Up for a challenge? A simple 2 week wheat-free challenge.

**Acacia** · 07-05-2012, 01:49 PM

I agree about the rice, and perhaps some eat more rice than they do wheat products and it would be best to eat whole grain, brown rice. Still, in the west, I find many people eat wheat in various forms more than they eat rice.

I agree about controlling intake but for this 2 week challenge, leaving it out completely serves to highlight a number of things I've mentioned in various posts here.

**hayya** · 08-05-2012, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by byellow200

Its good that you make this thread because i have been finding it difficult to cut bread from my diet.
I hear that we should eliminate all white carbs from our diet especially bread, rice, potatoes and chapatis.
Any ideas on how to do this?

replace them with brown .. wholemeal bread and chapatis, brown rice, pasta etc.

keep white bread, pasta refined sugar to a minimum .. the more you eat them the more your body craves them

I dont get 'full' unless i have plenty of carbs. I have been doing my own 'challenge' and trying to take in less carbs overall and trying to fill up with water. Feeling I never liked but alhumdillah getting used to it slowly

**Acacia** · 08-05-2012, 06:07 PM

Thank you sister Hayya & brothers amr123 and byellow200 for bumping this challenge up for me

This particular challenge is for eliminating all wheat products... insha'Allah, within a short period of time (2 weeks) you'll get to exercise discipline over your body and nafs, see just how much you really were eating and where it is hiding. Some might choose to continue wheat-free, others might gradually increase but be more aware of what they're eating and limit their intake, but then some may continue eating the way they have always eaten. Some might change eating habits, start paying closer attention to other listed ingredients (like the types of oils used and the sugar and sodium content), and learn to cook different types of foods.

Insha'Allah, there nothing to lose here and some benefits to gain with a short, 2 week personal challenge for anyone who is or is planning to take it on.

**Acacia** · 08-05-2012, 11:59 PM

Just to help put the issue of wheat into some perspective, here are a few resources:

Videos 1 and 2 (too bad for the camera problems at end of vid 2 - there was more but it cuts out).
Video (the Dark Side of Wheat - sorry for all the additional information here but it goes into the science and history of wheat so please focus on that)
Story of Wheat
The Dark Side of Wheat
Opening Pandora's Box: The Critical Role of Wheat Lectin in Human Disease (continuation of the Dark Side of Wheat)

**hayya** · 11-05-2012, 05:52 PM

Salaams sister, hows the challenge coming along?? I may start one to give up crisps!!

**Acacia** · 11-05-2012, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by hayya

Salaams sister, hows the challenge coming along?? I may start one to give up crisps!!

Alhamdulillah,

on my end, the challenge is going great!

Just give it a try... the first few days are difficult but once you get over that little hump, you'll find it to be super easy insha'Allah!

Sister... I love you for the sake of Allah (SWT)

for bumping this again for me

**Acacia** · 14-05-2012, 11:59 AM

Alhamdulillah, still going. So here are some of the challenges I've faced over my first week with no wheat which insha'Allah I am starting to overcome:

headaches (alhamdulillah, I don't normally get headaches)
feeling parched (more than usual)
feeling tired (this is somewhat normal for me since my BP is always low alhamdulillah, however I have noticed it more this past week)
waking up feeling hungry (alhamdulillah, this too is out of the norm for me)

I'll admit that I have thought about toast and jam, a pita wrap, pizza, or a bowl of spaghetti more than once - especially since I'm still cooking/preparing them for my son (no different from when we prepare food during the month of Ramadan). Alhamdulillah, haven't given into the cravings.

Alhamdulillah, still going and now entering week two where the symptoms I listed above should abate. Alhamdulillah, I've already started to experience some changes.

**ze leetle elper** · 15-05-2012, 12:47 PM

mashaAllah that is great you have managed to hold off the wheat!

Wheat plays such a huge part in our daily diet now that its almost as if we are overdosing our bodies with it leading to intolerances and problems with wheat! You will notice this when you try and cut out wheat and find it in almost anything and eveything you consume!

It is perfectly possible to avoid wheat totally, we have been more or less wheat free in our household for a long time now, my daughter cannot tolerate wheat or dairy and has happilly avoided it for 5 years now.

I would urge that it is VERY important not just to give up wheat but find good wholesome replacements as avoiding it completely and not compensating with something else will leave you hungry/ experiencing other side effects.

We buy spelt flour in our home (this contains a lot less gluten and is usually tolerated by whose with wheat allergies) and we bake spelt bread. you can get loads of oat based biscuits (nairns are a popular supermarket choice, dairy free as well) if you have a health shop near you you woill find even more choice with spelt based snacks.

rice cakes, corn thins, ryviya, all are brilliant to have in your store. you can use rice flour to make chapattis if you like them (they will come out like tortillas) biona brand does a spelt based pasta (fusilli or penne) really yummy, cooks much quicker than wheat pasta and tastes more or less the same!

anyway just some ideas if you feel you are finding it tricky to keep up.