other abdominal discomfort; reduced mental focus and
poor concentration, and fatigue — some people actually
fall asleep after a meal containing wheat, even just a
sandwich.
The extreme condition of wheat intolerance is celiac disease, and
patients must avoid any amount of wheat or risk serious, sometimes
life-threatening reactions. Many professionals now agree that even
mild forms of wheat allergy are really the same thing — a sub-clinical
celiac condition.
If you’re in doubt about what wheat may be doing to your health,
consider strictly avoiding it for a couple of weeks or a month. You just
may become a new, healthier person.
What about Sweeteners?
Sweeteners are carbohydrates, or sugars, in their purest form. They
range from highly processed and higher-glycemic products such as
maltodextrin and table sugar, to the lower glycemic sources such as
honey and agave nectar. As with other carbohydrate foods, the least
processed and more natural sugars are the healthiest sweeteners.
Most sweeteners are complex carbohydrates — high glycemic
and more difficult to digest. These include all maltose sugars (mal-
todextrin, malt sugar, maple sugar and syrup), corn sugars and
syrups (high-fructose corn syrup), all cane sugars whether white or
brown, rice syrups and molasses.
Perhaps the best sweeteners to use are low-glycemic simple car-
bohydrates that don’t require digestion and are unprocessed. These
include agave nectar and honey. I recommend honey for many rea-
sons as discussed below, but in moderation and not to exceed your
carbohydrate tolerance.
Honey has been used for centuries as both a sweetener and a rem-
edy, and remains today as the most natural sweetener available.
Honey contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids,
including antioxidants. In addition, honey has anti-inflammatory and
antimicrobial effects. Recently a large volume of scientific literature
has substantiated honey’s therapeutic value, as well as its ability to
improve endurance in athletes.
56 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH