I was about to turn 21. A student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA, trying to decide which health field I wanted to pursue after graduation. To say I was stressed is an understatement. I was suffering from severe panic attacks and hardly sleeping more than 2-4 hours a night due to insomnia. I may have looked healthy on the outside but something was not right on the inside. I was put on sleeping medication and for the first and only time in my life I tried ant-depressants; unfortunately these things that seem to help millions, only made my symptoms worst.

I had already struggled from massive health issues the previous year due to what was first labeled a heart condition due to irregular heart beat and frequent episodes of passing out. Eventually, after exhausting conventional medicine where the conclusion was that perhaps I needed a pace-maker, we had turned to “alternative” medicine. It was a holistic doctor/chiropractor who figured out I had a bacterial over-growth that was causing full body systemic irritation and symptoms, including irregular heart beat. We corrected the bacterial overgrowth through diet and herbal supplements.

HOWEVER, once my symtoms has resolved (ie the irregular heart beat and passing out), I had resumed my typical American diet. And let’s be clear here: I didn’t eat terribly even at 20. I had vegetables, knew organic was better than not, drank a decent amount of water and really didn’t do artificial flavors/coloring. I even cooked a decent amount of my meals at home.

So as soon as modern medicine didn’t provide the correct answers for my EXTREME anxiety, it didn’t take much time for my mother and I to once again turn to “alternative” thinking. We then made the BIGGEST LIFE-SAVING CHANGE OF MY LIFE.

I went completely wheat free. Within a month of going wheat free, I became a normal averagely stressed out college athlete again: sleeping through the night and not a single medication in my bathroom cabinet. *I HAVE NOT HAVE A PANIC ATTACK SINCE I WAS 20 YEARS OLD. I HAVE NOT INTENTIONALLY EATEN WHEAT SINCE I WAS 20 YEARS OLD. I do not believe this is a coincident!

There are about a million and one different opinions out there on “celiac disease”, “wheat sensitivity”, “gluten free diets”, “GMO wheat effects on the body”, etc. So let me be clear on a couple things: “wheat sensitivity” and celiac disease are NOT the same thing. Celiac disease affects about 1% of the population (according to the Mayo Clinic). You can run a lab test and get a positive test for this known disease. Wheat sensitivity is a much more murky area for the medical community; there isn’t a quick and easy test to run in order to diagnosis it. It’s diagnosis is based off of a handful of symptoms. Reported symptoms most commonly include bloating, gas and possible rashes after consuming wheat. Currently, about 6% of the population is being diagnosed with “wheat sensitivity”. And while this number is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than celiac disease, I believe it is devastatingly low (meaning, I believe “wheat sensitivity” is being severally under- diagnosed). My main wheat related symptoms were anxiety and insomnia.

Discussing food is always one of the hardest topics to breach in the office. As a clinician, I find people really do want to do what’s best for the bodies generally (I am not blind to the fact that I have a slightly biased opinion on this due to having patients that are usually activity seeking wellness and health!). But even these health-seeking individuals often give me the “Bambi look” (eyes wide open in shock) when I discuss the drastic dietary changes that usually need to be made in order to reach their full health potentials. That is why I focused this blog on just ONE FOOD despite the endless conversations we could have on other aggravating food groups, GMO’s, artificial flavors/coloring, and added chemicals etc. Not to even mention how one person’s genetic expression can allow him to consume foods which could leave another person spending the night cuddling with the toilet.

SO this overwhelming mountain of a topic has been left for another time, BUT RIGHT NOW, I challenge you to consider just one simple food: wheat. Don’t just think of digestive issues it might be causing in your life, think outside the box. *Do you have headaches, anxiety, depression, muscle soreness, severe seasonal allergies, PMS symptoms, excessive weight, fatigue or….? Then of course, don’t forget the digestive symptoms of bloating, gas, rashes, constipation or diarrhea. Cool fact: I have a patient/friend that eliminated wheat from his diet and was able to stop taking blood pressure medication he’d been on since high school!

If you’re feeling brave (or just simply curious) I challange you to go completely off wheat for 3-4 weeks! It takes awhile to completely get this glue like substance (GLUten) out of your intestines- sorry. See how you feel. Try adding wheat back in and pay specific attention to how you feel then too. There is a possibility eliminating this one food from your diet could be a life changer, it was for me!

*I did invest in a program called Panic Away as well- highly recommend it! It is also important to note that I have drastically continued to change my diet and lifestyle over the past 10 years to continue to support my more delicate system.

** These may or may not be side effects of consuming wheat; also remember to ask a qualified healthcare practitioner before going off of any medication.