Let's Talk about Wheat Withdrawal. Let's Talk about Misery!

Alright.

I always imagined that weaning off of wheat would be somewhat uncomfortable.  I had tried "dieting" before in my life and it was great... until it wasn't.  Like most humans, I would last about two days and then binge eat any processed morsel around me.  Knowing that I don't plan on caving in this time around (due to everything I've learned about wheat thus far), dedication is something I find to be very important.

One way for me to remain dedicated is to write about everything that is happening to me.  I currently have zero followers and in fact, I don't think anyone is reading this blog - and I'm okay with that.  Hopefully more will read this blog who have a desire to rid themselves of wheat (and all processed junk).  And hopefully my experience, will help them.

In the meantime, here's what happening.  My poor little body is going through withdrawals.  As mentioned in the eye-opening book, "Wheat Belly," science has proven that wheat has a strange effect on our little brains.  The proteins and chemicals in wheat actually bind to the same receptors that opiates and drugs like heroin bind to.  The feeling of coziness, comfort, happiness, and joy that most humans experience when eating a piece of crusty toast or gooey macaroni and cheese is the same feeling (granted on a much difference scale) that certain drugs can create in our brains.

With this in mind, when someone (like me or maybe even you) attempts to stop eating this substance, our brains no longer have that chemical reaction that its used to.  In my case, my brain has been enjoying wheat for 30 years!  It is freaking out, which of course, is effecting me greatly.

As of Day 3, this is what I'm experiencing from eliminating wheat, sugar, and processed foods from my body:

• Vivid Dreams: I literally had a dream two nights ago that I was at a party with nothing but sweets.  My fiance told me to stay away from them, but in my dream... I ate them all.  I ate cookies, cupcakes, and drank soda - lots of it.  In my dream, the character Red from "Orange is the New Black" told me I was having a seriously reaction to sugar and that I needed to go the hospital.  Not normal in my mind... not normal at all.
• Stomach Cramps: This is fun.  I really love waking up at 1 AM with the desire to vomit.
• Sweatiness: I don't even know how to describe this one.  That same night, I literally woke up sticky and clammy.  People from the late 90's: Remember the Britney Spears, "I'm a Slave 4 U" video?  Yeah.  That was me.  Minus the hot models dancing.  Add smeared mascara and ugly pajamas and you've got a pretty accurate visual.  I am the one to the right there... The face is yellow because it represents nausea.  Fun!

• Irritability: I want to slap people.  Hi.  This is not normal.  Typically, I am quite loving and patient (I was a 2nd grade teacher for goodness sakes), but recently... Humans are driving me crazy.  Remember when I mentioned that deserted island in my first post?  That would be super right now.
• Intense Cravings: I will literally be sitting at my desk at work and think of something like a chocolate chip cookie.  With this thought, a wave of emotions come over me and salivation occurs.  My coworker stares at me and wonders if I'm okay.  I eat some apples to calm the need to eat all the Snickers bars in the vending machine.
• Headaches: Enough said.
• Bloating: This is new.  I thought eliminating wheat would decrease the weight around my stomach, not add to it.  Perhaps this is one final protests from the visceral fat lodged around my organs.  Needless to say, I'm ready for it to go away.  It's creeping me out.  

Side note: One thing I learned last night was the fact that the visceral fat (love handles, fat tires, etc.) around one's middle-section is actually acting like a gland in the body.  What that means is the fat around your gut is literally like a parasitic organism, which in all reality is telling your body to do things.  For example, visceral fat has a wonderful ability to increase estrogen levels in men (hello cause of man-boobs). 

With all these symptoms occurring, one might wonder why I am continuing to go through with this.  Honestly?  Want to know why?  I don't want to be like 80% of the population in the United States - overweight, malnourished, insulin-resistant, unhappy, and sadly, ignorant.

In my 30 years on this awesome planet, I've learned that change is uncomfortable sometimes.  It hurts our heads.  It trembles our chests.  It rolls our stomachs.  But nothing great, nothing amazing, can happen without change.  It's as simple as that. 

Write that down.  It's worth remembering.  :)

Screw You Bread: You Hurt Me!

Oh the smell of fresh baked bread... I couldn't resist it. 

Before reading a few chapters of "Wheat Belly," I went to the store.  My fiance (who is an avid Crossfitter that refuses all things sweet) had a monstrous craving for peanut butter chocolate french toast.  I figured that I could simply buy the bread, make him his french toast, and I would whip up some scrambled eggs or something for myself.  This is not what happened.

I'm a fanatic when it comes to bread.  My nose has been genetically modified to tell the difference between the tangy scents of sourdough to the sweet smells of french.  It's a gift (and a curse).  This magical ability led me to the fresh-made bread section and I purchased the most glorious loaf in the entire world.  Crusty, moist, warm goodness looked up at me from the crinkly brown bag.  Swallowing the saliva that had formed from my creepy salivation, I left the store with chocolate, peanutbutter, and bananas in hand.  I was going to be strong.  I wasn't going to eat the bread.

Look at how pretty it was:

As I spread the chocolate (which I normally whimper at the sight of), I was feeling strong.  I was feeling good.  But the bread, it just kept staring at me.  I didn't want to fall into temptation, but I did.  I ripped off a beautiful piece and enjoyed every crumb.  I even sliced myself another and sat in heaven for a few minutes in the corner of our kitchen looking like a zombie eating raw meat.  I drank some water and found that I wasn't hungry at all - I was so full.  Two pieces of bread and I couldn't imagine eating anything with actual nutrients in it.  Protein?  I didn't need it.  

After heading upstairs for bed, I tried to get comfortable.  My hands were beginning to tingle and I knew it was only a matter of time before the deep itch underneath my skin was going to rear-up and attack.  I kept reading my book (Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets for the third time) and after each page I turned, the intensity of the itch on my hands increased substantially.  I couldn't believe my eczema (self-diagnosed) was flaring up - what could have been the cause?  I know, I know - it could be anything right?  Who's to say it was the bread?

 

Scratching and scratching, pushing and pulling my skin, I felt the minutes turn to hours and I knew I couldn't sleep upstairs.  I stomped by feet down the stairs and stared at the book I failed to read the night before: "Wheat Belly," by William Davis.  The little intuition in the back of my mind was telling me that I could find some answers in this book.  I've read two chapters and I'm positively hooked.  

As I learn more about myself and the advantages of skipping out on wheat (and hopefully even sugar and all processed foods), I'll share my results and learnings with you. 

   

What is this place?

Hello.

This is me.  My name is Liz and I thoroughly enjoy donuts, bread, pizza, cookies, pancakes, and waffles.  In fact, I could happily live on a deserted island with my socially-awkward dog and have donuts delivered to me daily via courier pigeon.  I would order a maple bar on Monday and perhaps a chocolate-covered sprinkled donut on Friday.  On all the other days, I would just eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with perhaps some toasted sourdough bread because yes, I have a toaster on my deserted island.

Unfortunately, I don't live on a deserted island with my socially-awkward dog.  I live in Seattle, Washington with my socially-awkward dog and  I struggle daily with an addiction to all things sweet and doughy.  Because of this addiction, I have a blooming waistline, an itchy-hand problem (some type of rash), daytime fatigue, and well... diminishing self-esteem.  Though this is the case, the doctors say I'm fine, which I completely disagree with. 

I have decided to take control of this growing problem (pun intended).  Through research over the past year, I have learned some alarming facts about wheat and processed foods and the havoc they can play on our bodies.  With this knowledge in hand, I plan on making a change.  I plan on eliminating all this junk from my life... as much as I can.

This is an experiment that I thought would be best to document because who knows - this could help others who struggle like I do.  Through time, you will learn more about my symptoms and my addictions and hopefully, learn a little about how someone can make a change. 

This is Day 1.  This is where I'm starting from.  I'm the blond kid in the picture there enjoying god's greatest gift: Ice cream!

God help me.

-Bluebird