http://www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/livingwheatfree

Living Wheat-Free

by Rusty Gregory, MS, CSCS, CWC and

Alan Chasen

Living Wheat-Free For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPROPRIATE. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. SOME OF THE EXERCISES AND DIETARY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS WORK MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, AND READERS SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN BEFORE COMMENCING ANY EXERCISE OR DIETARY PROGRAM.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley prod-ucts, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954229

ISBN: 978-1-118-77458-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-27741-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-81687-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-81703-2 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents at a GlanceIntroduction ................................................................ 1

Part I: Getting Started with Living Wheat-Free .............. 5Chapter 1: Breaking Down the Basics of Living Wheat-Free ........................................ 7Chapter 2: Connecting Modern Wheat to Modern Problems ..................................... 19Chapter 3: Separating the Wheat from the Gluten ...................................................... 31Chapter 4: Not the Whole-y Grail: Tracking Wheat’s Relation to Overall Health .... 41

Part II: Making Wheat-Free Your Dietary Foundation ... 59Chapter 5: Eliminating Wheat from Your Diet for Good ............................................. 61Chapter 6: Combining Wheat-Free and Other Lifest yles ............................................ 75Chapter 7: Stocking a Wheat-Free Kitchen ................................................................... 83

Part III: Easy Wheat-Free Cooking .............................. 97Chapter 8: Starting Out Right: Breakfast ....................................................................... 99Chapter 9: Easy Everyday Entrees ............................................................................... 109Chapter 10: One-Pot Meals ........................................................................................... 123Chapter 11: Savory Vegetable Sides ............................................................................ 129Chapter 12: Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips .................................................................. 139Chapter 13: Baked Goods Like You Never Thought Possible .................................. 147

Part IV: Embracing the Wheat-Free Lifestyle ............. 155Chapter 14: Dining Out around Town and While Traveling ..................................... 157Chapter 15: Navigating Special Occasions ................................................................. 169Chapter 16: A Workout That Works ............................................................................ 183Chapter 17: Evaluating Your Wheat-Free Lifest yle with Testing ............................. 215Chapter 18: Adding Supplements to a Wheat-Free Diet ............................................ 227

Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................... 235Chapter 19: Ten Benefits of Living Wheat-Free .......................................................... 237Chapter 20: Ten Staples for Your Wheat-Free Diet .................................................... 243Chapter 21: Ten Things That Can Sabotage Your Wheat-Free Diet ......................... 249

Index ...................................................................... 255

Recipes at a GlanceBreakfast Dishes• Almond & Banana Smoothie ..................................................................................... 106Beef and Spinach Breakfast Casserole ........................................................................ 103Chorizo and Pepper Jack Muffin-Tin Frittatas............................................................ 104• Easy Cream Cheese Crepes ....................................................................................... 1015-Minute Spinach and Cheese Omelet ......................................................................... 105• Gingersnap Smoothie ................................................................................................. 107• The Hangover Smoothie ............................................................................................ 107• Hidden Veggie Smoothie ........................................................................................... 108Homemade Breakfast Sausage ..................................................................................... 102• Piña Colada Smoothie ................................................................................................ 106

EntreesAlmond-Flax-Crusted Chicken Tenders ...................................................................... 119Beef in a Leaf .................................................................................................................. 120Chicken Pot Pie .............................................................................................................. 116Chicken-Stuffed Poblano Peppers................................................................................ 112Easy Baked Salmon with Tomatoes and Herbs .......................................................... 114Greek Salad with Shrimp ............................................................................................... 121Lemon Drumsticks ......................................................................................................... 118Southwestern Caesar Salad .......................................................................................... 122Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce .............................................................................. 115Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean and Avocado Salad ........................................ 113

One-Pot MealsChicken Mexican Soup .................................................................................................. 128Chili Surprise .................................................................................................................. 124Shrimp with Tarragon Broth ........................................................................................ 125Traditional Yankee Pot Roast....................................................................................... 127Tuscan Bean Stew .......................................................................................................... 126

Side DishesBroccoli and Cheese Casserole .................................................................................... 133• Kale with Pine Nuts and Currants ............................................................................ 137Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus and Goat Cheese .................................................... 132• Roasted Cauliflower ................................................................................................... 135• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad ................................................................................ 134Slow Cooker Collard Greens ......................................................................................... 136Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing ................................................................. 138

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips• Baba Gannoujh ........................................................................................................... 142Baked Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip and Veggies .......................................... 144• Goat Cheese with Bell Pepper Dressing .................................................................. 141Jalapeños in a Bacon Blanket ....................................................................................... 146Pepperoni Pizza Snacks ................................................................................................ 145• Pico de Gallo ............................................................................................................... 143

Desserts• Black Bean Brownies ................................................................................................. 152• Cashew Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies .......................................................... 151• Cinnamon Coffee Cake ............................................................................................... 153

Table of ContentsIntroduction ................................................................. 1

About This Book .............................................................................................. 1Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 2Icons Used in This Book ................................................................................. 3Beyond the Book ............................................................................................. 3Where to Go from Here ................................................................................... 4

Part I: Getting Started with Living Wheat-Free ............... 5

Chapter 1: Breaking Down the Basics of Living Wheat-Free . . . . . . . . 7How Did We Get into This Wheat Mess? A Brief History ............................ 8Surveying the Health Effects of Wheat and Gluten ..................................... 9

Glimpsing what wheat does to the body ............................................ 9Differentiating between wheat and gluten ........................................ 10

Comparing a Wheat-Free Lifestyle to Other Diets ..................................... 11Understanding Lasting Change .................................................................... 12

Embracing the tools for change ......................................................... 13Exercising your way to the top of the health charts ....................... 13

Keeping Your Cool in Special Situations .................................................... 14Eating away from home ....................................................................... 14Developing an eating plan of action for special occasions ............ 15

Monitoring and Enhancing Your Progress ................................................. 16Checking your progress with basic tests .......................................... 16Adding some extras to ensure your progress .................................. 17

Going Wheat-Free: A Quick-Start Guide ...................................................... 17

Chapter 2: Connecting Modern Wheat to Modern Problems . . . . . . . 19Not Your Grandpa’s Wheat: Checking Out Wheat’s Evolution ................ 19

Going back to wheat’s roots ............................................................... 20Milling away the nutritional value ..................................................... 20Modifying wheat’s genetics to increase yields ................................ 21

Analyzing the Consumption Explosion ....................................................... 22Escalating the diet wars ...................................................................... 22Guiding to the grain ............................................................................. 23Subsidizing crops for the good of mankind ...................................... 25

Living Wheat-Free For Dummies viiiMore Wheat, More Problems: Linking Wheat

to Health Epidemics................................................................................... 26A growing epidemic: Tackling weight gain and obesity .................. 26Seeing the rise of diabetes .................................................................. 28Your gut run amuck: Diagnosing digestive ailments ....................... 28

Chapter 3: Separating the Wheat from the Gluten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Recognizing that Wheat and Gluten Aren’t the Same ............................... 31

Defining gluten and its uses ................................................................ 32Realizing how the differences between wheat and

gluten affect your situation ............................................................. 32Checking Out Wheat-Related Allergies and Diseases ............................... 33

Relating wheat to allergies and diseases .......................................... 33Understanding celiac disease ............................................................. 34Identifying wheat intolerance versus wheat allergy........................ 35

Comparing a Wheat- or Grain-Free Diet to a Gluten-Free Diet ................. 37Knowing the foods to avoid ................................................................ 37Recognizing thumbs-up foods ............................................................ 39Unearthing hidden wheat and gluten ................................................ 39Being aware of gluten replacements ................................................. 40

Chapter 4: Not the Whole-y Grail: Tracking Wheat’s Relation to Overall Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Examining the Body’s Response to Eating ................................................. 42Understanding how the body processes food ................................. 42Hearing what the brain has to say about metabolism .................... 45

Debunking the Idea of Healthy Whole Grains ............................................ 47Defining whole and refined grain ....................................................... 47Looking at lectin’s effects ................................................................... 48Finding a replacement for wheat fiber .............................................. 49Recognizing wheat’s vitamin and mineral shortcomings ............... 50

Getting to Know Leaky Gut ........................................................................... 51Surveying what goes wrong with your gut ....................................... 52Knowing the symptoms of and treatments for leaky gut ................ 53

Tying Wheat to Other Health Conditions ................................................... 55Exploring wheat’s role in heart disease ............................................ 55Connecting grains to brain inflammation ......................................... 56Realizing acne isn’t just skin deep ..................................................... 57

ix Table of Contents

Part II: Making Wheat-Free Your Dietary Foundation .... 59

Chapter 5: Eliminating Wheat from Your Diet for Good . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Facing the Challenges Associated with Going Wheat-Free ...................... 61

Knowing what withdrawal symptoms you’ll face ............................ 62Addressing challenges presented by food ....................................... 63Revamping your thoughts and emotions.......................................... 64Modifying your actions ....................................................................... 65

Tackling the Change Process ....................................................................... 66Identifying where you are in the change process ............................ 66Implementing tools that lead to lasting change ............................... 67Maintaining accountability ................................................................. 70

Discovering Your Priorities and Developing Effective Goals ................... 70Determining what’s important to you ............................................... 71Creating a health vision ...................................................................... 71Writing goals to achieve your priorities ........................................... 72

Chapter 6: Combining Wheat-Free and Other Lifest yles . . . . . . . . . . . 75Merging Wheat-Free with Common Diets ................................................... 75

Trying to eliminate fat and cholesterol ............................................. 76Steering clear of dairy ......................................................................... 76Cutting out red meat ........................................................................... 77Following a lowfat, low-calorie diet ................................................... 77

Pairing Paleo with Wheat-Free ..................................................................... 78Living Vegetarian and Wheat-Free ............................................................... 79Navigating Other Dietary Philosophies ...................................................... 81

Chapter 7: Stocking a Wheat-Free Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Reviewing Food Labels in the Spirit of a Wheat-Free Lifestyle ................ 83

Being in-the-know about nutrition facts............................................ 84Scrutinizing the ingredients list ......................................................... 86

Cleaning Out the Kitchen .............................................................................. 90Going through the cabinets and pantry ............................................ 90Tossing items from the fridge and freezer ....................................... 92

Navigating the Grocery Store ....................................................................... 92Selecting the right fruits and veggies ................................................ 93Opting for the smartest meats and seafood ..................................... 94Digging for dairy products .................................................................. 94Choosing nuts, seeds, and oils ........................................................... 95

Living Wheat-Free For Dummies x

Part III: Easy Wheat-Free Cooking ............................... 97

Chapter 8: Starting Out Right: Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Avoiding Wheat at a Typically Wheat-Heavy Meal .................................... 99

Chapter 9: Easy Everyday Entrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Fixing Healthy and Tasty Main Dishes ...................................................... 109Making a Meal of Salads .............................................................................. 111

Chapter 10: One-Pot Meals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Singing the Praises of One-Pot Meals ........................................................ 123

Chapter 11: Savory Vegetable Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Checking out the Nutritional Prowess of Vegetables ............................. 129

Chapter 12: Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Ready-to-Eat Snacks to Keep on Hand ...................................................... 140

Chapter 13: Baked Goods Like You Never Thought Possible . . . . . . 147Considering Wheat-Free Flour Alternatives ............................................. 147Seeking Sugar Alternatives ......................................................................... 148

Picking the right sugar substitute.................................................... 149Baking with sugar alcohols ............................................................... 149

Part IV: Embracing the Wheat-Free Lifestyle .............. 155

Chapter 14: Dining Out around Town and While Traveling . . . . . . . . 157Choosing the Right Restaurant .................................................................. 158

Knowing what to look for .................................................................. 159Finding wheat-free chain restaurants .............................................. 159Enjoying international cuisines ........................................................ 160Making the best of fast food in a pinch ........................................... 161Aiming for “manageable,” not “perfect” .......................................... 162

Managing the Menu without Prior Research ........................................... 163Cracking the code: Menu keywords to avoid ................................. 163Ferreting out more info ..................................................................... 164

Tackling Wheat-Free Travel ....................................................................... 165Traveling with a wheat-free mindset ............................................... 165Going prepared .................................................................................. 166Preparing your own meals even when traveling............................ 168

xi Table of Contents

Chapter 15: Navigating Special Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Attending Family Celebrations and Holiday Events ................................ 170

Deciding between strict avoidance and the occasional indulgence ............................................................ 170

Eating healthfully at family and holiday celebrations ................... 172Tackling Work Functions and Business Dinners ..................................... 175

Accommodating wheat-free needs when hosting a business meal or event ............................................................... 175

Attending a business meal or event where food will be served ........176Managing the open bar ..................................................................... 177

Talking about Your Dietary Choices with Others ................................... 178“Where do you get your fiber, vitamins, and minerals?” .............. 179“What about healthy whole grains in the USDA food pyramid?” ......180“You must have a problem with wheat. I don’t.” ........................... 180“I think everything in moderation.” ................................................. 181“All of my favorite foods are loaded with wheat.

I couldn’t give them up.” ............................................................... 181“I’ve been wheat-free for a while, and I haven’t

lost any weight to speak of.” ......................................................... 181

Chapter 16: A Workout That Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Understanding How Exercise Enriches a Wheat-Free Lifestyle ............. 184Getting Started on a New, Fit You ............................................................. 185

Determining your needs .................................................................... 185Establishing a plan of action ............................................................ 186

Exploring Resistance Exercises ................................................................. 187Getting lean with weight lifting ........................................................ 188Gaining strength with core exercises .............................................. 196Incorporating a stretching routine .................................................. 202

Figuring Out the Details of Reps, Sets, Weight, and Rest ....................... 208Taking a slow but steady approach to building up

your fitness level ............................................................................ 208Matching your routine to your fitness goals .................................. 209

Designing Your Individualized Exercise Program ................................... 210Beginner sample week ....................................................................... 211Intermediate sample week ................................................................ 212Advanced sample week ..................................................................... 213

Chapter 17: Evaluating Your Wheat-Free Lifest yle with Testing . . . 215Considering Cholesterol and Its Role in Heart Disease .......................... 216

Introducing Western medicine’s big four ....................................... 217Understanding your LDL-P level and its importance .................... 220Pointing out logistical problems with the big four ........................ 221

Living Wheat-Free For Dummies xiiTalking to Your Doctor about Other Health Tests .................................. 223

Seeing what other blood tests are available .................................. 223Tests for the thyroid ......................................................................... 225

Chapter 18: Adding Supplements to a Wheat-Free Diet . . . . . . . . . . . 227Understanding the Basics of Supplementing ........................................... 227

Recognizing why you need additional nutrients ........................... 228Purchasing quality supplements ..................................................... 229

What Supplements Should I Be Taking? ................................................... 230Magnesium .......................................................................................... 230Fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids ........................................................ 231Cod liver oil for vitamins A, D, and K2 ............................................ 232Probiotics ............................................................................................ 234

Part V: The Part of Tens ............................................ 235

Chapter 19: Ten Benefits of Living Wheat-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237Ease Gastrointestinal (GI) Problems ......................................................... 237Turn Back the Clock to Younger-Looking Skin ........................................ 238Reduce Your Risk for Autoimmune Diseases ........................................... 238Protect Your Thyroid .................................................................................. 239Improve Your Weight Management .......................................................... 239Prevent Hypoglycemia ................................................................................ 240Increase Your Energy Level ........................................................................ 240Lower the Threat of Diabetes .................................................................... 240Decrease Your Risk for Heart Disease ...................................................... 241Minimize Allergies and Asthma ................................................................. 241

Chapter 20: Ten Staples for Your Wheat-Free Diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243Pasture-Raised Eggs .................................................................................... 243Grass-Fed Beef .............................................................................................. 244Grass-Fed Cheese ......................................................................................... 244Grass-Fed Butter .......................................................................................... 245Berries ........................................................................................................... 245Dark Leafy Greens ....................................................................................... 245Coconut Oil ................................................................................................... 246Dark Chocolate ............................................................................................ 246Nuts ............................................................................................................... 247Almond Flour ................................................................................................ 247

xiii Table of Contents

Chapter 21: Ten Things That Can Sabotage Your Wheat-Free Diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Poor Planning ............................................................................................... 250Limited Understanding of Wheat’s Harmful Effects ................................ 250Stress ............................................................................................................. 250Failure to Completely Eliminate Wheat from Your Diet ......................... 251Lack of Self-Control ..................................................................................... 251Unrealistic Expectations ............................................................................. 251Environment ................................................................................................. 252Parties, Holidays, and Family Celebrations .............................................. 252A Spouse Who Isn’t on the Same Page ...................................................... 253Excessive Drinking ...................................................................................... 253

Index ....................................................................... 255

Living Wheat-Free For Dummies xiv

Introduction

U ntil recently, the healthy-whole-grain mantra has been shouted from the mountaintops with little resistance. Many health “experts” have

espoused eating wheat and other grains as a way to achieve good health, gain more energy, and prevent disease.

Now, times are a’changing. With more research comes more insight into the truth behind wheat. Does wheat really provide the nutrition it’s believed to? Does it give energy and a better sense of well-being? These questions and so many more are being asked now more than ever. Wheat has officially been put on trial for not living up to its promises of good health, as well as for causing harm to many who consume it.

Sugar and vegetable/seed oils are two other major players in the health decline. Wheat, sugar, and oils together produce a formidable trio that can strip people of their health. In this book, we present the case against all three of these dietary demons and provide you with the information you need to regain control of your health.

The great thing about the changes we hope you’re about to embark on is that they have no downside. Only positive effects will take place when you elimi-nate wheat, added sugar, and vegetable oils. And to those who question your new lifestyle — “But how will you get nutrients and fiber?” — well, we’ve got you covered there, too.

About This BookEliminating wheat and added sugar from your diet may seem like a daunting task at first, but if you’re willing, you can do it. The fact that you’re reading this book tells us so. The principles we recommend are scientifically sound and presented in a user-friendly way so you can help trump the incorrect conventional wisdom that plagues today’s culture.

We provide you with the tools necessary to move from wheat-filled, high-carb eating to wheat-free (and consequently low-carb) eating. We tell you what foods you can eat, what foods to avoid, and why to go cold turkey when

2 Living Wheat-Free For Dummies

removing wheat and sugar from your diet. To help you get started, we include delicious recipes for you and the entire family that are sure to satisfy.

The focus of the book is eliminating wheat from your diet, and that will have an impact on your overall health. To that end, we explain medical tests you may want to discuss with your doctor and what the different results mean. In some places, the material gets a little technical, and we try to make the information as easy to understand as possible. We also offer suggestions for incorporating fitness into your new lifestyle and ways to stick to your wheat-free diet when eating out or sharing meals with family and friends.

We’ve included information that’s interesting but not essential to your new diet in shaded boxes called sidebars. Feel free to skip those. Just because our passion is diet and exercise doesn’t mean you have the same depth of interest.

We also use a few conventions in the recipes:

✓ All temperatures are Fahrenheit. To convert a temperature to Celsius, type “temperature conversion” into Google. A box will appear at the top of the screen; simply type the Fahrenheit number into the box labeled “Fahrenheit” and the Celsius equivalent will be displayed.

✓ When a recipe calls for lemon juice, freshly squeezed juice is the ideal option, but using bottled juice is fine if you’re in a pinch.

✓ All pepper is freshly ground black pepper unless otherwise noted.

• Recipes flagged with this icon are vegetarian.

Foolish AssumptionsWhile writing this book, we made the following assumptions about you and why you’re attracted to this topic:

✓ You see conflicting information on wheat (and grains in general) and fat in the media and need some clarity.

✓ You see food as an important tool to improving your health.

✓ The thought of getting the “diseases of aging” — dementia and Alzheimer’s — frightens you.

✓ You have very little energy, and your body seems to ache all over.

✓ You’ve been applying conventional wisdom to your lifestyle but aren’t reaching your health and weight loss goals.

3 Introduction

Icons Used in This BookAs you read through the chapters, you see icons — small images in the margins — that are designed to call your attention to specific pieces of information. Here are the icons we use and the kind of information they point out:

This icon marks handy information that will help you avoid wheat or do something better.

This icon calls attention to important details that can make a big difference in following a wheat-free lifestyle.

When you see this icon, we’re alerting you to potential problems and common pitfalls of following a wheat-free lifestyle, or to the dangers of not following one.

The information marked with this icon is interesting but not essential to know. If you’re the type of person who likes to know everything about everything, you’ll enjoy these tidbits. If you want to get the information you need and move on, go ahead and skip these paragraphs.

Beyond the BookIn addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. When you want some quick pointers about living wheat-free, check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/livingwheatfree. There you’ll find lists of restaurants that offer wheat-free meals and lists of other names for wheat and sugar that are used on ingredients labels.

You can find additional information about living wheat-free in some articles that supplement this book. Head to www.dummies.com/extras/ livingwheatfree for more information about the steps of the change process, a list of food substitutions to try on your new diet, advice about ordering a wheat-free meal from room service when you’re traveling, and a list of ten foods that are billed as healthy but really aren’t so good for you.

4 Living Wheat-Free For Dummies

Where to Go from HereWe’ve written this book in such a way that you can stop and read any chapter that captures your interest. If you’re ready to get started eliminating wheat from your diet, head to Chapter 5. If you want to see how good wheat-free meals can be, turn to Part III and pick out a couple of recipes to try. If you’re curious about the health benefits of living wheat-free, check out Chapter 4.

We’re convinced that the more you discover about grain-free living, the more you will want to know. You’ll find everything you need in this book to help you reach your optimum health.

Part IGetting Started with

Living Wheat-Free

Visit www.dummies.com for free access to great Dummies content online.

In this part… ✓ Understand why the key to a healthy lifestyle begins with elimi-

nating wheat, other grains, sugar, and vegetable oils from your diet.

✓ Find out how today’s wheat differs from the wheat of genera-tions past and why modern dietary guidelines recommend a significant number of daily servings.

✓ Discover how wheat and gluten are related and realize the dif-ference between a wheat allergy and a wheat intolerance.

✓ See how wheat causes leaky gut and the domino effect of ill health that follows. Get an idea of how wheat and sugar affect blood glucose and insulin.

Chapter 1

Breaking Down the Basics of Living Wheat-Free

In This Chapter▶ Recognizing the origins and problems of a wheat-heavy diet

▶ Examining how wheat-free eating differs from conventional diet wisdom

▶ Making the change and keeping an eye on the results

▶ Getting started now

I magine a world where diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s are confined to a fairly small segment of the population. In

this scenario, you know maybe one distant family member who suffers from or has died from one of these diseases. Being overweight or obese makes a person an outlier — definitely not the norm.

As fictitious as this world may sound, it was real. Those who grew up prior to the 1960s can usually confirm it. Ask someone from that generation whether he knew anyone back in the day who was overweight, and he can probably name one specific individual. That’s how uncommon the condition was.

Unfortunately, the generations that grew up from the 1960s through the present day can be considered guinea pigs in a grand high-carbohydrate, low-fat experiment. Through the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, some misguided science and the resulting governmental guidelines recommended increas-ing consumption of wheat and grains of all kinds. Fat-free foods loaded with sugar became acceptable for a time, and vegetable oils were encouraged to replace animal fat. All in the name of eliminating fat, especially saturated fat.

To see how those recommendations have turned out, all you have to do is look around you. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s are out of control with no end in sight. These diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States.

8 Part I: Getting Started with Living Wheat-Free

Currently, 45 percent of the U.S. population has at least one chronic disease, and 26 percent has multiple chronic conditions. Chronic diseases account for over 80 percent of hospital admissions, over 90 percent of all prescriptions filled, and over 75 percent of all physician visits.

Our goal is to help you to take control of your health and your future, regard-less of what current conventional wisdom has to say. Eliminating wheat and other grains, sugar, and vegetable oils will give you the foundation needed to reduce your risk for diseases normally associated with “getting older.” From there, you can tweak and modify your diet to fit your lifestyle and needs.

Throughout this book, we talk about the detrimental effects of wheat and other grains. Wheat does seem to cause the most sensitivity for most people, for many reasons we cover in other chapters. With that said, we advise elimi-nating all grains because of the similarity in their structures. Other grains may not have quite the effect that wheat has, but they still can elicit a response that’s not conducive to good health.

How Did We Get into This Wheat Mess? A Brief History

Here’s a quick quiz for you: what do George Washington, Ancel Keys, and George McGovern have in common? The answer is wheat.

Each of these men left a lasting legacy with regards to growing, eating, and recommending wheat. George Washington actually perfected growing wheat to take advantage of a shortage in Europe. U.S. exports of wheat totaled in the millions as far back as 1860, setting the stage over the next 150 years for the development of denser wheat plants and denser fields of wheat.

Ancel Keys was an American scientist known early in his career for inventing K-rations, the prepared boxes of food the military used in World War II. Ultimately, however, he became better known as the man who started the United States on a path to lowfat eating. His highly controversial beliefs in the 1960s and ’70s gained traction thanks to his political connections and convinced many to throw out the butter for a tiny bit of margarine and to up carbohydrate intake (including grains).

The last piece of the wheat puzzle involved the government, specifically Senator George McGovern. In 1977, he released “Dietary Goals for the United States,” which encouraged a high-carbohydrate diet (grains and sugar) and a decrease in dietary fat. The recommendations have been tweaked since then,

9 Chapter 1: Breaking Down the Basics of Living Wheat-Free

but they essentially remain the same. The ramifications for telling an entire country how to eat can be enormous, especially if the recommendations are wrong. The United States has seen a steady decline in the health of its population since McGovern’s guidelines as the prevalence of chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and Alzheimer’s has increased. For a fuller history of wheat’s rise to domination, flip to Chapter 2.

Surveying the Health Effects of Wheat and Gluten

“Healthy whole grains” are everywhere. Manufacturers are quick to slap that label across the front of a box regardless of what else is in the product in hopes of convincing consumers that that food choice is healthy. But that conclusion couldn’t be further from the truth.

Another buzzword: gluten-free. Wheat and gluten currently are in the public eye more than they’ve ever been before. Science has revealed that they’re responsible for maladies ranging from simple annoying allergies to more-severe conditions such as autoimmune diseases. Knowing the difference between wheat and gluten and where your sensitivities lie is critical as you change your diet.

In the following sections, we overview the true health cost of eating wheat and take a quick look at the wheat/gluten issue.

Glimpsing what wheat does to the bodyYou hear about the nutrients in grains and the all-important fiber content, but if you look closely, you can see these claims are a bit skewed. Milling and processing reduces many of the nutrients, and the plant’s own defenses limit your body’s ability to access the remaining nutrients. And grains’ insoluble fiber speeds things along the intestinal tract, making the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins more challenging. This scenario is especially important in low-fat, high-fiber diets.

Wheat’s impact on blood sugar is shockingly huge. Many people think that to become diabetic, a person must overindulge in sweets and be overweight. It’s simply not true. The food recommended by health experts has more of an impact on blood sugar than the candy at the checkout line. Sometimes we wonder whether doctors are even aware of wheat’s blood glucose impact. If they were, we think there would be more of a pushback against conventional

10 Part I: Getting Started with Living Wheat-Free

wisdom. Researchers are discovering blood sugar to be a major long term indicator of all sorts of disease. The consequences of chronically elevated blood glucose lead to gut and brain dysfunction.

Eating wheat may lead to a condition known as leaky gut syndrome and what can be called leaky brain syndrome. (See Chapter 4.) Both of these situations result from staples in many people’s lives. Stress, wheat and grains, refined carbs, processed foods, antibiotics, NSAIDS, and lack of sleep all contribute to foreign items entering the bloodstream through the gut. When the foreign invaders go where they shouldn’t, conditions such as asthma, migraines, arthritis, and depression can follow. These same causes lead to unwanted intruders crossing the blood-brain barrier, which can lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s. Until recently, science didn’t know the mechanism or testing procedures to determine the extent of this kind of invasion. The picture is quickly unfolding and opening up a whole new understanding of inflammation and its role in autoimmune disease.

With a wheat-free lifestyle, you’ll be on your way to healing these possible breaches in your system. In addition, one of the many byproducts of these changes is a reduction in risk for metabolic syndrome, a leading indicator of heart disease (as we discuss in Chapter 4).

When you choose to go completely grain-free, you not only improve your health but also realize how poorly you felt when you were eating a grain-filled diet. Yes, going just wheat-free can help relieve any conditions associated with your past diet. But consider the recommendation to eliminate all grains with this analogy: Someone who has an alcohol problem would never be advised to eliminate only hard liquor but to continue drinking beer. This plan of attack doesn’t fix the whole problem.

Differentiating between wheat and glutenWheat and other grains contain a protein called gluten, which contributes flavor and binding qualities to food, household products, and even toys. One important sub-protein of gluten is gliadin. Gliadin causes inflammation and is the initiator of leaky gut in the small intestine. Many people have some sort of sensitivity to gluten, whether it’s a little bloating after meals or a complete intolerance (celiac disease). Chapter 3 goes into more detail about the relationship between wheat and gluten and the effects on the body.

The only known cure for gluten-related illnesses is eliminating gluten from the diet, which means eliminating wheat. So going gluten-free means you’re automatically wheat-free, but you can be wheat-free without giving up all gluten if you choose. In Chapter 7, you can find lists of foods to throw out of your wheat-free kitchen, including some that include wheat hiding behind sneaky aliases.

11 Chapter 1: Breaking Down the Basics of Living Wheat-Free

Comparing a Wheat-Free Lifestyle to Other Diets

At some point in time, you or someone you know begins the daunting task of losing weight in order to look and feel better, or for better health. For most, this process means restricting calories to the point of starvation. Yes, you guessed it: the dreaded diet. At first, you’re highly motivated to lose those unwanted pounds. But as time passes and you continue to deny your hunger, the motivation fades. That’s why so many diets are difficult to follow. Your body’s energy demands begin to outweigh the amount of calories your diet of choice allows. Your constant hunger challenges your desire to lose

Heather’s testimonial: Cutting out wheat to cope with chronic disease

The idea of giving up something as funda-mental as wheat would’ve never crossed my mind until my doctor recommended it in 2009. After months of feeling sluggish and experi-encing muscle pain, joint aches, and a host of other symptoms, my doctor looked at my most recent blood work and said, “I want you to go three months gluten-free.” Having followed her advice, I walked into that three-month follow-up appointment feeling noticeably better. Although I still had symptoms, they weren’t as severe. I never expected that she’d tell me I had Sjogren’s syndrome and give me prescriptions for six different medications.

After the diagnosis, I fell off the gluten-free wagon. I was too focused on trying to remember to take all my pills at all the right times. Like most patients who receive a diag-nosis they’re unfamiliar with, I spent a lot of time on the Internet, and I came across

some recommendations about a completely wheat-free diet, which were further reinforced by a friend. I decided to try again, simply removing all gluten-containing products at first and later most refined carbohydrates, sugars, and processed vegetable oils.

It took about three months before I really started to feel the change. My rheumatologist told me that I was in remission; he was amazed at the progress I was making in such a short time. I finally convinced him to lower my medi-cation dosages; within the span of a year, I was able to go from six medications to two, one of which I take only as-needed. I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt; I’m not just surviving with Sjogren’s but thriving with it. I never thought I’d see the day where wheat wasn’t part of my life, but I can’t argue with the way I feel. This has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I only wish I’d made it sooner.

12 Part I: Getting Started with Living Wheat-Free

weight and your resolve to stick to your diet, so you experience weakness and a slowed metabolism. You lose your self-control, you give in, and it’s adios, diet. Often, you end up gaining more weight and become even more unhealthy than you were before you started.

Having a greater understanding of how wheat, sugar, and vegetable oils affect your weight and health is essential in choosing or developing a diet that will make everyone around you envious. Applying that information to your diet gives you the structure needed to stay the course of good health. Head to Chapter 3 for the specifics.

Many philosophies and diets surrounding food contradict the wheat-, sugar-, and vegetable oil-free lifestyle that’s necessary to ensure good health. Understanding the truths behind the more controversial dietary information — such as the idea that red meat is unhealthy, that consumption of fat and cholesterol should be minimized, and that you just have to burn off more calories than you take in — can help you gain confidence in your diet. And confidence is what you need when so many incorrect, mixed messages are swirling around you in every direction.

Mainstream diets can be effective in that they provide a structure with their eating plans. That’s not to say that all diets suggest eating healthy foods, however. Quite the contrary. As a general rule, diets restrict calories because of a belief that the less you eat, the less you weigh. The first step to eating less for most plans is reducing the amount of fat. Typically, though, the fat is replaced by wheat-filled offerings.

In Chapter 6, we break down several dietary approaches to see how eliminating wheat and other grains, sugar, and vegetable oils fits into each.

Understanding Lasting ChangePutting a plan into action has its challenges, especially when it involves creating new, healthy routines and dropping old, unhealthy ones such as comfort eating. But, no matter how tough it gets, all these obstacles are greatly overshadowed by the change’s benefits.

Success at eliminating wheat and sugar from your diet for good and beginning an exercise program that lasts involves more than just a fleeting thought. It requires determination. When you commit to a new behavior, design a well-ness vision, set well-written goals, and have an accountability buddy on board, you create an environment that breeds success. Having a sound understand-ing of the behavior you’re changing will move you to action.

13 Chapter 1: Breaking Down the Basics of Living Wheat-Free

Embracing the tools for changeIf you’re like most people, at some point you’ve probably started a new healthy behavior with the best of intentions, only to hit one of life’s bumps in the road and end up back at square one. Change can be difficult and is seldom comfortable.

So what’s the answer to making a change that lasts? By identifying what’s most important to you right now and focusing on that motivation, you set yourself up for big-time success. That one thing that’s most important to you — whether it’s losing weight, looking great for a special occasion, or improving your health — must evoke an emotional response to keep you committed to reaching your vision.

A few tools can really support your change:

✓ Stages of Change model: The Stages of Change model helps you identify where you are in the change process and provides techniques to assist you in moving toward lasting change. When you see yourself in a particular stage, structuring your goals accordingly becomes much easier. (Chapter 5 gives you the lowdown on the Stages of Change model.)

✓ SMART goals and a wellness vision: Most people set goals flippantly, only to see them fade after a short time. When you set SMART goals, you’re much more likely to see your goals through to the end. (SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, action-based, realistic, and timely.) Writing a wellness vision and setting wellness goals is a way of taking action for your health, not allowing life to just happen to you. You become more focused, motivated, and attentive to the things in life that matter most to you. In Chapter 5, we provide a detailed description on how to write a wellness vision and set SMART goals for your wheat-free lifestyle.

✓ An accountability buddy: Finding an accountability buddy has an enormous influence on your commitment to your goals. Making a drastic lifestyle change comes with challenges, whether that’s feeling like you need a sugar fix or being tempted to fall back into old routines. An accountability buddy — whether it’s your spouse, a family member, a friend, or a coworker — looks out for you and holds your feet to the fire when you can’t do it on your own.

Exercising your way to the top of the health chartsHave you ever heard the saying “No train, no gain?” Probably not, because we just made it up. But it speaks to the truth that is found in exercise. As an essential piece to the overall health and well-being puzzle, exercise

14 Part I: Getting Started with Living Wheat-Free

strengthens the heart, lungs, muscles, bones, and joints. In fact, few systems in the body aren’t enhanced, strengthened, or improved in some way by exercise.

Exercise has the power not only to improve your health but also to enrich your life and increase your well-being. When you exercise, your thinking, mood, energy, and confidence are all affected for the better. Exercise also helps keep the stress hormone (cortisol) at bay, which aids in stress reduction.

As you age, you become more insulin-resistant to the foods you eat. Exercise allows your cells to be more sensitive to insulin, which decreases your chances of becoming insulin-resistant even as you age. This shift reduces your risk of a whole host of diseases, including Type 2 diabetes.

When you’re ready to add exercise to your wheat-free lifestyle, refer to Chapter 16. There, you can find everything you need to start and sustain a program that meets your health needs.

Keeping Your Cool in Special SituationsAfter you gather all the information you need to get started on your wheat- and grain-free adventure, you can apply it to your daily routine. But some-times situations pop up that challenge your new lifestyle. For example, dining out can make you feel like you’ve lost control. The following sections introduce some situations where you may have to put a little more thought into eating wheat-free.

Eating away from homeEven though specific challenges arise when you’re eating out, keeping your focus on your commitment to good health can help you weather the storm. The evolution of restaurants to meet the needs of patrons with food sensitivi-ties has grown tremendously since 2000. Restaurants are increasingly offering gluten-free menus and are often more receptive to special ordering (at least in mainstream places). However, the cost of providing items such as grass-fed beef, organic chicken and produce, and wild-caught fish is still prohibitive for a lot of restaurants. If all else fails, just shoot for the best possible alternative so you can focus on enjoying gatherings with family and friends.

Know what restaurants and international cuisines suit your wheat-free life-style. Doing so prevents you from showing up at a restaurant and being disap-pointed by the menu. Although they’re not known for their contributions to good health, even some fast food restaurants offer gluten-free items on their menu, so do some research.