Wheat belly

[tlc93]

Has anyone read this book? What are your thoughts? I'm trying to get healthier and feel better. I was told by my GI doc that I have MANY twists and bends in my intestines......its the reason for some problems I've been having which sent me to him in the first place. So I thought this book might provide some insight into the gluten free popularity we are seeing and hearing about these days.

Then I thought...."Well, I have to feed the muscle too"! So I also bought "Burn the fat, feed the muscle". I'm not trying lose weight....I'm 5'3" and about 107 lbs......I'm just trying to maintain what I have while getting great nutrition.

Its all very confusing, information overload! Too many books and opinions! But, I DO trust my fellow Cathletes! Let me hear it!

 

[fox2star]

Hi,

I did not buy the book, but subscribed to his site, just to read up on the information and the postings there are informative. You can try it for a couple of weeks and see how you feel, if it helps whatever problems you are having. Can't hurt right?

As for Burn the Fat etc, I have the e-book, and I believe there are a lot of Cathletes here that may follow that program, you should see some responses.

I like Dr Mercola a lot, and have said I am going to try his nutrition plan, but life gets in the way, and I have not been very good at it. Take Control of Your Health With My Nutrition Plan

Good luck with whatever you choose.!

 

[CeciFifi]

I read this book as recommended by the naturopathic doctor I see. She said getting off refined carbs will help with menopausal symptoms. It's a worthy read and one you will find in the library. I started supplementing homemade soups for the breads/crackers I was eating to fill me up.

 

[IslandRose]

I have not read either of the books, but just had to say you are teeny tiny! My goal weight is 120-125 lbs at 5' 5" and I'm so far away from it hehehe, but trying. Anyway, I posted about my non celiac wheat/gluten sensitivity awhile ago and as suggested by my doctor (he is an MD but is very much into natural medicine, which is refreshing to see, he is into juicing, yoga, etc which is awesome! But I digress) I changed my diet and I also had some tests done and they came back positive, which means all the symptoms I was having: GI problems, split corners of the mouth, skin rashes, etc. going on for more than a year and got progressively worse this year (which by the way disappeared in 1-2 weeks after changing my diet) were probably due to my excessive consumption of wheat/gluten and the fact that I was sensitive and I did not know it.

Now this has become a trend which worries me because now the gluten free products are widely available, but things can change, and the ones who need to be wheat/gluten free can eventually be left out again. However, I use the app of MyFitnessPal to keep track of the calories I eat (and burn with exercise) and just last night I noticed that those days I eat the gluten free versions of cereal, snacks, etc. instead of just eating fruit, veggies, and lean protein, I go way over my limit on MFP and in the red zone, and those days when I eat less of those I stayed within my limits in the green zone. That happens because those carbs that are from grains (even those that don't have gluten) just don't satisfy my hunger in the long run, while the ones from veggies and some fruits don't have that same effect on my appetite. So in my case, I think it is just better, in general, to limit those carbs that come from grains and load up on carbs that come from veggies mostly and then fruits. Also, starting today, I already have my meals logged on the app so I know in advance what is coming, instead of eating away and then finding out I went over my limit.

It doesn't hurt to try and go wheat free to see if your GI improves, but get the thumbs up from a doctor if you can. I think it can be so simple as to eat more veggies, fruit and lean protein and less grains, but that is just my opinion based on my own experience.

I hope this helps.

 

[desertambrosia]

I just received Wheat Belly from Amazon this week. I will read it, and let you know what I think.

 

[tlc93]

So......yes, I am sort of petite. I'm an ectomorph, very linear shape. HOWEVER.......I have 2 seriously sculpted arms thanks to Cathe (even though I have the smallest wrists EVER!)! I have to work hard to have curves at the waist rather than a straight line from shoulders to hips, but my oblique muscles are visible. Lower body has some definition as well but has some jiggle too. But don't let size fool you. Im fierce! Well fed and well rested.....I'm a warrior..... as Cathe says!

I saw my regular MD and she said "while not promoting gluten free fits all.....try it for a month and see how you feel". My intestines feel like a constant bruise! It sucks! I really hope "Wheat belly" has something for me.

Thanks for the link to the nutrition plan too. I'm ready to try just about anything!

 

[lisa_la_machina]

tlc93, I just went through something similar and through the process of elimination, I learned that breads and cereals (including regular old Cheerios and Barbara's Original Puffins) were making me feel bloated and literally sick to my stomach. I'm not sure if it's the gluten aspect or if it was something about eating large amounts of fiber at one time...my bowls of cereal were large! All I know is I feel better without them in my life. I do still eat carbs, but things like GF certified oats and potatoes and air popped popcorn and even rice crackers (Trader Joe's has some yummy ones!). Those all seem to agree with me.

In the end, you are the expert on you! I followed the link Deb posted, and I like what Dr Mercola said: "One person's food may be another person's poison." So true! I'm still figuring myself out, but I don't seem to fit into any specific textbook category and that's probably true for a lot of people.

If you do start experimenting with your foods, just make sure to be systematic about your elimination process so you can best identify the foods that trigger problems for you. Perhaps that's where some of these books could come in handy, by giving you a plan for elimination.

Good luck!

 

[Zenara25]

Through 23andme genetic testing I recently found out that I have a gene mutation that probably 30-40% of the population has. It's called MTHFR. This means I can't absorb Folic Acid/Folate (AKA Vitamin B9) and it is actually toxic for me. My blood work even shows that my folate levels are 4x higher than they should be. The FDA fortifies most breads, cereals, grains, pastas, etc with Folic Acid/Folate. I'm now avoiding all these foods and multi vitamins labeled with Folic Acid/Folate. Lots of leafy greens for me and a multi that has the active versions of Folate (L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate), B12 (methylcobalamin), and B6 (P5P). Here's the multi I'm currently taking. http://www.pureformulas.com/basic-n...-by-thorne-research.html#sthash.bOcRJpt5.dpbs

Here's an interesting article. http://mthfrliving.com/health-tips/mthfr-avoid-folic-acid-in-food/

 

[Soapmaker]

Its all very confusing, information overload! Too many books and opinions! But, I DO trust my fellow Cathletes! Let me hear it!

Before you go down the gluten road, I recommend that you read up on the FODMAP diet even if you don't have IBS. Between normal digestion and IBS, there is a wide variety of malabsorption problems. I'm not sure how old you are but if you are around 30 already, you are probably dealing with malabsorption problems. At first, the most likely culprits are fructose and lactose followed in time by the majority of disaccharides and oligosaccharides. Essentially, most concentrated sources of energy from grains and starchy vegetables become a problem. I've been dealing with this for close to 20 years now and didn't know it for a long time. It ended my vegetarian life for good.

This link explains fructose malabsorption:
Fructose malabsorption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I think this disorder is mislabeled. It should be called glucose malabsorption. We don't absorb fructose on its own very well anyway. Its uptake is driven by glucose uptake. The reason I mention it is because you will need to control both the amount of glucose and fructose you eat as well as the ratio of the 2 if you are dealing with this problem. The amount you can consume with any meal will depend on your ability to absorb the glucose. It is a bit tricky to get it right particularly if you like fruits as much as I do.

After sugar, wheat is the most common source of fructose in the diet. Eliminating wheat works well for people with mild absorption problems because it takes out a significant portion of glucose along with the fructose. People assume it is the gluten. Eventually they find themselves eliminating all grains and all starchy vegetables. In reality, they are just eliminating most sources of glucose from their diet.

As far as exercise, you need glucose to get the benefit of exercise. You need glucose if you are trying to build muscles. Otherwise, you can do a lot of exercise with minimal benefit. When I did an elimination diet which restricted all sources of glucose for few days, I couldn't get my heart rate up doing higher intensity cardio. It freaked me out completely. I don't want to find the long term consequences of doing higher intensity workouts on a severely restricted glucose intake. I make sure to get enough complex carbs to maintain my HR during my workouts.

There are many ways to make money off of gluten sensitivities, not so much with FODMAP. As far as food sensitivities, all it means is that your intestinal wall is not intact and your immune system is being exposed to antigens that it shouldn't see. If you deal with the problem, the sensitivities go away.