I posed this question recently: Given the extravagant health successes people are experiencing by living the Wheat Belly lifestyle, are we on the dawn of an age of self-direction in health? If doctors misdiagnose/misclassify our acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, intractable constipation, migraine headaches, chronic sinusitis, asthma, depression, binge eating disorder, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and hundreds of other conditions, which we then reverse on our own with the lifestyle changes we introduce . . . who needs the doctors?
Christine provided her perspective:
“Absolutely, and I am living proof of it. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease 20 years ago and have endured multiple surgeries, every drug you can imagine and an indescribable amount of pain.
“In 2014, I happened across your book, Dr. Davis, in an airport bookshop. When I broached the subject with my gastroenterologist, her words were ‘I would never prescribe a gluten-free diet to help. It’s just too expensive.’
“To make an incredibly long story short, I am happy to report that a scope I had done in May, 2015 showed ‘no active disease.’ In fact, my gastroenterologist even repeated the test last month just to confirm. Still no issues. And I am seeing my surgeon next week, to book a date to reverse an ileostomy he did in April, 2014.
“I feel better than I have felt in 20 years. So, absolutely, I’m ALL FOR self-directed health!”
A chance encounter at the airport provided better information than years of dealings with gastroenterologists. There are undoubtedly times when we need doctors and the healthcare system, such as suturing a laceration or repairing a broken femur. But look at the wide variety of chronic health conditions (not acute injury or infection) that are reversing in the face of wheat and grain elimination, followed by the strategies we introduce to correct the health disruptions they introduced (e.g., thyroid disease, dysbiosis). As story after story shows us, people are reducing, often curing, themselves of chronic health conditions that doctors misdiagnosed, were unable to diagnose, but prescribed drug after drug and advised procedures.
By rejecting all wheat and grains, we revert back to the way humans ate for the first 99.6% of our time on earth before we figured out how to harvest the seeds of grasses and cultivate them–“grains.” We thereby also revert back to the way human life was that can still be observed in primitive cultures who do not grow grains—no obesity, no hypertension, virtually no diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or autoimmune conditions, i.e., none of the “diseases of civilization” that we view as common today.
Fold in the boom in tools that empower us in health, such as social media, new websites that collate collective human health experiences (e.g., Patients Like Me), home health tools, and smartphone health apps, and I do indeed believe that it is going to be a very exciting few years ahead as we become less reliant on a predatory and flawed healthcare system and more reliant on our own resources.
A great source of prebiotic is the Jicama root. Delicious as is, a cross between an apple and a turnip in taste, or add some lime juice and salt as a snack. Google it for a full nutrition breakdown. Available everywhere, at least up here in Canada. Remember to peel it first as the outer part is inedible. Cheers
Larry Rondeau wrote: «A great source of prebiotic is the Jicama root.»
Jicama has long been recommended here as a low-net-carb vegetable (and dipping chip substitute).
It would be a great way to vary the daily prebiotic fiber intake.
But you’d have to eat a lot to hit the suggested target of 20 grams/day prebiotic fiber, perhaps an entire small-to-medium size jicama.
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I also thought potatoes were genetically modified. Maybe only certain kinds. I remember hearing about that also on this blog, which is why I’m surprised they’re recommended.
JT wrote: «I also thought potatoes were genetically modified.»
Potatoes of any sort tend be loaded with pesticides, so the general Wheat Belly advice to seek organic applies.
GMO is a potential issue. Three varieties of GM potatoes have been released to market. Two were withdrawn: Amflora (exaggerated amylopectin) and NewLeaf (Bt, and thus itself a pesticide).
One that might be encountered is Simplot’s Innate, which, interestingly, did not use alien gene insertion, but RNA interference to reduce the asparagine content. I have no opinion about Innate.
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Alright. Thanks a lot. Much appreciated.
I saw that this blog recommends raw potato for prebiotic fiber, but didn’t really elaborate on what kind. I was using raw plantain before for prebiotic fiber and looking to cycle different sources. Is this even necessary, or should I stick to any one single prebiotic food source? Can you use any potato (russet, white, etc) and will raw yam or sweet potato work? Lastly, can you use pre-packaged potato starch (for whatever reason the carbs are very high even though I’d imagine it’s raw) for prebiotic fiber?
JT wrote: «I saw that this blog recommends raw potato for prebiotic fiber, but didn’t really elaborate on what kind.»
Use the blog Search feature on the string “prebiotic fiber”, and you’ll get multiple hits. Here’s one:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2015/09/a-blueprint-to-fertilize-the-garden-called-bowel-flora/
It answers some of your questions. I’ll see what I can do about the others. On white potatoes (Solanaceae family), note that if you are reactive to nightshades, they might not be an ideal source.
«…and looking to cycle different sources. Is this even necessary, or should I stick to any one single prebiotic food source?»
Rotation is recommended.
«…will raw yam or sweet potato work?»
With yam, it depends on the variety. Sweet potatoes (Convolvulaceae family) have more sugars and dramatically less resistant starch than white potatoes, and thus tend to be an unfavorable bargain as a prebiotic fiber.
«…can you use pre-packaged potato starch (for whatever reason the carbs are very high even though I’d imagine it’s raw) for prebiotic fiber?»
Caution: if it’s not “raw unmodified potato starch” (such as Bob’s Red Mill) it’s probably cooked, and has been turned into available net carbs.
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I found this study writeup on the UK Telegraph:
New study says Paleo diet ‘unhealthy and fattening’ angering ardent devotees
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/12164394/New-study-says-Paleo-diet-unhealthy-and-fattening-angering-ardent-devotees.html
The Telegraph offered no means to rebut this stupid study, so I’m answering it here.
The study fed two groups of mice, one with, I guess, mouse chow, and one with paleo diet ingredients …..fat, meat, no grains, and virtually no carbs. The study found 15% weight gain in the paleo group.
What could be the study’s achilles heel?
HELLO?!!!! THEY WERE MICE.
Duh.
Do humans resemble mice in physique or belly proportion? …..in attributes of digestion?
Not in the slightest.
The human digestive system is short. The mouse digestive system is massive compared to humans. Like other creatures mice use bacteria along a long digestive tract to digest carbohydrates. Humans are *unique* in that they emit a chemical called DPPIV into the digestive tract in order to break down carbohydrate associated proteins. The human system represents a bandaid approach, useable only for stretches when no meat or fat is available.
This is not the case with mice. Mice are capable of surviving on a near constant supply of plant-derived foods.
The biggest flaw in the human system is another unique human trait. With prolonged carbohydrate exposure the human digestive system starts releasing zonulin. Zonulin makes the intestinal walls porous. The porosity releases undigested intestinal lumen into the bloodstream. The lumen includes opioids, undigested sugars, and pathogens.
Humans have massive nervous systems, made primarily with omega 3 fats, obtained from animals. Plant-based diets are only capable of providing enough brain tissue for a mouse.
Uncle Roscoe wrote: «New study says Paleo diet ‘unhealthy and fattening’ angering ardent devotees»
Yep. It’s being chewed on all over the blogosphere.
Without having done a deep dive on it, I’m less concerned that it was a rodent trial than curious about what the HF chow was. As far as I know, only Dominic D’Agostino is using sane (custom-formulated) HF rodent diets. His formula in 2013 was shown here:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0075713
In the present study, the supplementary materials include chow details in a .doc that you can look for. It was high in Omega 6 and 9, and essentially deficient in Omega 3 (all of which was ALA). Whether this was conscious or clueless, it probably sabotaged any real learning from the results. It was surely not ketogenic (not intended to be), due to the added sucrose.
I can guarantee that no paleo mice ever ate canola. It’s a modern mutant rapeseed, and contains quite a bit of Omega 6 LA (Linoleic Acid), a known obesogen. I wonder if mice will even eat actual rapeseed if they have any other choices.
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I wrote: «It was high in Omega 6 and 9, and essentially deficient in Omega 3…»
Just to clarify, that was the “Low-carbohydrate high-fat diet” diet. It was also 10% simple sugar.
I needed to keep reading in that .doc, too…
The supposed control “Standard chow diet” has no added sugar, apart from a tiny amount of molasses. It did have lots of wheat. It also had fish meal, “tallow” (source unspecified) and skim milk, as well as unidentified vegetable oil, and some soybean oil (which is high in Omega 6 LA). The fat profile could easily entirely different from the alleged LCHF diet, and might contain significantly more Omega 3, easily some DHA & EPA.
No detail is provide on fat breakdown. Whoever chose these chows is either clueless about the role of different fat types in metabolism, or deliberately selected them. This “supplementary” information, not even part of the main paper, utterly confounds that trial, and renders any headlines meaningless.
As a commenter put it on another blog:
“This is a long way from science.”
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Bob Niland wrote: «It was high in Omega 6 and 9, and essentially deficient in Omega 3…»
“Just to clarify, that was the “Low-carbohydrate high-fat diet” diet. It was also 10% simple sugar.”
The fact that this study used a “paleo” diet which was 10% sucrose and no omega 3 fat, but used a comparison diet which contained omega 3, but no sucrose is scathing. I don’t see any way how a legitimate “scientist” could accidentally design the experiment with this blatant built-in bias.
Uncle Roscoe wrote: «I don’t see any way how a legitimate “scientist” could accidentally design the experiment with this blatant built-in bias.»
I haven’t done a deep ad hominem dive on the paper, but commenters on other blogs have identified one of the authors as not just professionally invested in consensus dogma, but also an advisor to the national grant review panel. He is part of what appears to be a counter-attack by the consensus diet dogmatics to stem the tide of profound personal results following LCHF diets.
The trial and paper may have had two real objectives:
1. Get dogma-compliant headlines unsupported by the actual data (check).
2. Prevent future grant money from being used for a properly designed unconfounded trial (check, because we already tested that, don’tcha know).
By the way, for those wondering what this is all about, here’s the paper:
http://www.nature.com/nutd/journal/v6/n2/full/nutd20162a.html
And yes, it’s very reminiscent of the metabolic ward trial last year that purported to prove that low fat was better for weight loss than low carb, but restricted calories in both arms, and only ran for 6 days each (and had a CICO zealot as a PI, no surprise). NuSI is having to rely on private funding to run some real trials on diet, and one of the four currently in work may be at serious risk of sabotage, as it includes that same met ward menace PI).
These “scientists” have no credible explanations or solutions for the disastrous trends in metsyn, obesity, T2D and chronic non-infectious ailments generally over the last 40 years, but they clearly intend to defend their baseless dogma as long as possible, and they don’t care how many people they maim and kill in the meantime. Defend yourselves, everyone.
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Dr. Richard Feinman is working to get this retracted.
https://m.facebook.com/richard.feinman.7/posts/959579280793676
Jan wrote: «Dr. Richard Feinman is working to get this retracted.»
Thanks for reporting that. A number of nutrition bloggers have critiqued the paper harshly. Mark Sisson’s is so far the most detailed and blunt that I’ve seen.
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I suffer from IBS which turns into colitis if I eat too much on the previous meal. Doctor’s prescriptions have not worked. All they did was make me feel bad.
Desperate, I searched for a solution and found this site. I implemented the bowel flora restoration program – 2 caps of VSL#3 and RS – but it didn’t work.
I think that for it to work, I have to start eating WB style. The problem is that I’m already normal weight (70 in @ 161lb) and fear that eating WB will turn me into a walking skeleton.
Is there any way to fine tune WB so I don’t lose too much weight?
pripet wrote: «I implemented the bowel flora restoration program – 2 caps of VSL#3 and RS – but it didn’t work.»
Done in isolation, that’s often beneficial, but as you’ve experienced, the outcome is not assured. Wheat Belly doesn’t have an official numbered priority list, but I consider microbiome remediation to be the #4 thing to address in diet.
«I think that for it to work, I have to start eating WB style.»
Agreed. In my view, the #1, 2, and 3 things to address in diet are:
1. Grain elimination
2. Added sugars minimization
3. Dramatic Omega 6 Linoleic Acid intake reduction
If we don’t do these first, any steps to correct gut flora may be largely ineffective. Following the full Wheat Belly program addresses all of the above.
«Is there any way to fine tune WB so I don’t lose too much weight?»
For most people, weight settles at what might be an ideal weight. Exercise and strength training can add muscle mass as desired.
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“For most people, weight settles at what might be an ideal weight.”
What if my ideal weight is a fat person weight? Won’t that increase my health risk factors?
pripet wrote: «What if my ideal weight is a fat person weight?»
That would be an unexpected result, and not one that arises in my experience here.
«Won’t that increase my health risk factors?»
It would.
Body weight is the sum of muscle, bones, organs, fat, water, and food in transit (and not necessarily in that order).
Adding muscle may be the ideal way to weigh more.
Adding bone mass is really tricky, and doing it safely, other than as a side effect of strength training, may not be well understood yet, as it probably requires a specific mix of minerals in specific forms, plus a favorable vitamin environment, and probably exercise.
Adding weight as fat is inadvisable, and actually pretty difficult to do with healthy fats. It’s easier with unhealthy fats like Omega 6 Linoleic Acid, but that is highly inadvisable. The existing fat that most people carry is probably mostly the adverse n6 LA. They need to be rid of it, and sooner rather than later.
Water and food in transit are transitory, and not part of a permanent weight profile, except insofar as the water is present as edema from inflammation, which we also want to avoid. The initial weight loss on Wheat Belly includes a lot of retained water.
Organ mass is for the most part not subject to direct intervention. You might be able to grow the heart with exercise. The liver and other organs subject to fatty ailments need to be rid of that fat (NAFLD is not a disease; it’s largely predictable biologic response to a full-time glycemic diet, just like T2D).
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Well, on to WB diet. Wish me luck.
I have been wheat free for 7 years and have not lost any weight. I’ve lost a lot of brain fog, inflammation, stomach discomfort, but no weight. Why should I, since I am within the BMI normal range and not looking to lose weight. I have been able to raise my weekly running totals from 5 miles to 50 miles, competed in half marathons, marathons, and ultra marathons, and been able to play some sort of sport every single day without soreness or inflammation or forced days off. Age 55-62, never felt better, probably only felt this good in my early 20s. Of course if you go wheat free you may lose that extra 70 to 100 pounds of fat (more accurately, you will simply not be replacing it as you use it up), but if you are BMI normal, there’s no reason to believe you will become any sort of a skeleton, walking or reclining or dancing.
God bless doctors for acute situations. I was certainly happy to have them check me out when another car crashed into mine two years ago! But for chronic things?
I’m glad I didn’t have to suffer as long as Christine, but 20 years ago, when I was in my early 40s, I began getting sick all the time – constant nausea, constant GERD, constant intestinal distress. I was throwing up my lunch in the ladies room at work almost every day. At the time my best friend and I were on a long-term consulting gig at a big pharmaceutical firm in NJ and we joked that it was a toxic environment as I got so sick every day and she had terrible migraine-like headaches every day.
I finally went to the doctor (which I’ve always hated to do I confess) and got referred to a “top” gastroenterologist – and had every test in the book it seems – abdominal CAT scan, X-rays, GI Series, endoscopy,blood tests, and he found nothing wrong with me. He had me try Zantac which helped, and basically said I’d just have to be on Zantac the rest of my life! I was really bummed at the thought of being on something for life, especially something that was just masking symptoms and not addressing a root cause.
It was just a chance encounter with a neighbor, whose daughter had recently been diagnosed with celiac, that changed my life. She suggested I try a gluten-free diet – the doctors never ever suggested dietary changes! Anyway I had nothing to lose and went gluten free and in ONE WEEK all my symptoms vanished! NO nausea, GERD, vomiting, intestinal distress. Not to mention symptoms I had not even considered related – the low level joint aches which caused me to move slowly in the morning and which I just considered as “getting old” – they all totally vanished too in that same WEEK. Only ONE WEEK – after months and months of misery. We didn’t have a many online resources in the mid-90s. It was so much harder to learn things.
As a side note it was another chance encounter that helped my friend get over her awful migraines. They went away when she stopped putting aspertame in her lunchtime cup of tea. :-)