Wheat belly
With the increasing awareness of the health issues associated with gluten, more people are discovering that removing wheat, or even all grains, from their diet, has dramatically improved their well-being. Whether from breeding “super-gluten†wheat or simply the increasing amounts of grain in most people’s diets, grain and wheat have become a source of trouble for many people. As more people remove grain from their diets, they discover improvements in their health that they never thought possible. One of the many things wheat can do to a person’s body makes them bloated and feel slightly unwell.
The bloat comes from the digestive system being unable to cope with the protein in the grain and allowing it to pass through, irritating the digestive tract as it goes. A significant side effect of an irritated intestine is that absorption of essential vitamins, and other nutrients is slowed. This lack of sufficient nutrition can lead to a variety of effects. People with grain intolerance are often assumed to be excessively thin, but this isn’t always the case. One effect of insufficient nutrition is the feeling of being hungry. Many people remove grain from their diet and find that their desire to overeat goes away. The effect of the grain-free diet on weight is then two-fold; the person loses weight and loses a bloated belly.
There are other unexpected results from a grain-free lifestyle as well. It is not uncommon to find that hypertension is resolved after changing the diet. The reasons for this are unclear but may involve returning to average weight, removing the whole-body inflammation that comes from grain intolerance, or returning energy that encourages a person to move around more. High blood pressure is nothing to fool around with. Individuals who change their diet to treat hypertension should stay on any medication and consult their doctor before changing the dosage.
The most unexpected and delightful result for me from adopting a grain-free lifestyle was the end of insomnia. That has been reported by others as well when they discovered that changing their diet allowed them to sleep through the night. It was a complete cure for some, while others still experienced some bad nights. There’s no definable reason for this unless some bodies in poor health can’t relax enough to sleep. A grain-free lifestyle may not cure every person’s insomnia, but it is certainly worth a try.
