What is vital wheat gluten?

(Bob M) #21

But gluten really is bad for many of us, including me. If you have an issue with gluten, you have an issue with gluten. This is nowhere as tricky as say, oxalates, where you could have an issue that is tough to describe. If I eat normal pizza, I get allergies and asthma the next day. It’s 100% reliable. Meanwhile, if I eat chocolate (high oxalate content), it’s very difficult for me to tell of any effect. Sometimes I think I have an effect, other times not.

I personally think all grains are bad for us, including “vital wheat gluten”. If you all want to eat it, go ahead. Just don’t denigrate those of us who do not want to eat it.

As for sucralose, that is a terrible idea for many people. They should avoid eating anything sweet for as long as possible. Sweetness is a trigger for them. For me, I’ve been low carb for going on 6 years now, and it’s still a trigger to me. If I have a slice of ice cream pie, for instance, I want another. And I’ve largely given up on fake sweets, like fat bombs, as they just cause me to want more and overeat.

That you can handle this does not mean others can.

#22

I attended a lecture where a doctor explained why gluten is pretty bad for most(?) people, not only the very sensitive ones. It’s some important factor but only one factor and if the others (genetics and stress
if I remember correctly) are fine enough for the one in question, our guts don’t get harmed. At least he said so but it sounded believable. Well, I know we can get harmed without actually feeling so right away and it’s so easy not to eat gluten (at least it’s my experience, I imagine it’s super hard for others) so when I cut sugar, I just cut gluten too. No problem at all.
I had some gluten free years and normal ones, both on low-carb. I felt absolutely no difference though I admit, I only started eating lots of gluten on some days recently… I couldn’t really afford much wheat on low-carb as my 80g net carb was barely enough for some not too carby vegetables… But I had some carbier days and as far as I can tell, my problem is with much carbs, not with gluten (and lactose and sugar doesn’t seem the best either but I’m not really sensitive).
I play with gluten a bit when I don’t have proper animal products in the right amount (like, I can afford 4 eggs a day, that’s all. it’s quite horrible and fortunately, rare, I do my best to avoid it) and I have my super short bread/seitan phases, I’m not worried but I am still quite sure it’s not the ideal way. If I have proper food, I definitely don’t need it and actually, I can’t do much with a fun and tasty enough food that has tons of incomplete protein and barely any calories. I can’t handle it. Not like I don’t have problems to keep both my protein and fat low enough to begin with. Gluten rich food is some food with abnormal macros in my life.
So it’s some rare treat, I do much worse things occasionally, even after 9 low-carb years. It’s up to the individual persons what to do with gluten. It might have its role for some people’s life but it has its dangers. We can choose much better food on keto, rich in complete protein and fat. I definitely wouldn’t depend on gluten but what do I know? :slight_smile: But I am perfectly sure it does harm many people. Maybe even me in big doses… Doesn’t matter, I don’t plan to depend on it in the future. I have bought gluten maybe 1 years ago for the first time. I can live without it just fine, I proved it.
So this is my somewhat ambivalent relationship with gluten.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #23

I just don’t believe I am such a special case.
I ate mountains of sweet sugary junk for much of my life, yet now, I will eat a big, beefy, cheesey, or buttery dinner, then I have a small sweet desert and I’m good.

I do find it odd that so many people here have issues with gluten, and Sucralose. In fact, I’m a little bit skeptical. I think a lot of people base things on how they seem, instead of just basing things on the straight up facts of the matter.

(Jane) #24

That’s the point some here are trying to make but you cannot relate to because it is outside your orbit. Some people cannot stop at a “small sweet dessert” and causes them to binge, so they avoid them altogether.

I’m the wierdo woman who doesn’t crave or even care much for chocolate. Give me a slice of apple pie any day over chocolate. I can eat 2 bites of a real (or SF) dessert and put it down - no problemo for me. But I don’t berate those who can’t.

OTOH, I wouldn’t dare start eating potato chips because I am not sure I could stop before eating a huge portion. Just a different trigger.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #25

Well im not berating anyone. I just feel like I was as much of a food hawg and sweet sugary garbage binger as most anybody, but I kind of feel like being keto for 7 months has kind of fixed me ?
I’m more likely to eat too much beef or cheese, than I am sweet keto deserts. I don’t eat non-keto junk at all. Ever. Zero cheats.

(Jane) #26

Yeah, maybe berate isn’t what I meant - was a bit harsh. Sorry.

Just realize you are young and a male who has never had children so you have those advantages working for you.

Some of us older women were never food hawgs or binged on sugar but we still couldn’t lose weight and keto won’t fix us as easily or as quickly. Some of us could eat exactly what you are eating and not lose weight or even gain weight. Sad, but true.

Someone in your situation that lost the weight so easily would probably think those who are struggling just aren’t being honest about what they eat. And you would be wrong in many cases. I eat literally half what my husband eats, get the same amount of exercise and I only weigh 10 pounds less than him. And 5" shorter so I am “more overweight” than he is eating the same foods but just much less and much more strict on keto.

I am 1000% better than I was before keto and glad I found it while just fat and not with bad health problems yet!

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #27

Thank you Jamie :slightly_smiling_face: But young ? Well I’m 55 yo…

Seriously though, I couldn’t agree more about an individuals metabolism ! Genetics are always the elephant in the room.
I have always said, I was very lucky to have a great metabolism, and unlike a lot of folks, I had to work really hard at being an obese pig !
I have close personal friends who ate no more, and no worse than I did, and while I only got to around 300 lbs, they were over 500 !

Anyway, whatever works best for you, just stick to it :slightly_smiling_face: And best wishes.

#28

Keto tend to change people.
When I just couldn’t stop eating my homemade chocolate sauce (it was pretty serious to me. I always loved chocolate but never ate much), I just decided to make a “keto day” (I didn’t even reach ketosis) and if I didn’t touch much carbs, my chocolate craving was nowhere to found.
7 months on keto? That easily have a way bigger effect on someone.
Determination and belief can bring huge instant changes too. Or when I start to eat once a day. My control is nothing like normally… And if my attitude changes, I can ditch some food group that was very important for me for decades. I did that a few times.

I still can eat lots of desserts. Or just a little (if it’s something dense). Or none at all but I need some other protein source, not just eggs (but I eat desserts for energy too or to be able to stop eating already. and well, it was my main weapon to keep my carbs low).
Not being tempted by sugary stuff is quite basic IMO, at least if one dislikes their effect.

I feel sorry for those 500lbs folks too. I’m sure I massively overate for decades (HCHF) and couldn’t go above 180lbs. It’s nice but it doesn’t mean I can slim down just because I really try for years (compared to myself, it’s not life or death and I’m a hedonist). It’s actually a problem I am used to way, way more food, I probably never will look at my energy need and think it allows me a big meal per day. It’s still fine enough but getting satiated with smallish meals isn’t how my body works. I am super good at maintenance, be it good or bad. Do I eat a lot or as little as I can? It’s my maintenance range, almost always (I need more exercise, I tried almost everything I am willing to, diet wise. and anyway, a healthy human needs their exercise). But folks with super quick metabolism have their own problems too. And many women have it way harder than me so I am thankful for my genetics.

(Jane) #29

Well you certainly look much younger than your age!!

:+1:

Keto works for me and I have been fortunate to not have to give up sweeteners or dairy as some folks have had to. But I would if I had to. I was so sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!!!