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Wheat in Our Diet Back to Healthful Hints |
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Over the past 8 years I have encountered what I would consider a disproportionate number of patients with a “sensitivity” to wheat. I use the term “sensitivity” as opposed to “allergy” because, for these individuals, wheat is not causing an allergic reaction, it is simply disturbing the body’s normal functioning. This “sensitivity” drains precious energies from the body’s storehouse. This “sensitivity” distract the body from its normal recuperative abilities. In numerous patients, they are completely unaware of the existence of a problem since any physical symptoms or signs may be absent.
So just what types of problems can wheat cause in certain “wheat-sensitive” patients? First on the list would be any type of GI problem ranging from inconsistent bowel habits to mild to severe abdominal pain. Other problems include general body weakness, fatigue, lethargy, inflammation, chronic aches and pains, excessive weight, immunity problems, etc.
In our Western diet, wheat is an ingredient in most of our packaged and canned foods. Look carefully at the labels of your favorite foods. It is listed as an ingredient in most cereals, crackers, soups, pastas, baked foods and breaded foods, ready-to-eat prepared foods, sauces, candy bars, etc. You may even find wheat listed as an ingredient in items you never previously considered as containing wheat.
We have become addicted to the texture of wheat and how pleasant it makes many of these products ‘feel’ in our mouth and on our palates. In addition, wheat makes an excellent binder to ‘hold’ other ingredients together.
So why is wheat such a problem to certain “wheat-sensitive” patients? In my opinion, I believe that wheat contains certain proteins that the body of a “wheat-sensitive” individual fails to metabolize properly or completely. For most “wheat-sensitive” patients, it’s not so much that these proteins are harmful, but the body must expend its energies in fending-off these substances. This means that the body is expending a large portion of its limited resources in excessive handling of these substances – which reduces the amount of energy that is available for its needed natural functions such as fighting off diseases, repairing or replacing damaged cells, fighting inflammation and infections, etc. As to why wheat is a problem in these “wheat-sensitive” patients, the answer may be two-fold. Is it due to the hybridization and/or genetic modification of wheat? Or is it due to the vast amounts of wheat that we consume in our diet? The answer may be yes to both questions. The actual answer is “it depends upon the individual”. Some ‘wheat-sensitive’ individuals do just fine in reducing their consumption of wheat, while others find that it must be eliminated completely.
Therefore, if you are experiencing chronic aches and pains, GI disorders, immunity problems, excessive inflammation, difficulty in loosing weight, or fatigue and lethargy, then consider greatly reducing or even eliminating wheat from your diet and you may just be surprised at how much better you feel.
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BENHAM CHIROPRACTIC
CHIROPRACTIC * ACUPUNCTURE * APPLIED KINESIOLOGY NEURO EMOTIONAL TECHNIQUE |
