William Davis's Blog: Dr. Davis Infinite Health Blog, page 61

What Do Measles, Tuberculosis, and Grains Have in Common?

What do measles, tuberculosis, and grains have in common? For that matter, what do anthrax, influenza, and brucellosis also share in common with grains?

All the conditions listed are examples of zoonoses, i.e., diseases contracted by humans from animals. When humans first invited domesticated grazing creatures–cows, sheep, goats–into our huts, adobe homes, or caves, often sleeping in the same room, using them for milk or food, we acquired many of their diseases. These diseases were unknown prior to the human domestication of grazing ruminants.

The process of animal domestication changed the course of human civilization, providing a source of calories from their meat and organs, products made from the milk from their mammary glands, and led to the practices of fermentation, cheesemaking,  and putting animals to work as beasts of burden. In parallel, we acquired a long list of zoonoses from the same animals, such as the massive epidemic of tuberculosis that has plagued humans.

Grazing ruminants graze on grasses. Curiously, the human consumption of the seeds of grasses–i.e., “grains”–coincides with the domestication of grass-grazing ruminants. It is therefore tempting to speculate that the period of global climate change (increased temperature and dryness) recorded by geologists that caused a shortage of food for humans approximately 9000-12.000 years ago provided the motivation for hungry, desperate humans to observe the eating behavior of grass-grazing domesticated ruminants and ask, “Can we eat that, too?”

It is no small matter for humans to consume grasses. If it were einkorn wheat, the ancestor of all modern wheat, or teosinte, the ancestor of modern corn, for instance, try as we might, we cannot eat the roots, stalk, or leaves. Hungry, desperate humans figured out that, if we separated the seed from the husk, dried it, pulverized it (using stones), then added water and heated it, they could be consumed as porridge. Later, the Egyptians figured out that the pulverized seeds could be brewed into beer, or mixed with water and yeast (mixed with beer?) to make bread. They did not know, of course, that, despite being edible, the seeds of grasses remained largely indigestible–most of the proteins of grains cannot be digested by humans as we lack the enzymes to break apart the (proline-rich) amino acid sequences of proteins from grains. This explains why, for example, wheat germ agglutinin (in wheat, rye, barley, and a small quantity in rice) is 100% indigestible, passing from mouth, through the gastrointestinal tract, and out the anus untouched by human digestion (though doing plenty of damage in the process of coursing through, as well as the destruction wrought by the microgram quantities absorbed into the bloodstream). It also explains why the gliadin protein (of wheat, rye, barley, and probably the zein of corn) can remain intact and initiate the diseases of autoimmunity, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. (The indigestible proteins of the seeds of grasses provides the basis for many of the arguments made in the Wheat Belly books, especially  Wheat Belly Total Health.)

The domestication of ruminants therefore coincides with the effort to try to consume the seeds of grasses, both relatively recent developments in human adaptation on earth.

So much of the modern human dietary and health experience therefore relates to the act of domesticating grazing ruminants. Without them, human civilization would have taken an entirely different course with less successful population growth, less technological advancement (as Dr. Jared Diamond argues in Guns, Germs, and Steel), fewer infectious disease epidemics. However, understand these anthropological and sociological issues and you are provided important insights into the human dietary and health experience. We can eat the organs and flesh of grazing ruminants as replacements for wild game, but we should not sleep in the same rooms as they do. We most certainly cannot eat the same way they do, trying to survive on the products of grasses, AKA grains.

Ironically, the mistake we made all those thousands of years ago, a mistake made in desperation, is now celebrated as the foundation of all modern dietary advice: “Eat more healthy whole grains.” This is truly one of the biggest blunders ever made in diet and in health for us non-ruminants. We’ve largely conquered tuberculosis and measles, but “official” sources of dietary advice continue to embrace the practice of consuming the seeds of grasses.

 

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Is glyphosate the REAL problem in wheat?

There’s an argument that has been batted around in online conversations, one that I thought that, because it was so patently absurd and so readily disproven, it would simply disappear into the blogosphere . . . but it hasn’t. So let’s talk about this idea.

The idea goes like this: Because glyphosate is liberally applied to wheat, including its application as a desiccant and for weed control pre-planting, during maturation, and pre-harvest, the high concentrations of this herbicide in wheat products are the cause for all the problems that emerge with wheat consumption. It means that, minus glyphosate, wheat is now a healthy food for human consumption. As you will learn, while there is no argument from me that glyphosate is indeed a problem, given its carcinogenic and endocrine-disruptive potential, removing it most definitely does not make wheat a healthy choice for food.

First of all, if that were true, all we would have to do is consume organic wheat, i.e., wheat and wheat fields not treated with glyphosate. If you are grain-free, give that a try: You will learn very quickly that the diarrhea, bloating, abdominal discomfort, high blood sugars, joint pain, emotional effects, suicidal thoughts and other re-exposure phenomena are still provokable in the absence of glyphosate.

This is because, even minus glyphosate, modern wheat still contains:

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)—Modern strains of wheat have been selected for greater wheat germ agglutinin content because it confers pest resistance, making the wheat plant less susceptible to various insects, molds, and other infestations. But WGA is toxic to humans. Wheat germ agglutinin is an exceptionally potent gastrointestinal toxin and provocateur of inflammation if it enters the bloodstream (which it does, accounting for the many humans with antibodies against WGA). WGA blocks the action of the intestinal hormone, cholecystokinin, reducing bile release from the gallbladder (and causing bile stasis that leads to gallstones) and enzyme release from the pancreas, effects that impair digestion and cultivate dysbiosis. All this happens whether or not glyphosate is present.
Phytates have likewise been enriched in modern wheat strains, also for their pest-resistance properties. But phytates bind most or nearly all iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium in the intestines and prevent their absorption, explaining why, for instance, iron deficiency anemia is common and can be resistant to iron supplementation, a condition that promptly reverses with removal of all grains. Phytates exert these effects in the absence of glyphosate.
Gliadin—Recall that gliadin-derived opioid peptides stimulate appetite, exert a range of peculiar emotional effects, and are responsible for many forms of food obsessions and addictions. Gliadin has also been shown to be the initiating factor in type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune conditions. Glyphosate is not required for these toxic effects of gliadin to be experienced.
Amylopectin A—Amylopectin A is the complex carbohydrate of wheat and other seeds of grasses that is highly digestible to the enzyme, amylase. Amylopectin A is responsible for the high-glycemic indexes of all wheat products, whole or processed, a glycemic index that exceeds that of sucrose or table sugar. High blood sugars, high blood insulin, and insulin resistance results from consuming foods containing amylopectin A regardless of glyphosate content.
Allergens—Modern breeding methods have introduced dozens of changes into various proteins such as alpha amylase inhibitors, thioredoxins, gamma gliadins, and glutenins, thereby amplifying their allergic potential that can manifest as gastrointestinal upset, skin rashes, or asthma.

There’s more, but I think you get the idea. Removing glyphosate is a good thing, but it does not leave a healthy plant behind. Wheat is among the most toxic things you could consume cleverly disguised as food.

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Unexpected Lessons Learned From the Wheat Belly Lifestyle

In the seven years since the original Wheat Belly book hit bookstores and turned the nutritional world topsy-turvy and millions of people have engaged in a grain-free lifestyle, many unique lessons have been learned.

Even though I had engaged the practices of this lifestyle for a number of years and in thousands of people before I broadcast these ideas through books, expanding the audience to many more people yielded feedback on an enormous scale, new lessons that even surprised me.

Among the new lessons learned along the way:

Plantar fasciitis—I did not expect to have so many people report that this painful condition that causes excruciating pain just by standing on your feet would reverse within days to weeks of adopting the Wheat Belly lifestyle.
Gastric hyperacidity—In conventional medicine, gastric hyperacidity, i.e., excess stomach acid, should occur when the microorganism, H. pylori, is present or when there was severe emotional or physical stress present. But wheat/grain removal proved to be a powerful way to reverse gastric hyperacidity in the absence of H. pylori or stress, nearly always sufficient to be weaned off acid-blocking drugs.
Reversal of kidney disease—I did not expect to witness repeated instances of kidney disease reversing partially or completely, as evidenced by reductions in the blood test, creatinine. People with near-total kidney failure due to a condition called IgA nephropathy, for instance, reported complete reversal. People with diabetic nephropathy on a course to total kidney failure and dialysis reported reductions in creatinine (though typically not all the way back to normal) sufficient to avoid dialysis.
Introducing prebiotic fibers would prove to be a way to detect small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)—Because banishing all wheat and grains reduces daily intake of prebiotic fibers that nourish bowel flora from the average daily intake of 8 or 9 grams per day to about half that (due to removal of arabinoxylan and amylose fibers), I asked everyone to supplement prebiotic fibers from non-grain sources such as legumes, chickpeas, hummus, or raw potatoes and to target an ideal daily intake of 20 grams per day. It became clear, however, that a substantial proportion of people simply could not achieve this without excessive gas, bloating, diarrhea, or mental or emotional effects. It also became clear that this condition represented SIBO in which bowel flora organisms had ascended up from the colon into the ileum, jejunum, duodenum, and stomach, a serious though exceptionally common condition responsible for causing or contributing to fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, restless leg syndrome, psoriasis, autoimmune and other conditions. While grains clearly play a role in causing SIBO, it is likely also due to many other factors including intermittent prescription antibiotic exposure, antibiotic and pesticide residues in food, use of long-term stomach-acid suppressing drugs (especially PPIs like Prilosec, Protonic, and Aciphex). But engaging the strategies of the Wheat Belly lifestyle served to unmask the presence of SIBO.
Seborrhea is the signature rash of wheat consumption–that reverses within days of wheat elimination. This rash that characteristically is responsible for inflamed, red cheeks clears back to normal healthy skin promptly, allowing people to stop using steroid creams or other temporary and generally ineffective maneuvers.
Mistaking the Wheat Belly lifestyle for a gluten-free lifestyle that leads some people to indulge in gluten-free foods yields extravagant weight gain, high blood sugars and type 2 diabetes, visceral fat accumulation, rise in triglycerides, fatty liver, disruption of bowel flora, reactivation of celiac disease, leg edema, hypertension, and, over time, takes you down the path of increased risk for heart disease, cancer, and dementia. In other words, people who made this crucial error learned the hard way that gluten-free processed foods are horrible and that no one should include them in their diet.
Fatty liver is reversed promptly and consistently–While I knew that fatty liver was an easily reversible process with this lifestyle, I did not expect to see so many people reverse the evidence of this condition so promptly, typically within a few weeks. Liver blood tests AST and ALT would drop from several hundreds to low double digits followed by ultrasound or CT scan evidence of reversed disease, an effect paralleled by a dramatic drop in blood triglycerides (since fatty liver simply represents triglyceride accumulation in the liver).
How much healthcare is unnecessary–While I knew this going in, having witnessed my patients and online audience being able to stop prescription drug after prescription drug and reversing countless health conditions, to see this play out on a international scale has been astounding. It became clear that the majority of healthcare for chronic health conditions was simply not necessary once people banished all wheat and grains and addressed common nutritional deficiencies as we do. It is simple and easy to reverse type 2 diabetes, coronary disease, fatty liver, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and many other conditions along with the drugs or procedures that accompany them.

Surely there will be more lessons to learn. I anticipate that new lessons from our efforts to cultivate the human microbiome, in particular, will yield important new lessons that make this lifestyle even more powerful and effective. Stay tuned.

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What Big Pharma does NOT want you to know about LDL cholesterol

Those of you following these Wheat Belly and Undoctored Blog posts know that it is no secret that Big Pharma is a predatory, manipulative, cutthroat industry that employs underhanded and unethical tactics as routine business. Part of their huge economic success is that they are so effective in getting my colleagues, mainstream physicians, to drink their Kool-Aid and do a lot of the dirty work for them. Just witness what happened in the opioid crisis—it couldn’t have happened without the willing participation of physicians.

It’s no different with “treating” cholesterol, total and LDL, with statin drugs. If you read the Wheat Belly Total Health or Undoctored books, you know that cholesterol testing is a woefully outdated method to gauge cardiovascular risk, a remnant of old research from the 1950s and 1960. If you spin blood down in a high-speed centrifuge, the various lipoproteins (fat and proteins) separate out by density: high-density lipoproteins at the bottom, low-density above, very low-density at the top, each layer comprised of huge numbers of lipoproteins. Quantifying lipoproteins at each density level in 1960 was not easy, so an indirect method was developed: choose one marker that could be used to crudely estimate the number of lipoproteins in each density fraction. They could have chosen triglycerides or various proteins, but they chose cholesterol, as it was present in all density layers. They found specifically that if the cholesterol content of the entire tube was measured and that in the high-density layer also measured, then the cholesterol estimated in the very low-density measure by a minor calculation, they could then calculate how much cholesterol was in the low-density fraction. Problem: The equation they derived to calculate LDL cholesterol was weak, subject to all sorts of influences that would make it inaccurate or invalid. Yet that same equation is still in use today despite being wildly inaccurate with any change in diet or blood levels of triglycerides, for instance.

But the LDL cholesterol calculation was interpreted to mean that cholesterol was not just a crude marker for lipoprotein quantification, but it also came to be viewed as the actual cause of heart disease, which it is not. The biggest tragedy of the cholesterol debacle is not the imprecision nor misinterpretation of the value of cholesterol values; the biggest problem is that the REAL causes of heart disease are ignored even though they are easily addressed.

If the layer of lipoproteins in the low-density layer of the centrifuged blood specimen were broken down into subcomponents, you would see that LDL particles—not cholesterol as an indirect gauge of LDL particles, but actually examining the LDL particles—are a hodgepodge of various sizes, shapes, and composition. Just trying to characterize this heterogenous mixture by measuring the cholesterol in the low-density fraction is foolish and simpleminded, but nonetheless the basis for a multi-billion dollar industry.

But look closely at this low-density lipoprotein layer of particles and you would see two dominant forms: large LDL particles and small LDL particles. Large LDL particles result mostly from fat consumption, while small LDL particles result from consumption of grains and sugars. But the differences go far beyond just size. Small LDL particles, for instance:

Persist much longer in the bloodstream–typically lasting 5 or more days, rather than the 24-48 hours of large LDL particles. This is because the liver that clears LDL particles does not recognize the altered conformation of small LDL particles, slowing their clearance. Eating grains and sugars with some regularity therefore causes massive accumulation of small LDL particles.
More prone to glycation and oxidation–Glycoxidized, i..e, both glycated and oxidized, small LDL particles are the dominant lipoprotein cause of heart disease. Small LDL particles are many times more prone to these alterations.
The reduced size alters the particles’ surface configuration, making them much more likely to adhere to the arterial wall and contribute to accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque (the material that leads to heart attack, angina, stroke, etc.)
Once it gains entry into the wall of arteries, it is more likely to trigger an inflammatory response of the sort that can grow atherosclerotic plaque and trigger plaque rupture, the event that leads to heart attack.

As an aside, if fat consumption increases large LDL particle number but grains and sugars cause formation of small LDL particles, a diet that combines fats + grains + sugars is a particularly lethal combination, as it causes an explosion of a mixture of LDL particles, including plenty of small.

Small LDL particles are therefore a far superior predictor of heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiovascular death, far superior to the nearly useless LDL cholesterol. In the Women’s Health Study of 27,000 women, for example, small LDL—but not LDL cholesterol—was a strong predictor of peripheral arterial disease (e.g., carotid), a finding corroborated many times in other studies.

Let’s say we conduct a lipoprotein assessment of someone using the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) method that I have used for 20 years. Starting values include a total LDL particle number of 2400 nmol/L (number of particles per volume), of which 1800 nmol/L are the abnormal small LDL particles—a very high level strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk. This person then eliminates grains and sugars, as well as engages in the other components of our programs such as fish oil, vitamin D, and cultivation of bowel flora. Follow-up values (after weight loss plateaus, remember): total LDL particle number 600 mol/L, of which zero—ZERO—small LDL particles remain.

Let’s subject the same starting values of total LDL particle number of 2400 nmol/L and 1800 nmol/L to a statin drug such as Lipitor 40 mg. Follow-up values: 1680 mol/L total LDL particle number, 1260 nmol/L—about a 30% across-the-board reduction in LDL particles of all sizes but leaving a substantial proportion of small LDL particles. This is because statin drugs are dumb and cannot discriminate between bad particles like small LDL and less harmful or harmless particles like large LDL. Yet your doctor insists that you take a statin drug that 1) has only a minor and incomplete impact on abnormal lipoprotein distortions, 2) reduces cardiovascular risk minimally (though with benefits wildly exaggerated by statistical shenanigans), while 3) telling you to follow a diet low in saturated fat and rich in “healthy whole grains” that causes an explosion of small LDL particles, as well as weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and other conditions.

And those are just the issues surrounding LDL cholesterol and LDL particle number. There are other issues that are ignored in conventional healthcare but worsened with blundering modern dietary advice. For example, a diet low in fat and filled with grains causes a huge surge in liver de novo lipogenesis, i.e., liver conversion of carbohydrates (grains and sugars) into triglycerides. This raises blood levels of triglycerides and causes accumulation of triglycerides in the liver, i.e., fatty liver. Triglycerides in the blood are mostly in the form of very low-density lipoproteins, or VLDL. Modern dietary advice is therefore associated with a huge increase in postprandial (after-meal) VLDL particles that also contribute to causing heart disease. VLDL particles interact with large LDL particles and begin the cascade of events that causes small LDL particles to result.

Do you begin to grasp the enormity of the bungling that goes on in modern conventional healthcare? Can you also begin to appreciate that examining lipoproteins and understanding their behavior makes statin drugs look absurd, nearly useless, because the entire constellation of abnormalities that lead to heart disease is magnificently corrected by choosing the right diet?

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Do you have a sawdust deficiency?

I can hear the titters now. But, seriously, do you have a deficiency of wood fiber in sawdust, i.e., cellulose?

No? Then why do people follow the common advice to include breakfast cereals such as All Bran, Fiber One, and Raisin Bran that, yes, are rich in fiber, but mostly rich in the cellulose fiber that is a constituent of sawdust? Cellulose in small quantities, as occurs in green vegetables and fruit is harmless, perhaps modestly beneficial. But there is no need to “supplement” with large quantities, as occurs with such bran or fiber-rich cereals. Nobody suffers from lack of cellulose.

Cellulose fiber undoubtedly bulks up bowel movements, as humans lack the digestive apparatus to break it down. Likewise, very little cellulose is broken down by bowel flora. Cellulose therefore simply passes through the gastrointestinal tract, inert and undigested, while exerting a mild damaging abrasive effect on the delicate intestinal lining in its passage when consumed in high quantities.

The discussion surrounding fibers has been confused by the more recently appreciated fact that fiber is not just one thing, but several different varieties. Just as “nutrients” can mean everything from vitamin C in citrus fruit to vitamin K2 in fermented dairy products to carotenoids in yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, so can the term “fiber” refer to a range of different things.

The popular notion of fiber is therefore that of cellulose. The poop-bulking effect of cellulose can fool you into thinking that you have achieved bowel health. In the case of wheat and grains, for instance, wheat germ agglutinin and gliadin peptide fragments are toxic to the intestinal wall, block gallbladder and pancreatic function, and induce alterations in bowel flora. Cellulose and phytates bind minerals, such as iron and zinc, and make them unavailable to you. But the cellulose provides the appearance of bulky stools despite the toxic damage incurred, causing you to believe that you’ve had a healthy BM. It is clear that the cellulose fibers of grains do not provide protection from colon cancer, despite the popular belief that they are protective. (The studies that document the health benefits of fibers did not break them down into the various forms, lumping all fibers together.)

We therefore need to get rid of the notion that cellulose fibers are necessary for gastrointestinal health. There is, however, a form of fiber that you will miss when you eliminate grains: arabinoxylan. Minus wheat and grains in your diet, you will lose about 3 grams per day of this beneficial (I hate to admit!) indigestible but prebiotic fiber, i.e., a fiber that is indigestible by you but is metabolized by bowel flora. Because most people obtain only a total of 8-9 grams per day of this hugely beneficial class of prebiotic fibers that nourish bowel flora, losing the 3 grams per day of arabinoxylan can yield constipation, abdominal discomfort, result in metabolic distortions such as higher blood pressure and blood sugar, and increased potential for colon cancer.

So, if there is a fiber to replace, it is to amp up your intake of prebiotic fibers. Even better, increase your intake to a level higher than the average 8-9 grams per day intake to the ideal intake of 20 grams per day. We accomplish this by adding foods such as raw potatoes, green bananas, and small servings of legumes to our daily routine, as detailed in this Wheat Belly Blog post.

We therefore need to rid ourselves of the notion that wood fiber—cellulose—is necessary for health, and replace this with the notion that our bowel flora require a specific class of prebiotic fibers to support the health of their host, i.e., you. Take care of your bowel flora and they will take care of you. By obtaining a healthy intake of such prebiotic fibers, you not only achieve bowel health and regularity without adding cellulose, but you also enjoy wonderful metabolic benefits, as bowel flora metabolize these fibers to metabolic mediators, such as butyrate, that reduce blood pressure, reduce insulin and blood sugar, raise HDL, reduce triglycerides, reduce LDL values, improve mood and reduce anxiety, and deepen sleep.

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Four enemas and gruel: The birth of breakfast cereal

In the latter half of the 19th and early 20th century, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg operated a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, a place where you would stay for a month or two and receive four enemas per day, three meals of thick gruel (a mixture of grains such as wheat, rye, barley, millet or corn), and other treatments to “cure” lumbago, rheumatism, or cancer. Kellogg also advocated a regimen of fresh air, exercise, hydrotherapy and a vegetarian diet that abstained from coffee, tea, alcohol, as well as sex.

One day, while preparing a batch of gruel, Dr. Kellogg was called away, only to return hours later to find his gruel on the table, dry. Being frugal, he wondered if there was a way to salvage it; putting it through a roller, a light bulb of inspiration went off: flaked cereal.

A guest staying at Kellogg’s sanitarium, C.W. Post, observed the corn flake-producing process. He promptly copied the process and founded the Post Cereal Company to sell Grape-nuts cereal. This prompted Kellogg’s brother, Will Keith Kellogg, to start a competing company to make flake cereal. The Kellogg brothers began with the Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Company in 1898 that later became the Kellogg Food Company.

It required many years, but Kelloggs and Post persuaded Americans to replace their meat, eggs, sausage, and biscuits for breakfast with breakfast cereals. Sugar, then high-fructose corn syrup, became ubiquitous ingredients in cereals over time, not uncommonly comprising half or more of all calories, especially in products marketed to children such as Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks. The modest beginnings for Kelloggs and Post ballooned over ensuing decades to a multi-billion dollar, international industry selling around 5000 different breakfast cereal products.

Aided by the flawed rationale employed by our own U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the USDA and its food pyramid and plate, dietitians whose education is in large part supported by breakfast cereal manufacturers, and doctors with next to no understanding of nutrition, many breakfast cereals achieved the status of health food because of vitamin and mineral fortification and grain content. This blunder, of course, ignores the fact that grains raise insulin and blood sugar more than table sugar. Yes, there was cellulose fiber that was indigestible but bulked up bowel movements and even a few grams of prebiotic fibers. But breakfast cereals, whether sugared-up children’s varieties or bran-rich adult varieties, are  nearly all rapidly-digestible carbohydrate. Fortification, of course, is of dubious usefulness, given the increased phytate content of modern grains that block absorption of iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium, as well as impaired vitamin B12 absorption—fortification is a meager attempt to overcome the nutrient-depleting effects of grains. And given the misguided fat phobia of the last 50 years, cereals were low in total and saturated fat, useless strategies that only distort appetite and dietary nutrient composition.

Breakfast cereals therefore define a dietary dark age dominated by perverted notions of healthy food, breakfast habits that contributed to the overweight and obesity crises, the surge in type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diseases, as well as degraded school performance in children. So the notion of breakfast cereal started with two men who believed that four enemas a day cured cancer and that a diet based on grains was the key to health and longevity. It sounds ridiculous in retrospect but defined the dietary thinking of several generations.

But you now know better.

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Keoni: My Wheat Belly Journey

Keoni’s experience on the Wheat Belly lifestyle was life-changing.

Not only did he lose 84 pounds, but he reversed numerous health conditions and was freed from prescription medications. And he has discovered a new freedom of spirit and attitude in realizing just how great you can feel by following this lifestyle.

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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Let me introduce you to zein

Zein is a protein in corn (“maize” outside the U.S.) that, if held side-by-side against the gliadin protein of wheat, rye, or barley, overlaps substantially in structure (i.e., amino acid sequence).

In other words, the zein protein of corn resembles the gliadin protein of other grains—not identical but with overlapping similarities in structure. This should come as no surprise, as corn and other grains share evolutionary history as grasses, not to mention ongoing exchange of genetic material over eons, given the impressive promiscuity of grasses and their ability to share and combine genetic material. (Recall how 14-chromosome ancient einkorn wheat mated with various wild grasses over the last several thousand years to yield modern 42-chromosome Triticum aestivum wheat.) Zein and gliadin are examples of prolamin proteins, a class of proteins in grasses. They are called prolamins because they are unusually rich in the amino acid, proline.

Zein represents nearly half the protein in corn. (Beyond proteins, the remaining constituents of corn are largely carbohydrate-fibers, amylopectin and amylose. This explains why, when corn is reduced to a powder, as in corn meal or cornstarch, the glycemic index is the highest of any food, and why corn is used to make high-fructose corn syrup. Yes: corn is a flagrant contributor to high blood sugars, insulin resistance, inflammation, visceral fat accumulation, type 2 diabetes, and all the unhealthy phenomena associated with protein glycation.) And, given the extensive similarities among prolamin proteins in grasses, proteins closely resembling zein are also present in millet and rice.

Among the observations made with the zein protein of corn are:

As with gliadin that is incompletely digestible by humans because we lack digestive enzymes that disrupt proline-rich sequences, so the proline- and cysteine-rich content of the zein protein also resists human digestion (Ortiz-Sanchez 2013), just as you’d expect of proteins from seeds of grasses. Undigested proteins and polypeptides are notorious for triggering autoimmune diseases. In animal models, the gliadin protein of wheat powerfully provokes type 1 diabetes, and so does the zein protein (Mueller 2009).
In people with celiac disease, we know that the zein protein stimulates abnormal immune responses, similar (though less intense) to that provoked by gliadin and that full reversal of celiac disease requires corn elimination in many, if not all, people (Sanchez 2015; Cabrera-Chevez 2008; Ortiz-Sanchez 2013; Kristjansson 2005; Vargas 2014). And just as the gliadin protein interacts with the HLA DQ-2 and DQ-8 genetic variants to trigger the immune response leading to celiac disease, so does the zein protein. In other words, corn contains no gluten—it contains a protein that overlaps in structure to gluten and has potential to stimulate some of the same abnormal immune responses as the gliadin within gluten. You may begin to appreciate the folly of “gluten-free” products made with cornstarch: While they do not contain gluten, cornstarch contains residues of zein that can mimic many of the effects of gliadin.
Allergy to zein (as well as other corn proteins) occurs to extravagant degrees in people who are repeatedly exposed–This doesn’t happen with lettuce, cucumbers, beef or most other foods. Up to 90% of people who work in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, in which cornstarch and other corn-derived products are commonly used as ingredients in manufacturing tablets and capsules, develop allergies to corn (Valencia Zavala 2006).  I believe that this phenomenon reflects the fact that corn is not something that humans should be exposed to or consume, something foreign to the human dietary script and daily experience. Recall that dietary allergies can show themselves as gastrointestinal distress, bloating, and diarrhea, as well as skin rashes, sinus congestion, and asthma.

So just because “zein” does not sound like “gluten” or “gliadin” does not mean that there are not shared characteristics of these proteins from seeds of grasses. This is why in the Wheat Belly lifestyle we are completely free of all components of the seeds of grasses whether from wheat, rye, barley, millet, or corn.

 

 

 

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Sesame Seed Flour

Sesame seeds actually make a very nice grain-free flour.

Look for white or yellow seeds, not the dark or black, as less sesame flavor shows through (nor will the end-product be dark or black). Grind them in your food chopper, food processor, or coffee grinder until reduced to flour. (Stop when a flour-like consistency is achieved, as further grinding will yield seed butter.) If you don’t like the modest sesame seed flavor that comes through, you might find sesame seed flour more suited to a savory, rather than sweet, recipe.

Look for bulk sesame seeds that are inexpensive, certainly less expensive than almonds to grind for almond flour. Avoid the small jars sold in the spice area or spice shops that are far more expensive.

Here is a simple recipe for Ginger Nutmeg Macaroons just to give you a taste of using sesame as an alternative flour. These go well with coffee or tea.

Ginger Nutmeg Macaroons

Makes 10 macaroons

2 egg whites

1 cup sesame seeds, ground

Sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon dried ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground dried nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.

With mixer on low-speed, stir in ground seeds, sweetener, ginger, and nutmeg until well-mixed. Taste to adjust sweetener, if necessary.

Using a teaspoon, spoon onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

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Coming Wed Oct 10th: A Bigger and Better Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Challenge!

We are planning our next Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Challenge that starts on Wednesday, October 10th. And this Detox Challenge will be bigger and better than ever before.

In addition to our Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Private Facebook page that provides videos, success stories, and plenty of feedback and answers to your questions, the next Detox Challenge will also include:

1) LIVE Facebook sessions with Dr. Davis and April Duval, our main Facebook page administrator. I will personally kick off the Detox Challenge on Oct 12th. And because April is herself an example of a fabulous Wheat Belly Detox success, she knows the ins and outs of this lifestyle like the back of her hand.

2) Free access to the Suggestic smartphone app for the entire 10 days–The Suggestic app helps you navigate the Wheat Belly Detox with even more recipes, ingredient search, daily suggested recipes, a restaurant locator to identify eating places consistent with our lifestyle with suggested menu items, the ability to track health measures such as water intake and sleep, and all personally customizable. It is your chance to get acquainted with the useful Suggestic app, while helping you succeed on your Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox.

Our goal: to help you succeed in turning around your life and health and achieve all your health goals including weight loss, getting off prescription medications, and turning back the clock 10 or 20 years.

 

Why the Detox Challenge?

Through my New York Times bestseller, Wheat Belly, millions of people learned how to reverse years of chronic health problems by removing wheat from their daily diets. But, after reading the original Wheat Belly or the Wheat Belly Total Health book, or even using the recipes from the Wheat Belly Cookbook and Wheat Belly 30-Minute Cookbook, people still said: “I’ve read the books, but I’m still not sure how to get started on this lifestyle.”

That’s why I wrote the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox  and now help readers along in this Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox CHALLENGE. This is the quickest, most assured way to get started on regaining magnificent health and slenderness by adopting the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

This next CHALLENGE begins Wednesday, October 10th to give you plenty of time to fit into a new slender wardrobe and reclaim control over numerous health conditions so that you can really enjoy this summer.

We are kicking this one off on Facebook LIVE on Day 1: Wednesday October 10th, 12pm EST. Come join us on the main Wheat Belly Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWhea.... 

You will also be given free access to the Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox Suggestic smartphone app for the entire 10 days of the Detox!

The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox supplies you with carefully designed meal plans and delicious recipes to fully eliminate wheat and related grains in the shortest time possible. Perfect for those who may have fallen off the wagon or for newcomers who need a jump-start for weight loss, this new addition to the Wheat Belly phenomenon guides you through the complete 10-Day Detox experience. And we will kick off this next Challenge with a live Facebook session with Dr. Davis!

In addition to this quick-start program, I’ll teach you:

How to recognize and reduce wheat-withdrawal symptoms,
How to avoid common landmines that can sabotage success
How to use nutritional supplements to further advance weight loss and health benefits

The Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox also includes:

Inspiring testimonials from people who have completed the program (and have now made grain-free eating a way of life)

Exciting new recipes to help get your entire family on board

To join the Detox Challenge:

Step 1

Get the book. And read it (at least the first 5 chapters).

Detox Challenge participants should be informed and active in order to get the most out of the challenge and private Facebook group. READING THE WHEAT BELLY DETOX BOOK IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK or else the conversations will not make sense and you will not enjoy full benefit. It is a very bad idea to try and piece the program together just from our conversations. (Note that the Wheat Belly Detox program is NOT laid out in the original Wheat Belly book.)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JqzMea

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/wheatbelly10daygraindetox-bn

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1KwcFTQ

Step 2

Come join the Private Facebook Group.

http://bit.ly/WheatBelly-PrivateFBGroup

Step 3

Head back to the Private Facebook Group starting Tuesday, October 9th (the day before the official start of the Challenge) and onwards for tips, videos, and discussions to help you get through your detox and reprogram your body for rapid weight loss and health. Dr. Davis and site administrator, April Duval, will be posting video instructions and answers to your questions.

 

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