William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 113

Don’t Eat the Fruitcake

Wheat Belly Blog reader, PJ, sent this wonderful letter (below) to her family and shared it on the Wheat Belly Blog a few years ago. Because it was her holiday wish to her family, I thought it would be a great chance to post it again as it is a call to friends and family to open their eyes: health is just a breadcrumb away.

Nothing beats showing up at a holiday party of friends or family 40 pounds lighter, glowing with newly rediscovered health, full of energy and optimism, while everyone else is wondering how much longer they can hold their bowel urgency, how much leg edema will result from standing on their feet for more than an hour, and why that plate of cookies shrinks faster than all others. If you haven’t already done so, let this be your holiday season of wheat- and grain-free health for you and your family!

Dear Friends, Family and Co-Workers:

You’ve been complaining that you just can’t lose those extra pounds and you feel like crap. You’re concerned about your blood sugar and don’t know why you get those stomach aches after you eat and the bathroom has become your personal chamber of horrors. Heartburn, joint pain, and acne are daily battles. Your doctor says you should be on statins and blood pressure meds because he has your best interests at heart. He’s the one that knows what’s good for you. Besides, wouldn’t it just be easier to do as you’re told?

I can feel your frustration and helplessness when you talk about how you feel and your fears for the future. I tell you over and over and over again to eliminate the grains and sugar from your diet but you tell me that you just CAN’T give up your breads and desserts. It’s too HARD! You say you would do ANYTHING to lose the weight and feel better but it doesn’t make sense that “they” would tell us to eat at least six servings a day if it wasn’t good for you! And fat makes you fat! And it clogs your arteries! Right?

You think I’m a wacko and roll your eyes when I talk about dietary lifestyle. God forbid you read a book or do a little internet research. You’ve decided to do as you were told (because it’s easier and you don’t have to think for yourself) and all the experts agree that you need to cut back on red meat and all fats, eat lots of fruits and veggies and more whole healthy grains. And this time, for sure, you’re going to exercise like a fiend. After all, it’s calories in, calories out, right? After all, it worked one time, long ago when you needed to lose 10 pounds to look awesome in your new dress . . . in HIGH SCHOOL.

Well, when those pounds come back and you feel worse than ever, you’re going to see your doctor to get his/her expert advice and he/she will probably tell you it’s all in your head or you’re not trying hard enough. So you’re going to reduce your calories even more and add a couple extra miles a week to your jogging program. It’s not going to work, tho, because, let’s face it . . . you’re weak and lack motivation. When you fail, it’ll be your fault because the advice you’ve been given is the gold standard for health, after all.

Eventually your doctor will intimidate you into taking his magic pills. And you’ll take them, because it’s easier. Don’t worry about the side effects of these drugs because there’s another pill for that, too. This will go on until you’re held together with pharmaceutical band aids, living a longer, albeit miserable, unproductive life.

But look on the bright side. If the label that’s slapped on what’s ailing you is serious enough there are so many benefits to becoming disabled! Disability gets you a handicapped sticker for convenient parking, discounts on public transportation, priority seating on an airplane (if you fit in their seats by that time), and you don’t have to work at a job for your income. Yea! Those electric scooters at your favorite stores are so much fun! Hey, maybe disability/Medicare will make sure you get one of your very own, at no cost to you! (All my grain eating friends that live alone, don’t forget that you can get a discount on Life Alert through AARP!) Don’t even concern yourself about the price of all your prescriptions because there is always a benevolent drug company willing to help with the cost. You’ll get all of this without ever having to think for yourself or take responsibility for your health. After all, isn’t it just . . . EASIER?

Your healthy friends may drift away, but you’ll never have to worry about being lonely because you’ll be making tons of new friends with the people you meet in the doctors’ waiting rooms! Imagine all the beautiful Christmas cards you’ll get every year from all those doctors and their caring staff!

Remember, it’s never too late to change your attitude toward your health. I’m here if you’re serious about making a change for the better. I have a ton of websites you can visit, a bunch of books you can read and lots of people you can talk to. It’s your choice.

However, if you choose to stay the path you’re on . . . I’ll miss you.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!

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No folate fortification for the grain-free

Advocates of wheat and grain consumption claim that multiple nutritional deficiencies will develop if we eliminate them from our diet. Not true. Let’s explore this question.

Folates are a B vitamin necessary for multiple cell processes, including assembly of DNA and RNA. Folates are therefore especially necessary during pregnancy, as the fetus requires this nutrient to assemble and grow its own genetic code.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for folates and folic acid, which are lumped together as Dietary Folate Equivalents, is 400 mcg per day in adults (male and female), 600 mcg per day in pregnant females. (1 DFE = 1 mcg food folate = 0.6 mcg folic acid from supplements and fortified foods.) Folate deficiency can show itself as anemia (megaloblastic variety, or big red blood cells), impairment of neurologic function, and the feared and devastating neural tube defects (e.g., spina bifida) in infants born to mothers who are folate-deficient.

Because folates are so crucial to pregnant women, the FDA has passed regulations that require manufacturers of breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice, and other grain products to enrich them with folates, usually synthetic folic acid. So one of the first concerns in going wheat-free (or, at least eliminating this fraud being sold as “wheat”) is folate deficiency. So let’s explore that question.

Two slices of whole wheat bread provide 50 mcg of folates (as folic acid) after fortification. So how do other dietary sources of folate stack up? Here’s a partial list:

Almonds, 1/2 cup, unblanched: 24 mcg

Asparagus, 10 medium stalks: 230 mcg

Avocado, 1 cup: 90 mcg

Black beans, 1/2 cup, cooked: 64 mcg

Broccoli, 2 raw spears: 45 mcg

Brussel sprouts, 1 cup, cooked: 93 mcg

Cauliflower, 1/2 cup, raw: 30 mcg

Celery, 1 large stalk, raw: 23 mcg

Eggs, 2 large: 41 mcg

Green beans, 1 cup, raw: 33 mcg

Green onions, 1/2 cup: 51 mcg

Liver, beef, 4 ounces: 285 mcg

Romaine lettuce, 2 cups: 77 mcg

Spinach, 1 cup cooked: 261 mcg

Spinach, 2 cups raw: 116 mcg

Summer squash, 1/2 cup, cooked: 23 mcg

Tomato, 1 medium, 18 mcg

Walnuts, 1/2 cup: 59 mcg

So folate-fortified bread is, by no means, a standout source of folates. Wheat products can indeed serve as a supplemental source of folates, however, in an unhealthy diet of soft drinks, vending machine foods, and cheap fast food, as long as you are willing to tolerate the weight gain, inflammation, acid reflux, IBS, high blood sugars, autoimmune diseases, and increased risk for heart disease, cancer, and dementia that come along with these sources. But a diet dominated by real, whole foods like the ones in the list above, especially liver and green leafy vegetables like spinach, can provide an adequate quantity of folate for the majority living a wheat- and grain-free lifestyle.

Anyone interested in ensuring adequate folate intake, especially pregnant and lactating women, can easily supplement folate intake with an inexpensive folic acid or B-complex supplement. Folic acid costs somewhere around $3 for a 90-day supply of 400 mcg tablets. Also, see the discussion in Wheat Belly Total Health about the suspected adverse effects of synthetic folic acid, especially with doses of 800 mcg or more, and why the 5-methylfolate may be the preferred supplemental form, if you must supplement.

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Samantha’s flat belly update

Samantha provided us with an update on her progress on the Wheat Belly lifestyle. You may recall her story from June, 2015 when she had experienced a dramatic improvement in health and had lost 60 pounds. Another 6 months later and you see the results on the photo on the right. She says:

“I was battling severe brain fog, major breakouts, migraines, loose stools, exhaustion, no energy, stomach pains, gas, bloating, unexplained weight gain, vision problems, tired all the time, depression, anxiety, insomnia, joint pains, hypothyroidism, racing heart, literally thought I was dying, and the list just goes on and on.

“My health has dramatically improved. I have energy. I can play with my son. Almost all my symptoms have vanished. I’m not longer depressed. I’m not as mad now. My hair is no longer falling out. It’s just amazing how I feel.

“Three years ago vs today. Total loss of 77 lbs within last two years.”

Samantha’s life and health has been changed in profound ways by following this lifestyle. Over years, doctor after doctor failed to diagnose the cause of her conditions, choosing instead to scope, test, and prescribe drugs while her health got worse and worse. But you can appreciate from stories and photos like Samantha’s that this is, yes, a means of losing weight, but it is also a powerful means of reclaiming health in so many varied ways.

Samantha’s experience is more dramatic than most, but a reminder to us that wheat and grains are chronic poisons, unsuited to be consumed by humans. But once you recognize this basic fact of human adaptation, you are freed from an incredible amount of bad dietary and health advice, as well as an impressive list of health problems.

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Patty at 53 back in the dress she wore at 28

Patty shared photos and comments describing her Wheat Belly experience:

“67 pounds gone, but more importantly, I feel so incredibly healthy!”

In apologizing for the poor quality of her “before” photo (as many do who were reluctant to have their photo taken in that condition), Patty added:

“I didn’t take too many [photos] because I hated myself in photos. Having free food at a law firm with all carbs made me massive in two years. So sad. But I am back to me. Eating real food only.”

Yes, the foods shared at the office, meetings, school, social gatherings—more often than not, are made with the cheap filler that are grains. Just as you feed cows and pigs grains to fatten them up, so it goes with humans. Grains are the root of obesity and XXXL dress sizes. You might call it organic whole wheat bread, you could call it gluten-free multigrain bread, you could call it dark rye or pumpernickel or high-fructose corn syrup—they all start with the seeds of grasses, “grains,” that humans are simply not evolutionarily equipped to handle.

Patty also shared a photo of herself at age 53 again fitting into a dress she last wore at age 28:

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Wheat Belly Dairy-Free Irish Cream

This is an adults-only treat!

If you are a fan of the Irish Cream served as a liqueur or splashed over ice cream or other desserts, this is how you make a healthy version rich with all the flavor but with none of the sugar. I provide the dairy-free version here. Replace the coconut milk with an equivalent quantity of cream or half-and-half for a dairy version.

I’ve made this many times and presented as a gift in a decorative glass bottle, perfect for the holidays. Optionally, top with shaved dark chocolate or a stick of cinnamon. For an alcohol-free version, leave out the rum.

Makes approximately 2 cups

3 eggs

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

3½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Sweetener equivalent to ½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unflavored rum

In blender, combine eggs, coconut milk, cocoa powder, sweetener, coffee granules, cinnamon, rum and blend until well combined.

Store in airtight bottle or jar in refrigerator.

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When to take Wheat Belly nutritional supplements

I’ve gotten a number of questions over the timing of taking the supplements advocated in the Wheat Belly lifestyle. So let’s talk about this issue. It’s actually quite simple.

Probiotic–Timing is unimportant. It’s also unclear whether they can or should be taken with food or on an empty stomach, as there are no clear data on this. So, until we have clarification, take it any old time. The only precaution is that it is probably best to not take your probiotic with anything really hot, e.g., coffee, as some species are heat-sensitive and will not survive. It is probably best to not take your probiotic at the same time as iodine, as iodine is an effective antimicrobial and may kill off some of the probiotic species.

Prebiotic fibers–Timing here is likewise unimportant, or at least no one has ever identified any timing-dependent issues. Whether you take your daily doses of prebiotic fibers as a Detox Shake/smoothie, inulin/FOS/GOS powders in other foods, small servings of legumes, or other means, timing does not seem to matter.

Iodine–Timing here is also unimportant. We are supposed to obtain iodine from consuming plants and animal products that were coastal, i.e., near the ocean, the world’s repository of iodine, as well as sharing the thyroid gland of animals we kill. In other words, these are events in which timing was not important. So your timing of iodine supplementation, whether as potassium iodide drops or kelp tablets, also does not matter. Just take it.

Fish oil–Timing here does matter, but for somewhat complex reasons. One of the wonderful ways in which the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, exert their cardiovascular and metabolic benefits is by accelerating the clearance of postprandial (after-meal) byproducts of digestion (chylomicrons first, followed by VLDL lipoprotein particles from the liver). Heart disease is caused in this postprandial period and the omega-3 fatty acids, by a number of means, such as activation of the enzyme, lipoprotein lipase, helps clear these particles from the bloodstream more rapidly. But the effect only lasts a few hours. So taking your fish oil capsules—remember: NOT krill oil or flaxseed oil—just just before or during a meal is the best policy to maximally subdue postprandial lipoprotein floods. Ideally, you’d take it before/during every meal but, as a practical matter, taking it before/during two meals per day spaced apart, e.g., breakfast and dinner, works just fine, too. It’s also not a good idea to take fish oil on an empty stomach, as it can cause stomach upset.

Vitamin D–Vitamin D is an important factor in the human circadian rhythm, the day-night cycle of the human body. We are supposed to obtain vitamin D via exposure to sunlight. But, for many of us, daily sun exposure over a substantial surface is not easily achieved due to climate, latitude, schedules, clothing covering a large surface area, as well as the decline in the ability to activate vitamin D with sun exposure as we age. Thus, we take vitamin D. But your body senses some of the effects of sunlight with oral vitamin D and, taken later in the day, it can inhibit sleep, just as exposure to a bright sun at 10 p.m. would keep you awake. So vitamin D is best take in the morning.

Magnesium–The timing of magnesium is not important. BUT magesium cannot be taken as a single dose, as the full 400-500 mg of elemental magnesium taken all at once causes an osmotic diarrhea. So we break it into 2- or 3-doses to avoid the loose bowels.

In summary, the timing of the “core” supplements in the Wheat Belly lifestyle goes like this:

Breakfast/a.m.: iodine, fish oil, vitamin D, magnesium, prebiotic fibers

Lunch/afternoon: optional fish oil, optional magnesium, optional prebiotic fibers

Dinner/evening: fish oil, magnesium, optional prebiotic fibers

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John’s Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox transformation

Remember Julie’s wonderful facial transformation and results on the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox? The extraordinary change in her facial appearance and weight loss of 13.5 pounds in the 10-day experience reflects the dramatic reduction of body-wide inflammation.

Her husband, John, had a similar experience. Although he lost a bit less, “only” 10 pounds (still pretty darned impressive, given that we do NOT advocate cutting calories, smaller portions, or extreme exercise in this program packed with filling dishes from the 10-Day Menu Plan in the book), he underwent a similarly dramatic change in facial appearance: less facial edema, less around-the-eye puffiness, larger eyes, sharped facial contours (though partly obscured by his beard). See John’s neck? As with Julie, his neck clearly shows positive changes, as well.

Yes, John’s “before” photo is what advice to cut fat and eat more “healthy whole grains” does to you: causes inflammation, edema/water retention, metabolic disruption, hormonal disruption, weight gain, and gastrointestinal disruption. And, yes, you can view evidence of wheat and grain consumption on the face and you can see those effects recede with their elimination, a wonderful side-benefit of this empowering lifestyle.

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Revonda changes her appearance, no longer diabetic

Revonda shared her 5-month “before” and “after” photos and experience living the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“My before picture taken 7/1/15 and after picture taken 12/1/15. Lost 60 pounds and off all diabetes medicine–metformin, Farxiga, and was going to be put on insulin but, by following your plan, I have gotten off all. Next appointment my doctor said maybe get rid of the cholesterol medicine. Love this lifestyle.”

I stress this over and over again: the surge in the number of type 2 diabetics (actually, type 1 also) is a man-made phenomenon. It is not due to some genetic change, it is not due to some virus. It is due to this awful notion of reducing total and saturated fat and increasing consumption of wheat and grains. There are other contributors, as well, such as the proliferation of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup in processed foods, endocrine disruption from ubiquitous industrial chemicals, vitamin D and magnesium deficiency, and dysbiosis.

But, if you understand what has happened, you are empowered to no longer be a type 2 diabetic in the majority of instances. Revonda avoided injectable insulin (which would have caused impressive weight gain, as it is the hormone of fat storage), and got off of two drugs, including the very costly Farxiga. She is now non-diabetic and got there at practically no cost.

And she also turned the clock back at least 10, if not 20 years, in appearance. And, by becoming non-diabetic, added many years to her life, perhaps as many as 8 years.

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Jennifer’s 3 1/2 month Wheat Belly transformation

Jennifer shared her photos after 3 1/2 months of living the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“I started the Wheat Belly diet August 30, 2015. As of today I have lost 30 pounds and feel great. I still have a few more pounds I would still like to lose.

“I notice that I sleep better and have more energy. This has been very easy to follow and finding recipes has also been fun and easy. I get full quicker and I am not always hungry. Sometimes I forget to eat. I even have my husband doing this plan. Told him to try it for a month to see how he does. He has lost 15 pounds. To anyone not sure about this way of eating, I say try it for a month or two and see how you feel. I feel great and this is something I am definitely sticking to.”

Jennifer provides another terrific example of how different Wheat Belly people look. We can’t see her eyes in the “before” because of sunglasses, but I’ll bet that, along with the receding facial edema and redness and sharpening of features, that her eyes are now larger.

And she has experienced some of the most common benefits of living the Wheat Belly lifestyle: a drop in appetite, improved sleep, increased energy. Recall, for instance, that 70% of respondents in our Wheat Belly survey of over 4000 people reported moderate to substantial increase in energy by living this way. You cannot achieve these sorts of benefits, nor transform facial appearance, just by cutting calories. You achieve these sorts of spectacular benefits by removing the dietary poisons called wheat and grains.

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Look what the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox did for Julie

Julie shared photos and comments about the results she obtained with the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox:

“We survived the 10 day detox!

“I just completed my first 10 days on the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox and wanted to share my before and after pictures. I am truly amazed. My husband and daughter also joined with me.

“In the past 10 days, I have lost 13.5 lbs, my husband has lost 10, and my daughter has lost 11. Although I still have a long journey ahead of me, this is the first time in my life I haven’t felt like I was on a diet. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.

“We are all starting to feel great. More energy! I don’t crave food non-stop! I can’t believe what a difference 10 days has made in our lives.”

Julie’s skin color and texture have changed, edema/inflammation are receding, features are sharpened (she lost the lines from her mouth), and her eyes are larger—in just 10 days. And, because she will be able to easily incorporate all the add-on Wheat Belly strategies covered in the Detox book such as prebiotic fibers through the Detox Shakes, she should continue to feel better and better, and get healthier and healthier as she stays on course.

As an aside, look around you at the grocery store, mall, office, or people on TV and you will see face after face displaying the features that Julie had before she undertook her Wheat Belly lifestyle: bloated, inflamed, red, all caused by this awful, inflammatory advice to consume plenty of “healthy whole grains.”

More energy, back in control over appetite, slender, beautiful—gee, what a difference 10 days can make!

 

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