Last Christmas, my mom asked me for a book called Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. I was surprised to hear there could possibly be a book about a new diet plan that I had not heard of. I am obsessed with books and sadly, new diet plans as well.
When I decided to share problems with wheat consumption today, I headed to the author’s blog to learn more. I want to help you understand the issues and I also want to make sure I am not cutting out anything I don’t really need to eliminate.
Dr. Davis is a preventive cardiologist who advocates using diet to prevent and reverse heart disease. So many doctors today just want to write a prescription as the first line of defense. I am so thankful for those that choose to teach healthy lifestyles to their patients. I truly believe diet and exercise are the best medications available!
After reading through many of his posts, I feel I am on the right path. I would highly recommend checking out Dr. Davis’ Blog if you are interested in learning more. There are some fantastic success stories there.
He lists a frightening number of autoimmune conditions he ties to wheat. Here are some, but certainly not all, that stood out to me:
- Autoimmune hepatitis, pancreatitis, thyroid disease
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis…
I really can’t stress enough how long the list is. I mainly chose some I am familiar with. He also, of course, shares related research which brought him to these conclusions.
I found his unique approach to diabetes enlightening…
“Over 80% of the people I meet today are pre-diabetic or diabetic. In an effort to reduce blood sugar, I asked patients to remove all wheat products from their diet based on the simple fact that, with few exceptions, foods made of wheat flour raise blood sugar higher than nearly all other foods. Yes, that’s true for even whole grains. More than table sugar, more than a Snickers bar. Organic, multigrain, sprouted–it makes no difference.”
~ Dr. William Davis
The results over several months are astounding:
- Lower blood sugar, even transforming pre-diabetics to non-prediabetics
- Weight loss of 25-30 pounds
- Substantial improvement in arthritis
- Asthma improved enough to decrease necessary inhalers by 2-3
- Acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome completely healed
- Leg swelling and numbness disappeared
He also adds, “Most reported increased mental clarity, deeper sleep, and more stable moods and emotions.” These are the ones I am after, along with the weight loss…
I will definitely be calling my mom to borrow that book! I like to read about the horrors of things I am giving up to keep myself focused. I must admit at one of my first dinner outings with my family tonight, I questioned if I really need to give so much up. Watching them eat their breaded chicken fingers and cheese fries, while I had my salmon and vegetables was difficult. Going through the success stories on Dr. Davis’ website gave me the shot of encouragement I needed. Once I get stable in my new way of life, I hope to bring my family to healthier eating as well. We do have to put on our oxygen masks first as those sweet flight attendants always tell us…
This IS a wonderful book, and a real eye-opener as to the impact wheat is having on us. I feel so much better without it in my life.
Hi Paula! It is so wonderful to see you here. I’m working on my recipe post with your green smoothie for tomorrow. Thank you for following along with me. I have learned so much from you! I appreciate knowing people are out there like you that have eaten this way for a long time. I hope it will become second nature for me as I am sure it is for you.
It’s so hard to cut out wheat but looks like it could make an amazing difference. Thanks for sharing these findings. I’ll definitely have to check out the blog.
(Found you from SorryNotSorry)
Thanks for visiting Kriss! I was shocked at this information. You can find so much more on his blog so yes, check it out. It is a difficult transition but I am feeling more sure of it every day!
Adding this book to my list of must-reads! The results listed above certainly make all the detoxing your going through worthwhile. Thanks for the recommendation.
You’re welcome Judith! I hope you enjoy it. I can’t wait to steal it from my mom. The more of this information I read, the easier detox seems to be…
Clicked over here from OBS. Reading a ton on this topic right now (trying very hard not to become obsessed, since that is my nature 🙂 but trying to cut out a lot of grains and wheat to try and help manage my autoimmune thyroid disease better. So many symptoms I deal with on a daily basis and have just come to accept as my “normal” are on the list of things this kind of eating can eliminate. Praying God will guide me to good choices for my body. Thanks for the info!
I’m praying for you also, Paige! It is sad how we settle into feeling bad when we could really soar with a few changes. This series and the research I did for it were so incredibly eye-opening. I have a very obsessive nature as well :). I feel your pain!