William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 106

Stephen’s return from the medical quagmire

Stephen shared his 60-day Wheat Belly experience:

“Started Wheat Belly 60 days ago after a major health crisis. I found out I had type 2 diabetes 2 and very bad cholesterol. My numbers 60 days ago were: cholesterol 189, triglycerides 475, LDL could not be measured as it was so bad, HDL was 32. Two weeks ago: 20 pound weight loss, wearing a 15.5-inch neck size shirt compared to an 18. Triglycerides 79, LDL 25, HDL 40, cholesterol 81.

“I was first told on January 24, 2016 that my glucose level was 157. Forty five days later, my average glucose was 107 when measured by my diabetes counselor by downloading the data on my Accu-Chek (glucose monitoring system). My atrovastatin [Lipitor] has been reduced by 75 percent.

“This is the greatest way to live. Thank you, Dr. William Davis, for your books, website, and all you do to promote healthy living!”

I call this Stephen’s “return from a medical quagmire” because his conditions—type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, low HDL, high cholesterol, overweight (and probably, though he does not mention it, fatty liver)—are all products of bad conventional dietary advice and the awful medical advice that accompanies it.

Think about it: advise the public to cut their fat and cholesterol, then load up on “healthy whole grains.” What diseases come of this advice, then “treated” with drugs? Here are a few:

Type 2 diabetes–insulin, oral and injectable diabetes drugs
High triglycerides–Lovaza, fibrate drugs, statins
Low HDL–statins, fibrates, Niaspan
High cholesterol/LDL cholesterol–statins, ezetimibe
Fatty liver–Drug companies are still working on how to monetize this one.
Acid reflux, esophagitis–H2 blockers, proton-pump inhibitors
Irritable bowel syndrome–antispasmodics, anticholinergics
Ulcerative colitis, Crohns disease–prednisone, Asacol, methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporine, Remicade
Migraine headache–Imitrex, beta blockers, calcium blockers, amitryptiline, antidepressants
Hypertension–beta blockers, calcium blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, diuretics

You get the idea. Create the problem with flawed advice, profit from the treatment. All conditions are chronic, non-infectious, non-communicable, non-traumatic, but long-term: the perfect means to monetize human health.

This is why it is so wonderful to hear from people like Stephen who have come to understand that a simple shift in diet—do NOT cut fat, do NOT eat grains—along with a handful of other simple strategies, has the potential to turn around this awful mess that “official” dietary advice, the world of misinformed dietitians and doctors, and the pharmaceutical industry have created.

I’m sometimes accused of saying such things to get attention, which makes me laugh. I’m just as happy walking my dog as I am appearing on national TV. I say these things because I am trying to help right a huge wrong, a multi-billion dollar wrong accompanied by huge suffering for all the people, unlike Stephen, who do not discover that the answers to health and weight loss are so simple.

The post Stephen’s return from the medical quagmire appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

ZERO TOLERANCE for hypoglycemia

Wheat elimination starts you powerfully on the path to reversing diabetes. We’ve seen it many times and it continues to develop in people who kiss their bagels, pretzels, and processed foods booby-trapped with wheat and grains goodbye.

But, as diabetics become less diabetic–a process that can occur VERY quickly, often within days of removing all wheat and grain products from their diet–but they are taking insulin or certain diabetes drugs, there is potential for hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Low blood sugar from diabetes drugs can be dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. (Imagine if a non-diabetic started administering insulin or blood sugar-reducing drugs–it would result in a mess.)

Unfortunately, you cannot always rely on your doctor. Most physicians are unschooled in how to cure diabetes and therefore how to manage the hypoglycemia that may develop on your way to cure. (They are very good at CAUSING diabetes, however, prescribing diets like “An 1800-calorie American Diabetes Association Diet,” a typical dietary order in the hospital that RAISES blood sugar.) It is nonetheless important to at least discuss your questions with your doctor. (If you encounter resistance, get a new doctor, preferably one in functional medicine who is more apt to understand nutrition and biochemistry.)

So I reprint a section I wrote for the Wheat Belly Cookbook that details some of the important issues to be aware of if you are diabetic on insulin or diabetes drugs and remove wheat from your diet:

“There is not a shred of evidence that sugar, per se, has anything to do with getting diabetes.”

Richard Kahn, PhD

Recently retired Chief Scientific & Medical Officer

American Diabetes Association

Dr. Kahn’s comment echoes conventional thinking on diabetes: Eat all the grains and candy you want . . . just be sure to talk to your doctor about diabetes medications.

If you eat foods that increase blood sugar, it increases your need for diabetes medications. If you reduce or eliminate foods that increase blood sugar, then it decreases your need for diabetes medications. The equation for most people with adult, or type 2, diabetes, is really that simple.

But several precautions are necessary if you are diabetic and are taking certain diabetes drugs. The potential danger is hypoglycemia, low blood sugars (e.g., less than 70 mg/dl) . . . as well as the uninformed objections of many doctors who have come to believe that diabetes is incurable, irreversible, and a diagnosis for life.

Some medications, such as metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and acarbose (Precose), rarely if ever result in hypoglycemia when taken by themselves. They are effective for preventing blood sugar rises, but tend to not generate blood sugar lows.

However, other medications, especially glyburide (DiaBeta, Micronase), glipizide (Glucotrol), glimepiride (Amaryl), and various insulin preparations can cause severe and dangerous hypoglycemia if taken while reducing or eliminating wheat and carbohydrates. For this reason, many people eliminate these oral drugs or slash insulin doses by 50% at the start, even if it means some temporary increase in blood sugars. The key is to avoid hypoglycemia as you consume less food that increases blood sugar, even if it means higher near-term blood sugars.

Other medications, such as sitagliptin (Januvia), saxagliptin (Onglyza), linagliptin (Tradjenta), exenatide (Byetta) and liraglutide (Victoza) usually do not result in hypoglycemia but occasionally can, especially if taken in combination with other diabetes drugs.

Because of the complexity of these responses, you should ideally work with a healthcare provider adept at navigating these issues as you become less and less diabetic. Problem: Most doctors and diabetes educators have no idea whatsoever how to do this, as they will tell you that, once you have diabetes, you will always have it and trying to get rid of it is fruitless and foolhardy (to the appreciative applause of the diabetes drug industry). So don’t be surprised if you are left on your own. At the very least, you want to check to see if your doctor will work with you and, if not, at least try and find another who will. Also, frequent monitoring of blood sugars is essential. I tell my patients on the path to becoming non-diabetic that high blood sugars (though maintained below 200 mg/dl) are preferable to low blood sugars (below 100 mg/dl) in this transition period. If, for instance, you are obtaining blood sugars in the morning (fasting) of 100 mg/dl, it is time to further reduce or eliminate a medication, such as glipizide or Lantus insulin taken at bedtime.

Any diabetic who wants to better understand the details of becoming non-diabetic would also benefit from knowing about the resources of Dr. Richard Bernstein, author of The Diabetes Solution. More information can be found at http://www.diabetes-book.com. The critical issue here is to understand that many people with diabetes have been told that they have an incurable condition for a lifetime and that a diet rich in “healthy whole grains” is essential—-advice that ensures you remain diabetic. Do the opposite─-eliminate “healthy whole grains,” especially the most dangerous grain of all, wheat─-and limit other carbohydrates, including non-wheat grains like millet, corn, and oats, and diabetes unwinds itself with reduced fasting blood sugars and HbA1c in the majority.

More recently, the American Diabetes Association’s Chief Scientific & Medical Officer, Dr. Richard Kahn, added, “Diabetes prevention is a waste of resources.” Why, think of all the money that could instead go to pharmaceutical research and marketing!

The post ZERO TOLERANCE for hypoglycemia appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Melinda loses weight despite metoprolol

I’ve talked previously about how some drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, can block weight loss. Metoprolol, a beta blocker prescribed to treat heart rhythm disorders, hypertension, coronary disease, migraine headaches, and other conditions, is on that list. But Melinda succeeded in losing an impressive amount of weight despite taking this drug.

“I have lost a 110 pounds over the last two and a half years. I still need to lose another 90 pounds. I just found an article written by you saying that metoprolol may prevent weight loss. This is very disheartening, as I have worked hard to lose weight and to think all along this may have prevented me from losing more weight. I am going to make an appointment with my heart doctor on Monday.”

Well, first of all, Melinda should be congratulated on losing a lot of weight despite being put on a drug that generally blocks weight loss—an impressive achievement. Secondly, the rhythm issue may have improved with the Wheat Belly strategies, specifically wheat/grain elimination (big effect), magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and cultivation of bowel flora. This will need to be assessed by Melinda’s cardiologist, of course. Ideally, Melinda will get off the drug, require a lesser dose, or have it replaced with one that does not block weight loss. (It also depends on what variety of rhythm disorder she has.) This is part of the broad front of disease reversal that people enjoy on this lifestyle.

Recall that the Wheat Belly concepts got their start many years ago as part of an effort to halt or reverse coronary artery disease. And it does indeed do so. But while delivering this program to thousands of people, I also witnessed many reducing or stopping atrial fibrillation (a variety of heart rhythm disorder), hypertension, high triglycerides, excess small LDL particles, raising HDL, reducing blood sugar and HbA1c, reducing inflammation. In other words, not only does the Wheat Belly lifestyle bring weight loss, reduction of joint pain, reversal of depression and food obsessions, etc., it also achieves heart health to an extraordinary degree.

If Melinda transformed her weight and health so much even with the success-blocking effect of metoprolol in her body, it will be fascinating to see what she achieves if she can get off the drug. Please provide us with an update in future, Melinda!

 

The post Melinda loses weight despite metoprolol appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Everything you need to know about iodine

 

What if your diet is perfect–no wheat, no junk carbohydrates like that from corn or sugars, you are physically active–yet you fail to lose weight? Or you hit a plateau after an initial loss?

Think iodine.

Iodine is an essential nutrient. It is no more optional than, say, celebrating your wedding anniversary or obtaining vitamin C. If you forget to do something nice for your wife on your wedding anniversary, I would fear for your life. If you develop open sores all over your body and your joints fall apart, you could undergo extensive plastic surgery reconstruction and joint replacement . . . or you could just treat the scurvy causing it from lack of vitamin C.

Likewise iodine: If you have an iodine deficiency, you experience lower thyroid hormone production, since T3 and T4 thyroid hormones require iodine (the “3” and “4” refer to the number of iodine atoms per thyroid hormone molecule). This leads to lower energy (since the thyroid controls metabolic rate), cold hands and feet (since the thyroid is thermoregulatory, i.e., temperature regulating), and failed weight loss. So iodine deficiency is one of the items on the list of issues to consider if you eliminate wheat and grains with their appetite-stimulating opiate, gliadin, and high-glycemic carbohydrate, amylopectin A, and limit other carbohydrates, yet still fail to lose weight. A perfect diet will not fully overcome the metabolism-limiting effects of an underactive thyroid, whether caused by iodine deficiency or thyroid inflammation.

Given sufficient time, an enlarged thyroid gland, or goiter, develops, signaling longstanding iodine deficiency. (The treatment? Iodine, of course, not thyroid removal, as many endocrinologists and surgeons advocate.) Your risk for heart attack, by the way, in the presence of a goiter is increased several-fold. Goiters are becoming increasingly common because people have been advised to reduce their salt but not obtain iodine by other means.

Iodine is found in the ocean and thereby anything that comes from the ocean, such as seafood and seaweed. Iodine also leaches into the soil but only does so coastally. It means that crops and livestock grown along the coasts have some quantity of iodine. Humans hunting and foraging along the coast will be sufficient in iodine, while populations migrating inland will not.

It also means that foods grown inland do not have iodine. This odd distribution for us land dwelling primates means that goiters are exceptionally common unless iodine is supplemented. Up to 25% of the population can develop goiters without iodine supplementation, a larger percentage experiencing lesser degrees of iodine deficiency without goiter.

In 1924, the FDA became aware of the studies that linked goiters to lack of iodine. That’s why they passed a regulation encouraging salt manufacturers to add iodine, thought to be an easy and effective means for an uneducated, rural populace to obtain this essential nutrient. Their message: “Use more iodized salt. Keep your family goiter free!” That was actually the slogan on the Morton’s iodized salt label, too.

 

It worked. The rampant goiters of the first half of the 20th century disappeared. Iodized salt was declared an incredible public health success story. Use more salt, use more salt.

You know the rest. Overuse of salt led to other issues, such as hypertension in genetically susceptible people, water retention, and other conditions of sodium overexposure. The FDA then advised Americans to slash their intake of sodium and salt . . . but make no mention of iodine.

So what recurs? Iodine deficiency and goiters. Sure, you eat seafood once or twice per week, maybe even have the nori (sheet seaweed) on your sushi once in a while . . . but that won’t do it for most. Maybe you even sneak some iodized salt into your diet, but occasional use is insufficient, especially since the canister of iodized salt only contains iodine for around 4 weeks, given iodine’s volatile nature. (Iodized salt did work when everybody in the house salted their food liberally and Mom had to buy a new canister every few weeks.)

Iodine deficiency is common and increasing in prevalence, given the widespread avoidance of iodized salt. So what happens when you become iodine deficient? Among the effects:

–Weight loss is stalled or you gain weight despite your efforts

–Heart disease risk is escalated

–Total and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride values increase

–Risk of fibrocystic breast disease and breast cancer increase (breast tissue concentrates iodine)

–Gingivitis and poor oral health (salivary glands concentrate iodine)

So how do you ensure that you obtain sufficient iodine every day? You could, of course, eat something from the ocean every day, as coastal populations such as the Japanese do. Or you could take an inexpensive iodine supplement. You can get iodine in a multivitamin, multimineral, or iodine drops, tablets, or capsules.

What is the dose? Here’s where we get iffy. We know that the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), the intake to not have a goiter, is 150 mcg per day for adults (220 mcg for pregnant females, 290 mcg for lactating females). Most supplements therefore contain this quantity.

But what if our question is what is the quantity of iodine required for ideal thyroid function and overall health? Ah, that’s where the data are sketchy. We know, for instance, that the Japanese obtain somewhere between 3,500 and 13,000 mcg per day (varying widely due to different habits and locations). Are they healthier than us? Yes, quite a bit healthier, though there may be other effects to account for this, such as a culture of less sweet foods and more salty, less wheat consumption, etc. There are advocates in the U.S., such as Dr. David Brownstein in Michigan, who argues that some people benefit by taking doses in the 30,000 to 50,000 mcg per day range (monitored with urinary iodine levels). (In my view, this is nonsense: such quantities were not obtainable by wild living humans–all strategies that provide outsized and natural benefits must fit into the adaptive model of human life explaining, for instance, the extravagant benefits of eliminating wheat and grains from the diet. I therefore wonder if such mega-doses of iodine are doing nothing more than treating dysbiosis, since iodine is an antimicrobial, after all.)

As is often the case with nutrients, we lack data to help us decide where the truly ideal level of intake lies. So I have been using and advocating intakes of 500 to 1000 mcg per day from iodine capsules, tablets, or drops, a level that I believe is closer to the ideal intake. A very easy way to get this dose of iodine is in the form of kelp tablets, i.e., dried seaweed, essentially mimicking the natural means of intake that also provides iodine in all its varied forms (iodide, sodium iodate, potassium iodide, potassium iodate, iodinated proteins, etc.) This has worked out well with no ill effects.

The only concern with iodine is in people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or (rarely) an overactive thyroid nodule. Anyone with these conditions should only undertake iodine replacement carefully and under supervision (monitoring thyroid hormone levels) if a knowledgeable health practitioner is available which, sadly, is rarely the case, since most people in conventional healthcare are woefully ignorant about this mineral. I have therefore had many people with Hashimoto’s start with teensy-weensy doses of iodine drops, e.g., 50 mcg per day once they have removed all wheat and grains to start the process of reducing thyroid inflammation, combined with vitamin D restoration, then increase iodine intake by 50 mcg per day every few months until the desired dose is achieved. This has worked without provoking hyperthyroidism (excessive thyroid hormone activity due to reactivated thyroid inflammation).

Iodine is inexpensive, safe, and essential to health and weight management. If it were a drug, it would enjoy expensive marketing and a high price tag. But it is an essential nutrient that enjoys none of the attention-getting advantages of drugs, and therefore is unlikely to be mentioned by your doctor, yet carries great advantage for helping to maintain overall health.

The post Everything you need to know about iodine appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

The next Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Challenge is coming!

The next Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox challenge starts WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30th. Join the thousands of people who are losing weight and regaining health, while having the company and support of others who are going through it with you or have recently completed their own Detox!

To join the Detox Challenge:

Step 1)

Get the book. And read it. Detox Challenge participants should be informed and active in order to get the most out of the challenge and private Facebook group.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JqzMea

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/wheatbelly10daygraindet...

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1KwcFTQ

Step 2)

Come join the Private Facebook Group.

http://bit.ly/WheatBelly-PrivateFBGroup

Step 3)

Head back to the Private Facebook Group starting March 29th and onwards for tips, video, and discussions to help you get through your detox and reprogram your body for rapid weight loss. Dr. Davis will be posting video instructions and answers to all your questions.

The post The next Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Challenge is coming! appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Am I too skinny?

LM posted this interesting dilemma:

“I wonder if anyone has experienced TOO MUCH weight loss with the wheat-free diet?

“I have been eliminating obvious sources of wheat for roughly 4 months and have been steadily losing weight. By obvious, I mean that I don’t go out of my way to avoid things that contain trace amounts of wheat, soy sauce, or other sauces thickened with flour. I also don’t totally avoid beer, though I tend not to drink a lot of it. I have tested negative for celiac disease and don’t believe that I have a noticeable sensitivity to wheat.

“In the first month or so, I started noticing a change of shape in the stomach, hips, rear, and thighs, as evidenced by my trousers becoming gradually baggier; but now the scale confirms that I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds, and I was not overweight to begin with. It was never my intent to lose weight, but I was initially happy with slimming effect of the new regimen. Now I’ve gone from being happy with the results to wondering if I should be concerned. I exercise and try to eat well, being mindful of minimizing carbohydrate intake/effects on blood sugar. I don’t think I have any other health issues going on. I also don’t think that I’m underweight for my height . . . yet, but am content with my present size and would like to stabilize here. A matter of practicality: Only about 2 pairs of pants still fit me and I’m reluctant to go shopping because I don’t know how much more I might shrink.

“I look forward to comments or suggestions from anyone who has had a similar experience or just has some advice to impart.”

First of all, let’s consider the broad perspective of LM’s dilemma: He is worried about losing too much weight . . . in the midst of the world’s worst epidemic of weight gain and obesity! There are literally tens of millions of people who would gladly experience this “problem.”

Remove the opiate appetite stimulant that derives from the gliadin protein of wheat and related grains and you lose this driver of incessant appetite and increased calorie intake. Appetite then reverts back to that required to provide sustenance: You eat what you require, nothing more, nothing less. Weight most frequently returns over time to your physiological ideal. It is not uncommon for people following this wheat-free lifestyle to plateau at a weight that was lower than anticipated.

However, there are issues to consider when the “Am I too skinny?” question arises:



Are you really too skinny?

Or are you normal but just look too skinny in a world of overweight and obese people? Take a look at an old movie from the 1950s, for instance, and notice that everyone is “skinny”–just like you. They are normal.

The Wheat Belly approach does not limit calories nor fat or protein.

If you feel you have lost too much weight, eat more avocados, more coconut oil, more fat on your meats or poultry, more raw nuts, etc.

Add back muscle.

Weight loss is a combination of fat loss and muscle loss. If you lose, say, 30 pounds total weight, 10 pounds of that lost weight can be muscle. The muscle is easily regained through strength training.

Take comfort in the fact that, minus the appetite stimulation of modern wheat and grains, you gravitate back towards a healthy weight. Modest adjustments in perception, diet, and exercise might be necessary, but you will not––provided you are eating real, single ingredient healthy foods––disappear into a dry pile of dust due to grain “deprivation.”

The post Am I too skinny? appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Looks what 30 days of Wheat Belly did for Michelle

Michelle shared her 30-day progress pictures after starting the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

“This is Day 1 and Day 30 eliminating the wheat. Same time of day, fresh out of the shower, exact same lighting, and I promise, that is not a tan, it’s the middle of winter in Philly. I’m obese and was diagnosed with NAFLD, but thanks to Wheat Belly, I’m well on my way to finally getting healthy.

“I lost 15 lbs in the first 30 days and am off all of medication for GERD. I truly believe that it was wheat making me sick.”

Michelle’s facial changes are subtle, but there is most definitely a difference that, I believe, is most noticeable around the eyes. She also seems to have puffiness to the right and left of the mouth, another common phenomenon among the wheat/ and grain-free. And, while it is tough for us to gauge whether there has been a change in skin color given the varied lighting, it sounds like Michelle herself has noticed a change in color, perhaps accurately reflected in the photos.

The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD, that Michelle has is a common problem with wheat, grain, and sugar consumption. And it is SO easy to reverse with wheat/grain/sugar elimination. Talk to the average doctor, however, and he will tell you that it’s because you eat too much, have too much saturated fat, and that they are trying to develop prescription drugs to treat it. Yet you can turn fatty liver around in a matter of weeks by following this lifestyle with huge drops in AST and ALT liver markers. This lifestyle works because you are “depriving” your liver of the amylopectin A carbohydrates and other sugars that the liver converts to fats (via a process called de novo lipogenesis). Michelle will hopefully provide us with an update when her blood work is repeated in May.

The post Looks what 30 days of Wheat Belly did for Michelle appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Michelle shared her 30-day progress pictures after start...

Michelle shared her 30-day progress pictures after starting the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

“This is Day 1 and Day 30 eliminating the wheat. Same time of day, fresh out of the shower, exact same lighting, and I promise, that is not a tan, it’s the middle of winter in Philly. I’m obese and was diagnosed with NAFLD, but thanks to Wheat Belly, I’m well on my way to finally getting healthy.

“I lost 15 lbs in the first 30 days and am off all of medication for GERD. I truly believe that it was wheat making me sick.”

Michelle’s facial changes are subtle, but there is most definitely a difference that, I believe, is most noticeable around the eyes. She also seems to have puffiness to the right and left of the mouth, another common phenomenon among the wheat/ and grain-free. And, while it is tough for us to gauge whether there has been a change in skin color given the varied lighting, it sounds like Michelle herself has noticed a change in color, perhaps accurately reflected in the photos.

The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD, that Michelle has is a common problem with wheat, grain, and sugar consumption. And it is SO easy to reverse with wheat/grain/sugar elimination. Talk to the average doctor, however, and he will tell you that it’s because you eat too much, have too much saturated fat, and that they are trying to develop prescription drugs to treat it. Yet you can turn fatty liver around in a matter of weeks by following this lifestyle with huge drops in AST and ALT liver markers. This lifestyle works because you are “depriving” your liver of the amylopectin A carbohydrates and other sugars that the liver converts to fats (via a process called de novo lipogenesis). Michelle will hopefully provide us with an update when her blood work is repeated in May.

The post appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Cathy’s latest Wheat Belly update

You may remember Cathy from a prior Wheat Belly Blog post when her facial transformation reflected a dramatic reversal of facial edema and inflammation. She recently provided an update with the “before” and 15-month “after” photos above.

Again and again, you will see that, if people stay on course on the Wheat Belly lifestyle, they do not regain the weight, they do not reacquire inflammation, they remain free of all the health problems associated with prior grain consumption, such as diabetes, skin rashes, acid reflux, IBS, emotional ups and downs, leg edema, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, etc. They feel terrific, they look fabulous. Cathy’s face has “deflated,” altering her appearance quite dramatically.

The Wheat Belly lifestyle, completely contrary to all conventional dietary advice, is empowering, uplifting, thinning, and anti-inflammatory, just as Cathy’s facial transformation demonstrates. Here are her photos lined up chronologically:

The post Cathy’s latest Wheat Belly update appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Julie’s transformation on Wheat Belly Detox and onward

Julie first shared her experience and photos in early December, 2015 after completing the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox.  Her photos (far left and middle) reflect the changes we see so often with wheat/grain elimination: less skin edema to the right and left of the mouth and around the eyes, all part of the body-wide reversal of inflammation.

I recently asked Julie for an update now that she has graduated from the initial Wheat Belly Detox process and is 4 months into the program. He she is now, photo far right. You can see that the early changes of December have continued with further reversal of edema/facial puffiness. Yes, she lost 43.5 pounds since November 30th, but she has also managed to dramatically reverse inflammation.

In fact, she looks so dramatically different that I’ll bet friends and acquaintances who haven’t seen her in a while wonder whether it’s the same person. Compare the far left photo to the far right photo: in which photo does Julie look healthier? Hands down, she looks far healthier than her former grain-impaired self.

More than weight loss (though 43 pounds is nothing to sniff at!), the Wheat Belly lifestyle is about reversing the abnormal inflammation that develops when you follow idiotic advice to make “healthy whole grains” the centerpiece of your diet.

 

 

 

 

The post Julie’s transformation on Wheat Belly Detox and onward appeared first on Dr. William Davis.