Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

~~Definition of "wheat belly": the accumulation of fat that results from years of consuming foods that trigger insulin, the hormone of fat storage.~~~ After reading Dr. Davis' blog for most of this year, I couldn't wait to get his book. I NOOKed it last night. (I had already bought the Woman's World magazine with an article featuring it.) And I recommend trying WHEAT FREE eating to anyone with weight issues. Especially y'all with insulin-resistance/diabetes/allergies/autoimmune/bathroom issues. I really do. In WHEAT BELLY, Dr. Davis , a cardiologist, asks you to look at family albums and look at granny and grandpa and see how many were obese. I didn't have to. I already had done this exercise when I was getting serious about losing weight. My immigrant father and siblings didn't suffer from obesity--but I'm way younger...the "change of life" baby who grew up in THIS country with this nation's sugary/wheaty foods. My mom only in later life when she got ill and less active, then she lost it again. I and subsequent generations of my family: rampant obesity. A gathering of family means you better have sturdy chairs and roomy doorways. We're a huge lot. What does your family look like, then and now? Got a "wheat belly"? I remember being young and going places and rarely seeing morbidly obese or really obese folks. In school, the heavy kid was the rarity--yeah, often picked on because "different". Lots of fat teens now, right? Obesity is common now, right? And I was one of the big folks at 300 lbs. Not obese anymore. Just overweight--and working on it still. I've lost 117 pounds. I began last year by moderating carbs--which included giving up almost all bread products and decreasing pasta use-- and this year moved into ditching all grains other than rice (after reading some Paleo/Primal works, some low carb authors, and the Jaminets' Perfect Health diet). I don't do any diet perfectly, but this year, eliminating wheat/gluten has been a great,great help. I noticed a difference in energy level. My asthma and allergies began to improve (and they are so bad, I've had steroid treatments since I was a child and have never been OFF drugs for them, EVER, and I'm middle-aged). My eczema improved and I can wear much lighter makeup (less camouflage needed). My weight came off easier, without wild appetite or undue hunger. I felt..food calm. This was a novel feeling after 2+ decades of overeating/binge-eating obesity. My HDL skyrocketed. My triglycerides fell to the floor. My mood is great (and I have a lifelong history of depression). Reflux is gone. Acne is almost completely clear. It sounds nuts. Too good to be true. Whatever. Try before you deny. :D As someone who grew a huge "wheat belly" and tried all sorts of diet plans without success, success meaning feeling great and getting out of obesity--I tried raw vegan and ovo-lacto-vegetarian and packaged-low-carb and delivery low-fat meals and WW and Nutrisystem, south Beach, etc. It was when I ditched the grains (except rice)that something happened. I felt food zen. When the wheat was gone, gone, that's when I benefited most and felt really reborn. My hubby, who is doing no wheat/gluten too, just can't keep weight on; seriously, since he ditched wheat/gluten he has to eat 6 times a day or gets UNDERWEIGHT, and he had weeks of losing 5 or more pounds while eating a lot of steak, chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate. I finally had to add potatoes and rice in larger portions and Larabars to get him to NOT turn into a skeleton--I tell you that if you have weight problems and bad cholesterol numbers (especially HDL and triglycerides and the small-density LDL), please try Dr. Davis' plan. It might save your heart/pancreas/liver/joints/intestines..life. So, what's in the book? He tells us--in layperson accessible language, from the perspective of someone who grew his own "wheat belly" and ruined his lipid profile and raised his blood sugar to dangerous highs-- about one of the most common foods we (you) eat. In bread, wraps, pasta, processed snacks, breakfast cereals, soups, it's EVERYWHERE. "Modern wheat is no more real wheat than a chimpanzee is an approximation of a human," he says. "I will make the case that the world's most popular grain is also the world's most destructive dietary ingredient." He speaks of its perilous glycemic index and its addictive properties. He goes into the history of wheat and how in the last 50 years, it's been modified to become a dangerous food. "Small changes in wheat protein structure can spell the difference between devastating immune response to wheat protein versus no immune response at all." You'll learn about original wheats, their natural changes/evolution, then our manipulations. Our aims may have been "admirable" --increase yields, end hunger--but good intentions can end up with some unexpectedly bad results. Dr. Davis experimented ON HIMSELF with the ancient train of wheat (einkorn) and modern wheat. He noted a big difference in glucose meter results and physical symptoms. Old wheat ain't new wheat. We messed up a "good" grain. He explains why, whether WHOLE or REFINED, this "supercarbohydrate" is not good for you. Period. And especially if you don't want your appetite stimulated . He discusses the addictive effect of wheat. Studies on schizophrenics/autistic and wheat. Intestinal permeability trigged by wheat (if you have autoimmune issues, be informed about this). Read about the night-eater patient whose appetite normalized and weight dropped without wheat. (I found this to be true here in my home. I was a night binge-er. No more.) He discusses celiac disease and how it affects more people now (int he era of dwarf wheat) than in mid 20th century (sans dwarf wheat). And he covers why gluten-free substitute foods are not a good idea for the overweight/obese. Don't miss the case study of "Wendy"--who almost got her innards cut out. Fascinating stuff in that one. Every part of the body MAY be affected by gluten. It's also in products you may not realize: lipstick, toothpaste, gum, etc. He has a chapter on insulin resistance/diabetes. We've got an epidemic of that, making this highly pertinent info. He dicusses lowering carbohydrates in the diet, and its quickly-evident benefits for the I.R./Diabetic. He looks at the pH disruption brought on by wheat; on its effect on joints. "Jason's" story, in particular, stood out for me. He also covers the aging process: yep, wheat ages you faster! He also covers wheat and heart disease and other diseases (including hair loss). Dr. Davis offers a "how to eat" section, of course. "There is no rehabilitation, only elimination." As I learned from the Paleo/Primal crowd, you can eliminate wheat/gluten/grains, fill that void with great, real, healthful foods, and not suffer any downside. You don't need grains: period. You don't need wheat. You want it, maybe addicted to it, but don't NEED it. And I will bear out that fasting is easier sans wheat in the diet. I had a hard time in the past doing it--the wild cravings. I routinely intermittently fast these days. :D Dr. Davis tried his diet on his patients, with remarkable results where conditions of assorted types resolved or improved within 3 months. Reintroduce wheat--symptoms begin to return. (I found out the hard way I'm one of those. My right hand joints are the first to swell after ingesting some wheat flour.) I'll leave it to the pros-- doctors and researchers and scientist--to look at his case and see if it holds. It makes sense to me. Read the book and decide yourself. Or just TRY THE DANG wheat-free eating and see how your body responds. It's not an onerous way to eat. To me, that's the best test of all--give it a trial. Then see: Do you lose weight? Do you feel less hungry, with a manageable appetite? Can you eat MORE healthful foods and feel totally satisfied and NOT get fat? Does your energy go up? Do your "wheat belly"-related conditions improve or resolve? Does skin look better and your waist get smaller? Is your mood lighter? How's the mental clarity? My high blood pressure and prediabetes are resolved. Obesity gone. I can touch my head to my knees again. This year. Sans wheat/gluten. Hubby a desk-sitting software architect, fits into his college clothes--from back when he was an 18 year-old athletic dude. He no longer falls asleep on the couch after coming home from work. He's got his vim and vigor back! For that matter, I don't fall asleep on the couch anymore--and that was a common occurrence. Post-meal sleepies. No more o' dat! What would an anti-wheat-belly diet be? This: Eliminate wheat--radically and completely-- lower carbohydrates, increase real food(not processed junk foods), meaning eat freely from vegetables, eat some fruit, use healthful oils without fear, eat raw nuts and seeds without guilt, eat eggs and meat without shame, but cook them in lower heats/shorter time, enjoy cheese. Of course, he gives a lot of other and deeper pointers, but that's the gist. (And it reminds me to wean off the date-dried-fruit based energy bars I've let slide into my diet. Tasty, but do I need the glucose-rise/AGEs?) It works. Try it. Give it a month or two. Assess. And be well...