Wheat Belly

[AVR1962]

Received a wonderful article from a Celiac friend. Was reading it to my husband who is asthmatic, was recently tested for diabetes which runs in his family, has weight issues and yes, the belly. His response to the article, "If you beleive everything you read on the Internet you'd be eating nothing but carrots." Can you believe? The denial for people is just amazing. I am living proof of what wheat can do to you, my own husband has seen with his very own eyes the improvement I have made and yet this reaction, just incredible!

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[YoloGx]

Received a wonderful article from a Celiac friend. Was reading it to my husband who is asthmatic, was recently tested for diabetes which runs in his family, has weight issues and yes, the belly. His response to the article, "If you beleive everything you read on the Internet you'd be eating nothing but carrots." Can you believe? The denial for people is just amazing. I am living proof of what wheat can do to you, my own husband has seen with his very own eyes the improvement I have made and yet this reaction, just incredible!

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Yes I know it is incredible. Just remember the gliadin in the gluten has opiates in it. It is addictive. Most folks don't want to give up their comfort food nor do they want to deal with the social restrictions going out to eat etc. Think about it. This is why. It is hard to break someone's comfort zone unless already they are as uncomfortable with gluten as you no doubt were and as I certainly was... So the truth is is that for some of us who have had it bad its in a way easier for us to change than for someone that has the effects more generally and thus insidiously since they don't see the direct cause and effect. They'd rather take their medications. Way easier. Its hard when you love that someone and you know their health would otherwise improve but they don't want to. They have made their peace with their condition... The truth is you have to honor that decision. The other truth however is that they need to not expose you to getting CC'd at the same time. A tricky business.

[AVR1962]

You are so on target with your response. And I think that is something I have to remind myself of....when they facts are layed out and their is still a refusal or denial, all you can do is accept. Thanks for your reply!

[YoloGx]

You are so on target with your response. And I think that is something I have to remind myself of....when they facts are layed out and their is still a refusal or denial, all you can do is accept. Thanks for your reply!

Its tough. I had to learn it the hard way. My whole family thinks I went way overboard letting them know the benefits of going off gluten. They think I am just neurotic. They just don't see the improvements. When I get sick from CC they think I am making it up. They are so in their own reality they can't see out. I hope you find some way to get around this problem with your husband. Sometimes the slow approach and seeing is believing without pushing is the best. And of course meanwhile don't expose yourself to getting CC'd...

[Di2011]

It can't be that hard to accept though.. ??? Watching your friend, loved one, mum, dad, neighbour slowly prep'ing to die younger than they should and/or live life ill isn't easy for anyone.

I wonder if we could give you some more ideas to help. Here is a couple:

* Can you speak with his doctor about this article and what you have experienced/know about GI/celiac etc? Can you tell his doctor that you are concerned that wheat could be contributing to his ill-health?

* Do you do the shopping/cooking? Any man with a plate full of yummy soft jacket potatos topped with a little butter/sour cream and fried onion/mushroom+other veg, with a nice piece of steak next to it probably won't go looking for a bread roll. Maybe you could aim to get him gluten-lite enough to see some positive response?

[AVR1962]

My point really is more about the shocking amount of denial. My husband knows exactly what wheat does to meand he has seen the improvment in my health. He just doesn't feel it applies to him. I don't prepare anything that is not gluten-free so all our desserts, pastas, etc that I make are without gluten. No one in the house has a problem with that. Husband seriously would eat anything put before him. He'd be the perfect guy for one of those TV reality shows that eat gross food.

Goodness, if I went to the doc and started speakng for him and voices my concerns about his health, ha. He would be so angry. He would not voice it in words but it would come thru in his silence. My husband is the one in the house that is right! Don't mean to be griping. I just have to continue to realize he is making his choice which he is entitled to and I make mine.

[sandsurfgirl]

Dietary changes are resisted like the plague for most people. That's the reason two GI docs talked me out of testing for celiac 8 years ago. They both said how hard the gluten free diet is and said things like "You don't want that."

Well duh, of course I don't want it but if you have it, no amount of denying it or not testing for it will make it go away. Of course I was so relieved when they assured me I didn't have celiac. They were so positive I didn't have it. Nobody wants to give up foods they like, but some will trade their lives for it.

My dad has cancer in his lungs and his brain now. For years he would drink 2 liters of diet soda or more every single day. We have begged him to stop drinking that and his health has deteriorated for years. He became diabetic and nothing they did would control his diabetes. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners do affect blood sugar but he wouldn't hear it. He has suffered and lost his health all because of his love for Diet Coke. Even now that he is so sick he will not change his eating habits. There is nothing we can say or do. The damage is done.

[Sake Rooskie]

AVR, I'm assuming your husband eats wheat and gluten when he's not home, correct? So even though your home is gluten free, he is still consuming gluten. I'm just mentioning this because when I went gluten free, my blood sugar improved (I'm pre-diabetic) and I was able to cut my asthma medicine by more than 50%. My joints have much less pain/stiffness. I've only been gluten-free for 6 weeks or so and I've dropped 5 pounds without even trying.

I do believe your husband is in denial and if wants to lose the wheat belly, he's going to need to give up that wheat and all of it, LOL.

I have read both Gluten Connection and Wheat Belly and my entire attitude has changed to the point where I don't ever crave the wheat based foods I loved so much!

You can deny yourself gluten and feel better, or deny that wheat is bad stuff and keep on feeling rotten.

Thank you everyone who contributes on this board! I have learned sooo much from all of you!

[YoloGx]

You all are so right, but some people just never learn and are quite adamant about staying ignorant.

My sister Susan the research nurse has terrible D all the time, osteoporosis, depression and used to have migraines. Now she is in a wheelchair with two broken hips that won't heal due to the osteoporosis. She still sticks to her guns and won't practice these "alternative" medicines. She thinks in fact that I have OCD due to my insistence on staying so gluten free and sharing how it can really mess a person up.

Last year I asked her who is doing better health wise, me or her, since I too used to have osteoporosis, but have mostly turned it around due to being off gluten and taking more absorbable minerals and healing supplements like nattokinase and acidophilous etc.

Now she has had her hip operation that didn't heal. What was she expecting? even her teeth are still soft like mine used to be. And now her accident falling on Halloween ruined her other hip. She is now in a nursing home. I don't really know what to say to her. So I say nothing. What can one say to that?? There is nothing I haven't said. She has called me a fool and spit in my face. She just has to live with her own choices.

Too much drama, eh? I am done with it.

And yes, she is really fat.

[AVR1962]

Dietary changes are resisted like the plague for most people. That's the reason two GI docs talked me out of testing for celiac 8 years ago. They both said how hard the gluten free diet is and said things like "You don't want that."

Well duh, of course I don't want it but if you have it, no amount of denying it or not testing for it will make it go away. Of course I was so relieved when they assured me I didn't have celiac. They were so positive I didn't have it. Nobody wants to give up foods they like, but some will trade their lives for it.

My dad has cancer in his lungs and his brain now. For years he would drink 2 liters of diet soda or more every single day. We have begged him to stop drinking that and his health has deteriorated for years. He became diabetic and nothing they did would control his diabetes. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners do affect blood sugar but he wouldn't hear it. He has suffered and lost his health all because of his love for Diet Coke. Even now that he is so sick he will not change his eating habits. There is nothing we can say or do. The damage is done.

Sorry to hear about your dad. Change is hard, definately! Those of us that get sick enough from our symptoms and have become desperate are the ones forced into our changes.

[AVR1962]

AVR, I'm assuming your husband eats wheat and gluten when he's not home, correct? So even though your home is gluten free, he is still consuming gluten. I'm just mentioning this because when I went gluten free, my blood sugar improved (I'm pre-diabetic) and I was able to cut my asthma medicine by more than 50%. My joints have much less pain/stiffness. I've only been gluten-free for 6 weeks or so and I've dropped 5 pounds without even trying.

I do believe your husband is in denial and if wants to lose the wheat belly, he's going to need to give up that wheat and all of it, LOL.

I have read both Gluten Connection and Wheat Belly and my entire attitude has changed to the point where I don't ever crave the wheat based foods I loved so much!

You can deny yourself gluten and feel better, or deny that wheat is bad stuff and keep on feeling rotten.

Thank you everyone who contributes on this board! I have learned sooo much from all of you!

Good for you!!! I will continue to try and implant info to my husband. I really beleive wheat is probably more of an issue than he wants to even entertian at this point. It's great to hear a success story with the asthma and diabetes. My dad has asthma and athritis so I passed the link onto him as well.

[AVR1962]

You all are so right, but some people just never learn and are quite adamant about staying ignorant.

My sister Susan the research nurse has terrible D all the time, osteoporosis, depression and used to have migraines. Now she is in a wheelchair with two broken hips that won't heal due to the osteoporosis. She still sticks to her guns and won't practice these "alternative" medicines. She thinks in fact that I have OCD due to my insistence on staying so gluten free and sharing how it can really mess a person up.

Last year I asked her who is doing better health wise, me or her, since I too used to have osteoporosis, but have mostly turned it around due to being off gluten and taking more absorbable minerals and healing supplements like nattokinase and acidophilous etc.

Now she has had her hip operation that didn't heal. What was she expecting? even her teeth are still soft like mine used to be. And now her accident falling on Halloween ruined her other hip. She is now in a nursing home. I don't really know what to say to her. So I say nothing. What can one say to that?? There is nothing I haven't said. She has called me a fool and spit in my face. She just has to live with her own choices.

Too much drama, eh? I am done with it.

And yes, she is really fat.

Goodness, I guess we all have those "fun" family situations. I know if I say too much my family is going to think I lost my mind but like you, you are living proof of what life can be without gluten. You have been such help to me and so many here with all your knowledge and experience. I hope you won't let your family bring you down with their negative thoughts.

[coco676]

I've been experiencing chronic pain for almost 2 years. And in the beginning when my pain was still at a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst), I would ignore advice from my doctors. When the pain got to be at a 10 (or off the charts) I was willing to let go. It wasn't until I really had no choice that I saw what my doctors had been trying to tell me all along. Thankfully, you are not like me (you're smarter!). But maybe your husband is. The change I experienced in my body put me through a grieving process. Denial is the first stage of grief and in my opinion, the hardest to get through. I am so much more at peace now with my condition (ok some day still are bad) but I still think I could not have made the major life style changes had I not been forced to do so.

[sahm-i-am]

Before I was diagnosed with Celiacs I had no clue how much food affects all different parts of our bodies, not just our weight. I was a typical ignorant American. Now I know more about gluten and GMOs and the history of food; more than many doctors. So it seems so obvious to me. And you would think that information would be absorbed by our family. But no! They let it go in one ear and out the other. They don't care and can't believe that could be their problem.

My husband tested positive for celiac disease and still refuses to go gluten free. Huh? His brother and aunt have it. He has seen me and my daughter live and heal gluten free. He knows that other auto immune diseases and even cancer can result from untreated celiac disease. He totally believes and supports my gluten-free lifestyle. But his aches and pains, issues, absolutely can not be attributed to gluten - such a twerp! Want to bash him in the head if I think about it hard enough. But I don't - I let him gripe about his problems and I suggest he keep an eye on it. That is it. He is a big boy and knows what he needs to do. Me nagging him won't change a thing in a positive direction.

This is another unfortunate side effect of Celiac Disease - idiot family members!

[YoloGx]

Goodness, I guess we all have those "fun" family situations. I know if I say too much my family is going to think I lost my mind but like you, you are living proof of what life can be without gluten. You have been such help to me and so many here with all your knowledge and experience. I hope you won't let your family bring you down with their negative thoughts.

Thanks AVR. This board has really helped me deal better with the fact I do have one of those negative families deep in that long river called DeNial. They think they are being so positive by ignoring their bodies as well as what is happening to their minds.

Its one reason I do my art and writing, to do something that is more positive and meaningful. Plus am learning more and more about medical and clinical hypnotherapy--which has helped heal me as well as making it so I can help others leanr to heal. Am finally about to get a business license to practice it here in San Jose.

Fortunately I have been blessed with a wonderful boyfriend who went completely off gluten in order to be with me. In the process he discovered that not only did his migraines go away but also his ADHD, not to mention stopping getting frequent colds and flu etc. and other annoying nasal and skin conditions.

Both my boyfriend and I have noticed its easier to be nicer to people now that we are completely off gluten. I can kind of forgive my family for being so messed up since they are still on gluten after all. It affects one's judgement and temperment.

The fact is I am not part of the Thought Police. I can't go in there and change the minds of those who don't want to know or hear. I have to respect their process even though it drives me nuts how close minded they are. At best all I can do is provide an example and just live my own life. I am glad to at least have helped some folks here on this forum, as well as some of my friends--including my best guy.

This article you showed us is great meanwhile, since it reiterates the premise that gluten is not really that good for most anyone, whether or not they have extreme gluten sensitivity or celiac.

[bumblebee-carnival]

I recently listened to the Wheat Belly book on audible. It's really great. Just having all the facts laid out about how wheat had been so genetically modified from it's original state should be enough to scare off most people from wheat. The author has a blog that he is really involved in, too. Since cutting out gluten and getting some of my issues under control, I really have to stop myself from telling everyone about it. Even though no one actually needs gluten, as we know here, people are pretty attached to it.

[AVR1962]

I've been experiencing chronic pain for almost 2 years. And in the beginning when my pain was still at a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst), I would ignore advice from my doctors. When the pain got to be at a 10 (or off the charts) I was willing to let go. It wasn't until I really had no choice that I saw what my doctors had been trying to tell me all along. Thankfully, you are not like me (you're smarter!). But maybe your husband is. The change I experienced in my body put me through a grieving process. Denial is the first stage of grief and in my opinion, the hardest to get through. I am so much more at peace now with my condition (ok some day still are bad) but I still think I could not have made the major life style changes had I not been forced to do so.

We have had it planted in our heads that whole grains are healthy, eat whole wheat....after a lifetime of these messages it is hard to think that wheat can actually be causing our problem. I am glad you decided to try a gluten-free diet. I think you are correct, my husband is still very much in denial for himself.

[AVR1962]

Before I was diagnosed with Celiacs I had no clue how much food affects all different parts of our bodies, not just our weight. I was a typical ignorant American. Now I know more about gluten and GMOs and the history of food; more than many doctors. So it seems so obvious to me. And you would think that information would be absorbed by our family. But no! They let it go in one ear and out the other. They don't care and can't believe that could be their problem.

My husband tested positive for celiac disease and still refuses to go gluten free. Huh? His brother and aunt have it. He has seen me and my daughter live and heal gluten free. He knows that other auto immune diseases and even cancer can result from untreated celiac disease. He totally believes and supports my gluten-free lifestyle. But his aches and pains, issues, absolutely can not be attributed to gluten - such a twerp! Want to bash him in the head if I think about it hard enough. But I don't - I let him gripe about his problems and I suggest he keep an eye on it. That is it. He is a big boy and knows what he needs to do. Me nagging him won't change a thing in a positive direction.

This is another unfortunate side effect of Celiac Disease - idiot family members!

Really? Wow! That has to be rather difficult to deal with. I really hope your husband comes around one day. And I suppose he won't even read about it? THe only thing my husband reads is science fiction or news headlines but anything to help his mind of body, short of crossword puzzles, forget it. He lets the doc continually write out prescriptions for him.

[AVR1962]

I recently listened to the Wheat Belly book on audible. It's really great. Just having all the facts laid out about how wheat had been so genetically modified from it's original state should be enough to scare off most people from wheat. The author has a blog that he is really involved in, too. Since cutting out gluten and getting some of my issues under control, I really have to stop myself from telling everyone about it. Even though no one actually needs gluten, as we know here, people are pretty attached to it.

Could you post the link to the blog?

[Richie1]

Great article and makes a lot of sense to my reaction to gluten free diet ....No more cravings for sweet stuff or overeating all the time and i have lost 14lbs and feel great....Wish i had found out years ago .....

[bumblebee-carnival]

Could you post the link to the blog?

Sure!

Open Original Shared Link

He's got a great post up today about the changes that wheat has gone through over the centuries.

[bumblebee-carnival]

I've been experiencing chronic pain for almost 2 years. And in the beginning when my pain was still at a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst), I would ignore advice from my doctors. When the pain got to be at a 10 (or off the charts) I was willing to let go. It wasn't until I really had no choice that I saw what my doctors had been trying to tell me all along. Thankfully, you are not like me (you're smarter!). But maybe your husband is. The change I experienced in my body put me through a grieving process. Denial is the first stage of grief and in my opinion, the hardest to get through. I am so much more at peace now with my condition (ok some day still are bad) but I still think I could not have made the major life style changes had I not been forced to do so.

I had a similar experience. I've had GI pain off and on since I was about 7 (I'm 36). For whatever reason it would wax and wane. But last February I started having pain under the left side of my ribcage. I blamed EVERYTHING else for it except for my colon and diet (in retrospect the most hilarious was the underwire of my bra). But it was never severe enough for me to go to the doctor or be too concerned. Then at the middle to end of October, it jumped up to about a 9 1/2 on the pain scale. I couldn't sleep, I could hardly eat anything and when I did eat (of course, sandwiches LOL) it would just get worse. To top it off, I was laid off in April and my 6 months of paid insurance was just about up. So out of desperation I went gluten free. My pain went down by about 85% in the first 3 days and was 95% gone after 7 days. Had I not had that intense pain, there is no way I could have stayed gluten free. It's definitely a commitment.

In the early days, I had some gluten free bread substitutes, like Whole Foods awesome cherry streusel muffins and some Udi's bread and I think that helped so I didn't feel too deprived and didn't have withdrawal. But I found after a while I didn't even need them anymore. So I cut out most grains (I sometimes cannot resist the rice and corn chips at Chipotle), strictly limit starches (maybe once every week or two I will indulge in a baked potato or french fries), and eliminated or greatly reduced most dairy. I lost 17 pounds in 30 days without trying or watching calories. I started sleeping better, my lifelong anxiety and depression has lifted, I'm generally more motivated to get things done, and a whole host of other benefits that I didn't anticipate. But I know how I am and without that pain, there is no way I would have stuck with it for more then a few days.

[AVR1962]

I had a similar experience. I've had GI pain off and on since I was about 7 (I'm 36). For whatever reason it would wax and wane. But last February I started having pain under the left side of my ribcage. I blamed EVERYTHING else for it except for my colon and diet (in retrospect the most hilarious was the underwire of my bra). But it was never severe enough for me to go to the doctor or be too concerned. Then at the middle to end of October, it jumped up to about a 9 1/2 on the pain scale. I couldn't sleep, I could hardly eat anything and when I did eat (of course, sandwiches LOL) it would just get worse. To top it off, I was laid off in April and my 6 months of paid insurance was just about up. So out of desperation I went gluten free. My pain went down by about 85% in the first 3 days and was 95% gone after 7 days. Had I not had that intense pain, there is no way I could have stayed gluten free. It's definitely a commitment.

In the early days, I had some gluten free bread substitutes, like Whole Foods awesome cherry streusel muffins and some Udi's bread and I think that helped so I didn't feel too deprived and didn't have withdrawal. But I found after a while I didn't even need them anymore. So I cut out most grains (I sometimes cannot resist the rice and corn chips at Chipotle), strictly limit starches (maybe once every week or two I will indulge in a baked potato or french fries), and eliminated or greatly reduced most dairy. I lost 17 pounds in 30 days without trying or watching calories. I started sleeping better, my lifelong anxiety and depression has lifted, I'm generally more motivated to get things done, and a whole host of other benefits that I didn't anticipate. But I know how I am and without that pain, there is no way I would have stuck with it for more then a few days.

It's truely amazing how a gluten-free diet can improve your health.

[AVR1962]

Sure!

Open Original Shared Link

He's got a great post up today about the changes that wheat has gone through over the centuries.

Thanks, I will check that out!