William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 45

Avoid toxic wheat re-exposures

We learned years ago that, once you are wheat- and grain-free, re-exposures to any wheat or grains can provoke some awful re-exposure reactions.

Here, I discuss the range of unpleasant consequences that develop with wheat and grain re-exposure. Among the consequences of re-exposure are:

Gastrointestinal distress—discofort/pain, diarrhea, bloating
Joint pain—especially of the fingers, hands, wrists, and elbows, occasionally large joints
Mental/emotional effects—most commonly anxiety, anger, depression, irritability
Reactivation of autoimmune diseases
Hunger—re-exposure to gliadin-derived opioid peptides reactivates hunger, what I call the “I ate one cookie and gained 30 pounds” effect
Provocation of small LDL particles—that raise cardiovascular risk
Alterations in bowel flora—due to the many bowel toxins in wheat, as well as the amylopectin A that nourishes unhealthy bacterial species and fungi.

The key is to remember: Once you are wheat/grain-free, you should remain wheat/grain-free and avoid all the potential problems and unpleasantness associated with re-exposure.

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Diabetes: What price comfort and habit?

I was in suburban Chicago recently one morning, hoping to get something to eat for breakfast. I’d heard that the Panera chain was now serving breakfast that you could order any way you wanted. It’s called “Panera Bread,” but I thought I’d give it a try, as I’ve safely consumed their salads in past.

At the counter, I placed my order for 3 eggs over easy, sausage, and bacon—not perfect, given our inability to scrutinize foods and ingredients in such places, but I was willing to try. Obviously, I turned down the breads/toasts that were included. The middle-aged Hispanic woman behind the counter raised her eyebrows and asked, “Why no bread?”

I replied simply, “Bread makes you fat and diabetic. I was a type 2 diabetic 25 years ago. I’m not anymore.”

“Really? I am diabetic, too, but I cannot give up my tortillas.”

A brief, casual encounter, but I am nonetheless always surprised by such responses based on comfort and habit, people who are unwilling to leave their comfort zone. We all know what a future of type 2 diabetes looks like:

Marked increase in heart disease, heart attack
Increased risk for stroke
Peripheral vascular disease
Diabetic retinopathy and cataracts
Kidney disease and failure
Peripheral neuropathy
Foot and leg amputations
Gastroparesis
Increased risk for dementia
Life shortened by about 8 years
$10,000/year added healthcare costs

It also makes me wonder if people who provide such responses really understand the gravity of their condition, or maybe choose to ignore it. During my over 30 years of cardiology practice and training after medical school, I witnessed countless people with kidney failure from diabetic kidney disease, often resulting in dialysis, a miserable experience; thousands of strokes and heart attacks; oodles of peripheral neuropathy with loss of sensation and chronic pain, resulting in gangrene and amputations; and, of course, I’ve seen many, many diabetics experience premature death.

We all recognize that the wrong response to an encounter like the one above is to press hard and try to persuade someone that they are throwing their health and life away for a disease that is nearly always completely reversible back to normal, or at least minimizable. I believe that all we can do is set the example of health and answer the occasional question, hoping that each person hears the same message from others as more and more people realize that type 2 diabetes is an easily reversible disease.

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Four powerful appetite suppressants

Modern people eat too much. You already know this and can see the consequences by just looking around you at all the massively overweight and obese people at the supermarket, schools, and work.

The primary strategy for losing weight is to reverse insulin resistance, something that the Wheat Belly and Undoctored lifestyles achieve magnificently. But, given the temptations that surround us at public events, food buffets, and other social gatherings, it is sometimes useful to be able to have heightened control over appetite.

Here are four ways to enormously reduce appetite. Yes, there are herbal preparations (as well as prescription drugs) that purport to reduce appetite. But I look for huge effects, not trivial effects thats waste your time and money. These four strategies yield powerful effects in reducing appetite.

Eliminate all wheat and grains—Those of you already following the Wheat Belly lifestyle have taken advantage of the powerful reduction in appetite that emerges when you banish all sources of gliadin-derived opioid peptides from your life. The gliadin protein of wheat and related grains upon partial digestion (humans are incapable of complete digestion of wheat/grain proteins, as they are components of the seeds of grasses) yields 4- and 5-amino acid long peptides that bind to the opiate receptors of the human brain and drive appetite. They are responsible for a collection of abnormal and perverse phenomena such as persistent hunger even after gorging on a big bowl of pasta that leaves your stomach full or never feeling satiated. Once you get through the opiate withdrawal syndrome that characterizes your first week of wheat/grain elimination, you are miraculously freed from these effects. It is not uncommon, for instance, to forget to eat or to cruise through your day with hardly a thought of food.
Increase fat and oil intake—The disastrous low-fat advice of the last four decades contributed to the epidemics of obesity, overweight, and type 2 diabetes because fats and oils are satiating: the more fats you consume, the less hungry you are. Reduce your fat and you struggle to feel satiated. And, of course, saturated fats do NOT contribute to heart disease risk, yet another dietary fiction that should be sent to the graveyard of dietary blunders. So consume fatty—never lean—cuts of meat, eat the skin from chicken and fish, eat the dark meat, use more butter and coconut oil, never consume low- or non-fat dairy products, use more olive oil.
Add MCT oil—Medium-chain triglycerides, one tablespoon at a time blended into your coffee, smoothie, or food (more than one tablespoon at a time and you risk diarrhea), reduces appetite while increasing mental clarity, boosting energy, and increasing physical performance. MCTs can be added as either the oil or as oil powder that is useful as a coffee creamer. If you use the oil added to coffee, it helps to blend with a stick blender (and use the opportunity to add collagen hydrolysates).
Consume Lactobacillus reuteri yogurt—My L reuteri yogurt fermented using a special process to generate super-duper high bacterial counts generates the so-called anorexigenic effect when consumed, a marked downturn in appetite due to a rise in oxytocin levels. Of course, there are many other spectacular benefits of boosting oxytocin such as increased muscle mass and strength, preservation of bone density, increased testosterone, acceleration of healing, and increased libido.

Of course, you can mix and match the above strategies, though I would urge you to remain 100% wheat/grain-free and make this the cornerstone of your efforts. Don’t be surprised when, by following the above strategies, you coast through your day with hardly a thought to food, sense fullness even with a few bites of healthy food, and even miss meals because you forgot to eat. I’ve lost track of the times I’ve forgotten to eat lunch or dinner, only realizing it many hours later.

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The Four Dangers of Stopping a Statin Drug

Doctors tell us that it is dangerous and foolhardy to stop a statin cholesterol drug and that heart attack may be imminent if you do.

Is there any truth to these claims?

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Keoni reflects on his Wheat Belly Detox and lifestyle

I’ve posted Keoni’s wonderful Wheat Belly testimonial video before. But he recently posted this inspiring reflection on his experience that started with an emotionally tumultuous Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox:

“If climbing a mountain were easy everybody would do it. If we could be dropped off at the top we would never experience the life teaching virtues along the way.

“I remember when I started the 10 day detox. By Friday I thought my legs were going to fall off climbing that mountain of feeling horrible. Then came all the crazy thoughts. No need to elaborate, some of you you know what I’m talking about. I don’t think I would have made it if it were not for the detox page and all the support. 2 days later I had turned the corner or you may say, reached the top of the mountain! In retrospect, I think I camped out there for quite some time enjoying the view or you might say, the reward of all the poisons leaving my body.

“Once the 10-day detox was over, I descended that mountain just to find that on the other side was an entirely New Life waiting for me. I felt like an infant that developed into something I could have never thought possible. In fact this past 4 months, at times, I feel unstoppable. I’ve been following the wheat belly lifestyle a little over two years & I’m going to be 59 in a few months.

“I just wanted you all to know that are going through the detox, you are not alone, we know how you may feel, and better yet, we know where you’re headed! And we’re looking forward to watching you break on through to the other side where we all enjoy the rewards of The compound effect, otherwise known as consistent and persistent effort over time.

“Each of us need all of us and all of us need each of us!”

Transcript:

Keoni Butcher, Tracy California: I was obese. I couldn’t hold a conversation without having a coughing fit, and every joint in my body ached.

I weighed 242 pounds, and I had been struggling for years and years, and … I’m always in the health food store, and trying to find this thing and that thing, and nothing worked, including the doctor. Until one day I was in a health food store, and as I was leaving the store, a fellow was coming in and I said excuse me sir, and he said “Hold it right there.”

He says “I’ve got something to tell you. You know you’re in this place to be healthy right?” I said yes, I am. He said “Well, I’ve got to tell you something.” and he pointed at the guy at the cash register, the owner, and he said “That guy gave me a book to read, and changed my life.”

That book was Wheat Belly. My weight started coming off, a pound a day, for almost a week — 6 pounds in a week — and then 20 pounds over 40 days. Oh, and what happened to my joint pain? I can sleep more at night. My sinuses are clear. I didn’t need to put nasal medicine or steroids in my sinuses anymore. My other ailments started going away.

You know I love to cook. I love to barbecue. I love slow-cooked meats — brisket ribs. And then there’s other things, like pizza that Dr. Davis tells you how to make. Haven’t even had to go without pizza. So I try post a lot of recipes, to help people

Health restoration starts in the kitchen; not in a drive-through. You know you’re not the only one in your household, but you might be the only one doing this. You know, doing this alone isn’t as hard as you might think. We have a great support system. It’s a private page on Facebook, the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox. I mean, so many people make it because of that page alone. You can go on there, ask questions. There’s other new people. There’s veterans. All your questions can be answered.

So now I’m on cruise control. I’m sticking with it the rest of my life. That’s for sure. And as many people that can come on, that I can help, I’m ready to do so.

My advice for people, when I meet them on the streets or family or friends: I tell them to investigate on their own, the way I did. I give them the directions: here’s the books, here’s some links. Look into it. Just do it. See how many medications you’re getting off of. See how much more activities you can do. Then make a decision. This isn’t a diet or fad. This is the way our bodies work, and this is what our bodies need.

Dr. Davis, thank you. I didn’t think I was going to outlive my dad. He made it to 84, but at the age of 48 I was a disaster, health-wise. That’s not the case anymore. 80 pounds later I can do anything I could could have done in my 30s. I plan on living a long life. I am setting a goal for at least 100 years old. So thank you for that opportunity.

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Cornstarch, cornmeal, corn syrup: What’s the problem with corn?

You may not know that, like wheat, corn comes from a grass plant, one that has undergone extensive change to create the bizarre mutation called a “cob.”

Because corn is also the seed of a grass, it shares many of the same adverse health properties as wheat, as well as some unique effects of its own.

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Oxytocin: Key to Youthfulness and Age Reversal?

For many years, the pituitary hormone oxytocin was viewed as nothing more than a hormone responsible for uterine contraction during vaginal delivery. But oxytocin is proving to be far more than that.

In particular, we are witnessing substantial youth-preserving, even age-reversing, effects from boosting oxytocin. We achieve this by cultivating the probiotic microorganism, L reuteri of two specific strains and increasing bacterial counts markedly via a special fermentation process.

End-result: increased strength and muscle, preserve bone density, increased libido, accelerated healing, and smoother skin with fewer or less prominent wrinkles, in other word restoration of many facets of youthfulness.

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Prescription Drugs That Block Weight Loss

A number of drugs prescribed to treat common conditions, such as hypertension, allergies, depression, inflammation, and diabetes, block your ability to lose weight. Several of these drugs actually cause weight gain, and most doctors fail to inform their patients of such side effects. Among the drugs that block weight loss are:

Beta-blockers : metoprolol, atenolol, carvedilol, and propranolol
  Antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), doxepin, paroxetine (Paxil), trazodone, and others
Steroids: prednisone and hydrocortisone (but not inhaled or nasal steroids for allergies)
Antihistamines: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), fexofenadine (Allegra), cetirizine (Zyrtec), cyproheptadine (Periactin), and others; note that the widely used sleep aid Tylenol PM contains diphenhydramine
Lyrica for fibromyalgia and pain
Valproic acid (Depakote) for seizures
Actos and Avandia for prediabetes and diabetes
Insulin: Injectable insulin can actually be responsible for astounding quantities of weight gain.

Obviously, attempts to reduce or eliminate these drugs should be undertaken with the cooperation of your health care provider, as most of these drugs should not just be stopped.

Discuss with your doctor how and why you would like to do this. If you encounter resistance or ignorance, or a refusal to discuss or answer your questions, find a health care practitioner who will work with you.

Don’t be surprised, if your doctor denies that these drugs block weight loss or cause weight gain, even though such associations have been demonstrated repeatedly in clinical trials.

Your physician also may not recognize that many of these drugs were unknowingly prescribed to treat the consequences of wheat and grain consumption in the first place.

Nothing does more to free you from dependence on medications than grain elimination. This simple act can free you from all of the performance-impairing effects of prescription drugs.These include fatigue from antidepressants, mental fog caused by beta-blockers (for hypertension and migraine headaches), sleepiness and helplessness caused by chronic pain medications, and abdominal pain caused by anti-inflammatory drugs. Going grain-free can mean eventually breaking free from prescription medications once and for all.

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How to lower your A1c naturally

You have profound control over your A1c, or HbA1c, that reflects blood sugar fluctuations over the previous 60-90 days. Unfortunately, your doctor will likely know NOTHING about how to achieve this, opting instead for awful prescription drugs to manage blood sugar that come with substantial side-effects and cost and do not achieve as much benefit as natural methods. Once again, the natural way is dramatically SUPERIOR to the effects achieved by prescription drugs. Diets such as those advocated by the American Diabetes Association or low-fat “heart healthy” diets likewise do not reduce A1c and typically worsen this value, thereby causing deterioration in health.

Understand these basic issues and you can be enormously empowered to seize control over health, A1c, blood sugars, and aging despite the blundering of doctors and the healthcare system. It boils down to two general strategies:

Eliminate foods that raise blood sugar—meaning grains and sugar
Adopt strategies that normalize your body’s response to insulin

The A1c values we achieve on this lifestyle fall into the ideal range of 5.0% or less, levels associated with optimal health.

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Do gluten-free foods cause weight gain?

People often make the mistake of eliminating gluten but then turn to gluten-free processed foods that cause extravagant weight gain, as well as type 2 diabetes, hormonal disruptions, inflammation, and unhealthy changes in bowel flora.

In the Wheat lifestyle, we can be gluten-free but avoid all the hazards of processed gluten-free foods and thereby obtain magnificent control over weight and health.

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