It has been promoted as a healthy food, but it turns out wheat bread causes more harm than good. It’s constantly turning up on the list of foods that you should avoid. For years we’ve been told to eat wheat bread as an alternative to white bread because white bread and refined grains in general are devoid of nutrients. But now many health professionals claim that bread and other sources of gluten grains are unnecessary and potentially harmful. Here’s the problem. On the Glycemic Index (GI), which compares the blood sugar effects of carbohydrates, BOTH white and wheat bread increases blood glucose more than pure sugar. In fact, studies on carb restricted diets (which eliminate/reduce starches and sugar) suggest that individuals who are diabetic or need to lose weight should avoid all grains. In his popular book “Wheat Belly”, Dr. William Davis discusses why he advises his cardiac patients to avoid wheat at all costs. Here are some of his reasons: Wheat is addictive. When the gluten in wheat is digested, it releases molecules known as exorphins, morphine-like compounds that produce mild euphoria. After digestion, a component of wheat actually attaches itself to narcotic receptors in your brain. About 1/3 of people who give up wheat will experience some withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, moodiness, and insomnia. • Wheat causes inflammation in the body. Dr. Davis has thousands of cases of patients whose cholesterol levels dropped back to normal after removing wheat from their diets. (High cholesterol is a symptom of inflammation). • Two slices of whole wheat bread raises your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar and even faster than many candy bars. Furthermore, a high wheat diet has been linked to obesity, digestive diseases, arthritis, dementia, heart disease, and lupus. It’s most commonly known for its link to Celiac Disease – which is an intense form of wheat sensitivity that damages the small intestine. The increase of people with this formerly difficult to diagnose disease has triggered a tremendous rise in the amount of gluten free products currently on the market. I encourage you to conduct further research on this topic and to consider eliminating wheat from your diet. As a start, try removing it from your diet for 30 days and see how your body responds. To make the transition a little easier, you can switch grains. There are several non-wheat grains available, including millet, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. They’re easy to cook, taste good, and they don’t have the gluten and other wheat proteins that trigger weight gain, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Do you think you can benefit from removing wheat from your diet? Please leave a comment. Until next time… Peace, Love & Fitness!]]>

4 Comments

  • Sharon Posted July 22, 2013 3:03 am

    Thank you so much for this article. I have been having the hardest time eliminating wheat/gluten from my diet. I experience inflammation, weight gain, and mood swings when I digest wheat. Your post encourages me to give up wheat for 30 days. I will also check out the book that you mentioned”Wheat Belly”.

  • plantfoodrocks Posted July 22, 2013 3:34 am

    You’re very welcome Sharon! So glad you found it helpful!

  • Sharon Posted July 23, 2013 1:50 pm

    Thank you for this post! My last huge hurdle to transition into a raw vegan is wheat. I know wheat causes inflammation in my body, change my mood, and causes me to gain weight. The information that mention on wheat being addictive is spot on. I am going to check out the book that you mentioned “Wheat belly” for more information. I look forward to reading more of your posts!

    • Latrina Patrick Posted July 24, 2013 12:21 pm

      Thanks so much Sharon! I’m so glad you found the information helpful!

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