Condition Afflicts Millions: Do you have “YBS”?

12. May 2014 Lisa G Nutrition (0)
After one of the harshest winters, spring has finally arrived.  The welcomed warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours infuse us with a sense of renewal and new beginnings.   Low and behold we begin to come out of hibernation and start the mad dash to engage in positive lifestyle changes such as eating better, exercising, proper sleep and taking appropriate nutritional supplements.  But invariably, life happens.  

Yep, just when you were about to get started, it happens.  YBS sets in.   I see this “condition” all too often with clients attempting to enter or re-enter into any number of behavior changes.  I will go so far as to say we all have been afflicted at one point or another in our lives.  I call this condition Yeah But Syndrome, or “YBS”.    It is often paralyzing and prevents those afflicted from moving into action, instead remaining in a state of inertia.  

There are many symptoms of YBS but the following are some of the most common.  

• Yeah I planned to go to the gym today BUT, the kids needed a ride to practice.  
• Yeah I really want to eat better BUT I don’t have the time.   
• Yeah I didn’t plan to eat the cake BUT my husband wanted too, so I did also.   
• Yeah I really meant to go to the grocery shopping BUT I was too tired, so I hit the drive- thru.  
• Or this is a good one. Yeah I meant to start today BUT, I’ll start tomorrow.  

But tomorrow never comes.  You get the drift.  We can all come up with a million yeah buts, in other words, excuses.    The good news is the treatment for YBS is simple--just do it!  Take action.  The reality of today’s 24-7 planet is there will always be something.  The kids, work commitments, family obligations and various projects that need your attention will perpetually be present in some shape or form.  The difference to make the difference is to learn to dance in the rain, not wait for the rain to pass.  When will all the stars align so that your world will be “just right” to start?  If not NOW, WHEN will you begin?  

The key word here is begin.   Far too frequently, I coach clients that shoot themselves in the foot before they start.   Instead of consuming yourself with all the barriers to entry, select reasonable, low-hanging fruit that is “doable.”    The art of lifestyle change is to avoid all-or-nothing thinking and begin to appreciate what you CAN do, versus focusing energy on what you can’t do.  What is one action you can do TODAY to move toward your wellness goal(s)?  Start to focus on what you can do in the mist of your existing life demands. This mantra is a friendly reminder: BE-DO-HAVE.  Be committed.  Do what it takes.  And you will have results.  

Lastly, if you think removing cereal from your morning routine it is too difficult and you can’t do it. Guess what-- you’re likely right.   What you think is what you get!   But what if you think instead, “I can do this.  There are many truly healthy options for breakfast to replace cereal such as eggs and veggies that will help me look and feel my best.”  Then guess what--you will!  This simple change in mind-set can start a tidal wave of change and prevent you from abandoning ship when life tosses you into rough waters.  Ongoing support is hugely important to sustain lifestyle changes.  Join the conversations in the Cureality Forum to engage the support of health coaches and Cureality Members to stay on track. 

We Need More.....Kettlebell

8. May 2014 Amber B Exercise (0)
You either love them or you hate them.

When you are in love with kettlebells, like I am, you enjoy the multi-muscle group movements.  Kettlebell workouts are fluid, like a dance, putting together a chain of movements that leave your heart pounding and sweat pouring.  Yes, there’s some sneaky cardio component to a kettlebell workout.   A great blend of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.

If you hate kettlebells it’s because kettlebell exercises keep you honest with proper exercise execution.  Form is imperative to moves like the kettlebell swing or the kettlebell snatch.  Do it incorrectly and you’ll be either sore or have bruised wrists the next day.  But this is no reason to shy away from the kettlebell.  You have way too much to gain from this odd looking piece of exercise equipment.  

You will get a mega -caloric burn.  The American council on Exercise states that the average kettlebell workout burns 20 calories per minute.  That’s 1200 calories in just one hour.   Kettlebell workouts utilize many muscle groups to give you an efficient, total body conditioning workout.  

If you’re looking for a toned back side get a kettlebell.  The classic kettlebell swing works all the posterior muscles like your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.  But only if you use correct form.  Otherwise you'll find yourself with nagging back pain, instead of a better butt.  

Kettlebell exercises are functional movements that will allow you to play hard without getting injured.  If you are an athlete, a nature enthusiast, or just want to keep up with the kids then you need to give kettlebells a try.  During a workout, the exercises will target movements that will make getting up and down off the floor easier, as well as bending over to pick something up.

If you are interested in doing kettlebell workouts start with a coach or take class.  You can’t fake form with kettlebell exercises or you could end up hurt.  I’m not trying to scare anyone away because good form is easy to learn.   Your body will memorize the correct movement pattern and you’ll be on your way to a successful kettlebell workout.  

Thyroid and the gut: Hidden health partners

8. May 2014 Chris K Thyroid (0)
Though I have personally dealt with both auto-immune thyroiditis (Hashomoto’s) and several gut issues (wheat sensitivity, gastritis, etc.), it was not until recently that I discovered how close the thyroid and gut work together to keep you healthy – and how problems with one can affect the other along with your overall health.
 
Most of us understand that the primary function of the gut, that 25 to 30 feet of “tubing” that includes everything from your stomach to your large intestines, is to process the food we eat and allow the “good stuff” (essential nutrients) to pass into our blood stream while keeping the “bad stuff” (harmful proteins) out. However, it may surprise some that the gut also holds as much as 70% of all the immune tissue in the body.
 
Now, imagine all the health havoc that could ensue if, suddenly, the gut stopped doing its job – particularly if it failed to stop toxic proteins from entering the blood stream and then mounted an overzealous immune response against them.  Sometimes, those overzealous immune responses reach beyond their intended targets to attack otherwise healthy tissues and organs – like the thyroid gland.
 
Recent studies indicate that thyroid hormones play a significant role in maintaining gut integrity, preventing leaky gut that can, in some cases, lead to auto-immune attacks against the thyroid.  A properly functioning gut also aids the production of thyroid hormones by converting some of the inactive “T4” thyroid hormone into the functional “T3” hormone.  Failure to simultaneously maintain both a healthy gut and a healthy thyroid can create a vicious cycle leading to chronic health problems and declining vitality.
 
What it all means is that to enjoy optimal health, you must promote good thyroid health to promote good gut health and vice versa.  Unfortunately, traditional medicine tends to focus on one issue to the exclusion of others.  A typical endocrinologist may treat your under active thyroid without spending a moment to address underlying gut issues.  A gastroenterologist will work alleviate a gut problem but will rarely address a potential thyroid problem.
 
This illustrates, once again, how our bodies work as a system and why it is necessary to bridge the “healthcare gaps” in traditional medicine by becoming personally responsible for your health.  I encourage everyone to consult the Cureality Program Guide and online Cureality Diet and Thyroid Health Tracks to learn more about how to optimize both your gut and thyroid health on your journey to realizing complete, whole-body health.

Omega-3 fatty acids likely NOT associated with prostate cancer

18. July 2013 William Davis Omega-3 fatty acids (6)
A weakly constructed study was reported recently that purportedly associated higher levels of omega-3 fatty acid blood levels and prostate cancer. See this CBS News report, for instance.

Lipid and omega-3 fat expert, Dr. William Harris, posted this concise critique of the study, exposing some fundamental problems:

First, the reported EPA+DHA level in the plasma phospholipids in this study was 3.62% in the no-cancer control group, 3.66% in the total cancer group, 3.67% in the low grade cancer group, and 3.74% in the high-grade group. These differences between cases and controls are very small and would have no meaning clinically as they are within the normal variation. Based on experiments in our lab, the lowest quartile would correspond to an HS-Omega-3 Index of <3.16% and the highest to an Index of >4.77%). These values are obviously low, and virtually none of the subjects was in “danger” of having an HS-Omega-3 Index of >8%. So to conclude that regular consumption of 2 oily fish meals a week or taking fish oil supplements (both of which would result in an Index above the observed range) would increase risk for prostate cancer is extrapolating beyond the data.

This study did not test the question of whether giving fish oil supplements (or eating more oily fish) increased PC risk; it looked only a blood levels of omega-3 which are determined by intake, other dietary factors, metabolism and genetics.

The authors also failed to present the fuller story taught by the literature. The same team reported in 2010 that the use of fish oil supplements was not associated with any increased risk for prostate cancer. A 2010 meta-analysis of fish consumption and prostate cancer reported a reduction in late stage or fatal cancer among cohort studies, but no overall relationship between prostate cancer and fish intake. Terry et al. in 2001 reported higher fish intake was associated with lower risk for prostate cancer incidence and death, and Leitzmann et al. in 2004 reported similar findings. Higher intakes of canned, preserved fish were reported to be associated with reduced risk for prostate cancer. Epstein et al found that a higher omega-3 fatty acid intake predicted better survival for men who already had prostate cancer, and increased fish intake was associated with a 63% reduction in risk for aggressive prostate cancer in a case-control study by Fradet et al). So there is considerable evidence actually FAVORING an increase in fish intake for prostate cancer risk reduction.

Another piece of the picture is to compare prostate cancer rates in Japan vs the US. Here is a quote from the World Foundation of Urology:

"[Prostate cancer] incidence is really high in North America and Northern Europe (e.g., 63 X 100,000 white men and 102 X 100,000 Afro-Americans in the United States), but very low in Asia (e.g., 10 X 100,000 men in Japan).”

Since the Japanese typically eat about 8x more omega-3 fatty acids than Americans do and their
blood levels are twice as high, you’d think their prostate cancer risk would be much higher...
but the opposite is the case.

Omega-3 fatty acids are physiologically necessary, normalizing multiple metabolic phenomena including augmentation of parasympathetic tone, reductions of postprandial (after-meal) lipoprotein excursions, and endothelial function. It would indeed make no sense that nutrients that are necessary for life and health exert an adverse effect such as prostate cancer at such low blood levels. (Recall that an omega-3 RBC index of 6.0% or greater is associated with reduced potential for sudden cardiac death.)

I personally take 3600 mg per day of EPA + DHA in highly-purified, non-oxidized triglyceride form (Ascenta Nutrasea liquid) that yields an RBC omega-3 index of just over 10%, the level that I believe the overwhelming bulk of data suggest is the ideal level for humans.

Are statins and omega-3s incompatible?

18. June 2013 William Davis (4)
French researcher, Dr. Michel de Lorgeril, has been in the forefront of thinking and research into nutritional issues, including the Mediterranean Diet, the French Paradox, and the role of fat intake in cardiovascular health. In a recent review entitled Recent findings on the health effects of omega-3 fatty acids and statins, and their interactions: do statins inhibit omega-3?, he explores the question of whether statin drugs are, in effect, incompatible with omega-3 fatty acids.

Dr. Lorgeril makes several arguments:

1) Earlier studies, such as GISSI-Prevenzione, demonstrated reduction in cardiovascular events with omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, consistent with the biological and physiological benefits observed in animals, experimental preparations, and epidemiologic observations in free-living populations.

2) More recent studies (and meta-analyses) examining the effects of omega-3 fatty acids have failed to demonstrate cardiovascular benefit showing, at most, non-significant trends towards benefit.

He points out that the more recent studies were conducted post-GISSI and after agencies like the American Heart Association's advised people to consume more fish, which prompted broad increases in omega-3 intake. The populations studied therefore had increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids at the start of the studies, verified by higher levels of omega-3 RBC levels in participants.

In addition, he raises the provocative idea that the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids appear to be confined to those not taking statin agents, as suggested, for instance, in the Alpha Omega Trial. He speculates that the potential for statins to ablate the benefits of omega-3s (and vice versa) might be based on several phenomena:

--Statins increase arachidonic acid content of cell membranes, a potentially inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid that competes with omega-3 fatty acids. (Insulin provocation and greater linoleic acid/omega-6 oils do likewise.)
--Statins induce impaired mitochondrial function, while omega-3s improve mitochondrial function. (Impaired mitochondrial function is evidenced, for instance, by reduced coenzyme Q10 levels, with partial relief from muscle weakness and discomfort by supplementing coenzyme Q10.)
--Statins commonly provoke muscle weakness and discomfort which can, in turn, lead to reduced levels of physical activity and increased resistance to insulin. (Thus the recently reported increases in diabetes with statin drug use.)

Are the physiologic effects of omega-3 fatty acids, present and necessary for health, at odds with the non-physiologic effects of statin drugs?

I fear we don't have sufficient data to come to firm conclusions yet, but my perception is that the case against statins is building. Yes, they have benefits in specific subsets of people (none in others), but the notion that everybody needs a statin drug is, I believe, not only dead wrong, but may have effects that are distinctly negative. And I believe that the arguments in favor of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, EPA and DHA (and perhaps DPA), make better sense.



DHA: the crucial omega-3

22. May 2013 William Davis (5)
Of the two omega-3 fatty acids that are best explored, EPA and DHA, it is likely DHA that exerts the most blood pressure- and heart rate-reducing effects. Here are the data of Mori et al in which 4000 mg of olive oil, purified EPA only, or purified DHA only were administered over 6 weeks:



□ indicates baseline SBP; ▪, postintervention SBP; ○, baseline DBP; •, postintervention DBP; ⋄, baseline HR; and ♦, postintervention HR.

In this group of 56 overweight men with normal starting blood pressures, only DHA reduced systolic BP by 5.8 mmHg, diastolic by 3.3 mmHg.

While each omega-3 fatty acid has important effects, it may be DHA that has an outsized benefit. So how can you get more DHA? Well, this observation from Schuchardt et al is important:

DHA in the triglyceride and phospholipid forms are 3-fold better absorbed, as compared to the ethyl ester form (compared by area-under-the-curve). In other words, fish oil that has been reconstituted to the naturally-occurring triglyceride form (i.e., the form found in fresh fish) provides 3-fold greater blood levels of DHA than the more common ethyl ester form found in most capsules. (The phospholipid form of DHA found in krill is also well-absorbed, but occurs in such small quantities that it is not a practical means of obtaining omega-3 fatty acids, putting aside the astaxanthin issue.)

So if the superior health effects of DHA are desired in a form that is absorbed, the ideal way to do this is either to eat fish or to supplement fish oil in the triglyceride, not ethyl ester, form. The most common and popular forms of fish oil sold are ethyl esters, including Sam's Club Triple-Strength, Costco, Nature Made, Nature's Bounty, as well as prescription Lovaza. (That's right: prescription fish oil, from this and several other perspectives, is an inferior product.)

What sources of triglyceride fish oil with greater DHA content/absorption are available to us? My favorites are, in this order:

Ascenta NutraSea
CEO and founder, Marc St. Onge, is a friend. Having visited his production facility in Nova Scotia, I was impressed with the meticulous methods of preparation. At every step of the way, every effort was made to limit any potential oxidation, including packaging in a vacuum environment. The Ascenta line of triglyceride fish oils are also richer in DHA content. Their NutraSea High DHA liquid, for instance, contains 500 mg EPA and 1000 mg DHA per teaspoon, a 1:2 EPA:DHA ratio, rather than the more typical 3:2 EPA:DHA ratio of ethyl ester forms.

Pharmax (now Seroyal) also has a fine product with a 1.4:1 EPA:DHA ratio.

Nordic Naturals has a fine liquid triglyceride product, though it is 2:1 EPA:DHA.





Krill oil: Do the math

21. May 2013 William Davis (0)
The manufacturers of krill oil claim that the phospholipid form of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, enhance their absorption. There are indeed some data to that effect:


Here are some representative krill oil preparations available on the market:


MegaRed Krill Oil:
EPA 50 mg
DHA 24 mg
Total omega-3s (EPA + DHA + other forms) 90 mg
Price: $28.99 for 60 softgels

Source Naturals (a fine company otherwise, by the way):

EPA 150 mg
DHA 90 mg
Total omega-3 fatty acids 300 mg
Price: $24.99 for 60 softgels

Alright, let's do some simple math:

Average volume of blood in the human body (all components): 5000 cc
Percentage of red blood cells (RBCs) by volume: 45%
Total volume RBCs: 2250 cc
Percentage of total volume RBCs occupied by fatty acids:

What tests are MORE important than cholesterol?

12. May 2013 William Davis (8)
In the conventional practice of early heart disease prevention, cholesterol testing takes center stage. Rarely does it go any further, aside from questions about family history and obvious sources of modifiable risk such as smoking and sedentary lifestyle.

So standard practice is to usually look at your LDL cholesterol, the value that is calculated, not measured, then--almost without fail--prescribe a statin drug. While there are indeed useful values in the standard cholesterol panel--HDL cholesterol and triglycerides--they are typically ignored or prompt no specific action.

But a genuine effort at heart disease prevention should go farther than an assessment of calculated LDL cholesterol, as there are many ways that humans develop coronary atherosclerosis. Among the tests to consider in order to craft a truly effect heart disease prevention program are:

--Lipoprotein testing--Rather than using the amount of cholesterol in the various fractions of blood as a crude surrogate for lipoproteins in the bloodstream, why not measure lipoproteins themselves? These techniques have been around for over 20 years, but are simply not part of standard practice.

Lipoprotein testing especially allows you to understand what proportion of LDL particles are the truly unhealthy small LDL particles (that are oxidation- and glycation-prone). It also identifies whether or not you have lipoprotein(a), the heritable factor that confers superior survival capacity in a wild environment ("The Perfect Carnivore"), but makes the holder of this genetic pattern the least tolerant to the modern diet dominated by grains and sugars, devoid of fat and organ meats.

--25-hydroxy vitamin D--The data documenting the health power of vitamin D restoration continue to grow, with benefits on blood sugar and insulin, blood pressure, bone density, protection from winter "blues" (seasonal affective disorder), decrease in falls and fractures, decrease in cancer, decrease in cardiovascular events. I aim to keep 25-hydroxy vitamin D at a level of 60 to 70 ng/ml. This generally requires 4000-8000 units per day in gelcap form, at least for the first 3 or so years, after which there is a decrease in need. Daily supplementation is better than weekly, monthly, or other less-frequent regimens. The D3 (cholecalciferol) form is superior to the non-human D2 (ergocalciferol) form.

--Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)--HbA1c represents glycated hemoglobin, i.e., hemoglobin molecules within red blood cells that are irreversibly modified by glucose, or blood sugar. It therefore provides an index of endogenous glycation of all proteins of the body: proteins in the lenses of the eyes that lead to cataracts; proteins in the cartilage of the knees and hips that lead to brittle cartilage and arthritis; proteins in kidney tissue leading to kidney dysfunction.

HbA1c provides an incredibly clear snapshot of health: It reflects the amount of glycation you have been exposed to over the past 90 or so days. We therefore aim for an ideal level: 5.0% or less, the amount of "ambient" glycation that occurs just with living life. We reject the notion that a HbA1c level of 6.0% is acceptable just because you don't "need" diabetes medication, the thinking that drives conventional medical practice.

--RBC Omega-3 Index--The average American consumes very little omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, such that a typical omega-3 RBC Index, i.e., the proportion of fatty acids in the red blood cell occupied by omega-3 fatty acids, is around 2-3%, a level associated with increased potential for sudden cardiac death (death!). Levels of 6% or greater are associated with reduced potential for sudden cardiac death; 10% or greater are associated with reduced other cardiovascular events.

Evidence therefore suggests that an RBC Omega-3 Index of 10% or greater is desirable, a level generally achieved by obtaining 3000-3600 mg EPA + DHA per day (more or less, depending on the form consumed, an issue for future discussion).

--Thyroid testing (TSH, free T3, free T4)--Even subtle degrees of thyroid dysfunction can double, triple, even quadruple cardiovascular risk. TSH values, for instance, within the previously presumed "normal" range, pose increased risk for cardiovascular death; a TSH level of 4.0 mIU, for instance, is associated with more than double the relative risk of a level of 1.0.

Sad fact: the endocrinology community, not keeping abreast of the concerning issues coming from the toxicological community regarding perchlorates, polyfluorooctanoic acid and other fluorinated hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs), and other thyroid-toxic compounds, tend to ignore these issues, while the public is increasingly exposed to the increased cardiovascular risk of even modest degrees of thyroid dysfunction. Don't commit the same crime of ignorance: Thyroid dysfunction in this age of endocrine disruption can be crucial to cardiovascular and overall health.


All in all, there are a number of common blood tests that are relevant--no, crucial--for achieving heart health. Last on the list: standard cholesterol testing.

Cranberry Sauce

21. November 2012 William Davis (3)
Happy Thanksgiving 2012, everyone, from all the staff at Track Your Plaque!

Here’s a zesty version of traditional cranberry sauce, minus the sugar. The orange, cinnamon, and other spices, along with the crunch of walnuts, make this one of my favorite holiday side dishes.

There are 31.5 grams total “net” carbohydrates in this entire recipe, or 5.25 grams per serving (serves 6). To further reduce carbs, you can leave out the orange juice and, optionally, use more zest.

1 cup water
12 ounces fresh whole cranberries
Sweetener equivalent to 1 cup sugar (I used 6 tablespoons Truvía)
1 tablespoon orange zest + juice of half an orange
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

In small to medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Turn heat down and add cranberries. Cover and cook at low-heat for 10 minutes or until all cranberries have popped. Stir in sweetener. Remove from heat.

Stir in orange zest and juice, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Transfer mixture to bowl, cool, and serve.


Apple Cranberry Crumble

18. November 2012 William Davis (0)
Apple, cranberry, and cinnamon: the perfect combination of tastes and scents for winter holidays!

I took a bit of carbohydrate liberties with this recipe. The entire recipe yields a delicious cheesecake-like crumble with 59 “net” grams carbohydrates (total carbs – fiber); divided among 10 slices, that’s 5.9 grams net carbs per serving, a quantity most tolerate just fine. (To reduce carbohydrates, the molasses in the crumble is optional, reducing total carbohydrate by 11 grams.)

Other good choices for sweeteners include liquid stevia, stevia glycerite, powdered stevia (pure or inulin-based, not maltodextrin-based), Truvía, Swerve, and erythritol. And always taste your batter to test sweetness, since sweeteners vary in sweetness from brand to brand and your individual sensitivity to sweetness depends on how long you’ve been wheat-free. (The longer you’ve been wheat-free, the less sweetness you desire.)


Crust and crumble topping
3 cups almond meal
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 cup xylitol (or other sweetener equivalent to 1 cup sugar)
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon molasses
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash sea salt

Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
½ cup xylitol (or other sweetener equivalent to ½ cup sugar)
1 Granny Smith apple (or other variety)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In large bowl, combine almond meal, butter, sweetener, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla, and salt and mix.

Grease a 9½-inch tart or pie pan. Using approximately 1 cup of the almond meal mixture, form a thin bottom crust with your hands or spoon.

In another bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, and sweetener and mix with spoon or mixer at low-speed. Pour into tart or pie pan.

Core apple and slice into very thin sections. Arrange in circles around the edge of the cream cheese mixture, working inwards. Distribute cranberries over top, then sprinkle cinnamon over entire mixture.

Gently layer remaining almond meal crumble evenly over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until topping lightly browned.
Wheat Belly #5 on New York Times Bestseller list!

Wheat Belly #5 on New York Times Bestseller list!

9. September 2011 William Davis (66)
The New York Times just released its bestseller list due for release September 18th, 2011 . . . .

Wheat Belly is #5!! (That darned Jane Fonda woman elbowed me out for the #4 spot!

[caption id="attachment_4452" align="alignright" width="574" caption="Wheat Belly hits #5 on New York Times Bestseller List--in 1st week!"][/caption]
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Comments (66) -

  • Sean

    9/9/2011 3:54:19 AM |

    Hey, congratulations Dr D.
    I hope you aren't going to go all Hollywood on us now that you are a best-selling author.

  • Princess Dieter

    9/9/2011 7:03:22 AM |

    GREAT! I know I got several folks to buy by blogging/reviewing/facebooking, and some are doing the no-gluten now (including my sis!)

    Now, onto the next one on cholesterol/heart health, yes? ; )

    Oh, and I just started using a glucose monitor to test...interesting (but I hate pricking my finger, wuss that I am.)

    Again, congrats. Go take on Big Grain!

  • miki

    9/9/2011 8:01:02 AM |

    Congratulations! There is hope! I couldn't not notice Tim Ferriss right behind you. He is also "Plaeoish".

  • Michia

    9/9/2011 8:45:39 AM |

    Awesome!  And, oh yeah, you just turned into a much bigger target Wink

  • Alexandra

    9/9/2011 10:03:21 AM |

    I just shared this story over at Fat Head but I thought you might enjoy it as well.
    My copy of Wheat Belly arrived yesterday and is next on the reading list.

    Related story...a very happy turn of events.

    Back in June of this year, a musician friend of mine came to my area for a concert.  I hadn’t seen him in several years and was distressed to see him using a cane (he is only about 57 years old) and clearly appeared to be in pain.  This sweet guy came up to me and said I looked healthy and full of life (what a lovely compliment!) He told me that he had been suffering from severe joint pain throughout his body and was now living on pain medication and was having difficulty performing. He asked me what I was doing to be healthy (I am 120 lbs lighter since the last time he saw me.)  Rather than tell all on a busy concert night, I told him I would send him an e-mail with links, etc. the next day. The e-mail included Fat Head as well as numerous blogs and web sites that I thought would be of help to him.  Long story short, I saw my friend again this past weekend... no cane and walking comfortably.  He told me that, so far, all he had done was stop eating cereal and bread and within three months was able to stop all his pain medications and can again walk without pain, or a cane!  To have played a role in helping this wonderful person feel well again made my heart swell!

  • Debbie B in MD

    9/9/2011 11:04:49 AM |

    My copy just came yesterday!!! I am really enjoying it and making a list of who needs a copy for Christmas presents. Maybe they will be early presents because I wouldn't want to keep this from those I love any longer than necessary. Congratulations!!!

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/9/2011 12:07:35 PM |

    Thanks, Debbie!

    Your mention of Christmas reminds me that I should put some holiday recipes up on the blogs. Holidays tend to be incredible wheat-fests, so it's best to be armed with tasty wheat-free, low-carb recipes.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/9/2011 12:12:02 PM |

    Wow, Alexandra! Great story.

    Now, more than likely your friend would have tested negative for celiac markers and his doctor would say it was all in his head or a coincidence. This is precisely what I've been seeing.

    Imagine we live in a village where 9 out of 10 people who drink from the water well in the center of town get sick; they stop drinking water from the well, they all get better. They drink from the well again, they get sick, etc. With a consistent and reproducible effect like this, how long do we wait for the clinical trial to prove to us that we are sick from drinking the water?

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/9/2011 12:24:52 PM |

    Yes, Miki, it appears to me the top sellers on the list are all diet books. That tells us something!

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/9/2011 12:27:48 PM |

    Thanks, Princess.

    Because the Wheat Belly 100% wheat-free approach is so critical to the heart health message, this alone will occupy me and my team for some time. Corollary to the Wheat Belly message is that, follow this idea and the need for drugs for cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and other conditions is dramatically reduced or eliminated in many, if not most, people. I think this message bears repeating . . . and repeating and repeating.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/9/2011 12:29:21 PM |

    Believe me, Sean, I'm not going anywhere! I grew up very poor, had to work for everything, so I believe that I've learned humility and to appreciate the small things in life. This has always been about the message, not about notoriety. And the message is much too big for any one person to manage singlehandedly.

  • otterotter

    9/9/2011 1:40:09 PM |

    Dr. Davis,

    This is a great news, congratulations !  and now I cannot even wait for my copy to arrive.

    One more question: I know wheat is bad, but is "pure wheat bran" good for me ? I am using a lot of wheat bran in my diet to promote the fibre in take.


    cheers!

    zuo

  • Dee

    9/9/2011 2:17:21 PM |

    Congadulations on Wheat Belly.  I hope a lot of Doctors read or hear about it.  Glutin intorance is rampant throught out the world.
    Dee

  • Lori

    9/9/2011 3:44:03 PM |

    Congratulations! As I posted on the Fathead blog, my mother found out for herself how far wheat can push up blood sugar. An hour after she ate a piece of toast, her BG was 245, up from 101. (Yes, that's two hundred forty-five.)

  • Bill Davis

    9/9/2011 4:47:57 PM |

    Dr Davis

    Good book!

    However, I think the message of the book is bigger than what the cover would lead one to believe. Mis- representation? I was wondering at first knowing somewhat of the origins of the book. In fact I was somewhat disappointed that the cover only addressed a side effect of this 'medication'. And I try to avoid side effects.

    That being said, what do I think is the real message of the book? (and I should know - check my name. Actually I'm the other BD.) It is definitely IMO chapter 10. I'm beginning the third time through 10.

    Then, I saw your post above and it made me think (yes I do that at times since I am sentient) - This is such an important book EVERYONE should read chapter 10. Is this just another diet/food book?  Whether you or the publisher chose the title (they do sometimes you know) it got my chapter 10 right up there where many more will read it. There are 6 out of 10 on that NYT list about what, one would be led to believe, this book is about.

    Diet books are a dime a dozen but heart disease is here to stay (unless the message of ch10 gets out!).

    Again - Good book. Congratulations!

    My new doctor in Boulder needs this in his waiting room. He has your other ones there.

  • cancerclasses

    9/9/2011 5:20:34 PM |

    The fiber myth is just another anti health lie designed to keep you sick and in surgery, forget the conventional wisdom on this one too and do the opposite, you'll be healthier.  Everyone needs to learn the long established and well known scientific truth about fiber, not the conventional wisdom and opinions constantly parroted by the media.  Just google 'brian peskin fiber' and read the post titled "Fiber Fiction" where you'll see the rest of this short cut & paste:  
    "In 2004, the cancer journal, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, stated that colon cancer is not helped by eating fiber Dr. Gilbert Omenn stated in a 2000 New York Times article on this subject: “There’s not a shred of [cancer fighting] evidence from these trials. ...the surprising results [no cancer protection] showed the need to rigorously put belief systems to the test, especially when you are making recommendations to literally hundreds of millions of people.” He concluded with, “...it is time to abandon the idea that fiber can help prevent colon cancer.” (Emphasis added)

    As referenced in my landmark book, “The Hidden Story of Cancer,” fiber actually worsens
    colon cancer rather than helping it. Even the Cancer Institute finally agrees with this conclusion. The
    true tragedy lies in the fact that those following this advice and eating the most fiber get the most colon cancer! This fact was reported in 2000 in the Lancet, the world’s premier medical journal.
    There is a general misconception that plant foods are loaded with vitamins that we benefit from; unfortunately, these nutrients are locked away in the plant fiber, or cellulose, which cannot be digested by humans. Herbivores are able to break down the cellulose and get to the nutrients, but due to our digestive tract design, humans cannot."

    And there's more to learn there, be sure to google that and read up, for your health's sake.

  • Joe

    9/9/2011 5:21:42 PM |

    Come up with a tasty, healthy, low-carb (wheat free, of course!) substitute for cannoli and I can guarantee that there will be a national holiday named after you, Doc.

    "Dr. Davis Day," which will fall somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and celebrated by BILLIONS!

    Joe

  • Hans Keer

    9/9/2011 5:44:52 PM |

    Congratulations doc D. How can this message be brought to an even broader public?

  • otterotter

    9/9/2011 5:54:50 PM |

    Thanks cancerclasses, I will read the bok.

    I am taking fibre mainly to increase the bowl movements to once a day intead of once every two days, and it works for that purpose. Not sure whether it is good or bad through.

  • Linda

    9/9/2011 8:51:05 PM |

    Not to get TOO personal, but, what difference does it make if the bowels move every day or every other day? Why not let your body just do it's thing when it is ready?

    Add some flax to your daily diet, that should do the trick! That stuff really moves things along. LOL

    I can remember my mother taking laxatives every day when I was a kid, and she insisted that we had to move those bowels! When I told her, as an adult, that I sometimes go two or more days, she had a fit!

    It just isn't necessary..............................

  • Galina L.

    9/10/2011 12:27:28 AM |

    Why not increase a dose of a magnesium supplement? I am taking some and have to be careful with the dose because it can make bowl movements more frequent. For some people it should be a desirable side-effect.

  • otterotter

    9/10/2011 1:08:30 AM |

    Linda,

    I have grounded flax seeds in my diet as well, but the problem is I cannot have too much of it. Overdosing flax seeds made my blood too thin and ended up in emergency room last year, with bloody stool ...

    To go 100% wheat free, I might have to try corn bran ...

  • otterotter

    9/10/2011 1:11:00 AM |

    Yes, I am having magnesium as well, it make the stool softer, but not more frequent... well unless you take too much of it.

  • Michia

    9/10/2011 1:24:33 AM |

    Hi otterotter
    This informative site helped me a lot while I was coming back after surgery for a bowel resection several years ago.  
    http://www.gutsense.org/
    I echo the recommendation of magnesium and would add vitamin C.  Make it magnesium citrate, best absorption.  Start in easy since too much at once of either will put you on the, um "fast track" Wink
    I eat VLC, and have to stay 100% wheat-free or risk the wrath of an RA flare.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:00:01 AM |

    I am no expert in bowel health, but I do know that some GI--minded people hold the opinion that stool held for prolonged periods in the intestinal tract changes in character and leads to the cascade of changes leading to cancer.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:02:08 AM |

    Hi, Hans--

    I believe that is currently underway!

    Just today, I've gotten dozens of phone calls and emails from major national media, all wanting to understand what the heck is going on with this crazy Wheat Belly thing.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:03:18 AM |

    Wow, Joe. Thank you.

    But you give me too much credit. I am simply the delivery boy on this information.

    But thank goodness you picked a day after Halloween!

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:10:28 AM |

    Thank you, Uncle Bill!

    While I chose the main title, Wheat Belly, I had pushed for a much more edgy (obnoxious?) subtitle: Muffins tops and man boobs in a whole grain world.

    They would not budge on the "man boob" thing.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:16:58 AM |

    Aaagghhh! One piece of toast, blood sugar goes up 144 mg/dl!

    I feel like we should conduct an exorcism.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:17:44 AM |

    Yes, I agree, Dee. It is rampant.

    It is, in my experience, the rule and not the exception. It certainly does NOT end at celiac disease, but ranges far and wide into virtually every facet of health.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/10/2011 2:19:38 AM |

    Hi, Zuo--

    Because wheat fiber is essentially cellulose (AKA wood), it is inert. There is only danger for the most exquisitely wheat- and gluten- sensitive.

    However, there are plenty of non-wheat fibers to take advantage of, such as nuts, vegetables, seeds, flaxseed, and chia.

  • Diane

    9/10/2011 11:42:14 AM |

    Hi Princess,
    Check out this example of "painless blood sugar testing" on the Blood Sugar 101 website.  I can vouch for its effectiveness!
    http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/19774432.php

  • Teresa

    9/10/2011 4:31:49 PM |

    Enhorabuena, dr, Davis, me gustaría saber si algún día podré leer su libro en español.

  • Patricia

    9/11/2011 3:13:55 PM |

    Plants contain both indigestible fibers like cellulose and digestible fibers like pectin.  Both impart health benefits.  Digestible fibers absorb and carry out bile acids that promote the production of carcinogens by intestinal bacteria.  Indigestible fibers builk up stools, speeding up transit time and thereby dilluting carcinogens produced by anaerobic bacteria in the gut.  Plant fiber is good, and we can get enough of both kinds from non-starch vegetables and fruits.

  • greensleeves

    9/11/2011 5:16:56 PM |

    Dear Dr. Davis:

    Just finished Wheat Belly. Congrats - what an excellent book! I wish you every success.

    I was intrigued by your comments on einkorn, and very interested to read your experiments with it here. I've been baking all kinds of bread for more than 25 years now. I began after living in France in the early 80s and wishing to eat the delicious French-style breads at home, such as pain de campagne, which at that time were very difficult to find in the USA. I couldn't get the same results, so I began to study a lot of dough chemistry to discover the differences between traditional French grains and the American grains I was using.

    They are quite different, as you so accurately note! The French have largely resisted engineered foods, and now we know they were apparently right to do so.

    As others have noted, your einkorn bread would have had even fewer blood sugar effects had you followed a traditional 3-day soourdough process. Traditional European breads take 3-5 days to make, and the sourdough process substantially changes the dough chemistry. Also, very fresh flour is almost never used in traditional baking - it should always be allowed to sit in a cool place (the underground cellar or "cave" of the baker's mill, traditionally) for about 3 weeks before using. Part of the "astringent" taste you note in the einkorn is due to the very fresh flour.

    This also leads me to ask you more about rye. Rye traditionally grew as a "weed" in European fields during wet years, when the wheat didn't fare so well. Until the late 19th century, almost all French bread would have contained some rye, as they were commonly harvested together and ground together. Only the very rich could afford to have their grains sorted to pure wheat. During a very wet, cold year, the field would have been more rye than wheat, actually. In Germany and Scandinavia, where it's quite cold in the winter, too cold for normal wheats, people ate more rye, even exclusively so.

    We've all seen traditional German-style or Danish-style rye - 100% whole dark rye bread with coriander, made the traditional sourdough way. It takes more than 3 days to make, and after baking the bread has to sit for 24-48 hours before it can be sliced. The bread is nearly black, like pumpernickel, very dense, almost a brick, and you have to eat it in super-thin tiny slices. Everyone in Denmark will tell you rye is much healthier than wheat.

    Your book mentions rye a few times in passing, which deeply intrigued me. Rye has low levels of gliadin - the protein you persuasively argue as being very problematic for many people - but in rye, these are covered by another structure called pentosans.

    These pentosans are what prevent rye from rising and make the dough as sticky as glue and completely wet, so difficult to work with. 100% rye can't be kneaded and doesn't form a dough that can be shaped into loaves - you have to pour it into the pan. Rye also has another protein called secalin, which may bother celiacs, but may not effect the wheat-gluten intolerant.

    I wonder if people with mild wheat intolerances - not full celiac - could tolerate small amounts of traditional-style German/Scandinavian rye breads, just as they may be able to tolerate small amounts of einkorn? That is, could everyone's Danish grandmother be correct? Smile

    Do you have any insight into rye, Dr. Davis? Sorry for the long comment, and thank you so much for your inspiring and wonderful book!

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/12/2011 2:30:59 AM |

    Hi, Green--

    Excellent! Thank you for your valuable insights into the unique French wheat and bread experience.

    As you have likely gathered, despite the differences in rye, its genetics, the quantitative and qualitative differences in the gliadin, there are few data to tell us how much better or worse it can be except in celiac sufferers who, of course, have their reactions triggered by rye.

    Of course, we still have lectins to contend with in rye. My suspicion is, given the phenomenon that I believe applies, that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, i.e., each undesirable component of wheat (gliadin, lectins, amylopectin A) adds up to tell only part of the story. I suspect that there are other, yet unidentified, components of wheat, and thereby perhaps rye, that account for its extravagant unhealthy effects that are greater than the sum of the parts.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/12/2011 2:31:35 AM |

    Thank you, Patricia, for a wonderful discussion!

  • greensleeves

    9/12/2011 6:37:21 AM |

    Thanks so much for your quick response, Dr. Davis! Of course those opposed to your work will quickly bring up the French experience, which is why I mention it. Smile

    If you have time, please let me point you to a seminal 1990 book on bread, "The Taste of Bread," by the French bread "guru," baker Raymond Calvel. You will be very interested in Chapter 15, where he - the ultimate authority - discusses the health concerns around bread, as known already in 1990. He discusses the problems of conventional agriculture, that fill flour with fungicides and pesticides. And he notes that modern industrial methods of bread-making oxidize the dough to ill effect.

    He also discusses what he calls "toxic factors" in bread, particularly phytic acid, and he quotes a French study describing how it interferes with calcium, iron, and magnesium absorption. He does mention celiac disease and wheat allergy - very prescient for 1990.

    Finally, he quotes from various French medical experts who argue that bread should equal around 20% (about 400 calories) of a woman's daily calorie intake. Calvel closes arguing that people need to eat a higher quality, traditionally made, organic bread from traditional-style flours without additives. And this is from a French baker in bread-loving France! (Note that the actual French level of consumption he documents is a mere 5 oz of baguette per person a day - about 360 calories.)

    Compare this to our recent Food Pyramid guidelines, which suggested Americans eat "up to" 11 servings of grain products a day - for bread which is served in 1 oz Wonder slices, that's more than twice what even the French ate in the same time period.

    Here the USDA pyramid was telling Americans to eat "up to" 770 calories, or nearly 50% of a woman's daily recommended 1,600 calories! In the added sugars section of those guidelines, the chart explicitly called out bread as a good food with no added sugars! Doughnuts, Danish, muffins, cookies and poundcake are also noted for having 2 or less added sugars. You had to read pretty deep in the smaller print to find out the guidelines suggested that women eat "only" 6 slices of bread a day.

    So when your critics point to the fact that French women eat bread and yet "don't get fat," please note the massive differences in French and American consumption levels. Smile

  • Ryan

    9/12/2011 1:24:59 PM |

    Bought my copy at Barnes and Noble yesterday.  Going to read it this week and share with my in-laws who have all sorts of issues that going Wheat Free could possibly help.  
    I have been Wheat free for 3 years now.  It has been great Smile  A lot of things have improved -- mostly my tummy aches are finally gone and I can eat dinner without having to go to the bathroom within 20 minutes of eating.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/12/2011 11:47:49 PM |

    Hi, Ryan--

    You're not alone.

    I'd crudely estimate that, oh, 50 million people share the same gastrointestinal issues that you've suffered from consumption of this thing called "wheat."

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/12/2011 11:54:57 PM |

    Hi, Green--

    Thank you for your incredibly insightful perspectives!

    Interestingly, I had a casual conversation with a cameraman from Paris just today. While no expert in bread or wheat, he reiterated much of what you told me about the very different taste, texture, and baking habits of French bread. What is not clear to me is that, while the French preparation of bread may impair weight gain, does it spare you from all the other adverse effects of wheat? An interesting topic for though and investigation.

  • Rodger Morrow

    9/13/2011 1:16:14 AM |

    As you may have seen, Novak Djokovic just won the U.S. Open men's singles title, becoming the sixth man to win three Grand Slam titles in the same year. His record for the year: 64-2.

    But did his gluten-free diet have something to do with it? Some people think so:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/is-a-glutenfree-diet-behind-djokovics-smash-success-2285004.html

    Dr. Davis, we welcome your thoughts …

  • Peggy Cihocki

    9/13/2011 1:29:17 AM |

    This is beyond awesome! But I hope it climbs even higher on the list and gets to #1! I already have it in my Kindle App 4 iPhone, but will be buying a copy for my daughter--unless she buys it herself for her Kindle! This is a message that needs to be spread like wildfire!
    @Greensleeves, your comment about French bread is very interesting and enlightening. Those are important points to bring up when someone tries to counter Dr. davis' message with tales of The French. Ah, the French, always the "paradox!"

  • pam

    9/13/2011 6:42:13 AM |

    congrat.
    my book just arrived today.
    will bring it to office cause my colleagues just don't believe me about wheat gives "belly" & "moobs" (man boobs).
    i was hoping that the title photo is a real wheat belly. (just for the shock value) but perhaps that's too gross & sensational. XD
    regards,

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/13/2011 12:43:54 PM |

    Hi, Pam--

    I actually pushed for a big wheat belly on the cover, but the publisher wouldn't hear of it. They thought it would paint the book as simply another weight loss book.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/13/2011 12:44:51 PM |

    Thanks, Peggy!

    (Maybe I should get myself one of these Kindle things. My daughter says she loves hers, too.)

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/13/2011 12:46:48 PM |

    Hi, Rodger--

    Of course, it's impossible to prove in an individual instance, but it sure sounds like something happened to really supercharge his performance. I predict that we will be hearing plenty more about enhanced performance of athletes who say goodbye to wheat, mostly due to increased power of concentration and greater capacity to generate sustained energy.

  • Sue

    9/13/2011 4:56:41 PM |

    My Dad died of cerebellar ataxia, twenty years ago.  Your book is the first explanation for this terrible condition that I have seen.  Of course, consumption of the 'new' wheat would not have been a factor at that time, but then we have always had celiacs.  The question is, has there been an increase in cerebellar ataxia in recent years?  Or has enough time elapsed for it to have become apparent?  
    I have been mostly grain free for some years now, so am part of the Choir reading your book.  My issue is mostly with minor joint pain, diagnosed as the beginnings of arthritis.  I also have Dupuytren's disease, and really am hoping that it will not progress.  I have a question that was not answered in the book.  Just how dedicated need a person be?  Am I losing ground and doing myself harm if I indulge in a wheat laden treat now and again?  Should I really be paying attention to the hidden wheat in sauces and condiments?  Or can I continue with a more lackadaisical approach, avoiding the obvious baked goods, cereals etc, but not sweating the small stuff?
    Congratulations on the success of the book, and thank you for writing it.

  • Might-o'chondri-AL

    9/13/2011 6:24:28 PM |

    To Greensleeves  (Server  was blocking this days ago & then "Moderator" too),
    You will enjoy all sourdough rye study "Structural diff. btwn. Rye & wheat ...lower post-prandial insulin ..." in 2003 Am J Clin Nutri; 78(5):957-964 full text http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/5/957.full
    And 2009 "Endosperm & whole grain rye breads ... beneficial blood glucose profile" in Nutrition Journal 2009, 8:42 full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-8-42.pdf

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/14/2011 2:45:23 AM |

    Thank you, Sue.

    Modern wheat was phased into diet starting about the late 1970s, so it may indeed have played a part in your Dad's illness.

    If your Dad potentially had a wheat-induced disease, I would err on the side of safety and be meticulously wheat-free.

  • Dale

    9/15/2011 12:58:44 AM |

    Dr. Davis, Congratulations! May "Wheat Belly" be on the NY Times Best Seller for a long, long time - so your work can improve many more lives as it has so spectacularly improved mine! I'll be happy to share my story.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/15/2011 11:43:28 AM |

    Thanks, Dale!

    If you'd like to share a story, just post the details here and I will repost.

  • Darleen Michael-Baker

    9/15/2011 4:48:17 PM |

    Congrats Dr. D!!

    I just heard about your book over on Dana Carpendar's "hold the toast" blog last week and promptly zipped over to Amazon and bought it for my Kindle.  I cannot stop reading! Fascinating information, thank you so much for writing this.

    I haven't read through all the comments nor have I read any other of your posts yet so please forgive me if this is old news to you but I wanted to know if you had read either of Gary Taubes's books.  "Good Calories, Bad Calories" or "Why we get fat and what to do about it?"  Your book compliments the info in those very well.

    Now if I could just get hubby to read them!

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/16/2011 2:41:39 AM |

    Hi, Darleen-

    Thank you!

    Yes, I've read both of Gary Taubes' very excellent books. He has done a great service by bringing the light of day to many subjects that we previously just accepted as "conventional wisdom."

  • Mark. Gooley

    9/17/2011 2:10:11 AM |

    Saw it in a Barnes and Noble while on a trip, so I... ordered a Kindle version and read that on my phone (didn't want to lug books around).  I'm so glad it's doing well.  I've been eating low-carb for a year now and it's helped my type 1 diabetes a lot, but I've lost little weight.  I hadn't stopped eating wheat entirely but now I have, and we'll see if that's any help.  Seems a lot of type 1 diabetics have trouble losing weight once they've piled it on from trying to keep blood sugar levels reasonable while eating carbohydrates...

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/17/2011 1:22:41 PM |

    Yes, Mark, a tough balancing act.

    But I have indeed seen marked improvements in blood sugar with wheat elimination in type 1 diabetes. Also, note that type 1 diabetes is, to an incredible and underappreciated degree, a disease of wheat exposure. You may recall from the book that type 1 diabetics are 20-fold more likely to develop celiac disease and vice versa. They are, in many ways, one and the same. It means that the benefits of wheat elimination may be especially dramatic in many with type 1 diabetes.

  • LaurieLM

    9/19/2011 9:22:43 PM |

    Very Good Dr Davis, I have purchased 8 copies of 'Wheat Belly' so far. I put my low-carb, no-wheat money where my mouth is. Like I did with purchasing copies of Gary Taubes' 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' and handing it out like no-sugar candy, I'm doing with 'Wheat Belly'. 4 of the 8 copies have been given to physicians- one to my internist, one to my doctor-sister and two to two doctor friends( one an internist and one an ob-gyn). I am trying to reach as many doctors as I can and I have lots of pre-med students in my orbit and whose attention I command for several hours each week. Each one teach one......or two or ten PLEASE.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/20/2011 12:36:03 PM |

    Wow! Thank you, Laurie.

    We could all use more friends like you!

  • Averyclaire

    9/22/2011 11:32:25 PM |

    Just heard about your book, downloaded it to my Nook and I wondered ...Have you ever heard of this ailment?   I am a 62 year old woman with something that seems to have mystified the three doctors I have seen, including two gastroenterologists (one from NW Hospital in Chicago).  I suddenly began having “attacks” after eating.    Within a few bites of food, I became “sick” with four hours worth of excruciating pain in the upper abdomen, terrible abdominal distension and often vomiting (no diarrhea).  At first I thought I had food poisoning.    This had happened beginning two years prior maybe once every three or four months.   I thought my stomach had become sensitized to tainted food.  (I made this up....but this is what I began to think.)   Until last April when it happened over and over and over and didn’t quit.   At least four times per week I was in severe pain hanging over the commode.    I discovered by visiting the drug store that I could take Ultra Strength Gas-X at the first symptom of an oncoming attack and reduce the pain and bloating down to one or two hours rather than four.    I tried Beano, but that didn’t seem to work.   Thinking I perhaps couldn’t digest something I was eating, I began to take over-the-counter health food store enzyme tablets when I had a big meal.  I still was sick.    I tried first being fat free, then I tried being lactose free, and then I tried being gluten free.    NOTHING.   The two doctors I had seen at this point did not know what was wrong.   I had LOTS of blood work done, a colonoscopy, an endoscopy, an MRI (which compared previous CT scans) to check for blocked ducts, stones, tumors, etc.   NOTHING.    I even went to the hospital in the middle of a severe attack to have blood drawn to check for pancreatitis.   NOTHING.   So while I was waiting several weeks to see a third doctor at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, I began to chart my food.    Much to my surprise it seemed that carbohydrates were the culprit.   So I began a regimen of no pasta, no bread, no cereal, no rice, no potatoes.   I soon discovered that I could not eat beets, carrots or spinach either.    So now I began to suspect complex carbohydrates to be the culprit.    

    When I told this to the doctor at Northwestern he looked at me like I was crazy.   He said he never heard of this, talked about a surgery where they cut some sphincter muscle, and said he did not think my condition warranted it, but it was possibility.   He sent me for Celiac/gluten/sprue testing and NOTHING showed up.    When I told him I stayed away from these complex carbs for three weeks and was not sick....he simply said “keep on doing what you are doing.”   Let me know if you get sick again.   I did NOT go back.

    I do get sick occasionally when I try to add “old” favorites back into my diet.   I have a small list of complex carbs from the internet and try to stay away from these things.   I am worried because I ate a lot of whole grains and now I have NONE.    I am worried about my nutrition.   I eat yogurt or oatmeal (I don’t understand why oatmeal does not make me sick) for breakfast.   I eat salad, simple soup, or yogurt for lunch....sometimes eggs.   For dinner I eat chicken or fish and mostly green beans.    My husband and I have not eaten red meat for a long time because he had bladder cancer two years ago (he’s OK now).   However, I cannot seem to get filled up.   I am always hungry.   Now I have added some red meat back into my diet because I need more than just chicken and fish to fill me up.   I used to make meatless meals with pastas and rice, but no more.  I discovered I could eat an Atkins Bar once a day, or perhaps take an Atkins drink for nutrition.  And of all things I can eat as a treat....I eat soft serve yogurt or fudgsicles.   These do not seem to bother me.

    I have lost 40 pounds (not a bad thing for me) since May 1st.

    I do not think I am crazy.   I retired from my job last December and have a wonderful husband who is also retired and we truly enjoy one another’s company.   I have several very fun, and fulfilling hobbies.   And I belong to several women’s groups that fill my days.

    Have you ever heard of an ailment like this?    Can you offer any solutions, ideas, cures?   I would appreciate anything you could tell me or suggestions you could make.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/23/2011 12:34:53 AM |

    Hi, Avery--

    I'm afraid you're asking a cardiologist with an interest in wheat and its effects on overall health about a complex gastroenterological issue. So I'm afraid I'm unlikely to shed much light on your difficult struggle.

    One thought: Did anybody assess you for bacterial/yeast overgrowth? Various foods, especially wheat, can modify the bacteria of the intestinal tract, such that they are different, more harmful species, and can also ascend higher towards the stomach where they don't belong.

  • Averyclaire

    9/23/2011 8:37:59 PM |

    Thank you Dr. Davis.   I find your book fascinating.   Learning so much about wheat in general puts things in perspective for me.   You seem so knowledgeable about the wheat and other illnesses, I thought you might have heard of my problem.  I have seen two gastroenterologist specialists and an endocrinologist and had lots of tests, but not the bacteria thing.   I will inquire about this.  I appreciate your taking the time to mention this.   I have been taking probiotics, but no cure yet.   I simply stay away from complex carbs.   I did have a lot of heart testing done a couple of years ago and that is super good.  Thanks again.

  • Penny

    9/24/2011 2:46:29 PM |

    Congratulations on the success of your new book!
    How do you feel about products like Garden of Life, Perfect Food, re: wheat grass? Is this something to avoid?

    Thanks, Penny

  • Penny

    9/24/2011 9:12:08 PM |

    opps, it's Garden of Eden. I am interested in adding green products like this to my smoothies. Do you think these will cause any wheat issues? And just from your knowledge do you feel these products are a good source of nutrients for people?


    Thanks, Penny

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/25/2011 12:06:41 AM |

    Hi, Penny--

    The many green products out there, thankfully, are free of wheat contamination. Just be sure to examine the label.

    They are, in general, a wonderful source of nutrients. Modern agricultural techniques have caused nutrients to be depleted and block absorption into the plant. Such supplements may therefore make up for such food-sourced deficiencies.

  • Dr. William Davis

    9/25/2011 12:11:08 AM |

    Let us know what becomes of your situation, Avery.

  • Dacid

    10/4/2011 9:33:04 PM |

    Google the website "the fiber menace" and read the blog and buy the book.  The author nails the coffin lid shut on fiber same as the good doctor does with wheat.

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