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.

Great Book; Difficult to Digest in Audio Form

Would you listen to Wheat Belly again? Why?

Listen? No. . .

Wheat Belly is an amazing new approach to looking at food. While there always will be debate when it comes to nutrition (I've already perused articles criticizing Dr. Davis' interpretations of clinical studies that support his claim), to me this book made a lot of sense. As a gluten-sensitive individual, it explained a lot for me. I'm hoping that adapting to his gluten-free diet will bring the changes in the weight gain I have experienced since going gluten free.

That being said, this is a TOUGH book to do on audio. For those who have no option, I'm glad this resource is available. The narrator is monotone and the text tedious at times. I personally only made it through the first three chapters and then paid for the text version. I just couldn't do it. This audiobook was wheat to my ears.

I'm also given to understand the audio does not have the recipes. I have not confirmed this. While understandable (how weird would it be to listen to a recipe read aloud?), I feel that's a big loss. The recipes are what I found the most valuable.Bottom line, if you have a choice- buy text.

Mind Blowing!

Would you recommend Wheat Belly to your friends? Why or why not?

We are taught as school children that wheat is healthy. Few people know that the wheat we eat today was genetically engineered and is causing all sorts of health problems including obesity. Everyone NEEDS to read this book.

Great information

Would you listen to Wheat Belly again? Why?

The main concept of this book is very simple. However, the author goes into great technical detail to prove is point. I have lost about 15 pounds in three weeks. I fell good and I sleep great.

Informative but had leaps of logic at the end

Without going into the paleo vs. vegan debate, the book itself had good information about the potential pitfalls about wheat for someone doing his first bit of reading on the subject. The suggested recipes were interesting but would have preferred the non-audible version for this book in order to go back to recipes etc.

The end of the book though made drastic leaps of faith by suggesting removal of all carbohydrates without providing compelling evidence for that conclusion.

Good read, a little scary

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

Learning I need to try this and see if it is do-able

What does Tom Weiner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The reader kept an at times technical book interesting.

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

It scared me for my grandchildren.

Thought Provoking Read

What did you love best about Wheat Belly?

Well thought out and presented argument.

Any additional comments?

Although, you need to research further before deciding that the ideas presented are true, it is a good place to begin thinking.

Essential for those seeking better health

I found "Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weigh" very educative.. I felt being equipped with a new armamentarium to fight vague complaints and maintain health. The theory provided was supported by reasonable reasoning and needed clinical and scientific evidence. The clinical cases and the scientific discussion were truly interesting and enjoyable. I found the logic provided to have sufficient strength to convince me of trying the provided approach of avoiding (or at least significantly reducing) wheat in myself or others whenever resistant excess weight or metabolic syndrome is faced or unexplained vague persistent symptoms are met.
I believe that this audio would be helpful for those seeking better health for themselves, relative/ friends or their patients.. I should say that I've just finished listening to this audiobook and can not provide a personal clinical experience; though I adopted the approach to reduce carbohydrate some years ago with partial adherence and results.

Outstanding information and presentation!

Overall an excellent book and one that I highly recommend. Although it is technical in most cases, the presentation created enough interest that I finished the book. Some of the items I practiced since my late teens (I am almost 56 as of this writing) and most of the items I wished I knew years ago (they would have saved me countless lost experiments with my diet and eating choices).

This is one of those books that work great as both an audio and written format with further study and research needed (if interested in this subject).

I found that the presentation of information worked better for me when I listened using my headphones vs in a car where I could not concentrate on the information.

I plan to listen to this again in the future knowing there is information that I missed.

A little complex but valuable information

What did you love best about Wheat Belly?

The lead into the point is very long - we get it after a few chapters, but the information is nonetheless very valable and well documented.

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

This is an information book - as stated, it is long in unwinding to the actual point. But the evidence is well covered, thorough and interesting.

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

Information - not emotion

Any additional comments?

Maybe the papercopy would have been more appropriate, to refer to certain points or lists, but the associated cookbook covers that. I would not have read through had it not been in audio format.

This book has changed my life.

Would you consider the audio edition of Wheat Belly to be better than the print version?

I am glad I got the audio version first and may invest in the print version later. I don't think I would have gone ahead and read the whole print version due to the overwhelming amount of scientific and technical information. But in this audio version, I listened to every part as carefully as possible. I am sure when I go through it again I will have more of the important points hit home for me. The reader did an excellent job. His voice is very clear and precise and carries a feeling of being an authority on the subject. Very professional. I am sure if I tried reading the printed copy first I would have struggled trying to pronounce many of the words.

My daughter has been trying to tell me for years that gluten is bad for me. Of course I knew she was knowledgeable about it and was telling me the truth. But the overwhelming scientific evidence presented in this book could not be ignored.

So many of the health effects that were mentioned are health issues that I have and had attributed to my genes. But then he hit on one particular issue that hit home. Dermatitis Herpitiformus is a condition that I only acquired a few years ago. It is an annoying condition. I have had psoriasis for many years and just accepted it.

Of course the doctors prescribed cortizone cream for that. But they never tell us how we suddenly have these conditions. We are just supposed to use their solutions which always involve chemicals that we know we should not have in or on our bodies. I am sure if I went to the doctor for my new skin concern the treatment recommended would have been the same. I have never had any doctor tell me that the root of some of my health issues were probably caused by the food items I eat. They are always prompt to tell me that my weight is the source of my high blood pressure. I am sure that it is true also. But they never go any further with that. They also never bother to tell us that some of the medicines they prescribe may have serious side effects short or long term. For example, Cortizone creams are not meant to be used more than a few days in a row and don't actually fix the problem long term. However, when you stop using the cream after 10 days (the recommended length of time that the doctor doesn't tell you about), eventually the condition flares back up.

I have Dermatitis Herpitiformus as well as many other conditions that are explained in the book. And now with the information in Wheat Belly, it makes sense. I made a decision that I needed to go wheat free immediately.

I found all the food in my pantry, fridge and freezer that had wheat and gluten and tossed or donated it all. I now read more labels. The surprising thing is that I don't really miss the wheat or gluten. There is a down side. All of those wonderful wheat and gluten free products cost a lot more. But as described in the book, I don't crave all the snacks I used to eat throughout the day. Getting wheat out of my new way of eating actually helps save money by me not eating all those junk foods.

We are so lucky these days that there are so many alternative foods available. I have found that I actually love the wheat & gluten free bread that I am now making. I have long been discusted with all the unpronouceable ingredients in most of our normal everyday food. It is so delightful to be able to pronounce the ingredients in the food I now buy.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to the accompanying cookbook that will be published soon.