I receive occasional emails and comments from people who can’t believe wheat isn’t health food. Some have quoted Bible passages about our daily bread, the staff of life, breaking bread with family, etc. Others have pointed out that Americans ate plenty of bread and other wheat products 100 years ago, but weren’t as likely to be fat and diabetic as people today.
I usually reply that the wheat products we consume today aren’t the same as those consumed by people in Biblical times, or even in more recent times. But I didn’t realize just how different today’s wheat is until I read Wheat Belly, a terrific new book by Dr. William Davis, the cardiologist you may already know from his Heart Scan Blog.
The title, of course, refers to the big gut that so many people today are carrying around in front of them these days. While he’s no fan of sugar or other refined carbohydrates, Dr. Davis believes wheat is a primary (if not the primary) driver of the rise in obesity we’ve witnessed in the past quarter century, and he makes a strong case for that belief. But getting fat is hardly the only price we pay for our love of bagels, breads, cereals and muffins. As Dr. Davis explains in the book’s introduction:
While much of the Wheat Belly story is about overweight, it is also about the complex and not fully understood range of diseases that have resulted from it – from celiac disease, the devastating intestinal disease that develops from exposure to wheat gluten, to an assortment of neurological disorders, curious rashes, and the paralyzing effects of schizophrenia. Documented peculiar effects of wheat on humans include appetite stimulation, exposure to brain-active exorphins (the counterpart of internally derived endorphins), exaggerated blood-sugar surges that trigger cycles of satiety alternating with increased appetite, the process of glycation that underlies diseases and aging, inflammatory and pH effects that erode cartilage and damage bone, and activation of disordered immune responses.
And later, in Part One:
There’s hardly a single organ system that is not in some way affected by wheat products. The health impact of Triticum aestivum, common bread wheat and its genetic brethren, ranges far and wide, with curious effects from mouth to anus, brain to pancreas, Appalachian housewife to Wall Street arbitrageur. If it sounds crazy, bear with me. I make these claims with a clear, wheat-free conscience.
In the rest of the book, Dr. Davis back up those claims. He delves into quite a bit of nutrition science and some biochemistry, but writes in a clear (and often humorous) style that makes for easy reading. As a doctor who’s treated thousands of patients, he has the added advantage of being able to cite case histories from his own practice – patients who came to him unknowingly damaged by wheat, but were cured by wheat-free diets.
One patient, a thirty-eight-year-old woman, was told by her doctor that she’d have to have part of her colon removed and replaced with an external bag. After Dr. Davis talked her into going wheat free, her colon healed itself. Another patient, a twenty-six-year-old man, was experiencing so much pain in his joints, he could barely walk. Three different rheumatologists failed to identify a cause. When he visited Dr. Davis for a heart condition, Dr. Davis suggested he try a wheat-free diet for the joint pain. Three months later, the young man strode into the office pain-free and reported he’d been jogging short distances and playing basketball. His heart condition had cleared up as well.
Before the chapters detailing the many ways wheat can damage our bodies and brains, Dr. Davis begins by recounting the history of wheat itself. It’s a fascinating story — in a Stephen King sort of way, that is. Here are a few quotes from that chapter, which is titled Not Your Grandma’s Muffins: The Creation of Modern Wheat.
Bread and other foods made from wheat have sustained humans for centuries, but the wheat of our ancestors is not the same as modern commercial wheat that reaches your breakfast, lunch and dinner table. From the original strains of wild grass harvested by early humans, wheat has exploded to more than 25,000 varieties, virtually all of them the result of human intervention.
The first wild, then cultivated, wheat was einkorn, the great-granddaddy of all subsequent wheat. Einkorn has the simplest genetic code of all wheat, containing only 14 chromosomes.
Shortly after the cultivation of the first einkorn plant, the emmer variety of wheat, the natural offspring of parents einkorn and an unrelated wild grass, Aegilops speltvoides or goatgrass, made its appearance in the Middle East. Goatgrass added its genetic code to that of einkorn, resulting in the more complex twenty-eight-chromosome emmer wheat.
Emmer wheat, Dr. Davis explains, was probably the wheat of biblical times. Later the emmer wheat mated naturally with another grass and produced Triticum aestivum, the forty-two-chromosome wheat that humans consumed for centuries – right up until the past 50 years or so. That’s when the story of wheat becomes a bit of a modern Frankenstein tale.
Like Dr. Frankenstein, the scientists who created today’s wheat had good intentions: the goal was to produce more wheat per acre in a shorter span of time, thus vastly increasing yields and preventing worldwide starvation as the planet’s population swelled. To that extent, they succeeded. Geneticist Dr. Norman Borlaug, who created the short, stocky, fast-growing “dwarf” wheat most of us consume today, is credited with saving perhaps a billion people from starvation.
The problem is that dwarf wheat varieties were developed through a combination of cross-breeding and gene splicing. The result is a mutant plant with a genetic code that never existed in nature before. In fact, today’s wheat literally can’t survive in a natural setting. Take away the modern pesticides and fertilizers and it’s (pardon the pun) toast.
Perhaps overjoyed at the prospect of the feeding the world, the developers of modern wheat varieties weren’t interested in conducting tests to see if these genetically-modified strains were actually fit for human consumption. Dr. Davis believes they’re not. At the very least, we’re now consuming wheat that’s genetically different from what our ancestors consumed:
Analyses of proteins expressed by a wheat hybrid compared to its two parent strains have demonstrated that while approximately 95 percent of the proteins expressed in the offspring are the same, five percent are unique, found in neither parent. Wheat gluten proteins, in particular, undergo considerable structural change with hybridization. In one hybridization experiment, fourteen new gluten proteins were identified in the offspring that were not present in either parent plant. Moreover, when compared to century-old stains of wheat, modern strains of Triticum aestivum express a higher quantity of genes for gluten proteins that are associated with celiac disease.
Hybridization efforts of the past fifty years have generated numerous additional changes in the gluten-coding genes in Triticum aestivum, most of them purposeful modifications of the “D” genome that confer baking and aesthetic characteristics on flour. It is therefore the the “D” genome of modern Triticum aestivum that, having been the focus of all manner of shenanigans by plant geneticists, has accumulated substantial changes in genetically determined characteristics of gluten proteins.
In other word’s, this ain’t your grandma’s wheat. Little wonder that when researchers compared blood samples taken from thousand of soldiers 50 years ago to blood samples from today’s soldiers, they found that celiac antibodies are five times more common today among today’s soliders.
Dr. Davis recounts an experiment he conducted on himself to compare the different impacts of ancient wheat and modern wheat on his blood sugar. He managed to find some einkorn wheat and made bread from it. Two slices of that bread raised his blood sugar from 86 mg/dl to 110. Not bad. Then he made bread from modern whole wheat – you know, the stuff the USDA says is the key to great health. Two slices raised his blood sugar from 84 mg/dl to 167. That’s diabetes territory. As Dr. Davis writes in another chapter after explaining the specific types of carbohydrates found in wheat:
Wheat products elevate blood sugar levels more than virtually any other carbohydrate, from beans to candy bars.
As the graph I displayed in a previous post showed, the typical American consumes somewhere around 1,000 calories per day in the form of sugars and grains. Our dominant grain by far is wheat — wheat that was never part of the human diet until 50 years ago.
The rest of the book details the damage modern wheat can do to our bodies and brains, with plenty of references to both academic studies and case histories from Dr. Davis’ medical practice. He covers the addictive properties of wheat, the effects wheat can produce in our brains (including actual brain damage), and of course the many ways wheat can wreak havoc on our digestive systems. Compared to those chapters, the chapters on skin conditions, accelerated aging, and heart disease seem almost tame. Sure, it’s not good to produce mostly small, dense LDL … but heart disease will kill you later. Untreated celiac disease will make you miserable for life – and most celiac sufferers are never diagnosed.
This is an excellent book, and also an important book. A story a co-worker told me last week illustrates why: his wife suffered from debilitating headaches for years. She went from doctor to doctor, but none could offer an explanation or solution, other than pain medications that basically knocked her out. Then a few months ago, she mentioned the headaches to some acquaintances over dinner. One of them – not a doctor – told her the headaches could be caused by a reaction to wheat gluten and suggested she try a gluten-free diet. She did … and headaches went away.
As my co-worker told me, “I’m glad someone finally gave her the answer, but why did she have to hear this from some Joe Schmoe after years of suffering? Why didn’t any of the doctors we consulted think of that?”
The doctors didn’t think of that because they weren’t trained to think of that. Ask the vast majority of doctors for dietary advice, and they’ll tell you to limit your fats and eat your “healthy whole grains.” They can’t teach what they don’t know.
I hope you all read this book. But more than that, I hope you buy a copy and stick it in your doctor’s hands. The next time a patient shows up suffering from splitting headaches (or irritable bowel, or stomach cramps, or acne, or psoriasis, or depression, or emotional problems, or high triglycerides, or high blood sugar, or arthritis, or asthma), perhaps the doctor will take a careful dietary history and suggest trying a wheat-free diet before reaching for the prescription pad.
Next week I’ll be posting a Q & A with Dr. Davis. I have a list of questions I want to ask, but if you have questions of your own, post them in a comment. I’ll pick some to add to my list.
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Unhealthy wheat, this is unbelievable. Should I also stay away from Emmer Wheat or Barley?
Dr. Davis has said in interviews that modern wheat is the worst, but other grains still aren’t good.
Unhealthy wheat, this is unbelievable. Should I also stay away from Emmer Wheat or Barley?
Dr. Davis has said in interviews that modern wheat is the worst, but other grains still aren’t good.
My family came to the Us in 1950, and soon therafter my mother started baking Latvian whole grain rye bread (rupjmaize in Latvian).She baked for her family until she died at 91.
I am now marketing this kind of bread, called “Baltic rye”. It is sold in a number of stores in NYC including Zabars, probably the best know gourmet/deli in NYC.
Please send me your address I will send you a loaf (5lbs.)
I enjoyed your review of “Wheat belly”. I had heard of the book but had not found the time to get and read it.
John
Thank you, but I’m not looking for a bread I can eat.
My family came to the Us in 1950, and soon therafter my mother started baking Latvian whole grain rye bread (rupjmaize in Latvian).She baked for her family until she died at 91.
I am now marketing this kind of bread, called “Baltic rye”. It is sold in a number of stores in NYC including Zabars, probably the best know gourmet/deli in NYC.
Please send me your address I will send you a loaf (5lbs.)
I enjoyed your review of “Wheat belly”. I had heard of the book but had not found the time to get and read it.
John
Thank you, but I’m not looking for a bread I can eat.
This sounds like a remarkable book that I intend to purchase when finished, for the third time- Put Your Heart In Your Mouth by Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is an OUTSTANDING book. What a terrific duo these would make. What do you think?
You gave Wheat Belly a wonderful review, but do you honestly think the fatties, if they read these books, will have the drive to change?
If they understand what’s making them fat, many will. As it is now, lots of people are eating their “healthy” whole grains because they’ve been told grains are health food.
This sounds like a remarkable book that I intend to purchase when finished, for the third time- Put Your Heart In Your Mouth by Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is an OUTSTANDING book. What a terrific duo these would make. What do you think?
You gave Wheat Belly a wonderful review, but do you honestly think the fatties, if they read these books, will have the drive to change?
If they understand what’s making them fat, many will. As it is now, lots of people are eating their “healthy” whole grains because they’ve been told grains are health food.
I heard about this book from bill o’reilly and have ordered it. I have had digestive problems all my life and was doing low carb, with good results. My doctors made me quit and even my nutritionist didn’t want me doing low carb. I am hoping this is the answer to my problems as I can’t stand feeling the way I do.
I heard about this book from bill o’reilly and have ordered it. I have had digestive problems all my life and was doing low carb, with good results. My doctors made me quit and even my nutritionist didn’t want me doing low carb. I am hoping this is the answer to my problems as I can’t stand feeling the way I do.
Wondering if you have ever tried to grow wheat in a “natural” setting? From experience, your claim that it cannot grow without “modern fertilizers and pesticides” is absolutely false. The only thing wheat needs in order to grow is moisture. I know. Please stop trying to scare people who are removed from agriculture and don’t know better. Also, for readers out there, try making your own breads from whole wheat berries ground in your own kitchen. You’ll feel great. I can tell the difference when I eat store bought white bread vs. Homemade whole wheat bread. My guess is that most people who feel better cutting out “wheat”, I would rather say “processed foods containing refined flour” were never eating 100% whole wheat products.
According to the book’s author, the semi-dwarf wheat that makes up most of today’s wheat supply won’t grow in nature. I don’t know what kind of wheat you’re growing.
Wondering if you have ever tried to grow wheat in a “natural” setting? From experience, your claim that it cannot grow without “modern fertilizers and pesticides” is absolutely false. The only thing wheat needs in order to grow is moisture. I know. Please stop trying to scare people who are removed from agriculture and don’t know better. Also, for readers out there, try making your own breads from whole wheat berries ground in your own kitchen. You’ll feel great. I can tell the difference when I eat store bought white bread vs. Homemade whole wheat bread. My guess is that most people who feel better cutting out “wheat”, I would rather say “processed foods containing refined flour” were never eating 100% whole wheat products.
According to the book’s author, the semi-dwarf wheat that makes up most of today’s wheat supply won’t grow in nature. I don’t know what kind of wheat you’re growing.
I grow semi-dwarf wheat. It does grow in nature. Like all plants, wheat grows best when there is plant food available and no competition from other species. Your comment that semi-dwarf wheat varieties make up most of today’s wheat supply is true. I would invite readers to do their own research before believing everything in this book.
Sorry, I should refer to the comments as the authors, not “yours”.
I grow semi-dwarf wheat. It does grow in nature. Like all plants, wheat grows best when there is plant food available and no competition from other species. Your comment that semi-dwarf wheat varieties make up most of today’s wheat supply is true. I would invite readers to do their own research before believing everything in this book.
Sorry, I should refer to the comments as the authors, not “yours”.
I did my own experiment. I have suffered from irritable bowel for years. I also am quite obese, 240lbs, 5’2″. So I was interested to see if eliminating gluten would help. It has been 12 weeks now. I am feeling much better, no irritable bowel symptoms. I have also lost 30 lbs. I don’t know if eliminating gluten will help everyone, but it is helping me.
I did my own experiment. I have suffered from irritable bowel for years. I also am quite obese, 240lbs, 5’2″. So I was interested to see if eliminating gluten would help. It has been 12 weeks now. I am feeling much better, no irritable bowel symptoms. I have also lost 30 lbs. I don’t know if eliminating gluten will help everyone, but it is helping me.
I just ordered “Wheat Belly”. Is there anywhere in the northeast to order “Einkorn wheat?
I have no idea.
I just ordered “Wheat Belly”. Is there anywhere in the northeast to order “Einkorn wheat?
I have no idea.
I started on the wheat and gluten
free diet and have had great results.
I feel so much better and don’t suffer
from IBS anymore.
I haven’t read in the book anything
about popcorn. Do you know if that would
be alright or not?
He didn’t mention that in the book.
I started on the wheat and gluten
free diet and have had great results.
I feel so much better and don’t suffer
from IBS anymore.
I haven’t read in the book anything
about popcorn. Do you know if that would
be alright or not?
He didn’t mention that in the book.
It’s my understanding that corn cause inflamation just the same as wheat. I also don’t eat oats as they are often grown next to wheat fields. I don’t eat any grains at all including corn, rice, barley, and oats. I believe that they all cause inflamation. My asthma is none existant when I exclude all grains. When I used to eat any grains I was physically exhausted after eating them and I ate them everyday. I was diagnosed with chronic fatique and was told that there was nothing I could do about it. Well I no longer sleep 12 hours a day and fall asleep driving. What a nightmare I was living. I would wake up feeling drugged and very hung over, when I hadn’t had a drink in years. No amount of sleep could make me feel refreshed. I now only sleep 7 – 8 hours a night and feel energized. My doctor had done a salvia test on me and it showed that my cortisol levels were so low that she couldn’t figure out how I was able to go to work on a daily basis. She wanted to put me on disability but I refused as I knew there was an answer out there. I stopped all grains and within 3 days I started to come out of a brain fog and didn’t mind going to work because I had energy to do it. I have eaten grains occasionally and have paid dearly for it. My asthma kicked in right away, I felt exhausted and had to run to the bathroom immediately. No thanks, I’m done with grains. By the way I don’t have Celiac Disease. I’ve been tested for it by my doctor.
It’s not necessary to have Celiac for grains to be a problem, as you found out.
It’s my understanding that corn cause inflamation just the same as wheat. I also don’t eat oats as they are often grown next to wheat fields. I don’t eat any grains at all including corn, rice, barley, and oats. I believe that they all cause inflamation. My asthma is none existant when I exclude all grains. When I used to eat any grains I was physically exhausted after eating them and I ate them everyday. I was diagnosed with chronic fatique and was told that there was nothing I could do about it. Well I no longer sleep 12 hours a day and fall asleep driving. What a nightmare I was living. I would wake up feeling drugged and very hung over, when I hadn’t had a drink in years. No amount of sleep could make me feel refreshed. I now only sleep 7 – 8 hours a night and feel energized. My doctor had done a salvia test on me and it showed that my cortisol levels were so low that she couldn’t figure out how I was able to go to work on a daily basis. She wanted to put me on disability but I refused as I knew there was an answer out there. I stopped all grains and within 3 days I started to come out of a brain fog and didn’t mind going to work because I had energy to do it. I have eaten grains occasionally and have paid dearly for it. My asthma kicked in right away, I felt exhausted and had to run to the bathroom immediately. No thanks, I’m done with grains. By the way I don’t have Celiac Disease. I’ve been tested for it by my doctor.
It’s not necessary to have Celiac for grains to be a problem, as you found out.
At least part of this problem is with the USDA and its bogus “Food Pyramid.” Dr. Luise Light was recruited to create the real Food Pyramid, and her Pyramid suggested a diet based primarily on vegetables and fruits, with grains limited to 2 helpings or “rare treats.” Her Pyramid was then changed by the powerful grain and cereal industry, which suggested a diet based primarily on starch, grains, pasta, etc., “6 to 11 servings a day.” Luise and her team protested that this would be a recipe for disaster – and diabetes. But the USDA allowed the cereal industry to have its way.
At least part of this problem is with the USDA and its bogus “Food Pyramid.” Dr. Luise Light was recruited to create the real Food Pyramid, and her Pyramid suggested a diet based primarily on vegetables and fruits, with grains limited to 2 helpings or “rare treats.” Her Pyramid was then changed by the powerful grain and cereal industry, which suggested a diet based primarily on starch, grains, pasta, etc., “6 to 11 servings a day.” Luise and her team protested that this would be a recipe for disaster – and diabetes. But the USDA allowed the cereal industry to have its way.
I’m still reading the book and have stopped wheat about 3 weeks ago. The foot pain I have been suffering from in the last 5 years is gone. I no longer get those horrible hunger pangs that would get me out of bed at midnight and have me munching on anything wheat til I was stuffed. I have already lost a few pounds and I have more energy. I also started juicing vegetables for added nutrition. I have not eliminated oatmeal. I do eat some brown rice, quinoa, brown rice pasta and sweet potatoes for starch. I’m simply amazed when I walk through a supermarket that EVERYTHING seems to have a wheat base to it. It’s almost like the grain & cereal industry is working with the pharmaceutical industry to keep people fat & ill, so they can both make money. My doctor will get a copy of this book for sure.
I hope your doctor reads it.
May we have more of what I CAN EAT instead of what I can’t. Here in Sri Lanka I have little choice, but there may be alternatives to ‘our daily bread’
May we have more of what I CAN EAT instead of what I can’t. Here in Sri Lanka I have little choice, but there may be alternatives to ‘our daily bread’
As I read about all this wail about wheat, I am eating a plate of whole wheat and at least two other grains cooked soft and seasoned to taste with sauteed garlic and onions and olives and tomatoes and cucumbers and avocado. It is really delicious and satisfying and I thought this was a wholesome meal to substitute instead of bread, or pasta. Am I now going to have to ditch this new-found pleasure because of “wheat-belly”. I feel that this new diet has given me more energy and I actually have lost the fat in my stomach. This is all too confusing. Is this wheat the original wheat that my grandparents used? Help!
The wheat you eat today is a strain that has only existed since the 1970s. I’d suggest reading the book and then deciding.
As I read about all this wail about wheat, I am eating a plate of whole wheat and at least two other grains cooked soft and seasoned to taste with sauteed garlic and onions and olives and tomatoes and cucumbers and avocado. It is really delicious and satisfying and I thought this was a wholesome meal to substitute instead of bread, or pasta. Am I now going to have to ditch this new-found pleasure because of “wheat-belly”. I feel that this new diet has given me more energy and I actually have lost the fat in my stomach. This is all too confusing. Is this wheat the original wheat that my grandparents used? Help!
The wheat you eat today is a strain that has only existed since the 1970s. I’d suggest reading the book and then deciding.
Finished wheat belly this morning. I have been 80% paleo for a while.. I think this was the proof I needed to go the rest of the way. I have found that people hate the idea of wheat being bad for them.. its best just to keep it to your self. I listened to your interview on Able James fat burning man and watched you movie after that… I was happy to find your review of this today… I am inspired!!
Yes, people have an emotional attachment to wheat. Breaking bread with family and friends, the “staff of life” and all that.
Finished wheat belly this morning. I have been 80% paleo for a while.. I think this was the proof I needed to go the rest of the way. I have found that people hate the idea of wheat being bad for them.. its best just to keep it to your self. I listened to your interview on Able James fat burning man and watched you movie after that… I was happy to find your review of this today… I am inspired!!
Yes, people have an emotional attachment to wheat. Breaking bread with family and friends, the “staff of life” and all that.
our website is on the works “www.tenenberrybysimplefood.com”. I have not read the book as of yet, however, BRAVO!!!!. As a manufacturer of gluten free products, mass awareness is key and thank you.
our website is on the works “www.tenenberrybysimplefood.com”. I have not read the book as of yet, however, BRAVO!!!!. As a manufacturer of gluten free products, mass awareness is key and thank you.
3 years ago I removed wheat from my diet because I had a knowing it was causing a problem with my not being able to lose weight. I immediately was able to lose over 60 lbs. Believe when I say I had worked on losing weight for many years without success. I foolish went back on wheat products and regained my weight very quickly along with severe arthritis in my ankles and knee. I decided I would need a wheel chair within a year if something didn’t change. I got off wheat, went on a what I call a just feast, and began taking Protandim. It is now 45 days later. I have lost over 25 lbs, I take 1/3 the amount of Aleve I was taking. I have onl;y 1/4 the pain I had. I FEEL 100% BETTER. My knee is free of pain. I was considering maybe I would need a replacement. I never heard of the Dr Davis book until about one week ago. I will just say this: I WILL NEVER EAT WHEAT AGAIN.
3 years ago I removed wheat from my diet because I had a knowing it was causing a problem with my not being able to lose weight. I immediately was able to lose over 60 lbs. Believe when I say I had worked on losing weight for many years without success. I foolish went back on wheat products and regained my weight very quickly along with severe arthritis in my ankles and knee. I decided I would need a wheel chair within a year if something didn’t change. I got off wheat, went on a what I call a just feast, and began taking Protandim. It is now 45 days later. I have lost over 25 lbs, I take 1/3 the amount of Aleve I was taking. I have onl;y 1/4 the pain I had. I FEEL 100% BETTER. My knee is free of pain. I was considering maybe I would need a replacement. I never heard of the Dr Davis book until about one week ago. I will just say this: I WILL NEVER EAT WHEAT AGAIN.
I am SO happy I found this book. I have mild Crohn’s disease, and my older sister was diagnosed with it for 20 years until her death, when at that time the medical professionals changed the diagnosis and said it was probably an underlying cancer (somewhere?). She died with pneumonia and blood poisoning on her death certificate, but I’m now convinced it was initiated by a constant Wheat diet as she lived in Scotland where everything is served with bread. I my self am a runner and have always eat “healthy carbs” like I was told … the pasta, whole grains etc. After eliminating the wheat for just a few days, I had no stomach issues any longer and, I was starting to have painful joints with arthritis which is another side effect of Crohn’s but, this has gone completely now following a wheat free diet. I have way more energy for running than ever these days, and I’m 58 years old. Plus lost belly fat which I battled with for years, that I put down to just my body type ! As far as telling other people about this, I just do what the author said, and simply say “Just try it for 3 weeks” and get back to me! Has anyone noticed a lowering of cholesterol with being wheat free? I have been battling this also, and pre diabetes with not luck. I am anxiously waiting to have it re done in 6 months with being gluten free, to see the results. I just have a feeling this will have improved also.
I’m sorry to hear about your sister. Yes, it’s common for lipid profiles to improve when wheat is eliminated
I am SO happy I found this book. I have mild Crohn’s disease, and my older sister was diagnosed with it for 20 years until her death, when at that time the medical professionals changed the diagnosis and said it was probably an underlying cancer (somewhere?). She died with pneumonia and blood poisoning on her death certificate, but I’m now convinced it was initiated by a constant Wheat diet as she lived in Scotland where everything is served with bread. I my self am a runner and have always eat “healthy carbs” like I was told … the pasta, whole grains etc. After eliminating the wheat for just a few days, I had no stomach issues any longer and, I was starting to have painful joints with arthritis which is another side effect of Crohn’s but, this has gone completely now following a wheat free diet. I have way more energy for running than ever these days, and I’m 58 years old. Plus lost belly fat which I battled with for years, that I put down to just my body type ! As far as telling other people about this, I just do what the author said, and simply say “Just try it for 3 weeks” and get back to me! Has anyone noticed a lowering of cholesterol with being wheat free? I have been battling this also, and pre diabetes with not luck. I am anxiously waiting to have it re done in 6 months with being gluten free, to see the results. I just have a feeling this will have improved also.
I’m sorry to hear about your sister. Yes, it’s common for lipid profiles to improve when wheat is eliminated
Ive been trying to lose weight without any sucess. My dr Mon told me to read this book Wheat Belly by Dr Davis I had to order it so Im waiting on it so I can start reading it Im hoping it is something that will help me & my husband he has RA really bad. We eat wheat bread and Im sure alot of stuff we eat has wheat in it Im anxious to start doing what the book says Praying this will be my answer to weight loss.
Ive been trying to lose weight without any sucess. My dr Mon told me to read this book Wheat Belly by Dr Davis I had to order it so Im waiting on it so I can start reading it Im hoping it is something that will help me & my husband he has RA really bad. We eat wheat bread and Im sure alot of stuff we eat has wheat in it Im anxious to start doing what the book says Praying this will be my answer to weight loss.
I just heard about “Wheat Belly” from a co-worker after mentioning to him that I had eliminated all grains from my diet 4 weeks ago as part of the “Hypothyroidism Revolution” program. ALL MY LIFE I have suffered with digestive issues, bloating, trapped gas pain, excess phlegm that caused me to be constantly clearing my throat, irritability, extreme PMS, depression and extreme fatigue that made me crave naps and not be able to make it through a whole day at the office. I am astounded by the results which began immediately. ALL of the symptoms I listed are GONE. THANK GOD!!!!
Outstanding. That’s why we keep spreading the word.
I just heard about “Wheat Belly” from a co-worker after mentioning to him that I had eliminated all grains from my diet 4 weeks ago as part of the “Hypothyroidism Revolution” program. ALL MY LIFE I have suffered with digestive issues, bloating, trapped gas pain, excess phlegm that caused me to be constantly clearing my throat, irritability, extreme PMS, depression and extreme fatigue that made me crave naps and not be able to make it through a whole day at the office. I am astounded by the results which began immediately. ALL of the symptoms I listed are GONE. THANK GOD!!!!
Outstanding. That’s why we keep spreading the word.
i just started reading the wheat belly book which i find very informative. i am suffering from excess phlegm and post nasal drip. everyday i consume a barley grass product that has brown rice and maltedextrine in it. is this the cause of this very annoying problem?from what i am learning all these grasses and grains are causing many problems. can this be true?? if this is the answer i will gladly eliminate these products and thank God for showing me the way!
Best I can suggest is that you give them up and see what happens.
i just started reading the wheat belly book which i find very informative. i am suffering from excess phlegm and post nasal drip. everyday i consume a barley grass product that has brown rice and maltedextrine in it. is this the cause of this very annoying problem?from what i am learning all these grasses and grains are causing many problems. can this be true?? if this is the answer i will gladly eliminate these products and thank God for showing me the way!
Best I can suggest is that you give them up and see what happens.
what are the doctor’s views on barley
Less of a problem than wheat, but probably not a good choice.
what are the doctor’s views on barley
Less of a problem than wheat, but probably not a good choice.
I have the Wheat Belly Book and started following it 4 days ago. I can’t believe the immediate changes – more energy, less aches and pains, digestion is much, much better and I feel the weight beginning to drop off! I’m very excited about my new wheat-free life. Recommend getting his Wheat Belly cookbook as well. Great recipes!!!
I have the Wheat Belly Book and started following it 4 days ago. I can’t believe the immediate changes – more energy, less aches and pains, digestion is much, much better and I feel the weight beginning to drop off! I’m very excited about my new wheat-free life. Recommend getting his Wheat Belly cookbook as well. Great recipes!!!
There is a critical review:
http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.com/2012/03/wheat-belly-busted.html
I wish Dr. Davis had been a bit more careful in his citations, as the
experience of many people back him up. I was following Practical Paleo,
and there are many similarities. I find this dropping of wheat and grains fairly
healthy so far, after a long time of frustration.
Has Dr. Davis answered this criticism anywhere?
The initial emotions of sadness give way eventually, but they are there.
There is a critical review:
http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.com/2012/03/wheat-belly-busted.html
I wish Dr. Davis had been a bit more careful in his citations, as the
experience of many people back him up. I was following Practical Paleo,
and there are many similarities. I find this dropping of wheat and grains fairly
healthy so far, after a long time of frustration.
Has Dr. Davis answered this criticism anywhere?
The initial emotions of sadness give way eventually, but they are there.
The barley thing raises some interesting questions. Barley has nothing to do with this book, therefore shouldn’t be scrutinized. Saying barley is ‘not a good choice’ needs to be expanded upon. If my goal is to avoid carbs, that comment might be valid. But eating bacon and eggs every day probably isn’t a good choice either. However, after reading posts from the Wheat Belly Facebook page, it’s amusing to me how happy all these people are because they think wheat is the source of all evil. If they avoid wheat, they can eat lard covered lard balls simmered in lard enhanced lard, not exercise, go out to eat and eat everything they want– as long as they don’t eat the bun!
Actually, you can eat lard-covered lard balls with no ill effects.