Why would you want to give up wheat?
People who give up wheat often experience:
- an uplift in their mood
- better concentration
- improved sleep
- improved menopausal symptoms
- reducing bloating, i.e. a flatter stomach
- reduced appetite and consequent weight loss
- potential elimination of ”hangry’!
Last week I wrote about wheat being addictive in some people, so it’s not easy for everyone to give up wheat just like that.
This is something I cover in some depth in Uber Slim, because there is so much to gain from it both in terms of your weight and health. I personally noticed some great improvements when I gave this a go.
If you experience regular cravings for foods like bread, pasta, pizza, cakes and biscuits. Or if the thought of giving wheat a rest from your diet for a while makes you break out in a cold sweat – chances are you have a problem with wheat.
Research shows that a significant number of people experience withdrawal effects when they give up wheat. For several days you could feel low with your mood, fatigued, irritable, and feel generally mentally a bit foggy. If all of this is relieved by having your chosen ‘wheat fix’ chances are you’re in the 30% who have a problem with wheat addiction.
Of course all for this can be confused with low blood sugar, which I’ll cover another time.
The fact is, if you have a problem with wheat, then wheat is dictating your food choice, heavily influencing your calorie intake, and your timing of meals and snacks. Because of the addictive properties it can increase your appetite substantially, and make you an absolute nightmare to be around if you’re late getting your fix.
One of my friends is well known for getting ‘hangry’ if she doesn’t eat regularly (you know who you are!)
For a lot of people wheat is driving the hangry state, for others it is other poor diet choices.
I used to get hangry when I ate differently to how I eat now. But that’s a thing of the past for me. I even occasionally fast briefly for health reasons but don’t experience hangry at all.
Hangry is not caused by lack of food, it’s caused by the choice of food beforehand.
If you give up wheat for a few weeks to see how it would benefit you, you might be surprised at how good you feel.
Tempted to give it a go?
Let me know how you get on.
Have a great week.
Dr Julie
