In the name of health and all things good, I've decided to give up wheat. Wheat & gluten intolerance can cause a plethora of issues - sinus infections, inflammation, arthritis, digestive discord, psoriasis, insulin resistance...just to name a few. Being plagued by a number of miscellaneous diseases that seem to stem from an auto-immune response I decided to give this a whirl. That and resign my daily mocha habit.
Been on this journey for almost 2 weeks now. First I notice how pervasive wheat has been in my diet and our culture. It's everywhere. Out loud and proud, as well as hidden in some sneaky places. Dressings, sauces, snacks, vitamins...watch out!
Learned a long ago to shop the perimeter of the grocery store and rarely venture into the processed waste land in the middle. No, my vice, down-fall, Achilles heel is eating out. Driven forcefully by my needs for comfort, variety, socialization and flat-out habit. The times of my weight surges have always been in direct correlation to the frequency of my dining out ventures. One summer working summer stock at CLO, I gain 20+ in 3 months due to the schedule and eating on the go constantly. Definitely can attribute most of what I call the cancer/mourning weight gain to it. Chuck couldn't take the smells of cooked food during treatment so I dined outside of the home for most meals. When he passed, dining out was something to do in the evening to avoid an empty home. The madness has to stop somewhere.
Cutting out wheat has forced my hand on some dietary changes or disciplines that I've been wanting to and needing to enforce.
1. Cutting down the eating out. The options for impulse, fast-food, grab and go eating become very limited. Plan is to ONLY eat out as a social activity, with friends. No more dining alone.
2. Adding more fruits and veggies to the mix. Color up that plate.
3. Planning and preparing for meals and snacks.
4. Reducing the frequency of treats.
5. Becoming more mindful about what is going into my body.
After two weeks of cutting out the obvious wheat (not label reading for all gluten) I've lost 5lbs without much effort. No calorie counting obsessions, or frenetic exercise. My skin and face appear less agitated and puffy. The amount of digestive incidences are greatly reduced. And my energy stores are improving. Have I been perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm betting that I've been 90%+ on track. And hopeful that I'll be more and more successful as time goes on.
For the next few months I'm going to concentrate on being wheat free and getting consistent exercise. Excited to see how my health and body respond.
Happy Saturday!
Good for you!! I wish you the best with the diet modification. It won't be easy, but you'll benefit in the end.
Posted by: Janie | August 30, 2010 at 12:50 PM