What’s Wrong with Wheat?

Nothing’s wrong with wheat or any whole food. That they’ve nurtured countless generations for eons proves their value. Plus, they’re versatile and many of our favorite and most tasty foods contain wheat.  So what’s the fuss?

The answer is not about the wheat or another allergen; rather it’s about your digestive system. If you’re not fully assimilating any food and if you continue eating it, then you’re inviting trouble. It can become a personal toxin, compromise your immune system and eventually lead to an autoimmune disease. And you don’t want to go there!

The best way to know if you have food intolerances is with a short term elimination diet. You go 100% without a suspect ingredient for a while and see what happens. For help determining sensitivities, consider a Face Reading & Diet Consultation.

Unfortunately if you are gluten sensitive and continue eating it, it’s possible to become sensitive to other foods especially grains, seeds and nuts.

Here’s a sketch of the most problematic foods:

Gluten  The problematic protein in wheat is popularly called “gluten.” This hard-to-digest protein, correctly named gliadin, also occurs in rye and barley. Thus “gluten” sensitive people must also avoid rye and barley because they contain gliadin.

Dairy Sensitivities —  Digestive difficulties to dairy are either due to milk’s carbohydrate (lactose) or its protein (casein). Beyond infancy, over half of the world’s population lacks the enzyme that enables lactose absorption and so they do not well tolerate dairy products.  What’s different today is that an increasing number of people of all ages are not assimilating milk protein. Determine if you’re allergic to diary, then regain your digestive health and, potentially, your ability to again enjoy dairy.

Sensitivities to Other Grains   — All grains contain proteins that are structurally similar to the gluten (technically gliadin) in wheat. In time a digestive system that doesn’t tolerate gluten may also become sensitive to gluten-like proteins found in amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, rice sorghum and wild rice.

Eggs   The protein in egg, albumen, is not tolerated by some people.  Often—but not always—these people don’t enjoy the taste of eggs.

Nuts    A common allergen are nuts. Their protein molecule is structurally similar to the pesky proteins in wheat and dairy in that its long chain challenges a compromised digestive system. This includes peanuts and all tree nuts:  almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, coconut, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts. If you’ve a problem with nuts, then odds are that also holds true for any nut product including oils, nut butter, meal and their milk (such as almond or coconut milk).

Soy and other legumes    If you’ve a sensitive digestion, then odds are that all dried legumes and beans are difficult to digest. As you strengthen your digestion, then typically you can again enjoy beans. Soy, however, is a common allergen and soy products are a common ingredient in processed foods.