Wheat Belly

Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health

By: William David MD

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

A provocative look at how eliminating wheat from our diets can help us lose weight, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse a broad spectrum of health problems—from acne to diabetes to serious digestive disorders.

Since the introduction of dietary guidelines calling for reduced fat intake in the 1970s, a strange phenomenon has occurred: Americans have steadily, inexorably become heavier, less healthy, and more prone to diabetes than ever before. After putting more than 2,000 of his at-risk patients on a wheat-free regimen and seeing extraordinary results, cardiologist William Davis has come to the disturbing conclusion that it is not fat, not sugar, not our sedentary lifestyle that is causing America’s obesity epidemic—it is wheat. How this once-benign grain—now genetically modified almost beyond recognition and found in virtually every course of every meal—has come to have such a profound and deleterious effect on our collective well-being is one of the great untold health stories of our generation.

In Wheat Belly, Dr. Davis exposes the truth about modern-day wheat, deconstructing its historical role in the human diet and the agricultural evolutions that have created a hybrid grain that has a greater impact on blood sugar levels than pure cane sugar and many of the addictive characteristics of a narcotic. He sheds light on wheat’s connection to weight gain as well as to a host of other adverse effects from diabetes to heart disease to immunologic and neurologic disorders like celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and dementia. Finally, to help listeners dependent on wheat products make the move to a wheat-free diet, he presents a clear-cut action plan packed with food and lifestyle tips, meal plans, and recipes.

Informed by decades of clinical research and backed by case studies of men and women who have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving good-bye to wheat, Wheat Belly is an illuminating look at a familiar food as well as an affirmative life plan for regaining health and losing unwanted pounds.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2011 William Davis, MD (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A better way to eat for many people.

After 3 weeks I lost over 10 pounds without really trying. The pain in my knees from arthritis has been reduced by over 50%. My stuffy nose has significantly improved.
If you are over weight, especially with belly fat, you should try this way of eating for 4 weeks and see if your health has improved.
If you have other health problems that have not been successfully treated you should give the suggestions in this book a try for 4 weeks. You don't have anything to loose by trying it for a month. If it does not help you then just go back to how you ate before.
Good luck.

This book changed my life(style)!

You'll never look at wheat the same way again. This is a great read for type two diabetics who don't want to become insulin dependent, even for those who already are. Giving up wheat isn't as hard as you might think if you truly want to get healthy. I highly recommend this book!

Eye opening

This book persuasively challenges our notions of nutrition and its connection to well-being. It deserves serious attention by health officials and the public.

Awesome and IT WORKS!!!

Where does Wheat Belly rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Really easy to understand and the life style change works. I have been wheat free for a week and already I have lost 5 pounds with no cravings or feelings of starvation. I have passed this on to several people and they are thrilled. Thank you for something that made me BETTER!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

What about Tom Weiner’s performance did you like?

Great vocalization and ease of understanding.

Could wheat be our culture's Roman lead pipes?

This diet sounds like an Atkins diet to me -- but for completely different and more urgent reasons. They say the Romans used lead in their pipes and it was killing them. Could wheat be our culture's Roman lead pipes?

The truth hurts!

Would you listen to Wheat Belly again? Why?

Yes. I plan to listen to it over and over until I can hammer it into my head. The truths about wheat are shocking and scary for our society. Everyone needs to read this book.

What other book might you compare Wheat Belly to and why?

I haven't read anything else as compelling. I understand that The Paleo Diet has a similar approach but Wheat Belly gives so much historical information about how and why we all suddenly got fat that it makes you ask many questions about our national leadership in areas of agriculture, farming, nutrition, and medicine.

Have you listened to any of Tom Weiner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think I have.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was totally absorbed and shock drove me to send a copy to my brother for him and his spouse. Still trying to figure out how I can get my son to listen to it.

Any additional comments?

It's a must read for all adults with any weight issues...and maybe all adults period.

Life changing

In 2 weeks I've already seen a difference in mood and body composition.

Absolutely Awesome.

Wow. Just WOW.

If you could sum up Wheat Belly in three words, what would they be?

Open Your Eyes. I think that's best, bc this book really opened my eyes to the science, the facts behind the foods we eat. And it was eyeopening. :)

What did you like best about this story?

How the science was presented in an interesting and understandable manner.

Which scene was your favorite?

there aren't scenes in this book. :) it's nonfiction.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

learning about how the wheat we eat today isn't what our grandparents ate, and how that affects our health was amazing.

Any additional comments?

After reading this book, I've completely changed my diet--just started doing the Whole30 challenge. I've really shied away from wheat products and feel so much better as a result!

Dr Davis - the anti wheat movement (ie low carbs)

Dr Davis outlines a number of USA specific diet issues. He opens with aplomb, directness and gets right on to the issue. Wheat is plain bad, and not just “can be in circumstances” – he calls it to be bad, and explains why so. The book comes with a pdf with recipes on food alternatives to wheat – which I thought was great to have.

As a fit person, who maintains weight and nutrition – I am comfortable with eating wheat. However, for an average layman who doesn’t want to go the whole hog, or pay for quality education and monitoring, this is a good book. Clearly, the book is meant for people who eat processed wheat (I don’t eat processed wheat, at all, e.g. breads, etc.). Wheat is quite pervasive and the list that Dr Davis provides proves so.

The book has also motivates (albeit by fear) to get rid of wheat. However, in some minor criticism, Dr Davis at times labours on the same point over and over again. As other reviewers have stated, in the end, Dr Davis comes round to the key point – the big issue is carbs. You need to replace carbs with lean proteins while avoiding grease. I eat a fairly controlled amount of carbs and so should all people – as all processed foods, fast foods these days have enough carbs to give an elephant indigestion. If you are thinking, “Hey, I’ll replace bread with rice.” – well you’ve got another thing coming. Dr Davis advises in the end against rice based, potato based or tapioca based starches as well – i.e. all high carb alternatives.

Losing weight is more than a fad and needs careful dietary and exercise management. This book might help you with the first step but people need more help and support to get further.

As a book, it has its moments, which are great.

Highly recommend for nutrition conscious

What made the experience of listening to Wheat Belly the most enjoyable?

The narrator has a pleasant tone that makes listening easy

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wheat Belly?

Hard to say. The whole book is so informative.

Which character – as performed by Tom Weiner – was your favorite?

not applicable

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

not applicable