Is wheat intolerance common?

Welcome back to the food intolerance blog! Today we are discussing one of the most common foods that show up on the food intolerance tests that we perform. Among the most common food intolerances we see are:

Wheat
Cows milk
Eggs

This article focuses specifically on wheat intolerance, why it’s become such a common food intolerance in our modern times, and what you can use as wheat alternatives if it comes up on your food intolerance test. You are never alone on this journey, and we aim to be as helpful as possible with our blog and resources.

Wheat Intolerance

Why is wheat intolerance so prevalent now?

Wheat has been a staple of the human diet for 10,000 plus years, since the agriculture age. For much of this time wheat was rich in nutrients, nourishing and vital to our existence and the development of humanity and agriculture. However, in the last 50 years, this has changed. Wheat has been manipulated, hybridised and altered in ways that make it give higher yields and become easier to harvest. The actual wheat was genetically modified, and the new wheat spread across the world from India to Australia and beyond.

The most significant difference in this newly hybridised wheat grain compared to traditional wheat is the larger amount of chromosomes and the bigger protein (gluten). The length of the gluten protein in modern wheat is one of the reasons why it is so hard for humans to digest.

There are also vast amounts of starch in this genetically new wheat, which causes it to raise our blood glucose even more than plain sugar does, therefore contributing to the development of high cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more. As well as being a larger protein, the gluten content in modern-day wheat is also higher.

This plays a big part in wheat intolerance too, wreaking havoc on our digestive system and causing all sorts of digestive distress. Bloating, reflux, constipation, diarrhoea, wind and more can all be traced to wheat intolerance issues.

Interestingly many parts of Europe did not accept this new type of wheat, and still don’t to this day. Instead, they use an ancient grain that has been used for centuries. People from many parts of the western world cannot tolerate wheat, but when in Europe they have no reaction to breads, pastas and other wheat foods. This is certainly food for thought, and show’s just how much our ancient body types prefer and recognise equally ancient food sources that haven’t been tampered with.

Wheat & Inflammation.

Modern wheat is known to be one of our most inflammatory foods, and this is backed by many, many research studies to date. The ways in which it causes inflammation in your body are varied and depend on the individual person.

No matter what your body type and health concerns, we know that the inflammatory process caused by wheat always affects your immune system. It’s been linked to many autoimmune and chronic health conditions, all with significant inflammatory components.

The next section provides you with wheat alternatives that you can use in place of everyday wheat products, and some yummy recipes to get you started.

Wheat Intolerance Test

Wheat alternatives

Luckily, we live in an age where a wheat intolerance does not mean you have to eat cardboard tasting foods and miss out on all of the good things. There are loads of delicious alternative products that you can use in place of wheat and many ways to cook your old favourites without using wheat.

As a guide, these grains are both wheat and gluten-free:

Buckwheat
Quinoa
Rice
Corn
Sorghum
Millet
Coconut can also be used as a flour
Nut and seed flours or meals can also be used as wheat free baking alternatives

You can use quinoa and buckwheat in replace of rice and pasta if desired, and you can also use any of these grains as flours in baking.

If you do find yourself diagnosed with a wheat intolerance, be sure to go on a trip to your local wholefoods or health foods store. The wheat free alternatives available will show you a whole new world of food and taste sensations.

Here is a quick guide to buying wheat/gluten-free products that will also be good for you:

Buy them from a wholefoods or organics store. The reasons for this are that the ones you can get in the supermarket are usually full of rubbish, and when you go to a wholefoods store the staff can help you find the best options and talk to you about which ones taste good and which ones taste like cardboard! Believe me, the cardboard options are still out there! These stores often have tastings as well.
Look for Breads, biscuits and crackers made with wholefood ingredients such as quinoa, buckwheat, almonds, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, eggs etc.
Read the nutrition panel; you want less than 5g sugar per serve for breads and pastas. Less than 10g of added sugar per serve for biscuits and other items.
Look for products made with butter or olive oil – steer clear of sunflower and canola oils as these are very bad for your body.
Make sure you can read all of the ingredients on the package and know what they actually are. If there are any numbers or scientific names, then steer clear.
The fewer ingredients the better.
These rules go for all the things that you buy, whether gluten-free or not.

Here are some yummy wheat free recipes for you to try:

Gluten-Free Bircher Muesli

This version of bircher uses quinoa flakes instead of oats. If desired, you can get certified gluten-free oats and use those instead.

2/3 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup almond milk
2 tbsp chia seeds
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp real maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence or powder

Mix everything together and allow to soak in the fridge overnight. You can add more milk as needed if it gets to thick. In the morning, top with fresh berries and some coconut or dairy yoghurt. Yum!

Intolerance to Wheat

Banana & Raspberry Muffins

2 cups flour – gluten-free mix from Wholefoods
2 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/2 cup milk of choice
1/2 cup buttermilk or yoghurt
100gm unsalted butter
1/2 cup rapadura sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract, make sure this is gluten free vanilla
400gm fruit – weighted whole. I used frozen raspberries and a mashed banana.

Preheat oven to 180Celsius and prepare a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Sift flour and baking powder in a bowl. Mix together the milks (or yoghurt) in a jug.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, half the flour mixture, and half the milk and yoghurt mixture. Beat gently until just mixed. Add remaining flour and milk and beat until just combined. Gently fold through your fruit by hand. Spoon the batter into muffin holes and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out onto wire racks to cool.

We hope that you can see that a wheat intolerance is not a diagnosis for bland and tasteless foods for the rest of your life.Infact, it’s quite the opposite and opens a doorway to new, delicious and nourishing ways of eating.As an added benefit, many people also find that upon removing wheat from their diet they gain increased energy, brainpower, stamina and zest for life. This is definitely something to look forward to!

We look forward to bringing you more delicious recipes, food intolerance information and lifestyle upgrades as our blog grows.

Summary

Wheat intolerance is so commonplace today, and through this article we delve into some of the reasons as to why this may be the case. Predominantly we cover a relatively recent genetic modification of the wheat grain, and how this has affected the gluten and starch levels of the grain, and thus its effects on human health.

One of the main effects our modern wheat has on the human body is the way in which it raises inflammation and effects the immune system. This can cause all manner of issues, not the least of which is wheat intolerance.

We don’t leave you in the lurch though. You can find some delicious wheat free alternatives to try in your daily diet, and we’ve even included 2 very simple and equally delicious recipes for you to make.

If you suspect wheat intolerance is causing issues, we highly recommend you take our bio resonance hair intolerance test. You can order yours HERE, and once we receive your sample you can expect your results within 3 days.

Wheat Intolerance, is it common?