The Independent today has a great article about tennis star Novak Djokovic and how staying away from wheat (and barley and rye) not only made him feel better but much upped his game.
There are lots of interesting facts in the article, but what really surprised me to see is just how many people go about their daily lives with wheat intolerance and just don't know about it.
As many as 600,000 people in the UK don't take well to wheat, about 1 in 10. With a mere 15% actually diagnosed for it, there must be so many who feel queasy, bloated and confused about why their stomach sometimes completely lets them down.
Probably fuels a whole off the shelf pharmacy industry segment with antacid pills, liquids, fibre additives and coal tablets.
I used to be one of them. In reality, the only action that has any chance of remedying a wheat intolerance is a change of diet.
One of the biggest benefits to me of trying out the Low Carb High Fat approach to eating was the realisation that I am likely to have a wheat intolerance. For about 10 years I didn't have the first clue, and never did a doctor even hint in this direction. "IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, try this, try that, yes, the completely conflicting symptoms and ensuing advice are perfectly natural."
When I switched to LCHF, and stuck to it, my stomach took on a changed personality and I suddenly didn't need to fear being further away from a toilet than 2minutes. Socializing, plane rides, movie visits and going to the theatre took on a hole new meaning.
Coeliac UK is an organisation trying to spread the word about wheat intolerance and its effects, and with wheat present in so many things these days (not just pasta, pizza and bread...) information is key to helping the hundred of thousands of people who may not even realise their lives could be much happier.
I am doing my bit by where I can, trying to push more restaurants to understand the potential market of having (and advertising!) gluten free options on their menus. But now I am off to eat my breakfast of fried eggs topped with a bit of cheese. Yum.
