Wheat or gluten can trigger asthma and allergies

I cured my asthma.

My asthmatic symptoms and allergies disappear as soon as I stop eating wheat

A few months ago, I developed a runny nose that didn't go away. It soon migrated to my chest and I had trouble breathing later at night or early in the morning. This lasted for about 5 or 6 months.

I tried many things to address the cause and heal the issue. I tried clearing away as much dust from my room as possible. My bed was cleaned to remove dust mites (which can cause allergic reactions, wheezing and difficulty breathing).

Recently, I tried a 4 four day water fast to see if that would cure my asthmatic symptoms. Fasting is known to alleviate a variety of diseases, like allergies and asthma, and improve overall health. I had no allergic reactions or breathing problems during the fast, but they came back within 12 hours after I started eating again. Bread was one of the first things that I ate when I broke my fast.

I finally found my solution.

A friend of mine suggested that I could possibly have gluten sensitivity. Gluten is not necessarily bad for you unless you are sensitive or allergic to it. I kept this idea (along with many other suggestions) at the back of my mind as I figured out which theory I wanted to test out next.

I wanted to save this one for the last of my experiments because I would have to test out a whole range of foods that cause allergic reactions like wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy and seafood.

One night I had diarrhea and bloody stool hours after eating a large meal that was predominantly wheat-based. I decided to cut out wheat and see what happened.

I had absolutely no breathing difficulty or allergic reactions within 24 hours of abstaining from foods that have wheat in them.

This was true for three whole days before I ate wheat again. True to form, I woke up in the middle of the night last night with breathing difficulties - hours after I had a meal with wheat.

It isn't nice to face the fact that I have to cut out wheat from my diet (which is in almost everything), but it is also really nice to know that I have finally found the solution.

Trial and error finally paid off.

Wheat sensitivity causes allergies and asthma

Wheat allergy can cause the following symptoms:

1. Swelling
2. Itching
3. Inflamed mouth and throat
4. Skin problems like hives, rashes and swelling
5. Nasal congestion
6. Runny nose
7. Headaches
8. Asthmatic symptoms
9. Cramps
10. Nausea
11. Vomiting
12. Diarrhea
13. Anaphylaxis

I have had eczema from childhood. You can get eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and skin conditions from wheat sensitivity. It would be awesome if my eczema resolves itself when I cut out wheat!

The symptoms on this list that I personally experienced were skin problems (eczema), itching, nasal congestion, runny nose and nasal congestion, asthmatic symptoms and diarrhea when I ate a lot of wheat.

Since the diarrhea happened hours after the consumption of wheat, I would never assume that it was the wheat that caused it. This could mean that my poor body has had to deal with wheat consumption and the inflamed response on a regular basis for years and years.

The effects can start hours later.

How does wheat trigger allergies, asthma, skin conditions and other diseases?

Let me start off by saying that wheat is not the problem - it's your body's reaction to wheat. Some people can eat wheat without any issues. This is only applicable to people with sensitivity to wheat. You should avoid wheat for a few days and see if your condition improves. If it does, you have found the culprit.

Wheat can cause inflammation in people with a leaky gut

The connection between leaky gut and inflammation

Good bacteria maintain a healthy gut lining. Bad gut bacteria (and other pathogenic microbes) can damage the wall inside your colon. Lack of good bacteria can also cause a damaged intestinal wall.

A healthy gut lining should have lots of small holes that allow digested nutrients to pass into the blood stream. When this wall is damaged, the holes are bigger than they should be. This allows larger food particles to get through.

One of the larger food particles can be the gluten in wheat.

Cells can't absorb gluten before is it broken down into usable nutrients, so your immune system is activated to escort the unusable food out of the blood stream.

Wheat therefore causes an immune response. When this happens regularly, the immune system is permanently switched on. This leads to a hyperactive immune system that attacks everything in sight.

In my case, it lead to breathing problems as inflammation affected my lungs and skin problem as inflammation prevented my skin from working properly.

Many diseases start in the gut.

Signs of inflammation:

Signs of inflammation are:

1. Autoimmune diseases
2. Diabetes
3. Metabolic syndrome
4. Heart disease
5. Obesity
6. Pain
7. Redness
8. Loss of function in a particular body part
9. Swelling
10. Heat
11. Fatigue and low energy
12. Feeling unwell
13. Fever
14. Cardiovascular disease
15. Arthritis and other joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
16. Allergies
17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (difficulty breathing) and asthma
18. Psoriasis
19. Cancer
20. Depression
21. Insomnia
22. Heightened stress response
23. Ulcer
24. Hay fever
25. Atherosclerosis
26. Gum disease
27. Dermatitis and eczema
28. Blood vessel inflammation
29. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
30. Lupus
31. Hepatitis

Diseases caused by inflammation

As you can see, inflammation affects every part of the body. Inflammation from the immune response to wheat personally gave me the following symptoms:

1. Allergies
2. Runny nose
3. Difficulty breathing
4. Eczema

I haven't had any allergic reactions, sinus or difficulty breathing since I cut out wheat. I still have relatively dry skin - this might take longer to clear up.

If you suspect that inflammation is causing disease in your own body, work with a medical practitioner to find the cause. Stay Strong!

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What are the 7 healthy habits?

There are only 7 healthy habits that you need to be healthy.

The 7 seven healthy habits

1. Nutrition
2. Exercise
3. Hydration
4. Gut health
5. Sleep
6. Mental health
7. Hygiene

These are the top healthy habits that you need to form a complete, healthy lifestyle. Make sure that you look after yourself in regard to these 7 health habits to ensure longevity, freedom from disease, happiness and productivity.

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1. Nutrition

Your body needs a variety of nutrients. Nutrients are divided into macro nutrients and micro nutrients.

Macro nutrients

Macro nutrients provide energy in the form of calories.

1. Protein (turns into amino acids)
2. Fat (turns into fatty acids)
3. Carbohydrates (turn into sugars)

Macro nutrients

Caloric density of macro nutrients

• Protein has 4 calories per gram
• Fat has 9 calories per gram
• Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram
• Alcohol, although not a macro nutrient, has 7 calories per gram

Micro Nutrients

Micro nutrients might not offer energy in the form of calories, but they are just as important to your health. Antioxidants, for example, prevent cell decay. Minerals, on the other hand, support cell signaling, hydration and nerve function.

1. Vitamins
2. Minerals
3. Trace elements
4. Phyto nutrients, polyphenols and plant compounds
5. Antioxidants

Your body needs these micro nutrients to function properly.

Follow a balanced, varied diet to get all of the nutrients that you need

It might be hard to focus on getting all of the nutrients that you need. There are over 20 different amino acids, found in proteins that your body needs. Your body needs over 15 different types of minerals and trace elements.

Fortunately our bodies do a good job of storing these nutrients and using them when they need it - IF we get enough of them. To make sure that you get enough of these nutrients regularly, follow these tips:

How to follow a healthy diet

1. Eat a variety of foods to increase the types you nutrients that your body gets
2. Choose natural over processed foods
3. Balance out your protein, carbohydrate and fat food sources
4. Cut out foods that are high in added sugar
5. Avoid fast food and fried foods
6. Stay away from alcohol as much as you can
7. Keep processed meat to a minimum

You can make healthy meals that offer a variety of nutrients without much effort. This healthy chicken avocado salad, for example, has the beneficial nutrients of chicken, spinach, lettuce, lemon juice, black pepper and apple cider vinegar.

2. Exercise 

Would the 7 healthy habits be complete without exercise? Exercise is extremely beneficial to every part of your body. Use this link to see most of the benefits of exercise (there are over 100 benefits).

The top benefits of exercise

1. Boosts your immune system
2. Increases energy levels
3. Counteracts mental stress
4. Lowers feelings of depression
5. Decreases fat storage
6. Improves rest and recovery
7. Boosts confidence
8. Increases confidence
9. Sharpens the mind
10. Maximizes oxygen and nutrient delivery
11. Slows age-related decline

Exercise does more than improve how good you look.

How to make exercise a regular part of your life:

1. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy
2. Keep exercising until you don't need to think about it anymore
3. Exercise with friends and family to increase your level of commitment
4. Balance strength straining with cardiovascular exercise for well-rounded benefits

Here are the amounts of calories that you burn per form of exercise.

3. Hydration

More than half of your entire body is made up of water.

Why is water so important?

1. Every cell in your body needs water. Cells die if they get too dehydrated.
2. Your body uses water to get rid of toxic chemicals and metabolic by-products.
3. Water forms saliva, which is an important element of digestion.
4. Your body also uses water to make stomach acid, bile and form proper bowel movements (dehydration can lead to constipation).
5. Blood needs water to transport nutrients.
6. Water moistens mucous membranes (dehydration limits the body's ability to eliminate excess sinus).
7. Your brain can't make important hormones and chemicals without water.
8. It regulates body temperature.
9. Water lubricates joints.
10. It also helps with oxygen delivery.

How much water is in your body?

• Up to 60% of your entire body is made up of water.
• The brain is 73% water.
• Lungs are 83% water.
• Skin contains 64% water.
• Muscles are 79% water.
• Kidneys are also 79% water.
• Bones contain 31% water.

Water supports cellular health.

Additional notes on hydration

It is possible to drink too much water. I like to use the color of my pee to tell me whether I need more or less water. Urine coloration is a good indicator of whether you need more or less water. Darker urine colors point to dehydration and an increased water need.

Urine frequency is another good indication of whether you should be drinking more or less water. The average amount of times that a healthy individual person urinates is 6-7 times a day.

Not all beverages are hydrating. Drinks that are high in sugar, caffeine, artificial flavors and colors may increase your body's need for water. Exercise also increases your body's need for water.

4. Gut Health

Your gut is the fourth component of the 7 healthy habits.

Why is gut health so important?

1. 70% of your immune system is in your gut.
2. Most of your serotonin (happy hormone) is made in your gut.
3. Good bacteria are supposed to keep bad bacteria at bay.
4. Gut bacteria determines how much of our food is turned into fat or energy.
5. Many important nutrients can only be made by gut bacteria.
6. Good gut bacteria build and protect the lining on the gut.
7. Gut bacteria determines insulin sensitivity.
8. Your gut bacteria determine which foods you can digest.
9. Good bacteria eat the parts of food that we can't digest. Bad gut bacteria eat the nutrients that we need. Bad bacteria also eat our healthy cells.

Why do most people have too much bad gut bacteria?

1. Preservatives in processed food kill good gut bacteria.
2. Exercise is needed to keep good gut bacteria alive.
3. Good gut bacteria depend on natural, unprocessed food.
4. Stress has a negative effect on good gut bacteria.
5. Our guts need enough plain water to work properly.
6. Artificial flavors and colors harm our beneficial gut bacteria.
7. Sugar feeds bad gut bacteria that cause weight gain and disease.
8. Alcohol kills off good bacteria.
9. Antibiotics wipe out our gut bacteria.

How do you improve gut health?

1. Drink more plain water
2. Have herbal teas without sugar - good bacteria thrive on plant compounds.
3. Avoid excess sugar, alcohol, preservatives and artificial ingredients
4. Eat 5 fresh fruit and vegetables every day
5. Exercise has been shown to encourage good gut bacteria growth (due to an increase in fatty acids in the gut as fitness increases)
6. Reduce stress and get enough sleep.

Everything you need to know about gut health in an easy-to-save image

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Have a healthy gut

5. Sleep

Sleep is the most crucial part of your body's rest and recovery from everything that it goes through during the day. You cannot have a complete health strategy without this crucial component of the 7 healthy habits. Hormones like testosterone are regulated during sleep. Too little sleep can destroy your hormone balances. Sleep deprivation is associated with depression, obesity, diabetes, cancer and premature death.

One of the fastest ways to speed up recovery from exercise and illness is through sleep. People who don't get enough sleep are more prone to illnesses like colds and flu and are more likely to become over strained from exercise.

Sleeping patterns are genetic. Certain genes dictate how much sleep you need and what times you want to sleep or wake up (more information is in the link). You can use exercise to help correct your sleeping patterns like I did.

Additionally, sleeping too much is just as bad for you as not getting enough sleep.

How to get better sleep

This is how you can improve you sleeping quality:

1. Keep the same bed time routine every day.
2. Reduce lighting as much as you can before going to sleep.
3. An effective method to induce sleep is to try to stay awake.
4. Use breathing techniques that slow down your heart rate (exhale slowly to relax).
5. Take a hot bath or hot shower before you want to sleep. This relaxes your entire body.
6. Eat a nutritious meal before you sleep so that you won't be hungry through the night. Midnight snacking is unhealthy. Most experts recommend eating at least 2 hours before sleep.
7. Write down any stressful thoughts to stop them from keeping you awake.
8. Avoid screens that are designed to keep you awake - like computers, phones and television sets.
9. Take part in a relaxing activity like reading a book to calm your mind.

Easy sleep reminders

6. Mental Health

Mental health is one of the 7 healthy habits that you need to look after for better health. Learn why:

How mental health affects physical health

1. Stress lowers immunity, disrupts sleep and hampers muscle function.
2. Stress lowers the amount of good gut bacteria.
3. Dopamine (a feel good hormone) increases an individual's likelihood to make healthy decisions.
4. Low natural dopamine levels increase the likelihood of engaging in negative choices like eating unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol and partaking in addictive behaviors.
5. Serotonin (another feel-good hormone) directly affects your body's ability to recover from stress and physical damage.
6. Positivity increases your likelihood of doing activities that require motivation (like exercise and eating healthy).
7. Depression decreases energy levels, lowers sleep turnover (the rate of recovery that you get per hour of sleep) and makes you more prone to illnesses and disease.

How to improve mental health

The two most effective ways to deal with depression is to exercise and to care for an animal.

1. Exercise regularly
2. Eat healthy food - a healthy body makes you feel good
3. Drink enough water - dehydration increases fatigue and feelings of anxiety
4. Look after a pet or an animal
5. Nurture a friendship circle where you can be yourself - and where you can be there for others. (Loneliness is as dangerous to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day).
6. Spend time on a hobby that you enjoy - and that relaxes you.
7. Find a purpose - do something that benefits your community or find a cause to fight for.
8. Help other people that have the same problems as you.
9. Learn to be vulnerable and talk to others. The emotionally healthiest people are open about how they feel.

Mental Health reminders

7. Hygiene

The last, but equally important, of the 7 healthy habits is hygiene. The single most important invention that is responsible for increased life expectancy worldwide is modern plumbing and hygiene. Hygiene can be divided into two parts: preventative hygiene and beneficial hygiene.

Preventative hygiene

- Brush your teeth and floss every day to keep your mouth clean of germs (The human mouth contains more germs than most animals).

- Flush the toilet regularly to dispose of germs that inhabit human waste.

- Regular baths keep the skin, our largest organ, clean. It will also keep our hair free from harmful germs.

Beneficial hygiene

- Hot baths or hot showers help to calm us down, relax our muscles and prepare us for good sleep.
- Cold showers are great at boosting metabolism and increasing energy levels.
- Both of these methods are effective at decreasing feelings of depression and improving markers of overall positivity.
- When you put effort into the way that you look, you feel better about yourself.
- Steam rooms and saunas can improve muscle recovery and reduce stress.

Hot and cold showers are good for you.

Follow these 7 healthy habits to turn your life around completely. Focus on all 7 of them to build a life that is complete when it comes to your health. I hope that you learnt a few interesting things while reading through this post. If you did, let me know in the comments below. Stay Strong!

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