So, sorry for not updating my past and present pictures yet. I have been (and still am) really, really sick...caught a bad cold from somewhere and my throat is swollen so I don't look like me at the moment. As soon as I am better, I will post my now picture and a picture of me taken in July.
There is a lot to say about wheat, with a lot of professional resources to go to, so I am going to break this blog into two parts. First of all: What is the difference between having celiac disease and being sensitive to gluten? Celiac disease can be tested- although beware, the test is not 100 percent accurate from all of the sources I have read and you can have false negative tests. I tested negative for celiac disease myself- but that does NOT mean that I don't have a sensitivity to gluten, which is a protein in wheat or certain grains. People with a sensitivity to gluten may experience "allergic reactions" that they do not even realize that they are experiencing until they stop eating wheat. Rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, Crohn's disease, asthma, psoriasis as well as other skin rashes or sores that look like cold sores, hashimoto's thyroid disease, acid reflux, hair loss, and future heart problems are just some of the problems wheat can cause as cited by Wheat Belly by William Davis MD, The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman PhD, CNS, FACN, and a further analysis on the China Study by Denise Minger (who has an upcoming book out next year in January but can be found at http://rawfoodsos.com/ ). All have done extensive research on the gluten connection to health problems. Some of Denise Minger's ideas can be found in The Wheat Belly, but I will attempt to summarize her work briefly so that there is no confusion with the China Study results and her work.  The China Study itself was conducted by Dr. Colin Campbell in conjunction with Cornell University for 20 years. They analyzed the health and eating habits of the Chinese. His book discussing his results is called "The China Study" and can be purchased at your local bookstore or amazon. I have not read this book yet, so I put a disclaimer on the information I provide about it. I will read it and let you know what I think.  In short, the china study's findings were said to demonstrate the ill effects of eating animal products and that a vegan lifestyle is the best for human health. In 2010, Denise Minger reviewed Campbell's data and made a public blog that reviewed what she found about wheat. Her reanalysis of his public made data showed a strong connection, with pure statistics and data, between coronary heart disease and wheat flour consumption. The data is absolutely fascinating so I encourage you to check out her blog and grab the book Wheat Belly by William Davis MD who provides not only an amazing breakdown of wheat and its affects on the body, but also many personal testimonials of patients he's treated, a fascinating section describing Denise Minger's work, and a break down of the history of wheat and how it was genetically modified. They are the professionals! I'm just spreading the word here so be sure to check them out!
Being sensitive to gluten: what does this mean to me? It could mean that some of the health problems you have been facing for many years could be resolved by simply removing one thing from your diet. People with insulin resistance, such as myself need to understand the affects of gluten on the body. The GI index ranks foods based on the level that they affect your blood sugar. The more that a food raises your blood sugar, the higher the GI index. Foods with a low GI raise your blood sugar and insulin gradually and overtime and have been shown to assist in weight control and help with insulin resistance. Grab a book on the GI index and take a look at what you are eating- if you have insulin resistance or any form of diabetes, and are not eating foods that are on the low side of the GI index it will be extremely difficult to loose weight and be healthy. Knowing what those foods are, however, may surprise you. In reading the wheat belly, I discovered that two slices of whole wheat bread actually have the same GI index as eating a candy bar!!!! So every time someone with insulin resistance is eating two pieces of wheat bread, the insulin levels in their body are shooting through the roof. Their insulin already doesn't work correctly so it is not breaking down the carbs and sugars- it is storing them directly to fat! (This is also discussed in detail in the Wheat Belly among other sources). I wish sincerely that someone would have explained that to me many moons ago.
So, I started the gym in July, was working out four to five days a a week. I had a personal trainer but was only loosing two-three pounds a month. I was becoming more and more frustrated. My personal trainer suggested a detox (look for a follow up post on what I took and how it affected me). After 7 days of not eating wheat as part of the detox, I couldn't believe how much better I felt! As part of my good fortune, I was reading the Wheat Belly at the same time that I was doing this detox and it made my resolve even stronger. I was sure that I had a sensitivity to gluten after reading the book and not eating gluten just for one week. It has almost been a month since I have stopped eating gluten. In the first two weeks alone, I lost eight pounds. I have more energy, sleep better, and am beginning to suspect that my hashimotos' thyroid disease is related to the wheat consumption. In his book, Dr. Davis describes how in people that are sensitive to gluten, the gluten isn't properly broken down in your body and sneaks out into your bloodstream. In some people, it attacks their thyroid (I have a severe thyroid condition called Hashimoto's diease which is specifically mentioned in his book) and in others it can cause Crohn's disease or severe arthritis. I am having blood tests done to see what my thyroid level is and to see where my insulin levels are since I have stopped eating wheat. I have lost a lot of weight so I imagine that my thyroid will be functioning better in any case (over forty pounds now) and in previous tests, even though I thought I was eating better, my insulin levels were still very high. Other symptoms I had of gluten sensitivity? The cold sore/herpes like rashes on my face that I always thought were cold sores but never responded to any cold sore OTC or prescription medicine, as well as hair loss. I had continued hair thinning that I always thought was related to my thyroid, even though my thyroid has been stable for a few years now. After I told my mother all of this, she stopped eating wheat also. There is a whole chapter in his book just about how wheat causes inflammation. Her inflammation is down and she feels better also! Incredible! It is like a cult we have started- we have been spreading the word and encouraging people to try just one week. Try one week wheat free, with a detox if you can stand it, and see how you feel. This will be a good test to see if you are sensitive to wheat or not.
So next time: Wheat and you part 2: I'll touch on how wheat causes inflammation and some of the other things I mentioned; the history of wheat and how it was genetically modified and what that means to us; how wheat is addictive!; how wheat affects aging; and some tips for going wheat free and sticking to it.  Live healthy have energy, and most important, be happy!