I've always been reticent about total bans on food groups or particular foods since, this can lead to the obsessive 'feast and famine' emotional eating that I have posted about before.
But where wheat is concerned, it is probably the quickest way to lead people down the path of healthy eating. Just think about it for a few minutes and you can see why...without wheat, you can't eat any processed or fast food and you have to cut out the obvious calorie laden offenders; bread, cakes, biscuits, pies etc. Just from a practical point of view, going 'wheat free' will improve the quality and range of your diet. In the past if I was asked just one diet tip that would work regardless of personal circumstances, my answer was always, 'stop eating wheat'.
Do you ever get that feeling that you could just carry on eating? That your stomach is a bottomless pit that will never feel satisfied and you can just continue grazing all night without feeling full? I notice that I get this with toast, I can easily eat a whole loaf as long as I switch from marmite to jam to relieve the monotony.
I can easily eat a whole packet of biscuits, but even a small yoghurt with a sweet fruit compote will leave me feeling completely satiated.
I used to think that it was the sugar and salt combinations that left me desperate for more, but when I look more closely at my eating habits, particularly the downfalls, the common thread seems to be wheat.
Weight loss aside, wheat is seen by many as the cause of a number of modern day ailments, and Wheatbelly explains much better than I can the science that backs up these theories.
If you are trying to lose weight or want to feel fitter and more energetic, it is worth a read, not least because the case studies featured are so inspirational.
Very interesting, I shall take a look. I am a massive bread lover x
ReplyDeleteMe too, a meal never used to be complete without bread and butter on the side. I did manage to give it up, but biscuits are still my biggest weakness, afternoon tea without a few biccis on the side is some how a little sad and depressing!
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite, I used to always have a full fat Greek yoghurt at breakfast but I'd be starving after an hour, now I have whole grain toast as it keeps me full for ages. I think that abstaining from wheat is a bit faddy unless you are coeliac or have other digestive problems.
ReplyDeleteFunny, biscuits never cross my mind, for me, it's almond butter, no jar is safe!
I'm going to have to try this almond butter that you speak of. I go for rye bread most days, it has such a distinct flavour you can't have too much of it, I LOVE wholegrain toast with melted butter, if I started a loaf, I would have to finish it, as the good stuff goes hard within 24 hours!
DeleteActually there is a lot of proof that modern wheat is not well tolerated by a large percentage of the population, not just coeliacs or ibs sufferers. Wheat (gluten) can be responsible for a whole host of ailments and possibly illnesses. Spelt, which is the old traditional wheat before it was modernised, is much better tolerated by the body. Unfortunately though there is a lot of processed wheat and gluten free alternative cakes, cookies, buns etc. out there on the shelves in your supermarket so you can still overindulge if you want. I personally find wheat doesn't agree with my body and im definitely less "windy" if I leave it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm never sure about the mass produced stuff where they substitute for other ingredients, as it is often just chemicals that are used. I've been experimenting with my own wheatfree alternatives, using lentils etc, some times they work really well, sometimes not so much (my lentil choc chip cookies weren't the most delicious alternative to HobNobs!)
DeleteNo don't buy the wheat free and gluten free alternatives, as you said, they are loaded with rubbish. I have also started making my own bread from lentil flour, sunflower seeds etc. I use a couple of the paleo sites as the ladies have created some amazing recipes and they are all wholesome and nutritious.
DeleteThat's very interesting. I'll have to check that out. I've tried cutting out most things at various stages in an attempt to get rid of my psoriasis. Certainly, I've almost completely cut out bread, as although I love it, it tends to give me severe heartburn which is a sure sign that it doesn't agree with me. Still fairly addicted to the biscuits though :(
ReplyDeleteHurrah! Finally I got a website from where I be able to actually take helpful data concerning my study and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteMy web page :: paleo meal plans