Cut Out Wheat
If your digestion is compromised (as it is in a high proportion of people today), wheat can be very hard to digest.
Hard to break down proteins in wheat such as gluten and lectins can make it intact into your blood stream, and irritate your immune system causing inflammation, which in turn can disrupt your metabolism and make it hard for you to regulate your weight (in extreme circumstances it can turn into full blown auto-immune condition known as celiac, which often goes undiagnosed).
Wheat is also high in FODMAPs – fermentable carbohydrates which can cause uncomfortable bloating and gas which can make you feel sluggish and miserable.
Even if you are lucky enough to have very strong digestion, modern wheat has been engineered to give high yields, at the expense of nutritional value, producing a crop high in calories, but relatively low in vitamins and minerals.
These low mineral contents are made worse by the presence of compounds known as phytates, which bind to the minerals making them unavailable for digestion.
Food manufacturers have also found that using wheat gluten as an ingredient helps make foods irresistible, making your more likely to overeat (and therefore buy more of their products).
Cutting out wheat means cutting out cakes, biscuits, pastries, breads, desserts, pizzas, pasties and pretty much all junk foods, it’s also an ingredient in pretty much all packaged processed foods, which are better off left on the shelf.
Swap sandwiches for salads or corn tortilla wraps, and swap pasta for extra servings of vegetables. This will reduce your calorie intake, and increase your intake of vitamins and minerals.
As with sugar, allow yourself some leeway on the weekends, but why not try some sourdough rye or spelt bread (available in Barbakan and Unicorn), which is easier to digest and more nutritious?
