Are we suffering from "Wheat Belly" in North America?

Originally posted by MRuss
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

I'm a female, and there is nothing wrong with having a beer every so often.

I can't drink any types of alcohol made from grains, like vodka, etc, so all I can have is wine or gluten free beer.

Give me a break!

real vodka is not produced from grains, but from tubers as in potatoes.

reply to post by YogaGinns


I definitely believe wheat is a major cause of obesity in the US. I know from personal experience, if I go on a diet of no flour and sugar, I can lose a lot of weight. Unfortunately, I'm like you, I'm a carb lover and I end up putting the weight right back on later.

WOW, I have just got caught up on the posts since last night.

Thank you all for sharing your successes and stumbling blocks. I was halfheartedly considering this diet change after reading the book, and kind of hoped you would talk me out of it. Now I am more convinced that I overindulge in carbs, particularly in the wheat department, and that is my main problem. Now comes the part where I need to start making changes to what I am eating.

Growing up I would have a bland cereal (the bag of puffed wheat was as tall as I was) or oatmeal for breakfast, sandwich & soup at lunch and a dessert with supper. The odd piece of fruit for snack after school. Salads were unheard of at home and a huge treat if, and when, we went out for dinner. Other than that it was meat and potatoes and a side of vegetables. We played and ran outside until called in for meals. Mom stayed home and cooked hearty meals and, yes treats like baked goods. When did we get so busy and sidetracked that we stopped caring for ourselves? I really enjoy cooking, but hardly ever take time anymore.

Would be interested in how many of you "graze" throughout the day or stick mostly to three square meals. I find if I don't take that little snack I am fine, but if I have a little nibble mid morning its like the flood gates are opened. Also at home I can almost forget to eat but at work is when I really crave the carbs. Why?

I have bookmarked all the links to sites you've sent and will spend some time with them. Please keep sending me your recommendations and suggestions and I will reply to your posts. I am beginning to see that this is not just something that affects a few people but a very huge issue to be addressed.

Now I got to get motivated to do it.
Namaste,
YogaGinns

reply to post by ANNED


That is a good point about the type of bread used, as I was surprised to learn that most of the colouring in whole wheat bread can come from molasses more so than the flour used.

I know that I need to read labels more and make better choices. I really like the thick chunky styles of bread "country harvest" brand but two slices of that is the equivalent of 3 to 4 slices from a normal sized loaf, again this is where the portion control comes to play. The mind games we play.

Namaste,
YogaGinns

Originally posted by hqokc
I've been gluten free for about 10 years. It's gotten much better as far as selections in both the grocery store and restaurants. I had pizza out last week, and a sandwich tonight. I eat pasta too. I've never found a good biscuit though..
Udis bread is good if grilled, bjs brew house has a good pizza and tinkyada is the best pasta. I have to cook almost everything I eat, but that's healthier anyway.
Its also easy for me to maintain a healthy weight because I can't eat the bad stuff.
Personally, I think it was triggered due to a highly processed diet that I had been eating you decades prior to my onset of celiac disease. I don't think we're meant to eat the typical American diet and it's making us sick.

All the nutrition experts tell us to stay to the outside walls in the grocery stores, avoid the processed packaged foods and don't pick up anything that has an ingredient list of words no one can say. I think we are all well aware of that fact and it so much easier to ignore what we know is best for us and travel the beaten path rather than finding our own way through the forest.

Thanks,
YogaGinns

reply to post by MRuss


Glad to hear you have read the book as I am interested in your take on the effects of the wheat/gluten on the brain. I understand how the addiction to carbs is so strong, as I will eat stuff just because it is there and not because I want or need it. Would also like to find out more on the memory fog and links to dementia, et al. I have been blaming my age and hormones for my short and poor memory. Maybe the wheat free diet could help me in that regard.

Appreciate the insight,
YogaGinns

Originally posted by onecraftydude
All very good information. I have been struggling with thyroid problems and a bulging waist. I quit smoking and it has been downhill since with the weight battle. I am not as active as I used to be so the carbs just pile on the fat. I have tried to raise a decent garden, but have had bad water from the drought kill most of my garden before I could get any veggies from it. I refuse to use fertilizer so what survived is just surviving not thriving.

Next year or later this year I intend to try the aquaponics in a new area with more sunlight and then i can grow whatever I want, but until then it would be nice to learn what I can buy and eat for now. Keep the good advice coming for those of us just waking up to this.

I can so relate to what you are saying, mind you I don't want to go back to being a smoker either.

The thyroid is also a major factor with the weight as I used to be Hyperthyroid (Graves Disease) and at one time couldn't keep from losing weight. Now having had the gland partially destroyed it is hard to get the metabolism switched on. One more thing to work around I guess.

I hope you have better luck with your garden, we have tried different types of veggie patches over the years...some have been good others, well if you could eat the weeds I'd have a bumper crop.

Namaste,
YogaGinns

Originally posted by Lucas73
reply to post by troubleshooter

 

I like this site. With a list of a vitamins or elements etc. and the comparison between different foods. What I have learnt from these lists is most vitamins and elemants we need can be supplied by Meat, Fish, Dairy, and Nuts in quite large quantities. And that vegetables are pretty poor in the amounts of nutrients they contain in comparison, despite what the media/vegetarians/vege industry tell us.

www.healthyeatingclub.org...

Thank you for the link, that site has so much info and I never even got off the calcium page. It would be great if we could all have an expert at nutrition prepping our meals and putting us through our workouts.

Guess I would need to win a lottery first. LOL

Thanks again,
YogaGinns

Originally posted by Lil Drummerboy
first off, most wheat crops are so heavily saturated with growth and pesticide chemicals it should be a crime, second,. the grain business has no place in your diet. leave it to making ethanol,.
I will venture to say that if 90% of americans would give up the grains in their diets they would not only loose wieght but gain health in the process, the Food pyramid needs to be corrected grains are not needed

I'm glad you mentioned the food pyramid, wonder if there are copies of how its been changed over the years on the web. I think it has been bumped up over the years as 6 to 11 servings of bread/grains seems a little excessive even for men. The quantities seem to change depending on the site or agency producing it.

I am trying to remember what it used to look like, now it shows fruits & vegetables on the bottom with grains one step up. Some sites don't even show it as a pyramid. Gets very confusing.

Canada's food guide:
ygraph.com...

I wish too, that governments would make manufactures disclose what chemicals are used in the production of our foods...from the farmer/rancher all the way up to the processors. How can we may informed choices without information.

YogaGinns
US food guide:
www.relish.com...

I kind of like the plate idea rather than specifying the number of servings, as the smaller the plate the smaller the serving.

May be a little bit offtopic (but not that far), but when I look at young obese americans, and their overgrown phisionomy I immediatily think about steroids most of the cattle are on. And we loooove burgers, don't we. Or bologne. Or lasagne.

Im not trying to be funny or sarcastic here, influence of those steroids have already been proven. And supressed, suprise, surprise.
Steroids use in Livestock

Have a look, creepy to say at least, taking into consideration that they stay in their boxes for entire life.



Antibiotics they are being fed to have big impact in developing allergies and immune system deficiences.

Elementary, really.

reply to post by CryHavoc


I can only agree with you there, CryHavoc, we all need more exercise and fresh air.

We very rarely ever put the TV on anymore and hardly ever find time to just sit and read. Although there is the time spent at the computer adding to the time spent sitting behind a desk at work and the car between work and home. So, yes more exercise is a must on the list of changes to be made.

And I believe more emphasis should be put on preventative medicine rather than prescription treatments, but that is an entirely separate rant that I don't want to get into now. I was at the pharmacy today could not believe how many different glucose-meters where lined up on the shelf. Are they using diabetes as a catchall for our poor health general.

Starting to think that food is our decline and we our own worst enemies.

Star for that,
YogaGinns

Originally posted by The Sword
No special diet here but I lost 100lbs recently just by counting calories, portion control and exercise. I'm working on losing another 50-60 to complete my transformation. Just last August, I weighted 342lbs.

Just sharing my experience. I'm always looking for ways to supplement what I eat so I like the comments in this thread.

Thank you for sharing your progress, that is very impressive and something to be proud of. I know that the experts say it takes 21 days to break a bad habit. Thinking of going with wheat/cereals/breads for that long seems almost impossible. I just look at all the products in my cupboard that would be off limits its really scary.

Good luck with mission,
YogaGinns

reply to post by WeRpeons


My mom always cut out bread and dessert anytime she needed to fit into a certain dress or pants. And now when I think about it she would loose the belly as a result. That was 40 years ago and it still rings true.

Thanks,
YogaGinns

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by MRuss
reply to post by hqokc

 

Budweiser makes a great gluten free beer.

2nd line

Beer = needless carbohydrates.

Know all those men with big beer belly's? that is called fatty liver, and is a side effect of engorging the liver with sugars. It is how foie gras is made with geese.

BFFT:

I can honestly say that beer (gluten free or otherwise) would not be an issue for me, however, I will pass that on to Iwinder.

Now cookies are an entirely different matter for me. LOL

Thanks,
YogaGinns

reply to post by YogaGinns


I can teach you to make low carb cookies using almond flour and coconut flour, along with some novel methods. My cookies are every bit as sinfully delicious as the winners at the county fair.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by YogaGinns

 

I can teach you to make low carb cookies using almond flour and coconut flour, along with some novel methods. My cookies are every bit as sinfully delicious as the winners at the county fair.

BFFT:

Now that is one offer I can't refuse. I am all ears (and stomach). Bring on the Blue Ribbons!

Mmmmm,
YogaGinns

reply to post by stainlesssteelrat


It makes a lot of sense, when you think about there being higher concentraions of heavy metals in larger fish species because they feed on the next smaller fish, who feed on smaller fish and so on. So the accumulation of toxins builds with the size of the catch.

So it only follows that what the chickens, pigs and cows eat we also eat. There is the news article about the toxic grasses killing the cattle in the south. Will it never end.

Thanks for the video,
YogaGinns

i eat alot of ramen noodles but they are an asian brand from overseas. Should I be worried?

reply to post by YogaGinns


Yoga, I found a online delivery meal service that had a choice of gluten free meals. So I ordered two weeks worth. I'm going on my second week and money permitting will continue for another two weeks. The food is awesome and I just heat it in the microwave. I don't think I could prepare these meals on my own. A lot of work. So for me it's worth the money.
I am in no way affiliated with this site in any way. I simply found it recently and tried their service.
www.purefoodsfreshstart.com...
If anything you can at least look at their gluten free meals for ideas to make your own.

I reasoned that I needed to change my diet and this would be an easy way for at least a month to get accustomed to eating differently. And hopefully lose some weight. And on top of that It's just amazing and convenient to have all my meals ready to go.

Jimmy

I suffered with abdominal pain on and off for several years. Ultra sounds and other tests didn't reveal anything. After dealing with a non-severe bout of pancreatitis of unknown etiology, the doctor told me that perhaps although my gall bladder wasn't producing gall stones, it was producing "sludge". Despite visiting a gastroenterologist, I didn't receive a single bit of advice on how to improve my symptoms and prevent recurrences. A friend at work saw me doubled over with stomach cramps one day and brought in a copy of a diet that she was following. When I say "diet" I'm not referring to a fad or low cal-low fat-low or low-carb variety. It was an instruction sheet on foods to avoid, and foods to eat in abudance. There was a cleanse portion which I didn't follow although I did, and still do the 1 day a week juicing cleanse, with Kale, cucumber, carrots, beet and flax oil. I also eat low-fat cottage cheese, blended well with flax oil twice a week.

I started slowly, first reducing, then totally eliminating wheat products. That was a tough one for me. I introduced spelt flower products, and ancient grain cereals. Spelt still has gluten but it's in an easier to digest form. From there, I replaced regular pasta with brown rice pasta. I eliminated all sugars, additives, artificial flavors, preservatives, etc.I eat little or no processed or pre-packaged foods and very little meat, except for fish. I increased the variety and amount of vegetables I eat during the day, and now only buy organic. The same goes for fruit. The last thing to go was milk and creams. I found a fabulous butter-alternative, non soy product, that is fantastic! I just found a Soy based coffee cream (I know, coffee is bad but I can't give that up yet). I can go on and on with the foods that I have discovered and eliminated but the point is, I feel fantastic!

I have, just this past month, reduced my level of synthetic Thyroid Hormone that I take daily. I feel great, sleep better, have more energy than I ever have, and I no longer have that wheat-bloated belly. Mentally, I'm sharper, I have fewer headaches and friends tell me my skin looks great and my eyes are brighter than they've been in years. Yes, I have lost weight, but that wasn't my motivation for changing my life-style. I still have "regular" food occasionally, but where my diet was 90% processed before, and 10% healthy, it is now reversed.

I buy organic, non GMO when I can. The few times that I have gone back to eating several meals of what I consider unhealthy food, I can feel the difference and I can't believe that I lived feeling that way for years. I don't know specifically what my body was reacting negatively to, but I noticed the biggest difference when I eliminated wheat products.

Thanks to the OP for posting this and best of luck to anyone thinking of making this lifestyle change. As with any major change, consult your doctor first....especially if you have any medical conditions.