William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 118

Go ahead: Eat your meat

“Reduce your intake of cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat.”

“Use more polyunsaturated fats.”

“Move more and eat less.”

“Oats are heart healthy.”

“Follow a balanced diet.”

“Eat more healthy whole grains.”

Well, add yet another “proven” statement of purported nutritional fact to this sad list of nutritional blunders: “Red meat is a carcinogen,” as was concluded by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC. Release of this analysis prompted the usual over-the-top headlines and exaggerations, such as NPR’s Alison Aubrey (a staunch defender of the dietary status quo) claiming that “The conclusion puts processed meats in the same category of cancer risk as tobacco smoking and asbestos.”

By now, I hope that you have acquired a healthy skepticism about any piece of advice that originates from “official” providers, as well as the dramatic headlines that follow. Such misguided advice has, in past, ignited huge growth in the processed food industry (e.g., corn oil, high-fructose corn syrup, pasta, low-cholesterol and low-fat products) and has made a major contribution to creating the worst epidemics of autoimmune disease, senile dementia, type 2 diabetes, and obesity ever witnessed in the history of the world–not reduced risk, but increased risk. A big part of the blundering is due to the fact that many in the nutritional world worship this false god of science: observational epidemiology. The crude observations generated via epidemiology, no matter how big the population studied, no matter how consistent, cannot be used to establish cause and effect. This is not my opinion; this is scientific fact.

Such wrongheaded cause-effect declarations are not unique to nutrition; similar mistakes have been made in healthcare, such as the widespread prescription of horse urine-sourced estrogens–“hormone replacement therapy,” or HRT, such as Premarin–because of apparent reductions in cardiovascular disease initially observed in epidemiological studies. Subsequent randomized, double-blind studies proved the apparent epidemiological benefits entirely untrue–HRT actually increased heart attack risk. Gary Taubes, author of Good Calories, Bad Calories, articulated this principle well in a New York Times article back in 2007:

“The catch with observational studies like the Nurses’ Health Study, no matter how well designed and how many tens of thousands of subjects they might include, is that they have a fundamental limitation. They can distinguish associations between two events — that women who take H.R.T. have less heart disease, for instance, than women who don’t. But they cannot inherently determine causation — the conclusion that one event causes the other; that H.R.T. protects against heart disease. As a result, observational studies can only provide what researchers call hypothesis-generating evidence — what a defense attorney would call circumstantial evidence.

“Testing these hypotheses in any definitive way requires a randomized-controlled trial — an experiment, not an observational study — and these clinical trials typically provide the flop to the flip-flop rhythm of medical wisdom. Until August 1998, the faith that H.R.T. prevented heart disease was based primarily on observational evidence, from the Nurses’ Health Study most prominently. Since then, the conventional wisdom has been based on clinical trials — first HERS, which tested H.R.T. against a placebo in 2,700 women with heart disease, and then the Women’s Health Initiative, which tested the therapy against a placebo in 16,500 healthy women. When the Women’s Health Initiative concluded in 2002 that H.R.T. caused far more harm than good, the lesson to be learned . . . was about the ‘disastrous inadequacy of lesser evidence’ for shaping medical and public-health policy.”

But only in nutrition have such observational epidemiological studies served as the basis for widespread nutritional policy, over and over again, despite that fact that such studies can rarely establish cause-effect associations. (The exception would be when the association is so powerful and consistent that it becomes virtually obvious and indisputable, as with smoking and lung cancer and heart disease, with relative risk as much as 30-fold over non-smoking, not the sorts of tiny percentages typically observed in nutritional studies.) As Taubes points out, such studies can only suggest an association, an hypothesis that needs to be proven by other means. Crafting nutritional policy based on observational epidemiological studies is therefore hazardous, as borne out by such advice as “cut your fat and eat more healthy whole grains.”

The small increase in colorectal cancer seen in such observational epidemiological studies of about 17% are meaningless–small differences that can easily be attributed to confounding factors that accompany the primary behavior (eating red meat). The people who consume the most red meats also tend to lead somewhat different lifestyles: less vegetables, less fiber, more booze, etc. The data also do not distinguish factory farm-sourced meats with different fatty acid composition, greater potential for intermittent antibiotic content, and other factors, but lump them all together.

This is the perennial Achilles’ heel of epidemiology: such studies, by design, cannot identify a cause, particularly when the connection is small or tenuous. In the majority of studies cited in the IARC Monograph, such as the 470,000-participant EPIC Study, much of the excess risk associated with red meat consumption was attenuated by fiber intake. (Unfortunately, no study has examined specifically the role of prebiotic fibers in attenuating the purported risk from red meats, not just all forms of fiber–my prediction: all the excess risk that appears to come from red meat consumption disappears with cultivation of bowel flora with higher prebiotic fiber intake.) Interestingly, this EPIC Study, the largest ever performed on this question, did not show any increased risk of colorectal cancer with beef consumption, only pork.

An experiment to once and for all answer this question would be logistically very difficult: randomly select people to either eat red meat ad lib and a matching (age, sex, other habits, socioeconomic status, etc.) group that eats no red meat, then both followed for an extended period of, say, 5 to 10 years, and compare which group fares better. Thus, the crude, non-cause-effect-generating epidemiological observations are used to craft opinion and policy–but they should never have been used in this fashion in the first place. And none of us should be driven to take action by such a misleading pronouncement nor the dramatic headlines that misinformed, scientifically naive journalists like Ms. Aubrey broadcast.

Dr. Peter Attia, a champion of clear-thinking and science in nutrition, has written eloquently about the misinterpretations/false conclusions that are the rule in nutritional advice based on observational epidemiology:

“I trust by now you have a better understanding of why the ‘science’ of nutrition is so bankrupt. It is based on almost a complete reliance on these observational studies. Virtually every piece of nutritional dogma we suffer from today stems from – you guessed it – an observational study. Whether it’s Ancel Keys’ observations and correlations of saturated fat intake and heart disease in his famous Seven Countries Study, which ‘proved’ saturated fat is harmful or Denis Burkitt’s observation that people in Africa ate more fiber than people in England and had less colon cancer ‘proving’ that eating fiber is the key to preventing colon cancer, virtually all of the nutritional dogma we are exposed to has not actually been scientifically tested. Perhaps the most influential current example of observational epidemiology is the work of T. Colin Campbell, lead author of The China Study, which claims, ‘the science is clear’ and ‘the results are unmistakable.’ Really? Not if you define science the way scientists do. This doesn’t mean Colin Campbell is wrong (though I wholeheartedly believe he is wrong on about 75% of what he says based on current data). It means he has not done any real science to advance the discussion and hypotheses he espouses.”

Now go roast up a good steak or hamburger, but just have it with some asparagus and lentils.

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Healthcare professionals follow Wheat Belly

This is powerful. Because I have been hearing from/about more and more healthcare professionals either personally following or advocating the Wheat Belly lifestyle to their clientele, I asked the following question on the Official Wheat Belly Facebook page:

Are you a HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL following and/or advocating the Wheat Belly lifestyle?

The response was wonderful: eye-opening, encouraging, responses that help make me optimistic that there may indeed be hope for the awful healthcare system we have created hell-bent on growing revenues that sap personal finances and yields little in the way of genuine personal health. These healthcare professionals are the sorts of people that I worked with, shoulder-to-shoulder, side-by-side, through acute emergencies, bleeding patients, inserting tubes and IV’s, defibrillating stopped hearts, sometimes working around-the-clock—I truly want them to comprehend what it is we are doing (and NOT doing) in “healthcare.”

If health–genuine health, healing, and restoration of happy, painless, free functioning, free of disease–is restored by the renewed beliefs of these healthcare practitioners, they can individually spread the word to hundreds, even thousands, of people who will no longer be victimized by the campaign of nutritional misinformation that we’ve all heard a thousand times from “official” sources.

Among the responses:

Kimberly:

“I’m a nurse practitioner and I’ve prescribed the Wheat Belly lifestyle often. I tell everyone who will listen.”

Pattie:

“I am a nurse and my husband a physician. We both are Wheat Belly followers. We practice it and preach it.”

Sandy:

“I’m a pharmacist and I definitely point people toward Wheat Belly and I tell them the differences it has made in my life (less inflammation, no more seasonal allergies, no more random headaches). Sadly, some people don’t want to take responsibility for their own health. They want to eat whatever they like and have the doctor order them a pill to compensate for the harm they are causing themselves.”

Terry:

“I’m a nurse and am almost a certified integrative nutrition health coach. I teach a class at my cancer hospital and encourage patients to read Wheat Belly.”

Paula:

“I am a sports therapist/lymphedema therapist who shares the Wheat Belly information with every client I see who’s issues match the Wheat induced symptoms. 3 years ago, a client told me about Wheat Belly and I have dropped 110 lbs.

“One client last year reduced 50% of body pain and dropped 15 lbs in 1 week on Wheat Belly. Her doctors put her through all the tests and could not figure out why she had phantom onset lymphedema. It works.”

Erin:

“I have let it slip to patients that removing grains and sugar benefits with lower blood sugar and less insulin. I’ve had some very overweight diabetic patients who figured it out on their own. I have walked into rooms where the tray is untouched. I assumed they just didn’t like the food. When I asked why they didn’t eat, I heard ‘I can’t eat stuff like this. My blood sugar will go through the roof. Why would the hospital feed me like this? I would never eat that way at home.’ I have broken the rule of NO OUTSIDE FOOD IN THE ICU for those patients. One guy had his family bring roasted chicken and a salad instead of eating the pasta and breadsticks.

“I can’t look at what they’re eating. I get angry. Just have to keep giving that insulin.”

Sherri:

“I am a Nurse Case Manager and I am always appalled at what patients are fed in the hospital.”

Momo:

“When my dad was in the hospital, he was on the ‘heart healthy’ diet. What a joke! Fortunately for us, the hospital doesn’t bring a set menu or even set meal times. They bring a menu of approved foods and you pick what you want and order it when you want it, so I was able to make sure he didn’t get any grains.”

Louisa:

“I’m a nurse and recommend your book and the Wheat Belly lifestyle to almost anyone who will listen!”

Diana:

“I am a certified health coach and have been following a grain- and wheat-free lifestyle close to 99% and have zero bloating, regardless of any other food that I eat now that I no longer eat wheat and grains!”

Dr. Jahnaya:

“I’m a DC [Doctor of Chiropractic] in Iowa and have all patients adhere to a Wheat Belly lifestyle. The results I see in practice are amazing!”

Jamilet:

“I’m a physician and health coach, following the lifestyle and working with clients for them to do the same.”

Karen:

“I am a masters prepared RN. I teach and include Wheat Belly nutrition in my lectures, have been completely grain-free for over six months.”

Jean:

“I’m a registered nurse and advocate every moment I can. My family practitioner is very interested as he watches my journey. I still run across people that I have to introduce the Wheat Belly way of eating. I just assume everyone knows, so you’re right, our work is just beginning.”

Cindy:

“I’m a Medical Weight Loss Counselor. In less than 18 months, we have melted over 12,500 pounds off our community. One of our ‘secrets’:elimination of grains! We proudly promote Wheat Belly and our clients educating themselves. Thank you Dr. Davis, we will be doing our part in the movement.”

Angie:

“I teach nursing students and, while I might let some info slip out, I have to make sure they KNOW that the exams still function with old ‘wisdom’ and so they have to understand that they need to pick ‘the wrong answer’ to get the exam questions correct.

“But personally, I let them know that if they ever want to talk health, fitness, and nutrition, to contact me outside of class. I have to ‘teach to the test’ at work because the exams are still based on the old conventional medical wisdom.”

Jackie:

“I’m a Dental Hygienist and I recommend Wheat Belly to every patient that I can. I tell them to read the book and I tell them the difference between gluten-free and grain-free.”

Jeff:

“As a physical therapist, I share this sound medical information and how it’s relieved my joint pain and help me to lose 60 pounds. I tell them the name of the book and author and leave it up to them to learn more.”

Suzanne:

“I work for a government agency, so can’t outright recommend, but have recommended clients read it on many occasions.”

Kathy:

“Every single one of my patients get to hear all about the Wheat Belly lifestyle. They see me shrinking away and feeling great and want what I have. So I tell them (even if they don’t ask, I still tell them!). I just wish I could make a bigger impact on my patients. I won’t give up!”

Jenny:

“I am a counselor and I always spread the word about Wheat Belly. I tell all my patients about the dangers of grains. When they start eliminating grains from their diets, I can tell right away by the way they look. They also say they feel better and lighter. It makes all the difference.”

Pamela:

“I’m married to a retired MD and he is telling everyone about the book.”

Paula:

“I’ve been formally gagged and disallowed from pointing people in the direction of this info where they can make their own conclusions if it is for them to try or not, even though those that did try it have made great improvements to their general health. Go figure!”

Mary:

“I am an operating room nurse and thyroid cancer survivor. The link between autoimmune disease and wheat ingestion is alarming. Through my journey, I see so many effects of wheat consumption destroying people’s lives and their hope. I am limited in offering my opinion to my patients, but I freely give advice to anyone in my family or community who seems ready to listen. It has changed my life, and I wish I could get the word out faster.”

Theresa:

“I’m a nurse and definitely believe in this lifestyle. No skin rashes, no GERD! It has changed my life.”

Robin:

“If I discuss it with a patient, I always stress that it is my PERSONAL opinion, that the ‘official’ hospital stance is ADA/AHA, and I encourage the patient to do their own research.”

Eleanor:

“I am an RN and following Wheat Belly for one week. I’ve known for over a year that this was for me but, have just recently come to terms with myself. 5 pounds gone so far. Lots of bloating gone, lots of swelling gone. Cannot share at work. I work at a school. One of my coworkers knows. I’ll let the rest ask me when I’ve lost the weight, ‘How did you do that?'”

Admittedly, I have a cynical view of modern healthcare, this system that, to an extraordinary degree, has been created, expanded, and monetized to “treat” the consequences of consuming wheat and grains. I’ve been privy to far too many hospital staff meetings, business meetings, and locker room conversations with colleagues to believe that the notion of “healing” is on the top of the minds of many healthcare professionals. But the growing number of doctors, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals who have come to recognize the astounding power of the Wheat Belly lifestyle to reverse a darned long list of chronic health conditions is SO uplifting and hopeful that . . . I may just change my mind.

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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms and Roasted Red Peppers

Here is a way to have a chicken dish that is nutritionally complete, including plenty of veggies. You might therefore find that just 1 of these stuffed chicken breasts is sufficient as a meal by itself. You can, of course, always add a side dish or salad to suit bigger appetites.

This recipe is from Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox, on sale November 10th. Take advantage of our preorder specials!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 ounces portabello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
4 cups fresh spinach or 1 box (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 strips bacon (preferably uncured)

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Lay each chicken breast flat and, with a sharp knife, cut a pocket in each breast by starting at the thickest part and then cutting horizontally, stopping short of cutting all the way through. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Cook the garlic and onion for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms, roasted peppers, spinach, salt, and black pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Place the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, or until both sides are browned. Remove from the heat and place on a large plate. Allow to cook for several minutes, then spoon the reserved spinach mixture in to the pocket of each breast and close. Wrap each breast with 2 strips of bacon in a spiral pattern. Place in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the chicken registers 165ºF.

Per serving: 457 calories, 54g protein, 6g carbohydrates, 24g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 2g fiber, 954mg sodium.

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Dee freed of sleep apnea, restless legs, joint pains, and A. fib

Dee provided photos and a detailed description of her Wheat Belly journey, an excellent example of how this lifestyle is not just a matter of cutting calories or carbs:

“My body betrayed me, at least that’s how I felt. I later learned that I’m the one who betrayed my body. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t lose weight and keep it off. Even if I could keep them at bay for 3-4 months, the cravings always won and I’d stay in my cycle of lose, gain back all that I lost plus more. The weight wasn’t the worst of it, though I’m certain it contributed to my misery.

“Sleep has always been elusive for me. Always known as a ‘light sleeper,’ I was easily awakened. I dealt with seasons of insomnia. I have to go through a wind-down cycle to even get to sleep and, if it’s interrupted, I have to go back to the beginning. Restless Leg Syndrome, RLS, was another enemy of sleep for me.

“Thirty years ago, I started experiencing seasonal allergies which only worsened over the years, especially after moving to Tennessee from the Midwest. Even worse though were the for-years-undiagnosed skin allergies. It wasn’t until about 15 years ago that they were finally diagnosed, but all that could be offered in the way of relief was to stay away from the allergens! Oh, and the periodic use of steroids which only provided very short-term relief.

“I was diagnosed with arthritis in my knees about 12 years ago and got to the point that I wanted to cry with each step I took. I refused to take any arthritis medications–-I seem to always experience even the ‘rare’ side-effects. The inflammation was out of control.

“Ten years ago brought the Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) diagnosis which introduced a CPAP into my nightly routine. Finally, I was getting better sleep, but good sleep was still not consistent.

Already dealing with hypertension, five years ago I was diagnosed with A-Fib. Naturally I was put on three medications, one for the heart rhythm-–flecainide, one for blood viscosity-–warfarin, and a third that I can’t remember. I was finally able to convince my cardiologist that I no longer needed these meds so they were discontinued one-by-one over a period of several months.

“Finally came the low-level stomach pain that seemed ever-present. The homemade cinnamon rolls that were a breakfast treat would actually make me sick. Tired? You bet. I was tired of being tired all the time, even after what I considered a good night’s sleep. Headaches, a common occurrence in my life.

“When I learned that wheat was supposedly a contributor to RLS, I decided to go gluten-free. One night, about six weeks into my gluten-free life, I was unable to get to sleep due to the RLS, so I got up and went to my computer and started surfing the net. That’s when I looked for information on Wheat Belly–-someone had mentioned it on a health forum. I was inspired. That night I decided that Wheat Belly is what I need to do. I bought the book and took my time digesting the information, but I began the WB way of eating immediately, even before finishing the book.

• The first couple weeks were not fun-–I didn’t feel too good-–but I’d read that that isn’t uncommon, so I stuck with it. Here I am today, healthier and happier.

• The inflammation (my primary motivation) is virtually gone-–the arthritis in my knees is nowhere near as bad as I’d thought it was.

• My sleep has improved tremendously–-not even using my CPAP anymore.

• My skin allergies are completely cleared up. Only when the pollen count is extremely high do I even notice seasonal allergies.

• In September, my cardiologist told me that I no longer have A-Fib.

• I’ve lost 40 pounds. It’s coming off slowly enough that my 63-year-old skin is able to keep up.

• Cravings are no longer a physical thing, so when my mind says, ‘A chocolate shake sure would taste good,’ I can easily say, ‘No thank you!’ Growing up as a rural Midwest girl, I love fatty steaks, pork, and chicken, so it’s wonderful to now be able to eat it guilt-free!

“Thank you, Dr. Davis, for educating me, for getting the truth out there for me to find.”

Isn’t that stupendous? Being freed of sleep apnea alone is a huge accomplishment, as this condition increases risk for sudden cardiac death and heart disease. Disrupted sleep, nsomnia, hypertension, fatigue, allergies, atrial fibrillation, abdominal pain–Dee experienced relief from an impressively long list of health conditions. And it sounds like she has consulted with several doctors over the years and, while they were ready and willing to prescribe toxic prescription drugs and devices like the CPAP, not a single one looked for the single, unifying cause of the entire health mess.

Do you see what I mean when I say that “healthcare is the system largely created to treat the consequences of wheat and grain consumption”? Dee actually had only one real diagnosis:  disrupted hormonal, physiological, mental, metabolic, and gastrointestinal disruption from consuming wheat and grains, just manifesting in a variety of ways, each of which earned her drugs and procedures, but reversed with removal of the real cause Learn from wonderful examples like Dee: don’t let this happen to you and become revenue sources for the misguided efforts of healthcare.

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Another dazzling Wheat Belly facial transformation

“8 months of no wheat…..I’ve also been following a low-carb diet, but the biggest thing for me is without the wheat, I feel amazing!”

This is what Cathy experienced after 8 months of the Wheat Belly lifestyle. Note the reduction in facial swelling in her chin, cheeks, and around the eyes, yielding the signature larger eyes of this inflammation-reducing lifestyle.

As I often point out, people like Cathy achieve more than weight loss, more than can be achieved by cutting calories or counting points, more than you’d achieve with extreme exercise or smaller portion sizes. That’s because she has reversed inflammation.

This is why people like Cathy experience reduced facial swelling, reduced facial/skin redness, reduced joint pain, increased flexibility, increased energy (likely reflecting reduced brain/glia inflammation), reduced gastrointestinal distress—the trigger for body-wide inflammation, wheat and grains, have been removed. And, even better, do what Cathy did and limit non-grain carbohydrates and sugars, as well.

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Quick Start Food Sweepstakes – Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox

I’m proud and excited to bring you the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox, on sale in November 2015. This book is perfect for beginners to the Wheat Belly lifestyle, or for people who want to reboot their health and includes carefully designed meal plans and delicious recipes that provide everything needed to fully eliminate wheat and related grains in the shortest time possible.

If you or someone you care about would benefit from this book, preorder it today and enter below for a chance to win this complete quick-start kit from WheatFree Market, complete with a Spirelli Vegetable Slicer! This delicious bundle plus your copy of Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox is everything you need to go from zero to sixty on the road back to health and slenderness, all approved by William Davis, M.D.

BONUS! Everyone who preorders the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox will get a FREE GIFT from my publisher—a free chapter download of the book and a preview module of the Wheat Belly Online Course, a step-by-step supported guide with video tutorials from William Davis, M.D. Get more details and claim your free gift!

Preorder: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Indiebound

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A stunning example of the Wheat Belly anti-aging effect

Look at what the Wheat Belly lifestyle did for Mary:

“I believe. I have only been at this a few short months but have seen a dramatic change already in both the way I look and the way that I feel. Arthritis–gone. Aches and pains–gone. Thinning hair–coming back. Insomnia–gone. Looking and feeling better–priceless!”

Better than plastic surgery, better than hormone injections, the Wheat Belly lifestyle can often turn the clock back on skin aging dramatically. Had Mary presented these photos as mother and daughter, I would have believed it without question . . . but they’re not. They represent Mary’s dramatic transformation in skin health and appearance with 2 months of wheat/grain elimination. Yes, there is different lighting and clarity on the photos (the dilemma we face with selfies), but look at Mary’s eyes and the skin surrounding the eyes: just as we see so often, less around-the-eye swelling, larger eyes. Mary may have changed her hair color, but that would not have increased hair growth. And she experienced relief from joint pains, as well, a marker for reduced inflammation. Recall that inflammation is a major driver of aging and Mary has diminished the level of inflammation in her body. And it looks as if her skin texture has undergone a substantial change, as well.

Before you invest thousands of dollars in botox and fillers, before you subscribe to years of hormone injections, before you simply submit to the ravages of aging, try wheat and grain elimination, elimination of the “foods” that never should have been regarded as food in the first place. Grains are the seeds of grasses that contain numerous health-disrupting components. You can justify the consumption of the seeds of grasses if were starving and there was nothing better to eat. But, in a world of plenty, why would you consume the food of desperation, foods that accelerate the effects of aging and provoke hundreds of chronic human diseases?

Mary weighs in after comments started pouring in:

“Lots of folks are commenting that I look younger because I had colored my hair. I didn’t. It was just the lighting inside my dark car that made it look more blonde, I think. That was just a snap with my cell phone–no touching up.

“Others have commented that it is a difference in makeup. I don’t wear makeup, other than mascara (which I also had on in the first picture–you just can’t see it for my puffy eyes) and a little clear lip gloss to keep my lips from drying out. Absolutely nothing on my face to change my skin tone. I’m kind of an earth mother, herbal momma, all natural type and I don’t do any of that stuff. With me–what you see is what you get. My skin looks better because I’m healthier.

“Also, I wasn’t squinting into the sun in the first photo. My face was just that puffy that it made me look like I was squinting. Trust me, folks: this is all Wheat Belly and no tricks.

“The photo below was taken at one month on Wheat Belly. I am only including it because you can see that I haven’t colored my hair. It’s still as gray as ever–but a lot healthier and shinier and getting more life back.

“I put my scale away at about the one month mark and it has made a world of difference. Once I stopped obsessing about every little tenth of a pound, I found that I was more relaxed and that I look and feel better. I did pull it out the other day just because curiosity got the best of me and I have lost 22 pounds since the end of July when that first photo was taken. I have shoved the scale back into the closet for at least another month. Maybe I will pull it out at Christmas. That will be about the five month mark.”

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Migraines, plantar fasciitis, joint pain, heartburn . . . gone

Elizabeth shared her emerging experience of health and life transformation by adopting the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“I am 34 years old, married with no kids. I suffered from hypertension, heart problems, plantar fasciitis, joint pains, heartburn, migraines and I was overweight.

“After 60 days of wheat-free lifestyle, I feel so much better. I look better and I have never been so active! So far, I have shed 15 lbs, went down two dress sizes and lost 3 inches around my waist. I might have to do some shopping for smaller clothes!

“More importantly, I feel lighter, I can walk miles and climb steps without pain. My after-work migraines are also gone and I sleep so much better now. I know this is just the start and I can not imagine going back to my old habits again. You have changed my life in many ways. ”

No amount of weight loss or calorie counting will provide relief from plantar fasciitis. No exercise program will provide relief from migraine headaches. Cutting fat and cholesterol does not reverse joint pain. In other words, the Wheat Belly lifestyle adds up to far more than just weight loss, though weight loss obviously figures prominently among the benefits of this lifestyle.

And, as often happens around here, look at the changes in Elizabeth’s appearance. Yes, her expressions are different in each photo, but I believe you can nonetheless make out the reduced facial swelling/edema and larger eyes that develop due to the reversal of skin/facial inflammation that parallels the reversed inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, joints, heart, even brain.

In following the Wheat Belly wheat/grain-free lifestyle, the total is greater than the sum of the parts. The benefits of following this lifestyle even continue to astound me, even after having witnessed so many people undergo such magnificent transformations.

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Hot and Spicy Nut Mix

Have a glass of water nearby when you eat these nuts. Pack this Hot and Spicy Nut Mix from the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox in a resealable plastic bag or plastic container and take it along with you when you travel. It’s certainly tastier and a lot less expensive than the nuts sold at airports or other travel shops. If making it for the kids, add cashew fragments to your choice of nuts. (Adult versions should avoid cashews or minimize them due to potentially excessive carbohydrate exposure.)

If you start with whole nuts, you can reduce them to smaller pieces in your food chopper, food processor, or coffee grinder by pulsing briefly.

Makes 16 (1/4-cup) servings

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup raw walnut pieces

1 cup raw pecan pieces

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons hot-pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 275°

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, coconut oil, chili powder, hot sauce, and salt. Toss to mix thoroughly.

Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once. Cool before serving.

Per 1/4-cup serving: 253 calories, 6g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 24g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 2g fiber, 97mg sodium.

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Peanut Butter Cup Detox Shake

This version of a Detox Shake is your way to get a healthy peanut butter cup in a glass!

In my new book, Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox, I introduce recipes for quick and easy Detox Shakes that make incorporating prebiotic fibers into your daily routine a snap. Prebiotic fibers are crucial for restoration of bowel health and bowel flora, even yielding improvements in metabolic measures like blood sugar and blood pressure, while also adding to mental and emotional health and bowel regularity. You will therefore find several recipes for Detox Shakes in the 10-Day Grain Detox book.

Here is a recipe for a Detox Shake that uses inulin and fructooligosaccharides, FOS, as prebiotic fiber sources with flavors that mimic chocolate peanut butter cups. You can find inulin and FOS in powder form at most health food stores. Some brands of inulin also contain FOS, as well (check the label). (FOS consists of shorter fiber chains, while inulin consists of longer chains.) While the recipe calls for a bit of both inulin and FOS, you can also use just one or the other.

Note that the quantity of inulin and FOS specified will provide a total of 10 grams of prebiotic fibers per shake. If you are just starting out in your wheat- and grain-free lifestyle, do not exceed this quantity for the first several weeks to avoid bloating and abdominal discomfort as you just begin the journey to restoring healthy bowel flora. Experienced Wheat Belly people can up their intake of either or both, or add other sources such as a green unripe banana or the GOS from lentils, as we work towards a daily intake in the neighborhood of 20 grams prebiotic fibers per day.

Makes approximately 2 cups

1 cup unsweetened coconut, almond, or hemp milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup water

Sweetener equivalent to 1 tablespoon sugar (e.g., 1/4 teaspoon pure powdered stevia)

2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons unsweetened natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon inulin powder

1 teaspoon FOS powder

In blender, combine coconut or other milk, coconut oil, water, sweetener, cocoa powder, peanut butter, inulin and FOS powders, and blend until well-combined. Serve immediately.

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