Carbs are Killing You!

      I have a love/hate relationship with my favorite foods. I love to eat them. I hate what they do to me. So, I gave them up, except on occasion. It's of course all those white foods we crave and can't get enough of. You know, the breads, pastas and rice that surround us at every turn. Oh yea, pizza too. That one hurts. Pizza is my absolute favorite. :(  

       Now I'm not going to tell you I never touch these anymore. I still indulge here and there. I like to live the 80/20 rule, so I would say about 80% of the time I eat pretty darn good. The other 20% allows me to have homemade pizza on a Sunday night, a slice of homemade sourdough bread on a Saturday morning, with my dippy eggs (which simply aren't "dippy" without bread.) On rare occasions, I will even eat some gluten-free pasta or get really risky and eat a slice of bread with olive oil at a restaurant or dinner party. I love those small and simple indulges and, since it is so rare, I enjoy them even more, and my body hates them a lot less (in small doses).

       The carbs I avoid like the plague contain gluten. Admittedly, I was once a gluten-free cynic. I mean wheat has been around since the late 1800s when the Russian Mennonites transplanted it to North America. We've been farming and eating wheat for over 100 years and now all of a sudden the media is telling me it's bad? How has this been going on for so long and we missed it? Certainly it was just a new marketing campaign. A new gimmick to make money. I stand corrected. Gluten sucks.

     I didn't know what I didn't know, and what I didn't know is that gluten was making me fat, old, tired, inflamed, while creating headaches and a lot of belly bloating. My body was so used to it, that all my symptoms were simply normal (and I thought I was very healthy) Once I began to eliminate it, I realized just all the problems it was causing. My headaches started to decrease. My bloating was only noticeable after I reintroduced gluten and those afternoon crashes, where my body cried for coffee, or a nap, completely stopped.

    Since I stopped eating gluten, I have come to learn a lot more about it's dangers. I wish I could convince everyone to stop eating it, even if only for a couple weeks to see how much better you will feel. Turns out the human body is simply not able to handle processed gluten and everyone is affected in different ways. Some can't get near it and develop celiac; while others of us have more invisible symptoms that are slowly killing you.

     If you want to live longer. If you want to feel better. If you want more energy and less pain and inflammation, start with gluten. You won't regret it! And if you need help, I would love to guide you toward the best nutrition to suit your individual needs. 

Angela Miller is a Professional Life Coach passionately pursuing her purpose to help others remember who they are and how to become their best self. For more information, visit www.soaringforward.com.