William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 136

Marcie down 50 lbs this year, freed of insomnia

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

“January, 2015 I started the wheat-free lifestyle, and now I am down over 50 lbs. I have lost weight every week. I am also free of fatigue and insomnia that I have had for quite some time. The energy I have now is the best part of my new lifestyle.”

Insomnia is an interesting wheat-related phenomenon. Despite being a very common observation, frequently reversed with wheat elimination, we don’t have any hard science to explain why this occurs so consistently. I suspect that it is related to either a peculiar effect of gliadin-derived opiates and/or part of the endocrine disruption of wheat and grains. We know, for instance, that the A5 pentapeptide fragment from partial digestion of the gliadin protein of wheat stimulates the pituitary to release prolactin–pro + lactation = stimulating growth of breast tissue in both men and women, resulting in man breasts and increased breast cancer risk in women. Could the insomnia effect be due to some distortion or blockade of melatonin, the pineal gland hormone of circadian rhythmicity?

We’re limiting to speculation on the why of it, but experiences like Marcie’s are the rule around this neighborhood: slender, energetic, and sleeping again, all part of removing the incredible health-disrupting effects of modern wheat and grains.

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Erika’s update: down 80 lbs, no more migraines

Erika shared her most recent update on her Wheat Belly journey, now down a total of 80 pounds in weight along with relief from several health problems.

“When I started this journey (for me, it’s been a whole new life journey), I was huge and bloated and feeling gross: 225 lbs and a size 22.

“Just want to thank Wheat Belly for saving my life from couch potato status and always being tired and having migraine headaches and yuck tummy and opening my eyes to life. I am now a happy 145 lbs and a size 6!! I never thought I’d see this weight or feel this fantastic ever again. I just wanted to thank you for opening my eyes to health and happiness.”

Even without knowing Erika’s story, just looking at her photos makes it pretty clear that something very important has happened. Yes, she’s got a swimming cap on in the “before,” but look at the facial contours. Losing 80 pounds will do a lot for appearance, but generally not to the degree we see around here with the inflammation-reversing Wheat Belly lifestyle, nor would weight loss reverse conditions like migraine headaches or gastrointestinal struggles.

Doesn’t she look spectacular?

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You won’t believe Elena’s Wheat Belly 50

Elena shared her photos, with the photo on the right her Wheat Belly result after one year.

“Greetings from Vienna, Austria. 46 years old on the left, 50 years old on the right. I have to say that, more than looks, it is the FREEDOM I enjoy most, freedom from beeing always hungry. By eliminating grain, I can have a relaxed attitude towards food and enjoy it again. I’ve tried many diets (after turning 40 and the weight kept turning up), but this is effortless.”

50 years old? Not only does Elena look younger at 50 than she did at 46, I would have guessed her age as 30!

Not everyone will look 20 years younger than chronological age like Elena, of course, by following this lifestyle. But we sure have witnessed some pretty dramatic reversals in all the signs and symptoms of aging around here.

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JoCarol is back!

Remember JoCarol? She was the woman who, starting at a weight of 250 pounds, dropped to 217 over one year by adhering to the Wheat Belly lifestyle. But then she wandered off this lifestyle and gained nearly 60 pounds. She shared this experience with the photo on the left above as her new starting point.

Well, JoCarol is back, down again in weight and dramatically different once again in appearance!

Here is the original “before” and “after”:

The key to this lifestyle, as JoCarol has learned the hard way, is to simply stick with it. As any seasoned Wheat Bellier will tell you, there is no deprivation, no need for hunger, no calorie counting, no counting points, no pushing the plate away.

This is a rich and varied lifestyle filled with delicious foods. But, in order to maintain the wonderful health benefits such as weight loss, freedom from joint pain and acid reflux, reversal of autoimmune conditions, reversal of type 2 diabetes and hypertension, etc., you must remain wheat- and grain-free and eat otherwise healthy foods. Going off program allows all of it–all of it–to come back with a vengeance. Don’t let it happen.

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Sherri found the Wheat Belly Fountain of Youth . . . and bowel health

Sherri shared her amazing “before” and “after” Wheat Belly lifestyle photos and story:

“The pic on the left is from June, 2014 and the pic on the right is May, 2015. I started the Wheat Belly lifestyle in August, 2014 after reading how giving up wheat/gluten can help with arthritis pain.

“In Wheat Belly Total Health, you talked about people who were chronically constipated, I think the term was “obstipation.” Well, that was me. I thought that maybe as a ‘side effect’ I could get my gut working right, as well. I wanted to post because I was one of those people who really struggled with withdrawal and I don’t even like bread, pizza, or pasta. Between giving up wheat in August (I gained 5 pounds in the first 3 weeks and was horribly bloated), all grains in September, and Splenda in October, I felt terrible for 3 months and only lost a few pounds, including the 5 I had gained. Everything seemed to go really slowly for me. I realize now that my gut was more damaged than I ever imagined and was taking the time to heal.

“But now, ten months later I have (finally) lost 30 pounds and feel amazing. I stopped having hot flashes the first week, I rarely have a headache anymore, I do not need allergy medicine on a daily basis. The age marks on my face are gone, my hair is growing faster and it’s growing in a different color, my gut is working and my arthritis is so much better.

“Thank you so much for leading me on this journey. I’ve learned so much from you and have read at least 30 books on nutrition and getting healthy!”

Besides the impressive “anti-aging” effect that Sherri experienced, the obstipation she previously experienced deserves some discussion. Constipation is bad; obstipation is far worse. People with obstipation are able to move their bowels once every several days to weeks, sometimes longer. They are subjected to repeated upper and lower endoscopies that invariably find nothing wrong, then advised to use laxatives and enemas. They become reliant on such strategies, but even they can fail and/or result in a colon that doesn’t work at all and can enlarge (“megacolon”) and yield obstruction (“intestinal pseudo-obstruction). Obstipation yields a constant battle to move food through. Retained stools undergo putrefaction (rotting) that messes with intestinal permeability, nutrient absorption, and bowel flora. In short, it creates a gastrointestinal disaster. I’ve now witnessed many cases of obstipation reverse with wheat/grain elimination though, as Sherri discovered, full recovery of healthy bowel function requires months of healing.

In addition to relief from obstipation and turning the clock back 10 or 20 years, Sherri also reversed allergies, headaches, arthritis, and is experiencing improvements in hair. So what were those critics saying about the Wheat Belly lifestyle being nothing more than a new spin on a low-carb diet?

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Debi is not “gluten-free” . . . but GRAIN-free!

Debi shared her wonderful experience shifting from a gluten-free lifestyle to the fully empowered grain-free lifestyle:

“Now it’s my turn. My life has been radically changed by following the Wheat Belly lifestyle. 7 months and over 20 lb weight loss to date and still dropping. No more acid reflux, brain fog, bloating, sleepless nights and feeling awful every day.

“I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance several years ago and, like most people, started filling up my pantry cupboard with the gluten-free alternatives, not realising the damage I was slowly doing to my body. Thank god for your website and news feed on Facebook, and the education I received about the dangers of consuming wheat and grains. It was a life-saver and has radically changed my life, not to mention all the new health benefits that I have. I have promoted Wheat Belly to all my family and friends who may have similar health issues, because I want to get the word out there.”

As often happens in the Wheat Belly lifestyle, Debi looks like she lost a lot more than 20 pounds–because she also lost the inflammation of wheat and grains.

And she avoids the awful, awful gluten-free replacement foods made with cornstarch, tapioca starch, potato flour, and rice flour, foods that send blood sugar through the roof and thereby, over time, add to risk for cataracts, hypertension, heart disease, hormonal distortions, visceral fat accumulation, diabetes, and dementia, as well as weight gain.

By following the Wheat Belly lifestyle and recreating foods such as breads and cookies with almond flour, coconut flour, and others that do NOT raise blood sugar, nor overlap with gliadin/gluten effects (as cornstarch and rice flour can due to protein residues), Debi can lose weight and obtain all the other health benefits without adding any risk for such conditions.

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Look what happened to Michelle . . . in just 10 days!

Michelle shared the results she has experienced during her initial 10 days of the Wheat Belly lifestyle:

“I started May 1, 2015. I have lost 7 lbs but so much swelling. I have Sjögren’s syndrome and am on several meds that I want off of.”

I’ve discussed how the Wheat Belly lifestyle stacks the odds in favor of reversing the 200 or so conditions of autoimmunity, especially when combined with anti-inflammatory nutritional supplements such as vitamin D and the EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil (only–never krill oil or flaxseed/chia), and a full program of cultivating healthy bowel flora. So Michelle has a terrific chance of reducing the inflammation of her Sjögren’s syndrome, if not achieving outright remission. She may thereby avoid the dry eyes, dry mouth, joint inflammation, and organ inflammation characteristic of this condition.

Following this approach does not reverse every autoimmune condition fully, but it nearly always yields at least partial improvement. And, unlike the prescription drugs used to “treat” autoimmunity accompanied by side effects such as causing diabetes and liver damage, the Wheat Belly strategies yield across-the-board health benefits–there is NOTHING to lose.

If Michelle can achieve a reduction in inflammation this quickly, reflected by the wonderful changes in her facial appearance, I am hopeful that she will manage to have her Sjögren’s syndrome recede, as well.

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Beth’s life-changing Wheat Belly experience

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

“I want to take a moment to thank you, Dr. Davis, for giving me a second chance at life through your knowledge and being willing to go against the grain, no pun intended. I started the Wheat Belly journey 4 months ago and knew this was for me.

“I have spent my entire life overweight. I was on meds for blood pressure, insulin resistance, thyroid, psoriasis and received yearly cortisone shots in my legs for pyoderma gangrenosum caused by constant inflammation of the skin. These are just the major medical issues, but many more issues were present, such as excessive sweating and constant knee pain.

“I am happy to report that I no longer take any medications and I have lost an astounding 43.5 pounds! I can’t thank you enough for giving me back my life.”

Yes, losing weight yields health benefits, including reductions in blood pressure and blood sugar. But wheat/grain-free experiences like that of Beth’s highlight all the other effects that develop beyond that accounted for by weight loss: reversal of skin rashes like psoriasis and pyoderma gangrenosum, knee pain, inability to control appetite, thyroid inflammation, and others. Just being freed of all the adverse effects of prescription drugs is another.

The Wheat Belly lifestyle is a means of regaining control over health . . . with weight loss, even substantial like Beth’s, a happy side benefit. This is why I point out that, to an incredible degree, the “healthcare” system is the system we have created to treat the effects of consuming wheat and grains. Lose the wheat and grains, regain health, use the healthcare system as little as possible. That is personal health empowerment.

Here’s an example of pyoderma gangrenosum (from Wikipedia):

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Peggy’s mind and body freed of wheat and grains!

Peggy shared her photos on the Official Wheat Belly Facebook page, along with a description of her mind-clearing, weight-purging experience:

“This is 4 1/2 months off wheat and 1 1/2 months off of all grains. I’ve lost 30 pounds and I feel great!

“I am now fully following the Wheat Belly way of eating. Most impressive is that I don’t have “brain fog” any more. (I am completely sleep deprived in the picture on the right….I only got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night. I worked very long hours yesterday.) I know I have a long way to go but I’m actually excited. I am also amazed that I no longer have dark skin under my arms any more.”

Losing brain fog is such a frequent observation around here for those of us removing all wheat and grains from our lives. And it’s on-again, off-again nature–i.e., gone with removal, recurring with re-exposure–prove that it is indeed blamable on the wheat and related seeds of grasses.

It’s an effect most likely due to gliadin-derived opiates, the small 5-amino acid long peptides that have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and exert mind effects. For Peggy, the wheat/grain mind effect was fogginess. For others, it can be appetite stimulation or food obsessions, depression, suicidal thoughts, impulsivity, anger, anxiety, paranoia, hearing voices, and the mania of bipolar illness (with the last several phenomena also involving a gliadin protein-induced autoimmune response in the brain). With the exception of caffeine and alcohol, no other “foods” have the capacity to exert such a range of mind effects. And, of course, there is nothing pleasurable in such mind effects of wheat and grains.

By saying goodbye to all wheat and grains, you are saying goodbye to a collection of mind-active drugs that distort thinking and behavior regardless of age or sex, occupation, body size, latitude, or ethnic origin–everybody.

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I lost the wheat, but didn’t lose the weight: Updated version

Yes, it happens: Rid your life of all things wheat and you get relief from acid reflux, joint pain, and high blood sugars . . . but not weight loss.

While most people enjoy rapid and dramatic weight loss with wheat elimination due to the loss of the appetite-stimulating effect of gliadin-derived opiates, the loss of repetitive glucose-insulin provocation of amylopectin A, the reduction of inflammation from the combined effects of gliadin/wheat germ agglutinin/amylopectin A, and reversal of the leptin-blocking effect of wheat germ agglutinin, this doesn’t happen to everybody. Or you lose, say, 20 pounds, only to have weight loss stall for an extended period with another 50 pounds to go.

Why? Elimination of wheat is an extremely powerful strategy for regaining control over health, appetite, and weight. But it cannot correct or undo every abnormal situation that causes weight gain or blocks weight loss. For some people, there is one reason. For others, there can be several. Sometimes the problem is something else in diet, others it can be entirely unrelated to diet.

While wheat elimination is the most powerful strategy of all, given its ubiquity in foods and because it has the greatest weight gain effect, removing other grains also adds extra weight loss punch, since all grains share genetic characteristics, much like all the fish in the ocean share many traits. Lose the wheat, but then lose all other grains for maximum weight loss impact. This means getting rid of all rye, barley, corn, oats, amaranth, triticale, bulgur, rice, millet, sorghum, spelt, and teff. You are not “removing an entire food group”; you are removing components of diet that should never have been added in the first place, the seeds of grasses that were added in desperation when real food fell in short supply, but now celebrated, proliferated, and added to virtually all processed foods. Say “no” to all seeds of grasses–grains–and you obtain further health and weight loss benefits after wheat elimination. (The anthropological and scientific bases of this argument is discussed at length in Wheat Belly Total Health.)

But even after elimination of all grains, weight loss still eludes some people. So let’s consider the factors that can block weight loss even after wheat and grain elimination and how to solve each issue:

1) Excessive carbohydrates

Many people have high blood levels of insulin with resultant resistance to insulin that has to be reversed for weight loss to occur. Beyond getting rid of grains and their extravagant insulin-raising effect, it therefore helps to restrict other carbohydrates. This is one the reasons I condemn gluten-free foods made with rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, and potato flour. Cutting carbohydrates can allow weight loss to proceed. We do this by counting net carbohydrates and limiting ourselves to no more than 15 grams net carbs per meal (net carbs = total carbs – fiber). (There are several smartphone apps useful to obtain total carbs and fiber content of foods, as well as nutritional analysis websites and hard copy handbooks.) Another way to manage carbs: Get a fingerstick glucose meter and check blood sugars immediately prior to meals, then 30 to 60 minutes later; aim for NO CHANGE in blood sugar. This works wonders for many people and can be conducted in concert with counting carbohydrates.

An occasional person will actually require a ketogenic state to achieve weight loss, i.e., complete elimination of carbohydrates in order to metabolize fats, evidenced by the fruity breath odor of ketones or urine dipstick testing positive with Ketostix. Pay no mind to those people who argue that ketosis is dangerous–it is not; it is a natural physiologic adaptation.

2) Not enough fats and oils–Fat is satiating and reduces appetite. Liberal fat intake, contrary to conventional “wisdom,” does not make you fat; it helps you get skinny. The only fats to avoid are fried (high-temperature), hydrogenated, and highly-processed polyunsaturated seed or GM oils like safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, soybean, and canola.

Eat fatty cuts of meat and don’t trim off the fat. Eat the skin and dark meat from chicken. Save the oil from cooking bacon to cook other foods. You can add fats/oils to many foods, e.g., add 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or coconut oil to scrambled eggs or soups. Some people even choose to consume coconut oil “straight.”

And do not limit calories. Limiting calories will work against you, causing metabolic rate to drop and stop your ability to lose weight.

3) Dairy gets in your whey–The problem with dairy is not fat; it’s the whey fraction of protein. Some people are susceptible to the “insulinotrophic” action of whey–a tripling of insulin output by the pancreas, a situation that stalls weight loss. The solution: Avoid all dairy except for full-fat cheese, butter, and ghee (low in whey) when trying to lose weight. I know of no other way to confidently identify this as the culprit . . . except a trial of elimination. This approach does, however, make the diet very restrictive, so this may be necessary for only as long as you are trying to lose weight.

4) Thyroid dysfunction–VERY, VERY common. Thyroid dysfunction is really part of a broader modern problem in human health: Endocrine disruption from industrial chemicals. We are witnessing more obesity, diabetes, pituitary, thyroid, ovarian, and other endocrine gland disruption due to chemicals such as perchlorates (residues of fertilizers in produce), perfluorooctanoic acid (non-stick cookware), bisphenol A (polycarbonate plastics, resin lining of cans), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants), triclosan in antibacterial hand soap and hand sanitizers, along with many others. The end result of decades of exposures: disruption of endocrine status. The most common: impaired thyroid hormone production, both T4 and T3.

Problem: Even if diagnosed, most of my colleagues prescribe the T4 thyroid hormone only (Synthroid or levothyroxine), while failing to address T3–even if it is abnormally low. This is a big mistake, since many of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals we are exposed to are blockers of the 5′-deiodinase enzyme that converts T4 to active T3. If you are deficient in T3, you will not lose weight, no matter how much T4 you take. Also, ideal TSH? 1.5 mIU or less–NOT the 3.5 or 4.0 many doctors are content with. The key: Find a practitioner willing to explore this question, usually a functional medicine practitioner or naturopath, virtually NEVER an endocrinologist.

Some people (proportion varying by region, age, ethnicity; this represents about 20% of the people I meet with underactive thyroid status in Wisconsin) have underactive thyroids due to iodine deficiency. (I am, in fact, seeing a rise in goiters–enlarged thyroid glands due to lack of iodine). This will respond to the simple supplementation of iodine, e.g., 500 mcg per day from kelp tablets or iodine drops from the health food store. (Adverse reactions are rare but need to be explored to rule out, for instance, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or active thyroid nodules.) Supplementing iodine is no more dangerous than salting your food with iodized salt. Take iodine for at least 3 months to observe the full effect.

A full thyroid assessment begins with measuring TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies through blood work. If even marginal thyroid dysfunction is present, or undertreated hypothyroidism (e.g., taking only levothyroxine when free T3 is deficient), it can completely block weight loss. Correct thyroid status to ideal and weight loss proceeds.

5) Drugs can block weight loss–(Also discussed here.) Many drugs, prescription and non-prescription, can block weight loss. Getting off these drugs is therefore the solution, though this should be undertaken with the knowledge of your healthcare provider. Among the culprit drugs are beta blockers, such as metoprolol, atenolol, and propranolol; antihistamines such as loratadine and diphenhydramine; antidepressants like amitryptiline, doxepin, paroxetine (Paxil), and trazodone, though nearly all antidepressants have been associated with weight gain in some people; Lyrica for fibromyalgia and pain; and insulin. I’ve seen 20, 30, even 50+ pounds gained within several months of initiating long-acting insulin preparations like Lantus. This is only a partial list, as there are many others.

6) Excessive cortisol–Excessive levels of cortisol, as well as disruptions of circadian rhythm, can impair weight loss. Cortisol should surge in the morning, part of the process to arouse you from sleep, then decline to lower levels in the evening to allow normal recuperative sleep. But this natural circadian cycling is lost in many people represented, for instance, as a flip-flopping of the pattern with low levels in the morning (with morning fatigue) and high levels at bedtime (with insomnia), which can result in stalled weight loss or weight gain. Others have higher than normal levels of cortisol in the morning. High cortisol is like taking the steroid, prednisone, accompanied by extravagant weight gain. Cortisol status is best assessed by measuring salivary cortisol levels. (A functional medicine practitioner is most helpful here.)

High cortisol or disrupted circadian rhythm often starts with an exceptional emotional or physical stress; reversing the stressful situation is therefore the start (if possible). There are other efforts to pursue to bring this back in line, but that is something managed with the help of someone skilled in management of this issue.

7) Inadequate sleep–Sleep deprivation increases adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin, while increasing appetite (especially for snacks), all of which add up to stalled weight loss or weight gain. Adequate sleep, occurring in 90-minute “packages” (e.g., 7 1/2 hours, 9 hours) is crucial. Just missing out on adequate sleep several days per week can be responsible for 20 or more pounds of weight gain over the course of a year.

8) Consider intermittent fasting–Intermittent fasting of, say, 15-48 hours in duration, can be a wonderful way to break a weight loss plateau. However, this is best undertaken after you’ve confidently removed all wheat, concluded your wheat withdrawal experience, and all the above strategies have been explored and squared away. Be sure to hydrate vigorously, as dehydration is the most common reason for failing and experiencing symptoms like lightheadedness, nausea, and unexplained fatigue. (People with diabetes or hypertension need to talk to their healthcare provider about the advisability of taking their drugs during a fast.) Intermittent fasting should not be confused with habitual skipping of meals, e.g., always skipping breakfast; habitual and consistent meal skipping actually causes weight gain. If you skip meals, do so in an unpredictable and random pattern, so that your body does not adjust and ratchet down its metabolic rate.

9) Disrupted bowel flora–Disrupted bowel flora is the rule in modern life, given intermittent exposure to prescription antibiotics, occasional high levels of antibiotic residues in factory farm-raised meats, chlorinated and fluoridated water, Bt toxin in genetically modified corn, and many other factors. Modern bowel flora is enriched in Bacterioides species that cause weight gain. We therefore “seed” our bowels with a high-potency probiotic, then “water and fertilize” our microorganisms with prebiotic fibers/resistant starches, all discussed further here.

One of the most common disrupters of bowel flora are the sweeteners aspartame, sucralose, and saccharine, found in diet sodas, for instance. This explains why people who drink diet soda are no skinnier than people who drink sugared sodas, or even heavier. We therefore eliminate all such sweeteners, including from diet sodas.

Those are the biggies. There are several others, less common, discussed in Wheat Belly Total Health.

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