William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 126

Debbie: Among the forgotten

Debbie

Debbie shared her photos and early experience in following the Wheat Belly lifestyle, just 4 weeks in:

“The last three years my health had declined significantly. Rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral neuropathy diagnoses put me on a path of medications, doctors, and limitations due to pain. As a professor, it has made my job physically and mentally difficult.

“After years of trying to eat better with wheat bread and pasta, low-fat foods, and Diet Coke, I accidentally stumbled upon your Facebook page. I purchased your books and decided to give it a try. I went “cold turkey”: wheat-free, grain-free and soda-free.

“This is me today, after only one month. I feel better, have less fatigue, and have already eliminated one medication. Thank you for introducing me to this lifestyle!”

I recently discussed how people like Debbie are among the forgotten 99% of people who experience serious medical conditions from wheat and grain consumption yet do not have celiac disease. (Debbie may not have been assessed for celiac disease, but most people with similar health struggles test negative for celiac by the blood markers as well small intestinal biopsy.) Doctors treated her with toxic medications, never once questioning whether she was experiencing a form of non-celiac autoimmunity attacking her joints (rheumatoid arthritis) and peripheral nervous system tissue (peripheral neuropathy). Both conditions are quite serious, treated with toxic medications, yet recede in many, if not most, people simply by going against conventional dietary advice and eating NO “healthy whole grains.”

You can even see the regression of edema and swelling in Debbie’s face, reflecting the body-wide retreat of inflammation. Feeling better, looking better, getting rid of medications, and losing weight effortlessly—all accomplished by a tweak in diet, no nasty drugs, no extreme exercise, no counting calories or reducing portion sizes necessary.

The post Debbie: Among the forgotten appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

The OTHER 99%: It’s not just about celiac disease

I want to take this issue head on, since popular “wisdom” is that problems with consumption of wheat and related grains begin and end with celiac disease. The Wheat Lobby, for instance, frequently argues that, if you do not have celiac disease, you have no business avoiding wheat and related grains.

Defenders of wheat, such as those cited in this New York Times article, argue that celiac disease affects 1% of the human population, but that the other 99% of people not only can consume wheat with impunity, but can actually do so and obtain health benefits due to fiber and B vitamin content. They say that eliminating wheat and grains is therefore unnecessary, unhealthy, even dangerous.

Let’s therefore examine what health conditions can develop in the 99% of people who do not have celiac disease:

Cerebellar ataxia–This is a condition in which antibodies to gliadin (though different than those occurring in celiac disease) damage the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for coordination, bladder control, and other bodily functions. People with this condition develop progressive incoordination, begin to stumble, lose control over their bladder, then end up in a wheelchair and experience premature death. Stop eating wheat and related grains and progression of the disease stops, and can partially reverse (only partially, since brain and nervous system tissue are poor at healing).
Peripheral neuropathy–While most cases of peripheral neuropathy, or damage to the nerves to the legs and organs (e.g., stomach, resulting in a non-functional stomach or gastroparesis) are due to longstanding diabetes, of the remaining cases in people without diabetes, 50% of cases of non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy are caused by an autoimmune reaction triggered by gliadin with high levels anti-gliadin antibody. As with cerebellar ataxia, the incoordination, leg pain, even gastroparesis reverse, sometimes entirely, with wheat/grain elimination.
Iron deficiency anemia–The phytates of wheat and grains reduce iron absorption by up to 90%, making wheat/grain consumption the second most common cause of iron deficiency anemia in the world after blood loss. Get rid of the wheat/grains, iron deficiency reverses.
Gynecomastia–This is the “man boob” issue–enlarged breasts in males, embarrassing, disfiguring, and now responsible for male breast reduction surgery being among the most common elective surgeries in men. Recall that the A5 pentapeptide from partial digestion of the gliadin protein is a powerful stimulant of pituitary prolactin release (pro- + lactin = increases lactation); remove wheat and grains, removing all sources of gliadin, and prolactin levels drop and breast size recedes. Even better, lose the wheat and grains, lose the amylopectin A responsible for high blood sugars and insulin, inflammatory belly fat recedes, the activity of the enzyme aromatase in belly fat drops, and testosterone levels increase, estrogen levels drop in males (since overactive aromatase in belly fat converts male testosterone to estrogen).
Vitamin B12 deficiency–Absorption of vitamin B12, vital for numerous body processes, such as production of blood cells and nervous system function, is impaired because wheat and grains trigger an autoimmune response against the parietal cells of the stomach that produce a protein (“intrinsic factor”) required for B12 absorption. Damage to parietal cells impairs intrinsic factor production, and B12 is not absorbed. This reverses with wheat/grain elimination and is accompanied by a rise in B12 levels and reversal of pernicious or macrocytic anemia.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis–Up to 50% of people with this autoimmune thyroid condition have high antibody levels against the gliadin protein of wheat and related grains. Remove wheat/grains and autoimmune thyroid inflammation subsides (particularly when combined with vitamin D and cultivation of healthy bowel flora) but, unfortunately, is usually not accompanied by full restoration of thyroid hormone production, meaning thyroid hormones, T4 and T3, may still need to be taken to obtain normal thyroid status.
Type 1 diabetes–The evidence is quite clear: many, if not most, cases of autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin are initiated by the gliadin protein of wheat and related grains (as well as the zein protein of corn and the casein beta A1 protein of dairy, though less commonly), borne out by both the human as well as the experience in two experimental models. As with Hashimoto’s destruction of the thyroid, pancreatic beta cells are very poor at recovering and the great majority of type 1 diabetics are insulin-dependent diabetics for life.
Rheumatoid arthritis–Rheumatoid arthritis serves as the prototypical autoimmune disease, in this case an autoimmune attack against the joints of the body. The autoimmune process is initiated by intact forms of gliadin protein, the pathway elegantly worked out by Dr. Alessio Fasano and colleagues while at the University of Maryland.
Hyperglycemia/type 2 diabetes–The formula to make a person diabetic is simple: eat foods that raise blood sugar and insulin, resistance to insulin develops, visceral fat grows that adds to inflammation that further blocks insulin, fatty liver develops (due to liver de novo lipogenesis) that also further blocks insulin, and blood sugars rise to the diabetic range. The process is therefore started by foods that raise blood sugar the highest. What foods have the highest glycemic index (and glycemic loads) of all foods? Grains–even more so than white table sugar. Follow a diet dominated or rich in grains, white or whole, and blood sugars go up many times per day (since there is virtually no difference from a blood sugar perspective): a perfect setup for type 2 diabetes. Get rid of all wheat and grains and the entire cycle unwinds.
Eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, rosacea–These common autoimmune skin conditions that affect millions of people occur in people without celiac disease, and recede or disappear in the majority with wheat/grain elimination.
Paranoia of schizophrenia, mania of bipolar illness, depression–A substantial subset of people with each of these conditions experience a reduction in symptoms with wheat/grain elimination. Schizophrenics will not be cured, but have reduced paranoia, reduced auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), and improved capacity for social engagement. The people most likely to respond to wheat/grain elimination tend to be the people with high antibodies to gliadin, but there are many who do not have such antibodies who also improve, likely due to the mind- and behavior-altering effects of removing gliadin-derived opioid peptides.

I could go on, as there are literally hundreds of other conditions caused by consumption of wheat and grains in people without celiac disease, all documented in the scientific literature (many references listed in the Wheat Belly Total Health book)—it is not a short list. You can begin to appreciate how patently absurd this “gluten-free is only for people with celiac disease” argument truly is. Wheat and related grains (especially rye, barley, and corn) have far-ranging effects on the brain, thyroid, skin, airways and sinuses, joints, pancreas, breasts, stomach, etc. not just the small intestine. Understand this basic principle, recognize that the Wheat Lobby is defending a flawed collection of food products with misleading smokescreens—reminiscent of the tactics used by Big Tobacco a few years back to defend cigarettes—and you have found the key to an astoundingly powerful return to health: eat no wheat or grains.

The post The OTHER 99%: It’s not just about celiac disease appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

There’s more to wheat than celiac disease

I want to take this issue head on, since popular “wisdom” is that problems with consumption of wheat and related grains begins and ends with celiac disease. The Wheat Lobby, for instance, frequently argues that, if you do not have celiac disease, you have no business avoiding wheat and related grains.

Defenders of wheat, such as those cited in this New York Times article, argue that celiac disease affects 1% of the human population, but that the other 99% of people not only can consume wheat with impunity, but can actually do so and obtain health benefits due to fiber and B vitamin content. They say that eliminating wheat and grains is therefore unnecessary, unhealthy, even dangerous.

Let’s therefore examine what health conditions can develop in the 99% of people who do not have celiac disease:

Cerebellar ataxia–This is a condition in which antibodies to gliadin (though different than those occurring in celiac disease) damage the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for coordination, bladder control, and other bodily functions. People with this condition develop progressive incoordination, begin to stumble, lose control over their bladder, then end up in a wheelchair and experience premature death. Stop eating wheat and related grains and progression of the disease stops, and can partially reverse (only partially, since brain and nervous system tissue are poor at healing).
Peripheral neuropathy–While most cases of peripheral neuropathy, or damage to the nerves to the legs and organs (e.g., stomach, resulting in a non-functional stomach or gastroparesis) are due to longstanding diabetes, of the remaining cases in people without diabetes, 50% of cases of non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy are caused by an autoimmune reaction triggered by gliadin with high levels anti-gliadin antibody. As with cerebellar ataxia, the incoordination, leg pain, even gastroparesis reverse, sometimes entirely, with wheat/grain elimination.
Iron deficiency anemia–The phytates of wheat and grains reduce iron absorption by up to 90%, making wheat/grain consumption the second most common cause of iron deficiency anemia in the world after blood loss. Get rid of the wheat/grains, iron deficiency reverses.
Gynecomastia–This is the “man boob” issue–enlarged breasts in males, embarrassing, disfiguring, and now responsible for male breast reduction surgery being among the most common elective surgeries in men. Recall that the A5 pentapeptide from partial digestion of the gliadin protein is a powerful stimulant of pituitary prolactin release (pro- + lactin = increases lactation); remove wheat and grains, removing all sources of gliadin, and prolactin levels drop and breast size recedes. Even better, lose the wheat and grains, lose the amylopectin A responsible for high blood sugars and insulin, inflammatory belly fat recedes, the activity of the enzyme aromatase in belly fat drops, and testosterone levels increase, estrogen levels drop in males (since overactive aromatase in belly fat converts male testosterone to estrogen).
Vitamin B12 deficiency–Absorption of vitamin B12, vital for numerous body processes, such as production of blood cells and nervous system function, is impaired because wheat and grains trigger an autoimmune response against the parietal cells of the stomach that produce a protein (“intrinsic factor”) required for B12 absorption. Damage to parietal cells impairs intrinsic factor production, and B12 is not absorbed. This reverses with wheat/grain elimination and is accompanied by a rise in B12 levels and reversal of pernicious or macrocytic anemia.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis–Up to 50% of people with this autoimmune thyroid condition have high antibody levels against the gliadin protein of wheat and related grains. Remove wheat/grains and autoimmune thyroid inflammation subsides (particularly when combined with vitamin D and cultivation of healthy bowel flora) but, unfortunately, is usually not accompanied by full restoration of thyroid hormone production, meaning thyroid hormones, T4 and T3, may still need to be taken to obtain normal thyroid status.
Type 1 diabetes–The evidence is quite clear: many, if not most, cases of autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin are initiated by the gliadin protein of wheat and related grains (as well as the zein protein of corn and the casein beta A1 protein of dairy, though less commonly), borne out by both the human as well as the experience in two experimental models. As with Hashimoto’s destruction of the thyroid, pancreatic beta cells are very poor at recovering and the great majority of type 1 diabetics are insulin-dependent diabetics for life.
Rheumatoid arthritis–Rheumatoid arthritis serves as the prototypical autoimmune disease, in this case an autoimmune attack against the joints of the body. The autoimmune process is initiated by intact forms of gliadin protein, the pathway elegantly worked out by Dr. Alessio Fasano and colleagues while at the University of Maryland.
Hyperglycemia/type 2 diabetes–The formula to make a person diabetic is simple: eat foods that raise blood sugar and insulin, resistance to insulin develops, visceral fat grows that adds to inflammation that further blocks insulin, fatty liver develops (due to liver de novo lipogenesis) that also further blocks insulin, and blood sugars rise to the diabetic range. The process is therefore started by foods that raise blood sugar the highest. What foods have the highest glycemic index (and glycemic loads) of all foods? Grains–even more so than white table sugar. Follow a diet dominated or rich in grains, white or whole, and blood sugars go up many times per day (since there is virtually no difference from a blood sugar perspective): a perfect setup for type 2 diabetes. Get rid of all wheat and grains and the entire cycle unwinds.
Eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, rosacea–These common autoimmune skin conditions that affect millions of people occur in people without celiac disease, and recede or disappear in the majority with wheat/grain elimination.
Paranoia of schizophrenia, mania of bipolar illness, depression–A substantial subset of people with each of these conditions experience a reduction in symptoms with wheat/grain elimination. Schizophrenics will not be cured, but have reduced paranoia, reduced auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), and improved capacity for social engagement. The people most likely to respond to wheat/grain elimination tend to be the people with high antibodies to gliadin, but there are many who do not have such antibodies who also improve, likely due to the mind- and behavior-altering effects of removing gliadin-derived opioid peptides.

I could go on, as there are literally hundreds of other conditions caused by consumption of wheat and grains in people without celiac disease, all documented in the scientific literature (many references listed in the Wheat Belly Total Health book)—it is not a short list. You can begin to appreciate how patently absurd this “gluten-free is only for people with celiac disease” argument truly is. Wheat and related grains (especially rye, barley, and corn) have far-ranging effects on the brain, thyroid, skin, airways and sinuses, joints, pancreas, breasts, stomach, etc. not just the small intestine. Understand this basic principle, recognize that the Wheat Lobby is defending a flawed collection of food products with misleading smokescreens—reminiscent of the tactics used by Big Tobacco a few years back to defend cigarettes—and you have found the key to an astoundingly powerful return to health: eat no wheat or grains.

The post There’s more to wheat than celiac disease appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

The top 5 reasons you still have cravings

Follow the Wheat Belly lifestyle and you should be freed of hunger and cravings except when physiologically appropriate, e.g., you haven’t eaten anything in 8 hours. Many of us eat breakfast, for instance, then have no desire for food until dinner. Or you have a healthy lunch at noon, then forget to eat dinner. In other words, the incessant, rolling, rumbling hunger that plagues modern people that can account for aggressive, even angry, food quests simply goes away and you are left with a soft reminder that it might be nice to eat sometime in the next few hours.

If you are following this lifestyle properly, you should not be experiencing hunger and cravings, say, 2 hours after a meal, or feel desperate hunger prior to every meal, or wake up in the middle of the night craving something. If you are experiencing such feelings, then consider this list of the 5 most common reasons you are experiencing such inappropriate impulses:

You are still being exposed to wheat and related grains–The Wheat Belly lifestyle is a 100%, complete, no-compromise, wheat- and grain-free lifestyle. Anything short of this will booby-trap your health and weight loss efforts, just as an alcoholic who sneaks a sip of bourbon every now and then will eventually succumb. “Cutting back,” “I eat them only when there’s nothing else,” “a ‘bad’ day once per week”—all such “indulgences” will drive appetite, often to extravagant degrees, not to mention continue to drive inflammation, autoimmune disease, heart disease risk (via small LDL particles triggered by the “indulgence”), risk for dementia (via endogenous glycation of brain proteins), and other health impairments. And don’t forget to examine nutritional supplements, prepared smoothie mixes and any other processed foods you choose to include, and prescription drugs for hidden wheat/grain sources.
You remain fearful of fat–Or you lost the natural impulse to take in adequate fat because of the ridiculous low-fat message you’ve been inundated with these last 30 or 40 years. Eat fat: buy fatty cuts of meat, never lean; don’t trim off the fat–eat it; save the bacon oil that remains after you prepare bacon and use it for cooking other foods (store in refrigerator); use more coconut oil; use organic butter; use more olive, avocado, and other healthy, non-grain-sourced oils.
You are limiting portion sizes–You’ve got to clear the destructive notion that calorie intake causes weight gain, or “calories in, calories out,” or all the other often-repeated mantras that make you choose smaller portion sizes or push the plate away before you are satisfied. DON’T SWEAT THE CALORIES and eat until you are satisfied. Recall that, if you were to count calories on your 100% wheat/grain-free lifestyle, it would be substantially less than it used to be during your wheat/grain-consuming days because you have removed the gliadin-derived opiate peptide appetite stimulants from wheat and grains, but nobody around here should be counting or limiting calories.
You are overdoing carbohydrates/sugars–We live during a time when 1/3 of people are diabetic, another 1/3 are pre-diabetic (with nearly the same cardiovascular and other risks of diabetics), and another 1/3 are what I call “pre-pre-diabetic” because of the absurd over-proliferation of carbs/sugars in modern processed foods and the resultant resistance to insulin in people who consume such foods. I see people overdoing carbs/sugars through a variety of means: excessive fruit in their smoothies and protein drinks; exposure to the truly knuckleheaded ingredients in “gluten-free” foods; “carb-loading” for exercise (an unproductive and long-term destructive practice); clinging to former “health” habits like eating bran cereals; lack of awareness of the carb content of many foods, such as the 24 grams of net carbs in a ripe, medium-sized banana–enough to turn off weight loss, trigger high blood sugars, accelerate endogenous glycation of body-wide proteins, trigger appetite when high blood sugar is followed by low blood sugar, etc. For this reason, we limit net carbs to no more than 15 grams net per meal (unless your individual sensitivity differs, as gauged by pre-meal/post-meal fingerstick blood sugar management, discussed in the book, Wheat Belly Total Health).
Failure to cultivate healthy bowel flora–Lose the wheat and grains and you remove an enormously disruptive factor in bowel health and bowel flora . . . but bowel flora does not recover fully on its own, at least not for a long time. This is why we purposefully take steps to cultivate healthy bowel flora, just like planting seeds and nourishing a garden. Failure to do so can mean failure to fully reverse autoimmune conditions, failure to fully reverse type 2 diabetes, failure to fully recover mental/emotional health, failure to reduce long-term risk for diverticular disease and colon cancer, and failure to control appetite and impulse.

Those of you following the strategies discussed in Wheat Belly Total Health recognize that each and every problem cited above can be addressed and corrected, allowing you to be freed of abnormal hunger, cravings, failed weight loss, or a failed return to health. Incessant hunger and cravings are unnatural, a man-made result of misguided dietary advice and Big Food profiteering. Correct these factors and you return to a natural, “soft,” hunger meant to ensure sustenance–nothing more, nothing less.

The post The top 5 reasons you still have cravings appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

When you restore HEALTH, weight loss will follow

Dennis shared his photos and experience after several months living the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“October, 2014: 264 lbs. Today: 217 lbs. Gave up wheat and cut back sugar some. My wife has been reading your blog and books and is leading us down the road away from diabetes. Thanks so much for the guidance. Oh, she has lost over 25 lbs herself.”

Relief from joint pain, headaches, increased energy: all reflect the reversal of inflammation of wheat and grains. Reversing inflammation permits improved responsiveness to insulin, leading to lower blood insulin levels, an essential step before your body begins mobilizing fat from fat stores. Cutting calories or points is not anti-inflammatory. Reducing portion sizes is not anti-inflammatory. Eliminating wheat and grains? Hugely anti-inflammatory. It explains why people like Dennis don’t just lose substantial weight without effort, but also lose the many manifestations of an immune system gone awry.

The post When you restore HEALTH, weight loss will follow appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

The Wheat Belly Total Health Public TV Special: Just a few days left!

Wheat Belly Total Health public television special

The Wheat Belly Total Health Public TV Special will be airing for only a few more days!

This is a terrific opportunity to get naysayers to watch and hear the rational behind this empowering lifestyle. Time and again, people say: “Once I heard the arguments for why this lifestyle works, I was convinced.”

As many of you appreciate, people sometimes dismiss the Wheat Belly lifestyle as another low-carb diet or a gluten-free message. Of course, the Wheat Belly lifestyle is about understanding how and why wheat and grain elimination is THE most important strategy for health to have come along . . . in the last 10,000 years!

Check your local PBS listings for time and station, often posted on your station’s website, or go to the PBS website and enter your area or zip code.

The post The Wheat Belly Total Health Public TV Special: Just a few days left! appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Wheat, wheat everywhere

If you’ve already begun your Wheat Belly adventure, you know that wheat is a ubiquitous ingredient in processed foods, found in everything from salad dressing to licorice. Wheat, along with corn, can be found in virtually every processed food on supermarket shelves, cheap, tasty filler that provides the appearance of bulk and value.

In our quest to banish all things wheat and grain from our lives, you don’t need me to tell you that there are obvious sources of wheat: breads, rolls, pancake mix, wraps, pretzels, crackers, pies, cakes, muffins, breakfast cereals, breadcrumbs, bagels, muffins, ramen noodles, pasta in all its varied forms. These products fill several aisles all by themselves. You should therefore completely avoid the bread aisle, pasta aisle, breakfast cereal aisle, and the frozen food freezers (except for frozen veggies and berries).

Then there are the processed foods containing wheat, a list that numbers tens of thousands long in any major supermarket: canned soup, dry soup mixes, seasoning mixes, frozen dinners, licorice, granola, candy bars, sauces, gravies, lunch meats, sausages, dog food, cat food–just about everything short of laundry detergent and window cleaner. I liken avoiding wheat in processed foods to getting rid of the sand in your bathing suit, body cracks and crevices after a day at the beach: nearly impossible. Continuing to consume commercial processed foods and avoiding wheat is a loser’s game. That’s why our solution is to eat none of them, or at least minimize your reliance on such foods and examine labels carefully. In addition to its use as cheap filler, I believe that another reason why wheat is included in so many processed foods is that smart food scientists recognized in the late 1980s that the modified form of gliadin (yes, Grain Lobby: of course gliadin has been present in wheat throughout its evolution–it’s the newer forms of gliadin created by agricultural scientists and agribusiness that are in question) from modern high-yield semidwarf wheat that are a source for more potent gliadin-derived opiates that bind to the human brain and increase appetite and calorie consumption–eating processed foods results in eating more processed foods, typically 400-800 more calories per day, mostly in the form of carbohydrates.

And remember that we avoid wheat in all its forms: wheat flour, yes, but also panko, seitan, breading, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, rusk, roux and others. (Find a list in all the Wheat Belly books and cookbooks.) We also don’t fall for the marketing games used to sell us sprouted grain products, emmer, einkorn, spelt, kamut, or organic grains, as they all hold potential for re-triggering inflammation and autoimmune diseases, exert mind effects, cause migraine headaches, high blood sugars, gallbladder disruption, changes in bowel flora, etc. (Readers of Wheat Belly Total Health understand the rationale: We avoid consuming all seeds of grasses from the biological family Poaceae.)

If we avoid or minimize processed foods to avert the dreaded wheat re-exposure syndromes, what’s left to eat? (Some people are completely flummoxed at this point, having been so thoroughly brainwashed that wheat products should dominate diet. But shake it off: it’s really not that tough.) Start by eating real, single ingredient foods: eggs, meats, fish, coconut oil, raw or dry roasted nuts (with no other added ingredients), vegetables, fruit, legumes. These foods should provide the cornerstone of every meal. A baked pork chop with a side of steamed asparagus and mashed cauliflower seasoned with freshly-ground pepper and sea salt, for example, provides virtually no risk of containing wheat. (Even if the animal was “finished” with grains, their digestive system prevents any grain protein residues from contaminating the meat.)

As you gain confidence, then you can indeed begin to examine labels of selected processed foods to identify those safe for your lifestyle. You will be able to find the convenience items that are free of wheat ingredients, as well as other unwanted ingredients, such as added sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, etc. You should therefore be able to identify safe ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, hummus, salad dressings, and others. By following the Wheat Belly recipes, you will also learn that you can recreate just about any former wheat dish with safe ingredients, including a delicious pizza and tasty baked cakes and muffins.

You are not entirely safe yet, however, as, the longer you are wheat- and grain-free, the more sensitive you will become to re-exposures. This means that, for many of us, even cross-contamination from cooking utensils, for instance, may be enough to wreak havoc. More on that in a future Wheat Belly Blog post.

The post Wheat, wheat everywhere appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

Stefanie’s allergic and autoimmune conditions improved and, oh yes, she’s down 105 pounds

Stefanie shared her wonderful Wheat Belly experience:

“I’ve been following the Wheat Belly lifestyle for a little over a year (July 25, 2014) due to sudden onset of severe allergies. I’m down for a grand total of 105 pounds lost since March, 2014. I managed to stop all my allergy meds and feel incredibly better. I still have some autoimmune issues that have improved but aren’t as bad as they were. (I have a mild case of psoriasis.)

“My neurological issues aren’t related to diet but are due to a traumatic brain injury I sustained 18 years ago. However, I did notice the symptoms were just as frequent but less intense. I just wanted to say thank you and that I share this wonderful book and page with everyone.”

Allergy, autoimmunity, inflammation that worsens other conditions such as traumatic brain injury . . . and losing over 100 pounds. You can appreciate why I repeat over and over again: these sorts of health benefits are NOT achieved by just limiting calories, smaller portions, or extreme exercise. These kinds of benefits develop by removing their cause–the indigestible or partially-digestible proteins of wheat and grains that trigger allergy, intestinal “leak” and autoimmune diseases, and body-wide inflammation.

And, Stefanie, be absolutely SURE to address vitamin D, fish oil, and cultivation of bowel flora to maximize your hopes of a full reversal of the autoimmune psoriasis and to obtain further relief from the neurological issues, all addressed in detail in Wheat Belly Total Health and summarized in the Wheat Belly Blog.

The post Stefanie’s allergic and autoimmune conditions improved and, oh yes, she’s down 105 pounds appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

The nasty business of wheat re-exposure

Steve’s wife, Jenny, shared these photos of her husband feeling well off all wheat and grains, then after a wheat exposure:

“Went to a party last night. Thought he could have pizza since he’s looked so good for so long. This is him before and after.”

Of course, Steve will survive after enduring some misery and perhaps embarrassment. But the whole business of re-exposure to wheat and related grains can be quite nasty. Among the most common wheat/grain re-exposure reactions are:

Abdominal distress–bloating, diarrhea, discomfort, even severe acute pain
Joint pain–in fingers and wrists, as well as large joints
Skin rash–particularly if you had some form of rash, such as seborrhea, rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis during prior grain-consuming days
Mental/emotional effects–anger, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, restlessness/restless legs, insomnia/disrupted sleep, impulsive behaviors

If you obtained relief from an autoimmune or neurological condition after several months of the Wheat Belly lifestyle (and the Wheat Belly Total Health additional strategies), wheat/grain re-exposure can re-activate your disease. One of my most memorable examples: I was seeing a 52-year old male businessman for mild coronary disease prevention a few years ago. As he had the typical lowish HDL, highish triglycerides, and plenty of small LDL particles underlying his coronary disease, I advised him to eliminate all wheat/grains, as well as add vitamin D and fish oil. (This was prior to the added strategies surrounding cultivation of bowel flora.) He also had rheumatoid arthritis, mostly affecting his hands and resulting in the typical disfigurement, now starting to involve his knees despite receiving a monthly intravenous drug and two oral drugs. On each return visit over 2 years, the pain and disfigurement were receding, enough for him to stop the intravenous drug and one of the oral agents. He reported that he was about 80-90% relieved of his joint problems. He then planned a trip to Germany where he declared “It’s my one and only trip of a lifetime to Germany: I’m having some damned pumpernickel!” He did, and the joint pain and swelling returned in full force, necessitating a return to all 3 drugs for 6 months before pain/swelling receded back to their prior level–6 months.

Some people say that, given the severity of some of these reactions, it’s not worth being wheat/grain-free in the first place. This is nonsense, of course, as it would deny you the extravagant long-term benefits of this lifestyle such as weight loss, freedom from inflammation, reversal of autoimmune conditions like ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, reduced insulin and blood sugar, reversal of diabetes, protection from dementia, improved HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, precipitous drops in small LDL particles that lead to heart disease, etc. Why would anyone deny themselves such wonderful health benefits to avoid the occasional or rare exposure?

On the other hand, let’s face it: even the most meticulous among us will experience an occasional re-exposure, particularly when eating at restaurants, friends’ homes, and other social events. It could be a sauce, it could be cross-contamination from cooking utensils, or a “stealth” ingredient, but it can happen. As time has gone on, I have cut my inadvertent exposures to perhaps once a year, nearly always a presumed cross-contamination exposure. But the benefits I gain from the other 364 days of the year without such re-exposures are well worth the small risk.

The post The nasty business of wheat re-exposure appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

You LOOK better, you feel better–because you ARE better without grains

Jennifer shared her “before” and “after” Wheat Belly photos with us:

“I have been grain-free, sugar-free since September, 2014. The picture on the left was me July, 2014 and the picture on the right is me August, 2015.

“I am down 70 pounds, several inches, and feel great about my new eating habits. Even though I still have a long way to go, I am motivated everyday to make good choices. This is the most satisfying lifestyle change I have ever made, thank you Wheat Belly!”

Nobody around here should be cutting calories, reducing portion sizes, avoiding fat, or engaging in extreme exercise (unless you want to do so for your own purposes). By following the Wheat Belly lifestyle, you feel better, look better, reverse multiple health conditions, and lose weight because:

You’ve removed indigestible or partially-digestible grain proteins from your diet–gliadin, gliadin-derived peptides, wheat germ agglutinin and others are potent inflammatory factors, now gone.
You’ve removed the amylopectin A starch of grains that is responsible for sky-high insulin levels that drive inflammation, distortions of hormones (e.g., higher estrogen and testosterone levels in females), and weight gain.
You have removed potent bowel health disrupters in the form of gliadin, gliadin-derived peptides, wheat germ agglutinin, and others that not just damage the delicate intestinal lining and impair digestion (e.g., cholecystokinin block), but also alter bowel flora, leading to dysbiosis.
You follow this lifestyle and are not plagued by hunger, as you have removed the appetite-stimulants in wheat and grains: gliadin-derived opiate peptides that would have previously bound to the opiate receptors of the brain to stimulate hunger, gliadin-derived peptides that block leptin, and the roller-coaster ride of blood sugar that results in 2-hour cycles of hypoglycemia accompanied by a desperate search for food.

(Anyone who is suffering from hunger or cravings on this lifestyle is really suffering from inadequate fat intake–eat more fat, use more healthy oils like coconut and organic butter.)

Jennifer looks and feels different because she has removed this collection of potent disrupters of health–yes, the ones wholeheartedly endorsed by the U.S. Government, USDA, FDA, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and all pharmaceutical companies.

The post You LOOK better, you feel better–because you ARE better without grains appeared first on Dr. William Davis.