My Wheat-Free Journey

Wheat Belly by William Davis (2011): What to eat and foods to avoid

Wheat Belly (2011) is a an anti-wheat book that also recommends a low-carb diet and avoiding bad fats and cured meats

Gluten-Free

Eat unprocessed, real foods including vegetables, meats, raw nuts and seeds

Avoid processed and sugary foods

Recommendations are similar to a “lite” version of paleo

The reasoning behind Wheat Belly

This book claims that wheat strains have been hybridized, crossbred, and introgessed to make the wheat plant resistant to environmental conditions and to increase yield per acre. These changes have required drastic changes in genetic code, which change how our body and immune system reacts to wheat. Wheat is also an appetite stimulant, and in some people it can yield drug-like neurological effects. Grains, including wheat, are acid-producing, and reduce LDL particle size. Digestive by-products in wheat lead to joint inflammation, increased blood sugar, brain effects, and effects on the skin. The book also recommends an overall reduction in carbohydrates because of small LDL-triggering effects and appetite stimulation, and also foods that cause oxidation and AGE formation such as certain fats, cured meats, and processed foods.

Wheat Belly diet plan – food list

Foods to eat in Wheat Belly

These are the basic principles that are recommended.
Eat these foods in unlimited quantities: Eat what your body tells you to eat, since appetite signals, once rid of unnatural appetite stimulants such as wheat flour, will let you know what you require.

Vegetables

Choose organic where possible – if not, rinse thoroughly in warm water to minimize pesticide/herbicide residues
Eat a variety of vegetables
Vegetables shouldn’t just be for dinner: have them any time of the day, including breakfast
Artichoke hearts, avocados, bell peppers, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chile peppers, cucumber, dandelions, eggplant, endive, garlic, green beans, greens, jicama, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, purslane, radish, scallions, shallots, spinach, sprouts (alfalfa, broccoli, etc.), spaghetti squash, squash, tomatoes, turnips, yellow squash, water chestnuts, zucchini
Note potatoes and corn should be limited/excluded, see “consume in limited quantities” below

Dairy products

Choose organic
Full-fat cheeses (blue cheese, cheddar, Comte, Crotin de Chavignol, edam, feta, Fontina, goat cheese, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Neufchâtel, parmesan, provolone, romano, ricotta, stilton, swiss)

Fish and shellfish

Fish – e.g. catfish, cod, halibut, mahi mahi, perch, red snapper, salmon, swordfish, trout, tuna, walleye, white fish
Shellfish and other seafood – e.g. clams, crab, lobster, mussels, octopus, oysters, shrimp, squid

Meat and poultry

Try to buy organic meat from grass-fed livestock and preferably those raised under humane conditions
Should be uncured and unprocessed and should not contain sodium nitrite
Meats – beef, buffalo, elk, lamb, pork, veal, wild game
Poultry – chicken, duck, ostrich, pheasant, quail, turkey
Uncured sausages and charcuterie such as uncured bacon, Canadian bacon, chorizo, uncured Italian sausage, uncured turkey bacon
Don’t fry your meats
For quantity, eat what your body tells you

Eggs

Eggs any kind, including yolks

Fats

Use healthy oils generously
Avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, extra-light olive oil, flaxseed oil, macadamia oil, sesame oil, walnut oil

Butter (organic; use lightly)
Cocoa butter (food grade)
Try to minimize heating and cook at lower temperatures; never fry

Raw nuts and seeds

Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, coconut / shredded coconut / coconut flakes (unsweetened), filberts, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts
Flaxseeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
Nut or seed butters – e.g. almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter

Flour alternatives

Must be wheat-free and gluten-free
Free of conventional “gluten-free junk carbohydrate ingredients” – no cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice starch
Low in carbohydrate exposure
Nut meals e.g. almond flour, almond meal, chickpea flour / garbanzo bean flour, coconut flour, ground golden flaxseed(ground regular/brown flaxseed is not as baking-friendly), hazelnut meal, pecan meal, peanut flour, pumpkin seed flour, sesame seed meal, sunflower seed meal, walnut meal. Check they are gluten-free
Be sure to drink plenty of water when you include flaxseed in your recipes
Must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container to slow oxidation

Herbs

Anise, basil, bay leaf, chives, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme

Spices

Allspice, caraway, cardamom, celery seed, chile peppers, chili powder, gluten-free chipotle seasoning, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, mustard, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, pepper (black, red, white), saffron, salt, sea salt, star anise, turmeric, wasabi

Sweeteners

Stevia (or the stevia isolate rebinia), erythritol, xylitol, sucralose (Splenda). Check they are pure/gluten-free
The author says that some people like and trust sucralose, while others do not, and you should make your own choice
For cooking tips using these sweeteners, see the Wheat Belly Cookbook

Beverages

Water
Tea
Herbal teas / infusions
Milk alternatives – Unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk (in cartons in the dairy refrigerator)
Coconut water
Coffee

Non-sugary condiments

Chili or hot pepper sauces, horseradish, mayonnaise (note you’re supposed to avoid soybean and other polyunsaturated oils which are usually the base of mayonnaise), mirin, mustards, salsa, gluten-free soy sauce, sriracha,tamari, tapenades, Thai fish sauce, vinegars (white, red wine, apple cider, balsamic), Worcestershire sauce. Check they are gluten-free

Odds and ends

Baking – arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, unsweetened or 100% chocolate or cocoa powder or cacao, cacao nibs, cream of tartar, guar gum, sugar-free hazelnut syrup, vanilla extract, other extracts such as natural almond extract, coconut extract, peppermint extract, vanilla beans, active dry yeast, xanthan gum – check they are gluten-free
Pickled or fermented – olives, pickled vegetables, sauerkraut
Lemons, limes
Other – beef broth, chicken broth, canned coconut milk, green curry paste, salsa, shirataki noodles (made from konjac root), tomato paste, tomato juice

Grocery shopping tips

Buy single-ingredient natural foods found in the produce aisle, butcher shop, and farmers’ market that don’t require labels
Ignore all claims of “heart healthy,” “low-fat,” “low in cholesterol,” “part of a balanced diet,” etc

For vegetarians

Strict vegetarians need to rely more heavily on nuts, nut meals, seeds, nut and seed butters, and oils; avocados and olives; and may have a bit more leeway with carbohydrate-containing beans, lentils, chickpeas, wild rice, chia seed, sweet potatoes, and yams
If nongenetically modified soy products can be obtained, then tofu, tempeh, and natto can provide another protein source

Foods to limit with Wheat Belly

Consume in limited quantities (½ cup or less of starchy foods):

Non-cheese dairy

Choose organic
Cream, half and half, milk, sour cream
Fresh cheeses – cottage cheese, cream cheese
Yogurts – Greek yogurt (unsweetened and unflavored), yogurt (unsweetened and unflavored)
Cultured milk products – Buttermilk, kefir (unsweetened and unflavored)
Dairy should be in the least processed form – full-fat, unflavored, unsweetened

Fruit

Choose organic where possible – if not, rinse thoroughly in warm water to minimize pesticide/herbicide residues
Berries are the best: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, and cherries
Other fruits e.g. apples, apricots, oranges – limit to a few wedges
Be careful of the most sugary fruits, including pineapple, papaya, mango, and banana
Fruit juices – minimize, and if you must drink it, make sure it is 100% juice and consume it in small quantities (no more than 2-4 ounces)
Unsweetened applesauce and unsweetened fruit butters (included in recipes in The Wheat Belly Cookbook)
Advice on dried fruit varies between the two books. Wheat Belly advises to avoid all dried fruit, especially figs and dates, due to the excessive sugar content. The Wheat Belly Cookbook says you can have unsweetened dried apricots, blueberries, cranberries, currants, dates, raisins, strawberries; and to always buy the unsweetened variety.

Nonwheat, nongluten grains

Limit serving to ½ cup or less
Use for people who are not carbohydrate-intolerant (uncommon) or kids’ dishes (as kids tolerate carbohydrates better than adults do)
Amaranth, buckwheat, chia seeds, millet, oats, quinoa, sorghum, teff, wild rice
Corn, rice (white or brown) – these are increasingly likely to be genetically modified and should be consumed cautiously, if at all
These foods should be avoided during the wheat withdrawal process. If you have a powerful potential for wheat addiction, you should be careful with these grains as well

Legumes

Limit serving to ½ cup or less
Beans, e.g. black beans, butter beans, kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, red beans, Spanish beans. Note that baked beans in sauce may contain added wheat flour, as well as high-fructose corn syrup and sugar
Chickpeas/garbanzo beans
Lentils
Dried peas e.g. black-eyed peas
Carob, mesquite
Peanuts – Should not be consumed raw – should be boiled or dry roasted; The label should not include ingredients such as hydrogenated soybean oil, wheat flour, maltodextrin, cornstarch, or sucrose
Soybeans
Minimally processed soy products (which may be genetically modified) – e.g. tofu, tempeh, miso, natto, edamame, soybeans

Starchy vegetables

Whole corn (not to be confused with cornmeal or cornstarch, which should be avoided)
Potatoes (white and red), yams, sweet potatoes

Beverages

Wheat-free alcohol: Limit alcohol to 2 glasses of wine, 2 cocktails, or 1 higher-carb beer. Gluten-free beer, wine, brandy, cognac, liqueurs, rum, some vodkas (see below for gluten-containing beverages to avoid)

Other

Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Foods to avoid with Wheat Belly

Factor in your own unique dietary sensitivities

Consume rarely or never:

Gluten, which may be found in:

Gluten grains: barley, durum, einkorn, emmer, faro, kamut, rye, spelt, triticale/tricitum, wheat
Obvious foods containing gluten: wheat-based breads, pasta, noodles, cookies, cakes, pies, cupcakes, breakfast cereals, pancakes, waffles, pita
Other foods containing gluten: Baguettes, beignets, bran, brioche, bulgur, burrito, couscous, crepe, croutons, farina, focaccia, fu (gluten in Asian foods) gnocchi, graham flour, gravy, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed wheat starch, matzo, modified food starch, orzo, panko breadcrumbs, ramen, roux (wheat-based sauce or thickener), rusk, seitan, semolina, soba noodles (mostly buckwheat, but usually also include wheat), strudel, tabbouleh, tart, textured vegetable protein, udon noodles, wheat germ, wraps, vital wheat gluten, wheat bran, wheat germ, wraps
Beverages containing gluten: ales, beers, lagers, Bloody Mary mixes, flavored coffees, herbal teas made with wheat/barley/malt, malt liquor, flavored teas, vodkas distilled from wheat (Absolut, Grey Goose, Ketel One, SKYY, Stolichnaya) or other gluten-containing grains (Belvedere, Finlandia, Van Gogh), wine coolers containing barley malt, whiskey distilled from wheat or barley (Jack Daniels, Bushmills, Jameson, etc.)
Breakfast cereals: Bran cereals (All Bran, Bran Buds, Raisin Bran), Corn flakes (Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Crunchy Corn Bran), Cream of Wheat, Farina, granola cereals, “healthy” cereals (Smart Start, Special K, Grape Nuts, Trail Mix Crunch), Malt-O-Meal, muesli, mueslix, oat bran, oat cereals (Cheerios, Cracklin’ Oat Bran, Honey Bunches of Oats), oatmeal, popped corn cereals (Corn Pops), puffed rice cereals (Rice Krispies)
Cheeses made with cultures that come in contact with bread: Blue cheese, cottage cheese (not all), Gorgonzola cheese, Roquefort
Coloring/fillers/texturizers/thickeners: artificial colors, artificial flavors, caramel coloring, caramel flavoring, dextrimaltose, emulsifiers, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed wheat starch, maltodextrin, modified food starch, stabilizers, textured vegetable protein
Energy, protein, and meal replacement bars: Clif Bars, Gatorade Pre-Game Fuel Nutrition Bars, GNC Pro Performance Bars, Kashi GoLean bars, Power Bars, Slim-Fast meal bars
Fast food – where oil may be used to fry gluten-containing foods and cooking surfaces may be shared; also fast-food saurces, sausages, and burritos typically contain wheat or wheat-based ingredients
Meats: breaded meat/poultry/fish, canned meats, self-basting chicken, deli meats (luncheon meats, salami), ham, hamburger (if breadcrumbs are added), hot dogs, imitation bacon, imitation crabmeat, meatballs (if breadcrumbs are added),pepperoni, sausage, self-basting turkey
Sauces, salad dressings, condiments: Gravies thickened with wheat flour, ketchup, malt syrup, malt vinegar, marinades, miso, mustards containing wheat, salad dressings, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce
Seasonings: bacon bits (imitation), curry powder, seasoning mixes, taco seasoning
Snacks and desserts: cake frosting, candy bars, chewing gum (powdered coating), Chex mixes, corn chips, dried fruit (lightly coated with flour), dry roasted peanuts, fruit fillings with thickeners, jelly beans (not including Jelly Bellies and Starburst, which are okay), granola bars, ice cream (cookies and cream, Oreo Cookie, cookie dough, cheesecake, chocolate malt), ice cream cones, licorice, nut bars, pies, potato chips (including Pringles), roasted nuts, tiramisu, flavored tortilla chips, trail mixes
Soups: Bisques, broths, bouillon, canned soups, soup mixes, soup stocks and bases
Soy and vegetarian products: Veggie burgers (Boca Burgers, Gardenburgers, Morningstar Farms), vegetarian “chicken” strips, vegetarian chili, vegetarian hot dogs and sausages, vegetarian “scallops”, vegetarian “steaks”
Sweeteners: Barley malt, barley extract, dextrin and maltodextrin, malt, malt syrup, malt flavoring

Flours

Wheat flours (e.g. all-purpose flour, bread flour, pastry flour)
Cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice starch
Amaranth flour, teff flour, millet flour, chestnut flour, quinoa flour (excessive carbohydrate exposure – acceptable when limiting carbohydrate exposure may not be as important, e.g. for kids)

Unhealthy oils

Hydrogenated fat, trans fats – in margarine and in many processed foods
Polyunsaturated oils (especially corn, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, cottonseed, soybean)
Fried foods, including fried meats. Minimize your exposure to high-temperature cooking; stay below 450 F (230 C)

Processed foods with multiple ingredients

Do not buy a processed or prepared food unless you can view the ingredients list as it may contain hidden gluten
Processed meats – e.g. bacon, pepperoni, salami, sausages – containing sodium nitrite
Gluten-free foods – specifically those made with cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch, or tapioca starch
Foods with artificial colorings and preservatives

Sweet foods

Dried fruit – figs, dates, prunes, raisins, cranberries (note that this is the advice in Wheat Belly; the Wheat Belly Cookbook allows dried fruit with no added sugar)
Sugary snacks – candies, ice cream, sherbet, fruit roll-ups, craisins, energy bars
Sugary fructose-rich sweeteners – agave syrup or nectar, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose
Sugar alcohols – mannitol, sorbitol, maltitol, etc. (erythritol and xylitol are okay)
Soft drinks, carbonated beverages
Sugary condiments – jellies, jams, preserves, ketchup (if contains sucrose or HFCS), chutney

Food packaging

Minimize exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), found in clear hard plastics with recycling code number 7 and in the resin lining of cans

Dr. Davis' list of conditions caused by consuming, or treated by removing, wheat:

Type 2 Diabetes

Acid reflux

Irritable bowel syndrome

Rheumatoid arthritis

Asthma

Schizophrenia

Autism

Breast cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Colon cancer

Prostate cancer

Celiac disease (with Davis' modern wheat increasing its incidence)

Type 1 diabetes

Osteopenia and osteoporosis

Osteoarthritis

Cataracts

Erectile dysfunction

"Kidney disease"

Dry eyes

Alzheimers

Atherosclerosis

Hyperlipidemia

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic steatosis

Heart disease

Cerebellar ataxia

Nystagmus

Myoclonus

Chorea

Peripheral neuropathy

"Gluten Encephalopathy"

Migraines

Dementia

Seizure disorders

ADHD

Acne

Gangrene

Skin ulceration

Dermatitis herpetiformis

Intestinal lymphoma

Angular chelitis

Glossitis

Cutaneous vasculitis

Acanthosis nigricans

Erythema nodosum

Psoriasis

Vitiligo

Behçet's diseases

Dermatomyositis

Icthyosiform dermatoses

Pyoderma gangrenosum

Alopecia areata

Gynecomastia

Leg edema

Bipolar illness

Dandruff

What Dr. Davis promises removing wheat will do for your general well being:

Improve athletic performance

Improve mood

Reduce mood swings

Improve concentration

Improve sleep

Increase energy

Slow skin aging

Improve coordination

When I was around 8 years old I was diagnosed with being allergic to wheat. That was in the 1980's. Back then people didn't know how to cut wheat out of their diet. Wheat is in a lot of things that most people do not realize it is in including shampoo, soaps, lotions, make up, soups etc. I did not realize it is in shampoo, lotions and make up. I thought it was just in stuff like wheat bread and other products that had wheat in the name of it.

I thought I out grew my wheat allergy but in April of this year (2013) I started getting really bad stomach pains every day. Nothing helped with the pain. We did not have health insurance so I couldn't go to the doctor to get checked out. The last month the pains seemed like they were getting worse. It hurt so bad to move some days. I started doing research and found that wheat can cause all of the pains I was having. I came across an article talking about the book, "Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path to Health" by William Davis MD.

I got the book from the library and read it last week. I cut most wheat out of my diet last week. The pains in my stomach were not as bad as they had been. If I didn't eat wheat then I had no pain but as soon as I ate wheat the bad pains would start again. So I knew I had to go wheat free.

Today is my last day eating wheat. I had some of my favorite things today (a long john donut, cinnamon-sugar Pringles & spaghetti. I love donuts and pasta but I am willing to give them up so I have no pains. We hardly ever got donuts because of the sugar since I'm type 2 diabetic, but we ate pasta a lot. No food is worth having the pains that I have been having.

The good news is there is plenty of wheat-free foods that I love too including vanilla ice cream. I love ice cream. :)

I am so excited to start the wheat-free journey and to see my health improve. Dr. Davis is a cardiologist and he said if you follow his wheat-free lifestyle you will lose weight, get healthier and feel a lot better. Most people who followed his lifestyle got to cut their medications way down and a lot of people got to quit taking their medications because their illnesses and diseases were cured or controlled with just eating foods that had no wheat in them.

I am also excited to see how going wheat-free helps my PCOS-Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and my Type 2 diabetes. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1998 and with Type 2 Diabetes in 2001.

I am going to blog about my journey so everyone can follow along if they want to. :)

My Wheat-Free Journey

Sunday, January 5, 2014

1 1/2 months Wheat/Grain/Gluten Free

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Second week being Wheat-free

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Day 7 of being Wheat-Free

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Day 2 & Day 3 of being Wheat-free

Monday, November 18, 2013

Day 1 of being Wheat-free

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Wheat Belly-What to eat and foods to avoid

My decision to go Wheat-free