Wheat

givememoney

I decided to have a go at cutting out wheat. I get a lot of mucus build up which causes me to cough. Recently I went without my usual slice of toast for breakfast and didn't have any bread for lunch. I felt my bronchial passages were clearer so that's what has made me try it.

I have looked on the web and it promises weight loss along the way, so even better.

I bought some `free from rolls` and have been having one with my lunch.

What I would like to know is, has anyone been successful in losing weight cutting out wheat whilst eating the wheat free subsitutes.

miss_independent

I was a size 8 before I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. Obviously it's different for me as it is an autoimmune disorder and not a choice but after I had to give up gluten and switch to gluten free products I gained a stone and a half and went up two dress sizes. Sorry!

Free from foods are not better for you (unless you have something like Coeliac disease or true lactose intolerance with dairy free products etc). Because they are free from wheat and gluten, they are jam packed with more fat and sugar to hold them together and preserve them. As a result, many people who stop eating gluten and wheat find that they gain a considerable amount of weight.

There are many foods that are naturally gluten free (I.e potatoes, rice etc) but store bought free from breads, biscuits, cakes, pizzas
bases etc are extremely unhealthy. Unless you have absolutely no choice medically but to eat wheat free, it's probably best not to make such a drastic lifestyle change, especially if you also want to lose weight. You are actually more likely to damage your body by depriving it of vital nutrients and vitamins which aren't present in Free From foods but are present in the alternative. Many non gluten free cereals and breads for example are fortified with extra vitamins. Most Coeliacs like myself who have no other option but to eat the Free From Products have regular blood tests and specialist appointments to check we are getting enough vitamins and a lot of us are prescribed extra vitamins like Vitamin D, B vitamins and Iron, often by injection because our diet isn't meeting our nutritional needs.

I'd explore every possible medical option before going Wheat Free tbh and if you are still intent on cutting it out entirely, please tell your GP so they can give you advice and ensure you don't develop a deficiency.

Sorry it's most likely not what you wanted to hear but best of luck getting the congestion sorted out.

heuchera

Could it possibly be dairy, OP? It might be worth doing a food allergy test to see what it is that's causing the problem before making changes to your diet.

theoretica

There are plenty of healthy world diets which don't include wheat - but as mentioned the 'free from' section of the supermarket is seldom the place to find them. The gluten free bread usually tastes so bad why bother eating it.

givememoney

miss_independent wrote: »

I was a size 8 before I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. Obviously it's different for me as it is an autoimmune disorder and not a choice but after I had to give up gluten and switch to gluten free products I gained a stone and a half and went up two dress sizes. Sorry!

Free from foods are not better for you (unless you have something like Coeliac disease or true lactose intolerance with dairy free products etc). Because they are free from wheat and gluten, they are jam packed with more fat and sugar to hold them together and preserve them. As a result, many people who stop eating gluten and wheat find that they gain a considerable amount of weight.

There are many foods that are naturally gluten free (I.e potatoes, rice etc) but store bought free from breads, biscuits, cakes, pizzas
bases etc are extremely unhealthy. Unless you have absolutely no choice medically but to eat wheat free, it's probably best not to make such a drastic lifestyle change, especially if you also want to lose weight. You are actually more likely to damage your body by depriving it of vital nutrients and vitamins which aren't present in Free From foods but are present in the alternative. Many non gluten free cereals and breads for example are fortified with extra vitamins. Most Coeliacs like myself who have no other option but to eat the Free From Products have regular blood tests and specialist appointments to check we are getting enough vitamins and a lot of us are prescribed extra vitamins like Vitamin D, B vitamins and Iron, often by injection because our diet isn't meeting our nutritional needs.

I'd explore every possible medical option before going Wheat Free tbh and if you are still intent on cutting it out entirely, please tell your GP so they can give you advice and ensure you don't develop a deficiency.

Sorry it's most likely not what you wanted to hear but best of luck getting the congestion sorted out.

Thank you for you full and honest appraisal. As you say, maybe not what I wanted to hear, but I take onboard what you say and will not go down that route.

WantToBeSE

It's more likely to be dairy causing mucus than wheat.

I have heard a lot of things about cutting out wheat. I think the general rule is the 'Gluten free' products ( like the free from stuff) are highly processed, so avoid at all costs. But things that are naturally GF are OK.

Good luck

givememoney

WantToBeSE wrote: »

It's more likely to be dairy causing mucus than wheat


Good luck

I do believe it is the wheat as I have been so much better since leaving it out.

Gloomendoom

With regard to the weight loss, just having to think about what you eat before you eat it more often than not results in weight loss.

It doesn't really matter what it is you are, or aren't, eating.

lessonlearned

givememoney wrote: »

I do believe it is the wheat as I have been so much better since leaving it out.

I have gone more or less grain free, tummy much better now (IBS and Gord). Also fibromyalgia much improved. I no longer need any medication.

If you look at some of the Paleo websites you will get lots of ideas for flour and grain substitutes, ie coconut and almond flours, quinoa instead of cous cous etc, cauliflower "rice" for curries, leeks opened out as a substitute for lasagne sheets, spiralised courgettes (or even just sliced as a substitute for spaghetti, using nuts and seeds to make you own granola for breakfast cereals or even home made cereal bars for snacks or taking to work.

I don't bother with the Free From ranges, they are very expensive, often loaded with either sugar or chemicals and I think most of them taste vile.

Occasionally I allow myself the odd slice of good quality home made or artisan bread with no ill effects, but if you are a coeliac then that's a no no.

I also have to watch how much dairy I can eat, so for smoothies, puddings and chia seed "porridge" I use almond milk, not keen on coconut milk myself. For cups of tea, making cheese or white sauces then I use lacto free milk.

It all sounds like a bit of a faff but once you get used to it it does get easier. For me it's been well worth the effort, less joint pain and fewer tummy upsets and headaches. I am also steadily losing weight too, about a stone so far.

It might sound horribly restrictive and it might be extremely difficult for vegetarians and vegans but for omnivores its actually quite easy and not restrictive in the slightest.

Meat, poultry, game, fish, nuts, seeds, vegetables, salads, fruit, eggs and dairy if your digestive system can cope. If not there's plenty of dairy substitutes. Generally it's the lactose in dairy that's the problem, luckily there are now more lacto free dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt etc. There's also quite a range of soya based dairy alternatives, again provided your system can cope.

Its all trial and error, so keeping a food diary might help. I am still tweaking my diet but getting there and feeling much healthier.

june89

My husband is coeliac and has lost over a stone (he was already at the higher end of a healthy weight) since diagnosis. But he mostly cut out breads, cakes, etc instead of switching to freefrom products, except for the occasional treat when we happened to find a nice one. So would have most likely lost that weight due to improving his diet, rather than due to the lack of wheat.

If you replace a sandwich with a salad, you'll probably lose weight as you'd be drastically cutting the calories consumed. But if you just switch from wheat bread to a freefrom bread, there'll be very little difference. In my experience from shopping for him, a lot of freefrom products are actually higher in calorie than the regular versions.

He has started having sandwiches again now that more freefrom options are available, and he's stopped losing weight. Again, I think this is just due to the calorie difference than anything else.

pogofish

WantToBeSE wrote: »

It's more likely to be dairy causing mucus than wheat.

I have heard a lot of things about cutting out wheat. I think the general rule is the 'Gluten free' products ( like the free from stuff) are highly processed, so avoid at all costs. But things that are naturally GF are OK.

Good luck

No it wont!

Over a hundred studies so far have produced no evidence whatsoever of dairy consumption causing increased mucus production.