Wheat Belly - Fact or Fiction

I decided to finally read Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis - someone should have warned me it is a horror story. I try not to believe everything I read, but the amount of evidence Dr. Davis has to prove that the "wheat" we eat today is bad for us, is hard to ignore. I have put the word wheat in quotations, because it is not wheat. It is the product of 40 years of genetic research aimed at increasing yields. It is a genetically unique plant that stands 2 feet tall (dwarf wheat) not the 4 feet tall waves of grain we all picture. In fact, according to Davis' research "the genetic distance modern wheat has drifted exceeds the difference between chimpanzees and humans. Yes. It is that much. Scary isn't it?

Dr. Davis claims that people who remove wheat from their diet typically lost a pound a day for the first 10 days. Depending on starting weight and body size, people then continue to lose 25-30lbs over the next 3-6 month. His mantra is "lose the wheat, lose the weight." When you eliminatie wheat from your diet you are eliminating a food that leads to visceral fat deposition in the abdomen. The gliadin protein (unique to wheat) that stimulates appetite is now gone, therefore appetite diminishes. The average daily calorie intake drops by 400 calories per day, and with it LESS hunger and LESS cravings. This all happens without imposing calorie counting, cutting fat or worrying about portions. It is simply done by eliminating wheat.

Another key note that Dr. Davis makes is DO NOT EAT GLUTEN-FREE FOODS. Sounds like he is trying to confuse us doesn't it? This book explains that wheat raises blood sugar higher than nearly all other foods including table sugar and chocolate bars. Crazy or what? The only foods that have a higher Glycemic Index (raise your blood sugar higher) than wheat are dried fruits, rice starch, cornstarch, tapioca starch and potato starch. And guess what? These dried pulverized starches are the most common ingredients used in gluten-free foods. They are packed with highly-digestible high-glycemic index carbs and therefore send blood sugar through the roof! Not to mention they contribute to diabetes, cataracts, arthritis, heart disease and growing belly fat. This is why so many celiac patients who cut the wheat and resort to gluten-free foods become diabetic. Or so he says.

I have only read this book halfway through. I am not really sure what I think. It seems to make sense to me. I think I am going to try a wheat detox. At least cut out as much as I can and see if my wheat belly disappears. I definitely have a stubborn bit of belly fat that does not want to go away. I really don't have anything to lose. Except the weight.

What are your thoughts? Have any of you read this book? Let me know!
xo