly popular to diss the ag guidelines?). I’m so glad it worked so well for you – love hearing other people’s experiments! – I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

      • I had a discussion with someone who was quite sure the guidelines encouraged highly processed carbs but simply not true. Practically the only way you can get the fiber and calories in the right place is to make sure those carb servings are whole grain/low sugar. Same story with the dairy and protein. To get your Sat Fat smiley, those pretty much have to be low fat/lean choices most of the time.

      • I did it too! Here’s the results: http://gokaleo.com/?p=152
        I agree with caryesings, the USDA guidelines get a lot of flack, but they’re not unhealthy if followed properly. I don’t think there are many Americans, healthy or unhealthy, that are actually following the guidelines, so to blame diabesity on them is a little unfair.

  18. I love the comments! Hilarious…oatmeal butt and quinoa waddle 🙂

  19. I don’t have a problem with grains. There are plenty of things to eat out there so if you want to avoid them, it’s not an issue.

    The latest medical review of diets has come out and the Paleo meat based diet has come out the worst in all areas. with the way most people do it But what do we know ?

  20. I really do think that wheat is not good for you. I feel 100% better when I’m not eating any gluten.

    But hey…I’m a Paleo/Primal fanatic so….I think I’m a bit biased!

  21. That’s funny… I felt bloated, hungry, cranky, and ill when I WASN’T eating wheat, and was eating tons of low-calorie, low-fat vegetable dishes and lean protein.

    Now that I eat more carbs and have generally lightened up a little diet-wise, my sports performance is a ton better and I actually have the energy to walk around during the day. (I should perhaps note that I run 40-45 mpw and strength-train 5 hours a week). So while I think cutting out some carbs may be good for the average sedentary person… workout out hard is probably better in an absolute sense, since being sedentary is the problem, eh? Not the wheat.

  22. I just watched the first half of “Forks over Knives” last night. This plus wheat belly will keep your head spinning. Oh, and did I mention I am currently reading Mark Sisson’s new book? What to follow? Who to listen to? They can’t all be right, you know! They are mutually exclusive! Then at the gym this morning I read about the Okinawan diet….really???? I am going to say, real food…not too much, mostly plants….thanks Pollan 🙂

    I should point out that I have a major gluten sensitivity and gave up wheat two years ago. I will get a headache immediately after eating it now. I have no idea when this started, but I sure love not having any headaches!

  23. Hi Charlotte,

    I have been following a strict flour-free diet for years now. (Ironically I was “prescribed” this plan by the dieticians at the facility where I went to treatment for my anorexia.)

    No flour — meaning no wheat flour, rice flour, almond flour, garbanzo bean flour, corn flour— nothing with the word “flour” as it is all refined (similar to what your nutritionist said). I love the flour-free lifestyle– it really makes a difference *I am not recovered but it is my eating in general not the lack of flour that is my downfall.

    Ezekiel products pretty much are the only “bread” I eat and I can make some interesting pancakes and pizza crusts with oat bran. Once you cut the flour out you can really start to taste it when it is in things (like rice chips made with rice flour) and you start to realize that it does have a bit of a physiological effect on the body like sugar. It’s like the “no one can eat just one” and the “once you pop you can’t stop” effect that potato starch has. I don’t eat that either. I find that Terra chips and other chips made with REAL potatoes are less…addictive in a way. More filling.

    That being said I have totally ate a bag of Terra chips in one day …many times. LOL. -+

    This should be an interesting experiment — you can let me know if you want some flour free recipe resources.

  24. I looked briefly into Wheatbelly, he talks about feeling sick , bloated, etc. from wheat. I feel fine. I have no digestion problems. I’ve lost a lot of weight, mostly kept it off, still very slowly losing. And I eat everything (though not much meat because I do not like, plus it’s expensive, non-sustainable). I would be wary of any advice trying to sell a book. I’m also of the mind that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and fear-mongering doesn’t count. Nor am I willing to believe that beans are toxic due to anti-nutrients, whole grains cause leaky gut, fruit = coca cola = crack. I don’t have a flat tummy, am not convinced I would if I gave up wheat, not willing to do it regardless. Feeding myself well is enough work, and there’s plenty to worry about with food, not withstanding anyone’s conspiracy theories.

  25. This book has been the talk of all the low-carb blogs lately. I haven’t read it yet, but have a feeling I would probably agree with some of it. I’m becoming more and more convinced that diet is such an individualized thing. Low-carb works for some people. Following the USDA food pyramid works for some people (though I am pretty skeptical of the food pyramid, considering its source. The USDA couldn’t have a vested interest in pushing grains or anything like that…)

    Through personal experimentation, I’ve discovered that wheat and wheat products make me feel yucky and will go so far as to triggering a migraine. However, sourdough dosn’t affect me too badly (I’ve read about other people who are ok if there’s some sort of fermentation process involved and maybe I’m one of them). I don’t seem to have the same reaction to corn or rice (good thing, since popcorn and sushi are two of my favorite foods).

    Generally I try to eat whole foods, heavy on the protein and produce. I feel ok about throwing in some corn or rice here and there, but have tried to stay away from wheat since I recently started making the connections between wheat and migraines. I will go far to prevent a migraine.

  26. Have you tried testing your blood glucose after eating various meals to see how much effect wheat vs other grains/carbs have on you personally? I haven’t read the book but I do occasionally read blog posts by Dr. Davis and as I recall a lot of self-testing was what really pointed him down the wheat-is-evil path to begin with. I seem to also recall that it can have very different blood sugar effects on different people. Then again if you’re feeling recurrences of orthoexic tendencies you may want to stay away from the blood glucose monitors… Perhaps luckily, my low tolerance for pain/needles has helped to limit my curiosity in that regard.

    P.S. Bagels are the food of choice for ultimate frisbee players at their weekend-long grueling tournaments. I assume the GU gels are preferred by runners since they are smaller/denser and have a better electrolyte balance. Then again are they more expensive? Because ultimate frisbee players tend to all be broke, so it may just be a price thing. 🙂

  27. Ah, the research wars. Otherwise known as “You’re Doing it Wrong”. Personally, I follow a mixture of “everything in moderation” and “what works for my body” – it’s never been a best selling diet and has few staunch defenders on the internet, but it also won’t drive me insane as I chase down the latest and greatest research/diet plan.

  28. The articles and information can be overwhelming. I am realizing that we all need to experiment to see what works best for us. I gave up grains a few months ago and have noticed a few changes (for the better). Is it because I am not eating grains, or because this has made me increase my vegetable consumption (which was non-existent before)? I think my next step will be to add in quinoa or cracked wheat (never tried that)- to see if there are any changes.
    I have a feeling that this will be a life-long experiment.

  29. But, but, i thought that sugar was the most evil thing ever. Worse than Satan, worse than having to watch Yo Gabba Gabba on a perpetual loop for a year!

    Now I’m confused, but I’m going to ignore this one because you would have to pry that baugette out of my cold dead hands. Unless of course its a choice between bread and my IPhone, than the IPhone wins.

  30. Quinoa Wattle – best thing I’ve read all day…but I haven’t read much b/c I’m losing IQ points, you know.

    I avoid wheat for the most part, mainly b/c my husband and daughter don’t eat it, but yeah, from what I’ve read, I’m not sure if our bodies like it so much. That being said, there is a loaf of cinnamon raisin sprouted grain bread in the freezer, and it’s all for me, and I LOVE it!

  31. I have delayed commenting, because I’m not sure as to my thoughts on this… I feel like we hear all the time alternating views on what’s good for us and what’s bad for us… and I don’t really know…

    However, I decided to still respond despite being unsure as I do agree with you regarding intuitive eating. It isn’t about eating anything and everything (until you’re full and when you’re hungry)… but about caring for your body while respecting those things.

  32. I avoid most white flour products: bread and pasta in heavy doses often result in headaches or eyes that feel very tired. (I’ll still eat my favorite cakes and cookies though–often in smaller quantities.
    ho
    As per advice, fads, trends, etc: I now ‘own’ what I’ve heard for so many years from those who’ve successfully kept weight off: small portions throughout the day. And I’ll have my carbs, but I try to have most earlier in the day. Love my kettle chips and will skip bread at lunch to crunch on chips while driving home. Works for me. Great post!

    More about what worked for me at my blog, for anyone who cares to take a gander:
    (Part1: http://joannaaislinn.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/newsflash-blog-hopping-can-result-in-inspiration/ and Part 2: http://joannaaislinn.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/newsflash-bloghopping-can-cause-inspiration-part-2/

    Thanks!

  33. I’ve been really curious about “Wheat Bell”. The author is a doctor, which makes me wonder if there is something to this.

    • Beth, just read it – it’s a really interesting book. And don’t be misguided by those who have “briefly looked at it” and are somewhat misrepresenting what Dr Davis says, as seems to have occurred in some of the comments above.

      Charlotte, the whole avoid-a-food/IE dichotomy is interesting. The way I look at it, I can’t really be eating intuitively while I have an addiction to something – and this is how I feel about eating wheat-based products. If they’re there, that’s all I want to eat. Seriously. It doesn’t matter that I end up feeling sluggish and lethargic and really not so great … I still want more bread/pasta/whatever. Ignore all the other good stuff in the house – and there’s plenty – gimme more bread.

      I learned that my version of IE has to involve more self-regulating and nudging away from things that may taste great and I crave, but don’t do me any favours. It’s not by chance that I always gained weight when I was practising the “classic” IE (a la Hirschmann and Munter, or Tribole and Resch); no matter how long I did it, that magical phase of “no longer want the fun foods, start veering towards healthier foods” never really happened to me until I let go of the addictive substances. Some things I never could and suspect I never will be able to “legalise” – and wheat is one of them.

      Now I’m pretty much off the grains (except for the occasional slice of, say, birthday cake at a party – and even that can lead to trouble), my IE seems much better attuned, and I dropped some weight immediately. I can really listen to what my body wants and needs without the background noise of “OOOH, BAGUETTES, NOM!” in my head. Some days that means more salady things, some days that’s more meaty or cheesy stuff, some days my body even (amazingly) says “hell no, not in the mood” to good chocolate. For days, even weeks in a row. Srsly.

      It’s not always easy. Despite physically feeling much better (and I didn’t even realise I wasn’t feeling good until I experienced a new kind of good), I do have the occasional craving for bread. I freakin’ LOVE fresh rye bread, but I rarely give in – and when I do, I soon regret it, get lethargic again, and instantly gain a few kilos. I’m slowly learning that, in the long run, instant gratification comes up short against feeling good.

  34. I was always the person who was like “Wheat intolerance? Pshaw! These people are full of baloney! I eat wheat and I feel fine!”.
    And now I have cut grains out of my diet and I feel… way better. I didn’t realise I felt bad before, but the difference is awesome. I feel so much fuller and have less cravings for things (I used to have cravings for sugar and carbs that would leave me climbing the walls). I have way more energy and don’t end up with a huge bloated tummy every night. I think part of that is because maybe some grains are irritating to me (I always ate healthily, it’s not like I was chowing down on boxes of wheat thins) and also because they just take up room that you could use for better stuff! Like, oh, half my plate is now free for more veggies and meat. I also feel like grains do nothing for my satiety. It is all about the fat. All about it.

  35. I’ve gone ‘grain free’ before, and honestly, I saw no difference to how I felt, good or bad. It didn’t eliminate my IBS, it didn’t cause me to change weight (up or down) and it didn’t get rid of my bloating.

    What it did do was make me realise that while vegetable pasta is a good alternative occasionally, withholding proper pasta from me for a whole 2 months means that reintroducing wheat requires a massive vat of nice buttery pasta. MMMMM

    • Thank you!

      I just feel like such failure because going gluten-free hasn’t made a damn difference to my body.

      …It’s nice to know I’m not alone… 🙂

  36. My wife and I have gone back and forth on the grain/gluten thing. Here’s what I have decided. First, moderation works best. I can have waffles for breakfast, but I can’t have waffles and muffins. Second, Ground oatmeal makes a poor substitute for wheat flour when making waffles. Who wants a floppy waffle to start with?

  37. When I tried removing all wheat from my diet, I was NOT a fun person to be around. I felt awful. My body feels perfectly happy after having wheat, although most of what I eat isn’t horribly processed. Even if I eat flour, its usually in something made from scratch, good french bread, or multi-grain bread. If I eat a bunch of store candy like yesterday when my husband and friends sneaked a bunch of it into the movie theater, I feel AWFUL. I get a horrible headache, feel sluggish, and want to puke. It’s even worse if I try to eat something sugary for breakfast, even if it’s homemade. No more wonderful stuffed french toast for me. =( We over think food, in my opinion. There are all these “experts” trying to sell things who tell us that certain foods are “good” or “bad”, and the media is always “reporting” studies, even when those studies are horribly flawed or the media just grabs the findings, twists them, and runs with them. If humans have been eating it throughout civilization, its probably alright. If it makes you feel poor physically, don’t eat it. Otherwise, enjoy! I’m off to the store to buy some fresh crusty bread to eat with my Irish Stew tonight!

    • If indeed humans *were* eating now what we had been eating throughout civilization, it probably would in fact be okay. However, as Dr Davis sets out in his book in great detail, the wheat of centuries past, up until about 50 years ago, is so far genetically removed from the widely-grown modern dwarf wheat which we now use (developed to maximise yield), that the two cannot be compared.

  38. I never know what to think with all of the new studies. I figure the body needs some of this stuff and in the end, you just have to make the choices based on what the body needs and not what new study has decided to pop up. I remember you blogged about salt not that long ago and how taking it all out ended up being bad. I think the same goes for wheat. It’s all about appropriate amounts of these foods. It would be pretty tough to rule out all flour products for me. I like my carbs lol. It’s interesting to see all of the new studies though.

  39. I’m a gluten free gal and although I feel much better after not eating wheat (my sis was diagnosed with Celiac about 5 years ago and I started showing symptoms in the past two), I haven’t lost any weight – which could come from a couple things: one, many people with Celiac are malnourished when they are consuming wheat and end up gaining weight after cutting wheat, simply because their bodies are actually able to absorb nutrients ingested; and two, I supplement my missing gluten with waaaay more fat intake from mostly nuts and peanut butter! Probably because I feel like I need something heavy with all the vegetables I eat.
    There is information out on the world wide web regarding blood type and diet, claiming that people with type O blood (the oldest type, dating back to cro-magnon times) have a harder time digesting wheat (lo and behold, I am type O), which I find incredibly interesting, given there were no wheat breads and/or naan being consumed way back in caves. Of course, there are always people who are exceptions and seem to do just fine (on the outside) eating wheat and highly processed foods. I’m definitely not one of them and feel so much better the more whole (and wheat-free) my food is.

  40. I just had to weigh in on this. (pun intended) It so ties into my latest post. I listen to Ben Greenfield’s podcasts, and he puts on “experts” touting every diet imaginable. With a straight face, and no outward sarcasm, he’ll have a low carb promoter on one day, and a paleo person the next. Without repeating my entire blogpost, I’ve come to the conclusion that just caring about your diet will have an effect, and the diet you can stick to is the best diet. Eliminating certain food groups makes it easier for people confronted with so many choices.

  41. I have tried this. Recently actually. I spent a full 8 days diary and gluten free. I thought i would reach nirvana from all the research I had been reading. I didn’t. I did lose weight – but I think that was mainly because I really had no interested in eating enough vegetables and/or meat to fully replace the gluten portion I wasn’t eating anymore. I didn’t feel better significant enough for me to feel like this is necessary long term for me. I will keep my diary limited because I do suffer from lactose intolerance and when I have certain forms of dairy I have issues (I haven’t had a proper glass of milk in about 2 years). But gluten – nothing for me. I actually ended up at the doctor due to severe stomach cramps during this time. I never experienced that before.

    I constantly read and research what I need to do to lose weight. Try to figure out what I should do and should not do. I think I’ve just started to realize that I need to just stop researching and start just eating less and moving more. I probably should never read a diet book again.

  42. I can’t say much in regards to the science/studies done on wheat but I can say that since cutting out wheat (and subsequently Gluten) from my diet I have had a tremendous change in myself for the better. A few weeks ago my mom was told she is allergic to gluten and since we are nearly identical when it comes to body type and eating I decided to look into the possibility I might be allergic as well. Turns out I have nearly every symptom of a gluten allergy you could have (constant runny nose, asthma, eczema, low energy/always sleepy, headaches, etc). Since cutting out gluten and all wheat products (better safe then sorry right?) I have had my eczema go down, my asthma become more manageable and my nose stop running for it’s life, reduced headaches and more energy then I have had in a long time.

    So I can’t say that wheat is all bad or everyone should cut it out of their diet but I can say that it has made a huge difference for me even in just a few weeks.

  43. so funny! love all those comments…i hate books and diets that make absolute claims! IE is the hardest ‘diet’ i have ever been on…because we have to listen to ourselves…and it takes so much time! i am slowly learning which foods give me the best energy and clarity too.

    I have a niece who is allergic to wheat (migraines, vomiting) and one that is allergic to corn(bloated belly and achy)…in the same family!!

  44. *gah*

    Wheat is not evil!

    (I am overly emotional about this because of the FAIL that going gluten-free has been for me.)

    It just makes for the crazy when a food group is demonized.
    It’s food.
    By definition it is amoral.

    I just…ARGH…

  45. Here’s the deal,
    and it’s mostly the deal for most things:

    Some diets or ways of eating work for some people.
    Some do not.

    Getting rid of dairy helps some people lose weight and have clear skin.
    Getting rid of dairy does f*#$ all for others.

    Going gluten-free can be (literally) a life-saver for some folks.
    For others (me), it makes them *more* tired, *more* bloated, *more* cranky.

    Pay attention to your body.
    Give things a try, but if they don’t make your body feel better,
    you are under no obligation to keep adhering to a given diet.

    Seriously.

    Making food a question of morality is just foolish.

    You are not a bad person for eating wheat, or salt, or corn syrup.