Wheat: a common food intolerance

Hello, we are excited to have you back on the blog today! Let’s take a dive into wheat intolerance, one of the most prevalent intolerances today. Milk and eggs are also up there, but we are looking specifically at wheat today. We are taking you on a journey to discover why it’s become such commonplace for people to be intolerant to wheat, and if this is you, what you can do about it. We’ll show you some fabulous wheat alternatives, and recipes to get you started on your wheat-free lifestyle.

Let’s dive in:

Why is wheat intolerance so commonplace?

For thousands of years, human’s have consumed wheat as a staple. It was a rich source of nutrients, one that was easy to cultivate during the agricultural age and beyond, and integral to our way of life and development of the human race. However, the last five decades have seen drastic changes to the wheat grain through genetic manipulation and hybridisation. Ten thousand years of rich nourishment, washed away in 50 years of gene alteration, aimed at giving the new wheat a higher yield with an easier harvest for farmers.

Wheat Intolerance

This new genetically modified wheat grain swept the globe, taking with it larger chromosomes and a much more significant gluten component. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, and it is now much longer and harder to digest for the human digestive tract. The modified wheat grain also has a much higher starch content than its prehistoric cousin, which causes it to drastically raise blood sugar and contribute significantly to health states such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart issues, metabolic syndrome etc. The considerably larger gluten component of our modern wheat has a large part to play in the increases in wheat intolerance and contributes heavily to many of the digestive complaints that are commonplace today. These include things like bloating, bowel irregularities, wine, digestive pains, Gord or reflux and more.

Something of interest in the story of wheat is that many European countries said no to the new genetically modified wheat grain. They continue to use an ancient wheat, and they have far less wheat intolerance issues than other parts of the developed world. It’s a familiar story to hear people from places such as America and Australia say they cannot tolerate wheat, but when in Italy or France they have no reactions to wheat foods. Our bodies are ancient biology, and they prefer ancient food sources to match.

The inflammatory trail of wheat

There are several foods that are known to be highly inflammatory, and our modern wheat grain is one of them. A large number of research studies show this, and the body of research also indicates that the inflammatory process expresses differently in each different person. However, a common thread is the way in which wheat affects a person’s immune system, with strong links to many autoimmune conditions. In fact, many of the highly inflammatory modern health concerns are affected negatively by consuming wheat. If you suffer from an inflammatory issue, try avoiding wheat and see if it makes a difference for you.

Let’s take a look at some wheat alternatives for everyday use now.

Wheat Intolerance Test

Gluten-free alternatives

Today there is a plethora of wheat and thus gluten-free products available, as well as many other alternative options. The problem of soaring wheat intolerance has bought out much creativity in the cooking arena, and there are now many delicious recipes and clever ways to cook favourite recipes in a gluten-free manner.

These grains are excellent gluten-free options for you to try:

Rice
Corn
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Millet
Coconut as a flour
Almond flour
Sunflower meal
Other nut and seed flours and meals
Sorghum

Coconut as a flour

Sunflower meal

In many dishes that call for rice or pasta, you can freely use buckwheat or quinoa instead.

You will find your local whole foods store a wonderful resource for information and products that will be safe for you to use.

When buying any gluten-free products, there are a few things to look out for, so here is our recommendation/shopping guide:

When purchasing gluten-free products, try to get them from a whole food store. Supermarket alternatives are not usually very healthy, and often have a lot of additives. You can find much healthier versions in a whole food or health food store, and the staff will be a wealth of knowledge and advice.
On the ingredients panel, look for whole-food ingredients. Particularly nuts and seeds, eggs, quinoa or buckwheat and ingredients that you know.
Look for products with less than 5gm sugar per serve. If it is a biscuit or cake, look for less than 10gm sugar per serve.
Avoid products made using sunflower or canola oils. These cause a lot of inflammation and added stress on your body. Instead, buy products that use butter or olive oil.
Steer clear of products that have ingredients you can’t pronounce, lots of numbers and scientific names. You can’t make that in your kitchen, so you shouldn’t eat it!
Look for products with a short ingredients list. The fewer, the better.

These are good rules to follow for any pre-made product you buy, even the non-gluten free ones.

Here are two easy and delicious gluten-free recipes for you to try:

Cacao tahini cookies

1 cup tahini
¼ cup cacao powder
½ to ¾ cup rapadura sugar
1 egg or equivalent egg replacer

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and roll tablespoons into balls.

Flatten slightly on a tray and bake for 11 minutes.

Allow to cool thoroughly before eating.

Intolerance to Wheat

Rice porridge

1 cup rice flakes
1 cup rice milk
½ cup water
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence

Fresh fruit and yoghurt to serve

Place everything except the fresh fruit and yoghurt into a saucepan. Simmer over medium to low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the rice flakes are tender and the porridge has a good consistency.

Pour into a bowl and top with your favourite fruits and yoghurt.

Enjoy!

You can make this porridge with quinoa flakes too, but you may need some more sweetener.

Summary

Wheat intolerance is one of our world’s most prevalent food intolerances. In this article, we take a look at why this is happening. You may be surprised to learn that it has a lot to do with genetic modification of otherwise ancient wheat species, which had dramatic effects on the amount of gluten and starch within the grain. The human body cannot naturally deal with this change, and thus many health issues ensued.

A high level of inflammation and immune system deregulation are commonplace among people who consume many wheat products. Wheat intolerance is just one expression of this, with other issues such as diabetes and high cholesterol also linked to wheat.

If you suspect that you may be wheat intolerant, our bio-resonance hair intolerance test will give you the answers that you seek. You can read more about the test and order yours HERE.

In the meantime, we have given you a list of delicious gluten-free alternatives, and two super simple and yummy gluten and wheat free recipes to try at home. We hope you love them as much as we do.

Overview of strategies and treatments available for managing wheat intolerance