What is this???

Question
Hi Tom
I am 47. I have always been somewhat overweight-not obese. I cant eat more than 1500 calories a day without gaining weight, and I am 5'10" and 250 lbs. MY doctor says my thyroid is OK, and he knows I exercise because we play in the same hockey league.
As I have gotten older, I have more digestive issues. I have researched I.B.S., I.B.D.,Celiac,etc, and although there are similarities, they dont quite fit. Also, nothing has come up in the tests my doctor has run for my yearly physicals. He thinks I am 'just having a bad reaction to carbohydrates'.
I seem to be able to eat meat and fat such as cheese with no problem, but throw in even a small portion of potato and my belly bloats up for hours even a day or more. Same with bread- I can eat a chicken breast no prob but put it between two slices of bread-even whole grain-same thing happens.
The only thing I can find online is 'metabolic syndrome'. I do have the belly, but my insulin and other readings are fine. AS for celiac and gluten intolerance, I do have several of the symptoms (there are a lot-I think EVERYBODY has some) the main ones, diharea and constipation I dont have. My digestive system is good except for the reaction to carbohydrates. Oddly enough rice is not a problem!?
Also, I have tried digestive enzymes, even ones for carbohydrates-no help at all. As forexercise, I run three times a week and I have little belly fat-but the constant bloat makes it stick out to look like I do.
Is this I.B.S., or some allergy to starch except rice, or something else? Thanks so much for your expert opinion!

Answer
Hi Marty,

Without getting a much more detailed history, it seems fairly certain that you do have metabolic syndrome. What is it? It's really just a made-up term for pre-diabetes, several symptoms packed together into what they call a syndrome. It's also highly likely that you do have diabetes or are very close to it with your weight. The easiest way to test for diabetes is to do a tape measure around the waist.

Anyways, the way I see things is that a much better question than "What disease do I have?" is "What's the cause of me not feeling well?"

So when we get down to it, I believe the reason you have not been feeling well is mainly because of your diet. If you're exercising regularly, then you're doing great in terms of fitness. But the diet is what needs to change to turn your health around.

I would recommend cutting out all gluten, meat, and dairy for 4 weeks and I believe you will notice a dramatic shift in your weight, energy levels, and much of the bloating will probably disappear. I would also recommend taking probiotics regularly for up to a year to help restore the good bacteria in your gut, eating lots of fresh raw fruits, vegetables and berries (especially green leafy vegetables) and making sure to eat Omega-3 fats every day (flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, or fish oil/flax oil supplements)

I go into the diet in much more detail in my email newsletter, you can get access to it for free at www.AuthenticHealthCoach.com - It's much too long to type it all here.

As for the allergy, it's impossible to be allergic to a starch - starches are carbohydrates and you can only have an allergy to a protein. It's highly likely you do have either gluten intolerance or a gluten allergy - it's very common nowadays. With the high levels of inflammation you have from the excess weight, your immune system is out of balance due to the inflammation. So when you change your diet and start to lose the weight, the inflammation will come down and you may be able to eat wheat and other grains again with no problem, but it's best to not eat them now while your body is healing.

I hope that helps!

Wishing you wellness,
Tom  

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