Giving up wheat

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 3:42pm

Just read "Wheat Belly" (William Davis). Advocates cutting wheat out of your diet. Basically the book blames all kinds of health problems on wheat consumption and promises all kinds of health benefits from eliminating wheat from your diet. I'm thinking of giving it a shot for awhile just to see how it plays out. Has anyone else tried this?

**ChenPengFi** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 3:50pm

I have not but a friend of mine, a competitive Ironman athlete, swears by going gluten-free during the race season.
http://frayedlaces.blogspot.com/2010...e-contest.html

She tests recipes and has some useful information scattered throughout her blog.
As a biologist she brings that perspective as well.

**alex** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 3:54pm

a few people i know who are gluten intolerant dont eat much in the way of wheat and it has actually worked quite well for them in terms of losing weight.

i eat a very minimal amount of wheat, and if im cutting for a fight bread etc is the first thing to go. the only reason wheat sneaks into the big part of the food pyramid is cos that food pyramid bollocks was paid for by farmers.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 4:05pm

Weight loss is probably my main concern. Be great if I had more energy for rolling. Gonna try it for awhile (aiming for starting now and then checking results at the end of Feb, figure that's reasonable. Starting weight 245 (6'3").

Thanks for the link.

**elipson** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 4:50pm

I tried to cut as much wheat out of my diet in the summer as part of a low carb experiment.

Its annoying how much food has wheat in it. It's a major part of my diet that I am slowly trying to minimize. I love pasta and bread. And I'm not a rice fan.

**HereBeADragon** · Posted On: 12/31/2011 12:33am

Its not just wheat its gluten that people seem to have a problem with. Trick is there is a lot of gluten out there. You cannot just cut wheat you need to cut all the relatives that have gluten as well, that includes but is not limited to; wheat, barley, oats and I think rice and corn. Luckly there are some good replacements out there if you want to go this route.

Quinoa is getting pretty easy to find and its a top notch grain, it makes a great breatfast if you cook it in apple juice with cinnamon and blue berries. Quinoa can also replace rice in any recipe, I've really taken to quinoa stuffed bellpeppers. Also buckwheat makes the best pancakes in the damned world. You can also use flour from chia, amaranth and teff if you can find it.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 12/31/2011 11:36am

Thanks Dragon.

**ChenPengFi** · Posted On: 12/31/2011 12:36pm

Gluten is in wheat, barley, oats and rye, not rice or corn.
While some people with Celiac will react to rice and corn, they do not have the "gluten" per se.
Wheat is the biggest offender by far.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 1/01/2012 1:00pm

Really going to concentrate on wheat for now. I don't think a few spoonfuls of brown rice or a corn chip now and then is really going to upset the applecart. I am a few days in and so far it hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be.

**HereBeADragon** · Posted On: 1/01/2012 1:28pm

Thanks for the clarification Chen. I've seen a lot of back and forth about rice and corn. If you really wanna have fun with the hardcore no grain/cereal people ask them to define a grain/cereal. ;D