William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 114

Diabetes is a contagious disease . . . if you talk to a dietitian

Rhonda first shared her story with me back in September, 2015:

“December, 2014 I was diagnosed with a liver issue and, as a result, they tested for diabetes as well. No diabetes. But, wanting to improve my health and my liver, I asked to be sent to a dietitian. She told me I needed to eat carbs with every meal and every snack. That was not what I was used to, but I followed her advice … and started getting sicker. Joint pain and brain fog were becoming normal. I started feeling like I was hit by a truck most mornings.

“Then I started getting thirsty, so awfully thirsty. It was the beginning of May, less than 4 months since starting the diabetes diet, and I knew I had become diabetic. I went to my doctor and demanded a diabetes test again. He was shocked at my numbers. My blood sugar was so high! He started me on metformin and sent me back to the dietitian. She said I was still not eating enough carbs. I was shocked!

“I was searching the internet when I came across your website. I decided to give it a shot. I am happy to report that, since dropping all grains, my health has improved immensely. I have lost about 35 pounds so far. I have halved my metformin and dropped my arthritis meds. I feel so much better.

“As far as I am concerned, the Canadian Diabetes Association gave me the gift of diabetes with their uninformed food guide, spiking my sugars and shutting down my pancreas. I feel duped. I will not let them win. Grain-free is the only way!

“Update: 70 pounds down. I found a photo of me from July 23 and I just took one today. Still enjoying the Wheat Belly lifestyle. Things will never be the same and am I happy about that!”

Rhonda’s story is a pretty darned clear-cut case of type 2 diabetes caused by the medical system–caused by the astounding depths of dietary ignorance that prevails among physicians and dietitians. This would be like going to a lung specialist for asthma, only to be told that you should smoke cigarettes, the more the better, because it encourages deep breathing–the results could be disastrous.

Yet that is what passes for dietary advice today, condoned and encouraged by the Canadian Diabetes Association, the American Diabetes Association, and others. Gee, you’d think that the American Diabetes Association was receiving money from the likes of diabetes drug manufacturers such as AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novo Nordisk–ah, but they do. Many tens of millions of dollars are given every year, much of it spent to support “awareness” programs because, to a diabetes drug manufacturer, an undiagnosed diabetic is a lost revenue opportunity. And type 2 diabetes is a growth business, annual reports gushing over the booming industry and revenues, much of it fueled by health-advice-gone-source, such as that given to Rhonda.

The poor dietitian is caught between a rock and a hard place. She is advised by the American Diabetes Association to urge clients to cut fat and saturated fat and eat more “healthy whole grains,” while the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics hasn’t found a food it doesn’t like because that’s how they develop their sponsors like Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Monsanto, and makers of antibiotics for livestock.

But ignore the dietary advice of doctors and dietitians and look what happens. For Rhonda, she is no longer diabetic, has lost 70 pounds, got rid of joint pains and brain “fog,” while transforming her appearance.

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Kate fits into the wedding dress of her dreams living the Wheat Belly lifestyle

Kate shared her photos and experience living the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

“I was diagnosed with celiac disease 10 years ago and ever since I’ve been living on gluten-free everything: gluten-free bread, pasta, desserts. In February, 2014 after viewing your seminar on YouTube, I gave up all grains and sugar

“Since then, my sugar craving seemed to vanish. My ankle, knee and wrist pain have all disappeared, as well as the weight.

“Latest update: 21 months on and just married!

She shared a wedding photo:

Doesn’t she look terrific? Kate understands now that the processed gluten-free foods made with cornstarch, rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato flour cause weight gain, high blood sugars/diabetes, hypertension, and increase risk for heart disease, cancer, and dementia—NOBODY should be eating such awful products. You can indeed be gluten-free, but no one should be turning to the awful products being produced by gluten-free food manufacturers—there’s a difference.

And eliminating gluten-free foods made with cornstarch also helps Kate’s celiac disease heal, since cornstarch contains residues of the zein protein of corn that resembles the gliadin protein component of wheat gluten. Because she is now grain-free, inflammation has reversed, such as that causing her joint pain.

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What to put on your Wheat Belly pancakes?

Pictured are the Chocolate Chip Pancakes from the Wheat-Free Market recipe you’ll find here. Wheat-Free Market has also just released its new Pancake Mix that is wheat/grain-free and made with healthy ingredients without the carb-overload of gluten-free pancake mixes. Recipes for other varieties of pancakes and waffles can be found in the Wheat Belly Cookbook and the Wheat Belly 30o-Minute Cookbook.

You’re licking your lips over some Wheat Belly Pancakes. Easy to make, tasty, with none of the health problems incurred by their grain-based counterparts. But what to put on top of them? Here are some ideas:

Berries–either as is or with whipped cream. You can also puree them in your food chopper/processor to pour on top.

Berry syrup–Puree the berries, then sweeten with a safe sweetener such as pure liquid or powdered stevia, monkfruit, erythritol, or xylitol. (Wheat-Free Market’s sweetener, Virtue, is another good choice that is 4-times sweeter than sugar, allowing a little to go a long way.)

Butter–Some people just enjoy the flavor of butter on their pancakes, especially flavored pancakes like the Chocolate Chip Pancakes pictured above, or blueberry pancakes. Choose organic, whenever possible. Ironically, butter (and thereby ghee) are among the least problematic of dairy products, since they primarily consist of the healthiest component of dairy, the fat, while lowest in the most problematic component, the casein (beta A1) protein.

Yogurt–organic and unsweetened, of course, and full-fat (if you can find it, or make it yourself from organic full-fat milk). Likewise, unsweetened kefir works great, also. Yogurts and kefirs can also be made from coconut milk (canned); I included the basics of how to make them in the Wheat Belly Total Health book, but the process simply requires the same setup and cultures as you would use for dairy yogurt/kefir, though the fermentation process takes a bit longer.

Do you have any other favorites you like to top your pancakes or waffles with?

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Melissa’s Wheat Belly transformation

Melissa shared her Wheat Belly “before” and “after” photos and the health benefits she enjoyed:

“In 8 months, I’ve dropped 30 pounds, 4 pant sizes, eliminated the puffiness in my face, the bloating around my belly, and eliminated my borderline IBS symptoms and joint aches.”

As we expect by living the Wheat Belly lifestyle, Melissa shows the dramatic reduction in facial swelling and around-the-eye puffiness, resulting in bigger eyes and an impressive change in appearance. Melissa says that she is 40 years old, but I would have guessed her “after” photo to be that of a 30-year old–she looks fabulous. So much about the Wheat Belly story is told on the face.

And she obtained relief from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is becoming clearer and clearer both to followers of Wheat Belly as well as to gastroenterologists who take care of people with celiac disease, that IBS and wheat/gluten sensitivity are one and the same: IBS = sensitivity to wheat and related grains. (Unfortunately, as gastroenterologists and many others often do, they attribute all the adverse effects of wheat to its gluten component. The reality is that it might be due to gluten, or it might be due to wheat germ agglutinin or about a dozen other components in wheat and related grains. But at least they’re starting to catch on: wheat and grains contain gastrointestinal toxins.) And her joint pains disappeared.

Add it all up and Melissa has reversed years of gastrointestinal, joint, and skin inflammation. This is how and why health and appearance is transformed living the Wheat Belly wheat/grain-free way.

 

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Goodbye, Bagel Face!

Time and time again, we witness the impressive changes in facial appearance when people banish all wheat and grains from their lives living the Wheat Belly way.

Just take a look at Amy and her husband’s facial changes: less edema/puffiness, a dramatic change in appearance compared to a year ago, more than can be accounted for by weight loss alone. And always look at the eyes: bigger from the loss of puffiness around the eyes.

As I often remind everyone, this is because wheat and grains contain multiple components that are inflammatory, such as gliadin, gliadin-derived peptides, wheat germ agglutinin, and various allergens. To make matters worse, the high blood sugars that result from the amylopectin A starch of wheat and grains raises blood sugar to high levels, accompanied by high insulin levels. Repetitive consumption of wheat and grains raises blood sugar and insulin over and over again, leading to insulin resistance, higher insulin levels, more weight gain, and substantial increases in visceral fat that is inflammatory.

In other words, eating wheat and grains is like picking at a wound, reinjuring your skin, reprovoking inflammation, inviting complications like infection, a source of constant irritation.

But accept that human consumption of the seeds of grasses, AKA grains, was a mistake humans made as a species in the relatively recent past in a moment of desperation and realize that they never belonged in the human diet in the first place, and you’ve stumbled on an incredibly powerful strategy for overall health by removing them. And, as photo after photo and story after story tell us, eating no wheat nor grains provides a means of turning back the clock on aging and disease.

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A Wheat Belly Guide to Vodkas

We’ve previously discussed wine, the near-perfect alcoholic beverage for the Wheat Belly wheat- and grain-free lifestyle. Let’s now discuss another great choice, vodka.

First of all, the process of distillation (heating, evaporating, condensing the liquid) purportedly reduces the protein content of the end-product to very low levels. This is why vodka is so crystal clear, no murkiness from proteins. Even when vodkas are sourced from wheat, rye, or barley, the gluten content is reportedly very low, even low enough to qualify as “gluten-free,” meaning no more than 20 parts per million and low enough presumably for even someone with extreme gluten-sensitivity or celiac disease to tolerate. However, in real life, I find this not to be true. I personally have reacted to several of the grain-based vodkas, as have many others. Because there are terrific non-grain vodkas choices, I think the best policy here is to avoid grain-based vodkas like SKYY, Stolichnaya, Grey Goose, Ketel One, and Absolut. The exposure is small but, as you are likely gathering, the longer you are on this wheat- and grain-free lifestyle, the more sensitive you become to any re-exposure.

From a carbohydrate/sugar view, vodka is perfect: essentially zero carbs, even lower than dry white or red wines.

Among our choices in non-grain vodkas that are distributed nationally:

Ciroc–A bit pricey, but worth it for its exceptional smoothness. Because Ciroc is produced from grapes, it is as confidently grain-free as wine.

Trader Joes’ Versatile Spirit–The Trader Joes chain recently released this grape-sourced vodka. While not anywhere as smooth as Ciroc, at about 25% of the cost of Ciroc, it’s a bargain, especially if the mix you are drinking doesn’t demand such a costly vodka (e.g., making eggnog).

Chopin–In North America, the Chopin vodka sold is sourced from potatoes and is therefore safe. It’s also my second choice for smoothness and flavor after Ciroc. In Europe, however, be careful: Chopin outside North America can be sourced from potatoes, wheat, or rye, so you may have to specify Chopin from potatoes only. (I learned this when I was in Warsaw, Poland, the home of Chopin vodka, to speak at a gluten-free exposition and was entertained by some wonderful Polish natives over dinner. In Poland, pianist Frederic Chopin is a hero and they revere their Chopin vodka.)

Tito’s–Tito’s is a bit of a special situation. It is sourced from corn and thereby poses potential exposure to the zein protein of corn, a relative of the gliadin protein of wheat, rye, and barley. However, this brand is distilled 6-times, reducing protein content to negligible levels. Many of us, myself included, have had Tito’s without ill-effect. (However, in my tastings, I would rate Tito’s as 3rd after Ciroc and Chopin.) Tito’s is also more widely distributed in bars and restaurants than Ciroc and Chopin and can therefore be a safe choice when the other two are not available.

And look for only vodka only, not the mixers that invariably contain high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, fruit juices, not to mention artificial colorings and flavorings.

Not listed are the local or regional artisinal vodkas that may be distributed in small areas, but not available nationally or in most bars and restaurants. So keep your eyes and ears open for such locally produced vodkas as you may stumble on some pleasant surprises.

Of course, you still have the alcohol issues to contend with if you exceed more than the safe 2 servings. But, stay below this cutoff, and you can enjoy your vodka or vodka cocktails without the added risk of a wheat/grain mishap if you stick to this list. Those of you in the midst of your Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox and/or anyone wishing to lose a lot of weight, bear in mind that any amount of alcohol will slow or turn off your ability to lose weight, not matter how low-carb, an effect due to the alcohol. You may therefore want to abstain or at least never exceed one drink when weight loss is among your goals.

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The Wheat Belly Cruise 2015

Elizabeth “Betty” Klub  is a popular girl on the Official Wheat Belly Facebook page, engaging in discussions, providing advice when needed, and just being a friend to all who join in the conversation. I met Betty on our recent Wheat Belly Cruise 2015 and enjoyed her company along with her friend, Pat, at an outdoor barbeque. The cruise took us to several ports-of-call around the Caribbean, including Cozumel and a (surprisingly) spectacular beach and entertainment compound on Haiti. That’s where Betty rode the zip-line starting on a small mountain, riding over the ocean! I regret that I did not see her ride, as she told me about it over lunch after her ride.

In response to a reader’s questions about what sorts of things went on during the cruise, Betty shared our seminar schedule:

Nov 15th: On board welcome & cocktail reception. That’s when I met Dr Davis.

Nov. 16: 9 am to 11 am Session 1: Intro to Wheat Belly: Let them eat grass. (Dr Davis)

                  5:30 – 7:30 pm: Session 2: The Wheat Belly Detox Plan Part 1 (Dr Davis)

Nov 17: 4-6 pm: Session 3: The Wheat Belly Detox Plan Part 2 (Dr Davis)

Nov 18: 8 am – 10 am – Session 4: The Emotional Belly with Anne Berube

Nov 19: 4-7:30 PM – Session 5: Wheat Free Beauty with Tamara Ortegel.

Nov 20: 9-10 AM Session 6: Cooking for Kids, Vegans & Vegetarians with Paul MacInnis

Nov 21: 8:30-10 am – Session 7: Wheat Belly Total Health with Dr Davis

12:00 noon: WB lunch in the dining room

                5 – 7 pm: Session 8: Wheat Belly Total Health Part 2 with Dr Davis

               7:45 PM – Closing ceremonies/reception.

I patterned the seminar around the three Wheat Belly books: an introductory discussion much like the original Wheat Belly book that provided the science and rationale for this lifestyle; 2 sessions patterned after the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox to help jump-start any newcomers to the Wheat Belly lifestyle and get them going as confidently and quickly as possible; a final series of sessions that covered the material in Wheat Belly Total Health, discussions that go even further to stack the odds in your favor of reversing autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, break a stubborn weight plateau, and gain control over metabolic issues such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I thought everyone would have had enough Wheat Belly and me after a total of 10 hours of seminars just from me, not counting the sessions with Anne, Paul, and Tamara. But, at the end of the last seminar, everyone was having such a great time that many people asked for more.

In between sessions, I believe it is safe to say that nobody was bored given the fairly astounding choices in activities both at sea and at the various ports. I took advantage of the walking track every day, as well as the well-equipped exercise facility. I’m not much of a dancer, but watched plenty of people enjoy dancing, dance lessons, and a variety of other exercise instructions. I sampled several of the shows held every night, including a Cirque du Soleil-type performance, a musical, and comedy. I found adhering to the Wheat Belly lifestyle pretty easy in the main dining room (which is gargantuan), the buffets, as well as the specialty restaurants. In fact, I found food staff on the Celebrity Silhouette more attentive and knowledgeable than just about any restaurant I’ve eaten in on land. In addition to the 10 or so specialty restaurants, there are coffee bars, snack bars, hamburger joints, and a spectacular wine tasting room that I enjoyed on three nights.

The photograph above is the ship while we docked in Falmouth, Jamaica, seen from the wonderful marketplace. (The ship is too big to capture in a single photo.) Here is the next-to-last day Wheat Belly lunch in the main dining room (my seat is empty, as I took the photo):

 

Here is the endpoint of the zip-line across the ocean that Betty rode:

This was our first Wheat Belly Cruise, but everyone had such a wonderful time (including myself) that I’m already looking forward to our next in 2016.

 

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Candy’s Wheat Belly transformation

Candy shared her impressive evolving benefits living the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“I feel better and have much less inflammation. I’ve suffered from constant low back pain and have taken ibuprofen daily for years, but recently have stopped taking it and feel good.

“I’ve also noticed positive changes in my skin, smaller pores and smoother skin, especially on my face and chest. Also many of the small red spider veins on my lower legs and feet have diminished. See the difference in the photos. I also feel younger, and if I don’t say so myself, look younger.

“I am excited about the positive changes I’ve seen in just three months and look forward to additional benefits kicking in.”

You can see the characteristic changes in Candy’s face: reduced puffiness of the cheeks from receding inflammation/edema. And she has clearly turned back the clock at least 10 years. (Due to the difference in lighting, it’s hard to make out whether there were also changes in her neck, but I believe there have been–something we’ve been seeing with some frequency.) You can also witness changes in her legs/ankles, below.

“Before” on top; “after” on bottom:

This reflects both dropping weight as well as receding inflammation.

That’s how powerful the Wheat Belly lifestyle is. Yes, you can fit into dress or pants sizes that are smaller. But, even more importantly, hundreds of health conditions recede and disappear when you remove these incredibly inflammatory things called wheat and grains. And just think: If this is what you can see on the outside, imagine what is happening on the inside–equally spectacular improvements in health are developing in Candy’s gastrointestinal system, nervous system and brain, respiratory system, liver, pancreas, and every other organ of her body.

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Rebecca’s journey to health and youthfulness

Rebecca shared her photos and experience living the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“Eliminating wheat has made such a huge difference in my health and, surprisingly, my appearance. I am 42 and have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I’m also a single mom of four and was told that it was ‘normal’ for me to be tired. But I was miserable. I was so tired it hurt despite having thyroid levels that were in the normal range. I also had brain ‘fog,’ anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping. Doctor after doctor kept prescribing me more medicine: medicine for my mood, medicine to help me sleep. And despite all that, I still felt terrible and my symptoms continued.

“I finally found a doctor who switched me to Armour thyroid, educated me on leaky gut syndrome, and developed a diet for me. One component was eliminating wheat. Since his recommendation, I have bought your book and cookbook. I expected to have fewer gastrointestinal issues. I never expected, however, to have less brain fog, more energy, and less anxiety/depression. Moreover, I frequently hear comments about my face and eyes being less puffy. I never knew that was related to wheat inflammation. Since all the changes – I have been able to stop my antidepressants, sleep medication, and lower my ADHD medication. I have lost 22 pounds and I feel like I’m slowly getting my life back. Thank you.

“The pictures show the difference in my face over the past few months. I didn’t even recognize the difference until I compared the two.”

People are often surprised that, along with relief from conditions such as acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, and joint pain, they also look many years younger. As the inflammation recedes from the gastrointestinal tract, joints, brain, and other organs, it also recedes from the skin. You can see it in Rebecca’s less puffy cheeks and eyes, larger eyes, and more youthful look. In her “after” photo, had she claimed that she was 32 years old, I would have believed her. But I would not have believed it viewing her “before” photo.

Rebecca’s story also provides a reminder of how common hypothyroidism is, even if your doctor does not understand how to diagnose it. You can have hypothyroidism with a normal TSH level, for instance, yet that is typically the only value assessed, if it is assessed at all. Hypothyroidism resulting from Hashimoto’s autoimmune inflammation is often caused by prior wheat/grain consumption but does not typically recover normal capacity to produce thyroid hormones even after the inflammation subsides, so most people do better with supplementation of some thyroid hormone. And most do best with both the T3 and the T4 thyroid hormones taken together, as in the Armour thyroid preparation Rebecca has been prescribed. See previous Wheat Belly discussions for more on thyroid health. (Autoimmune thyroid damage, as in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, that results in hypothyroidism is among the short list of conditions that, once the damage has been done, does not fully recover even with removal of the wheat and grains that initiated the process. This is also true, for example, in type 1 diabetes: once the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are damaged, they do not recover and need for insulin is lifelong.)

Rebecca’s story also illustrates how so many people’s wheat/grain consumption symptoms are “medicalized,” i.e., each symptom treated as if it were a disease. Drugs for acid reflux, drugs for depression, drugs for anxiety, drugs for acid reflux, drugs for migraine headaches, drugs for insomnia, drugs for high cholesterol or high triglycerides, drugs for high blood sugars, and on and on. If these common symptoms are recognized as nothing more than various manifestations of the chronic toxicity that develops from grain consumption, the solution is simple: eat no grains.

And not only can you feel terrific, you can also look terrific.

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Wheat Watch: Greenies

Here’s a post aimed at our canine and feline friends.

“Greenies: The #1 Vet-Recommended Dental Chews and Treats.” That’s what the people who manufacture Greenies dental chews for dogs and cats claim.

But, for those of you trying to keep your dog or cat wheat- and grain-free, Greenies dental chews, purported to clean their teeth, are filled with wheat and rice, among their top ingredients:

Ingredients in Dog chews:

Wheat flour, wheat protein isolate, glycerin, gelatin, oat fiber, water, lecithin, natural poultry flavor, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, potassium iodide), choline chloride, dried apple pomace, fruit juice color, vitamins ( dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate [vitamin B5], niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], folic acid), turmeric color.

Ingredients in Cat chews:

Chicken meal, rice flour, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, oat fiber, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural poultry flavor, sodium gluconate, tuna flavor, ground flaxseed, brewers dried yeast, minerals (calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate), vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), preserved with citric acid, taurine, preserved with mixed tocopherols, chlorophyll (sodium copper chlorophyllin)

I am highly skeptical that anything that contains the rapidly-digested amylopectin A of grains can yield oral health in omnivorous or carnivorous mammals, as salivary amylase begins the process of yielding sugar, glucose, that triggers the change in oral flora that leads to tooth decay. (Grazing ruminants who consume grasses, including their seeds–“grains”–have different oral flora than we do, and also grow teeth continuously throughout their lives, unlike our two opportunities to grow teeth, the last around age 10.) Greenies are intended for canines and felines, of course, not Homo sapiens. But it is likely that such carnivorous creatures likely share the deterioration in dental health with amylopectin A exposure just like us, not to mention the constellation of gastrointestinal, skin, brain/neurological, respiratory, behavioral, metabolic conditions triggered by wheat and grains.

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