Why Go Wheat-Free?

Although I have been tested for food allergies, I am not allergic to gluten or wheat.  But when I mentioned on Facebook that I was going to try eating wheat-free to see if I possibly had a wheat sensitivity, a friend recommended that I read "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis.  I read the book on our holiday last week and I was blown away.  If everything Dr. Davis claims about wheat is true, then we all need to stop eating wheat.  But his claims go against conventional diet and medical advice, so I am still skeptical.  I read a lot of the book aloud to my husband, and we both agreed that we need to at least try what Dr. Davis says to see if it makes any difference to our health and weight.

Among other health problems that my husband and I and our children face are:
- Headaches (I have a perpetual low-grade headache almost every day, often flaring into a big one, and my husband frequently suffers from headaches)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Stomach pain/heartburn
- Fatigue
- Numbness in limbs
- Insomnia
- Difficulty staying asleep
- Lethargy
- Overweight

Will cutting wheat (and other quick-burning carbohydrates) from our diet relieve our health problems?  Will it help us lose weight? 

I currently weigh 168 pounds (*gasp - did I just admit that to the whole world?), and I am 5' 6".  I gained forty pounds with my pregnancies, and I have not been able to take the weight off despite numerous dieting attempts.  I easily lose 5 pounds, only to gain it back again right away.  I think I've lost the same five pounds at least twenty times over the past six years!

Our journey will begin on Friday.  We are still on holidays this week, so we are mentally preparing for going off of wheat (and foolishly indulging in our favourite wheat-filled treats!).  Thursday will be spent grocery shopping (we'll have to completely restock our pantry), so we can begin the next day! 

I'm curious to see if Dr. Davis' claims are true and if they will work for us.  In the coming days and weeks, I'll fill you in on some of his claims as we adjust our diet.  I'll be posting our trials, experiences, strategies, successes and failures, and recipes that we enjoy during our journey.  Thanks for joining us as we see if going wheat-free works for our family.  Who knows, if this is successful, we may be wheat-free for life!