Elizabeth, a former Wheat Belly skeptic, received wisdom from her doctors:
“I have to say, I was incredibly skeptical in January, 2015 when my endocrinologist and dermatologist separately suggested I try cutting gluten out of my diet. I did that for a month and then discovered Wheat Belly. I haven’t felt this good in over 8 years!
“My thyroid levels (hypo) have stabilized and my dermatitis has almost completely gone away. My constant anxiety has disappeared. I’m now off of 3 medications I had been on for over 10 years!
“Have I slipped? Absolutely, but I always very quickly went back to following the lifestyle my body tells me to.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I feel like myself again. Can’t wait to see how I feel in the next 6 months.”
By rejecting wheat and grains, Elizabeth has caused thyroid inflammation to subside, skin inflammation to reverse, and mind effects that she experienced as anxiety to stop. And, as happens often around here, you can see the changes in her face: less facial edema in the cheeks and around the chin, eyes are larger from loss of around-the-eye puffiness. If you’ve been following these conversations, you can see why skeptics often say “Those are two different people!” No, they’re the same person, but have experienced dramatic changes in health, especially the loss of inflammation.
It is great to hear from people whose doctors have prescribed Wheat Belly, as it means that more and more healthcare practitioners are coming to recognize the astounding power of this lifestyle to reverse SO many human health problems–at virtually no cost, with so many benefits in health and appearance.
Wow, her hair color even changed! ;-)
re: Wow, her hair color even changed! ;-)
Possibly not. There’s an obvious difference in lighting and overall color balance. If I open those images in Photoshop, and rebalance R,G&B curves separately for the same highlights (teeth) and shadows (corner of eyes), get a skin tone match, and compare hair color, it’s not significantly different.
But it could be, see:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2015/07/ritchies-4-week-facial-transformation-on-wheat-belly/comment-page-1/#comment-60921
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Dear Dr Davis
I have been following your blog and work for some time now . What a great success story for Elizabeth! I have also experienced great skin results since limiting wheat for 2 weeks ! More of a glow and my acne is dissapearing !!
I would like your thoughts on this please if possible !? I have always had high cholesterol it would appear ! Even though I am 27 female , 5″2 and weigh 7 and half stone . I have eaten reasonably well the last 6 years but have never gone as far as eliminating wheat and all processed refined foods/carbs .
Here are my fasting cholesterol results .
In 2012 my cholesterol was 7.7 mmol/L
Then later in 2012, 7.6
In 2014 it was lower at 6.7 with an improved hdl of 1.82.my triglycerides were through the roof with highs of 4.6 ! ,
I’ve since had a baby who is now 4 months old .my cholesterol 6 weeks ago was 6.8 and I was shocked when my trigs came back at 1.9 ! I was diagnosed last year with hyperlipidemia , which no longer is a diagnosis . I have been convinced I had inherited my high Cholesterol from my father , who’s own father , uncles and aunties all died of early heart disease and strokes . They were all on statins too .
I decided just 2 weeks ago to eliminate all wheat , refined carbs and sugar and have been eating high fat diet with protein and veg . But have still included small amounts of rice and sweet potato .
So here we go , today even though I have not fasted my total cholesterol is 3.43 mmol/L Is this even possible!? . My hdl has sadly dropped to 0.92 lowest ever , but could this be for some reason I’m not aware of ?
I’ve been eating lots of eggs , grass fed butter , coconut oil , avocados , chicken and grass fed beef . So surely my hdl could be better . I have lost half a stone though going from 8 stone to 7 and half stone . Could this have contributed to low hdl ? My non fasting triglycerides today are 1.6 mmol/L .
Would really appreciate your thoughts and/or advice !? Sorry for the long message !
Many thanks Ria
Too early to know. You shouldn’t be checking lipids during the first 6 months of following this way of eating because it tends to flood the blood with fatty acids and skews the results. However, after things have stabilized a bit, in 6 months or so….you should see dramatic improvements in your numbers. The standard lipids profile is not very reliable, but if that is all you have done, the only two numbers that are important are the HDL and triglycerides. The total # is meaningless, and the LDL # is calculated, not a measured amount. If you can get a full lipoprotein panel done…like a VAP or NMR test, that would be ideal. Here is an excellent article to read: http://www.docsopinion.com/2014/07/17/triglyceride-hdl-ratio/
Let me second Kate’s comments and add some remarks.
re: … I am 27 female, …
If some consensus quack tries to foist statins on you, be sure to ask for data showing a net benefit, in all-cause mortality, for a female with your presentation. My understanding is that the data for females says either “no net benefit” or “don’t do it”.
re: I was diagnosed last year with hyperlipidemia, …
Based on family history or genetic test?
re: … which no longer is a diagnosis.
Can you clarify? Is it no longer your diagnosis, or has your healthcare system changed definitions?
re: I have been convinced I had inherited my high Cholesterol from my father, who’s own father, uncles and aunties all died of early heart disease and strokes.
There’s clearly a chance of FH (Familial Hypercholesterolaemia). A one-time genetic test can provide certainty.
re: They were all on statins too.
Yep. Statins drive down the numbers in FH, but it’s not clear to me (as someone who has a had a doctor try to push statins) that this corresponds to actual beneficial outcomes (other than to the statin maker). A dietary approach may be at least as effective in tweaking the numbers, but is more likely to improve all-cause mortality, and avoid numerous nasty side effects of statins. The jury is still out on a role for the upcoming PCSK9 inhibitors in FH.
re: I decided just 2 weeks ago to eliminate all wheat, refined carbs and sugar and have been eating high fat diet with protein and veg. But have still included small amounts of rice and sweet potato.
Have you any idea what your net carb intake is? It sounds like it’s above the WB target of 50 grams/day. On the rice, in addition to being a high glycemic carb, research Arsenic contamination and WGA (wheat germ agglutinin).
I’m not seeing seafood on the list. WB recommends getting your Omega 3 DHA&EPA fatty acid intake above 3 grams per day. If you aren’t supplementing for this, work out what your diet is providing.
re: My non fasting triglycerides today are 1.6 mmol/L.
A web calculator tells me that’s 141 mg/dl, well above the WB target of 60, but it’s easily explained by the weight loss.
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2012/06/i-lost-weight-and-my-cholesterol-went-up/
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Hi Bob
I was diagnosed by a GP with hyperlipedeima last year when my trigs were above 4.5 mmolL and my total cholesterol was 6.7 . This is because for 3 years my trigs were consistently high and my family has had high cholesterol on my dad’s side . Then I was told I don’t have that anymore by another doctor this year because my trigs had dropped to 1.9 . Doctors have told me I do not have FH as my cholesterol has changed with diet which apparently wouldn’t happen if I had it , plus my fathers family all smoked had a terrible diet and were obese , which I believe contributed to their high cholesterol and why they died of heart attacks etc .
I have been taking omega 3 fish oil 3600 mg per day and plus 4000 iu vitamin d3 .
I will test my cholesterol again in 6 months . So my hdl would have dropped because my diet has changed ?
re: So my hdl would have dropped because my diet has changed ?
Both diet change and weight change can do that. See:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2015/06/blow-your-hdl-through-the-roof/
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