Wheat and Heroin...Same Bad Deal!

Today is day 7 of being wheat free. I did have wheat on Saturday and my tummy was NOT happy. The first three days went okay, but I did learn some things. When I wake up in the morning I want carbs. I don't mean in the form of fruit. I want peanut butter and toast, a protein bar, a donut, a bowl of cereal. I want carbs that include wheat. As a matter of fact, I can't even eat until I've been up for a couple of hours and I'm hungry enough that I am willing to eat the eggs I've prepared without vomiting. First thing, those eggs don't sound so good. On day 2, I was irritable. I knew it. I could feel it. I was having to watch every word that came out of my mouth for fear I would have a tone or say something I would regret. By Friday which was day 4, that symptom was starting to get less. While I wasn't shocked by this, I hadn't expected it either. I did go back into Wheat Belly and figure out a few things. When wheat is digested it is degraded to a mix of polypeptides. These polypeptides were isolated and administered to laboratory rats. It was discovered the polypeptides had the peculiar ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that separates the bloodstream from the brain. The brain is sensitive to the variety of substances that gain entry to the blood some of which can be very dangerous if they cross into your brain. However, once the polypeptides gain entry into the brain they bind to the brain's morphine receptor. Now you aren't going to EVEN believe this. Opiate drugs bind to the VERY SAME RECEPTOR!!!! When given the drug naloxone, the gluten effect on the brain is blocked. Are you confused? Okay...let me see if I can make this a bit easier to understand. A heroin addict goes to the nearest trauma ER because they have sustained a stab wound. Because the addict is high on heroin he fights the ER staff by trying to kick them and scream at them and use his hands to stop any help they try to give. The ER staff inject the Heroin addict with a drug called naloxone so the addict is instantly not high because the naloxone blocks the effect heroin has on the brain. Isn't that SCARY???? I find it scary and highly interesting at the same time. The same drug used to block the effects of heroin will, in fact, block the effects of wheat. Scary that something the FDA food pyramid, the American Diabetic Association, and the American Heart Association all say we should have servings of each day to maintain a healthy diet. My point in sharing this with you is that giving up wheat could cause withdrawal symptoms which is what I was experiencing early on in the week. I have now realized that the effect wheat has on me is very strong just based on the withdrawal symptoms. So today I was having a conversation with some ladies who said, "Wheat can't be bad for you. It's on the food pyramid and doctors tell you it's good for you." My reply: "THEY ARE LYING!" A huge part of me believes that in the case of the FDA, especially, a relationship exists with the agricultural industry. After all, agriculture is a huge part of our country's economy. The FDA can't just make a blanket statement that wheat should be eliminated or at least limited in most diets. I mean, for goodness sake, the agricultural industry has spent all of that time genetically modifying the wheat to keep up with our consumption. It really wouldn't be fair for the FDA to hurt the agricultural sector financially. (I REALLY HOPE YOU CAN HEAR THE SARCASM!) On another note: Last week at the gym my former trainer asked me when I was going to start working out with him again. Based on our last experience together I should have said, "The first day of Never." He was working with a client and asked me this in passing. I sent him a text. I told him that until I get this eating under control it will be a waste of his time and my money. I see him doing the same workouts with all of his clients. I can watch and know what I need to do. Today I saw him for the first time since I had sent the text. I asked him if he received it because I hadn't heard back from him. He said, "Yep. No reason for me to respond. You are the queen of making excuses is what I've decided. You've been telling me you were working on your diet for six months." He rolled his eyes and walked away. (I've had a pretty intense Monday. I forced myself to go to the gym. I really just wanted to come home and get in my pjs, but I forced myself to go because I knew I needed to work out.) I walked away from him wiping tears from my eyes as I sat on the leg press trying to get it together. It's amazing how good you can feel about yourself and one person can knock the wind right out of you with their words. I didn't do my full workout. I did enough, but was planning to do more. I walked out the door. On the way home I thought of all the things I wish I had said. (Isn't that always the case?) First, I considered finding another gym. Not kidding. I LOVE my gym, but this guy is a downer. Earlier this summer he asked me something about my workouts (this was right after my Grandpa had passed away) and I said, "I've had some stuff going on. I haven't hit it as hard as I had been." He said, "I can tell." I can't go into a gym where first I wouldn't hire the trainer even if I won the power ball and he was the ONLY available trainer. Not going to happen. And second, he's going to be making ridiculous rude comments to me without ever handing out a compliment. I don't know what he has against me, but he is a complete jerk. I'm not where I want to be. I have work to do. I know that. I don't need his negative attitude toward me. Most days I workout and there is no interaction between the two of us. So another thought I had was that I will just completely ignore him and if he does try to talk to him he can talk to the hand. Unfortunately, I think he's there to stay for a while. UGH! I really do like my gym so I'm not sure how this is going to work out. I'll figure it out I'm sure. I mean even my first trainer, the beloved Trainer Mike, came up to me after Turbo last Tuesday and complimented me on the intensity of my workout and my kicks. I was flying high. He took the time to do that. (Of course, he was the one that first sparked this working out fire...those things still mean a ton coming from him.) So another thought that I had on the way home tonight was to say to Brandon, I tell first graders...if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. Maybe you should follow that advice. Alright, I think I'm done venting for now. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. bunchy2021@gmail.com