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.

Raw vegetables, eggs, meat and cheese

If your spouse leaves you it is because you eat too much wheat. If a war starts in Africa it is because you eat too much wheat. Ok that is an exaggeration. The first 98% of this book is spent telling you all the health problems caused by wheat. They run the gambit of diabetes, hair loss, cataracts, wrinkles dowager's humps, aging, intestinal, obesity, bone density, brain disorders, pimples, rashes, psoriasis, several skin diseases, impotency and etc.

Doc, you had me at big belly. I just wanted to know how to get rid of this thing. After telling you what wheat causes, then he tells you how easy his diet is. (NOT) Then as an after thought you are told his diet, what to eat and what not to eat. It is eat raw vegetables, eggs, meat and cheeses. Also nuts and oils. Don't eat everything else, Don't eat out, don't eat prepackaged. You need to learn how to cook. This part all goes by pretty fast. Listening on audible, you will need to rewind and rewind if you are trying to write it all down and when going back it is easy to confuse don't eat with eat. He is fairly confusing on oats. This was confusing to me, because a couple of years ago I was on a diet by Jackie Warner, which told you not to eat sugar. On that diet she loved Oatmeal. I lost ten of those hard to lose pounds with that diet. I ordered the hardback copy which came in the mail yesterday.

So my wife and I have been on the diet one week. Believe me you can not do this without your spouses involvement. We both work lots of hours, so this took co-operation between the two of us concerning dinner. We went to the farmers market and bought vegetables, mushrooms, buffalo meat, eggs, etc. That was a fun experience. Who ever got home first cooked dinner. I stopped eating oatmeal for breakfast. I have a terrible sugar habit and still had some dark chocolate raisins to get rid of. Raisins are not good for you, they cause a sugar peak. Dark chocolate is only good in the high cocoa range. Most dark chocolate is chocolate flavored sugar. With the exception of a few hand fulls of these raisins a day I stuck to the diet. It was actually fun, but not easy. It takes time and planning. My wife is a long distance biker and must carb up for that and even Dr. Davis agrees with that. Last night we went to a pizza joint. I was going to go off the diet for one night and have pizza. They had a gluten free pizza, so I order that. It tasted all right, not as good as the regular, but I can live with it.

After one week I have lost three pounds. At one point I had actually lost six pounds, but three of them came back. My wife has lost about the same.

With the exception of doing away with whole wheat, this diet is pretty much the same as most others.

The doctor says you will not get hungry on his diet. On the first week I found some days where I was hungry all day. Now that just may have been my mind which is used to grazing all day, I don't know. When hungry I did find that a couple handfuls of almonds helped.

In a couple of months I will review, Venice A. Fulton's Six Weeks to OMG, in that review I will update you on my progress with this diet.

The program works, but the listen is technical

Overall, the concepts in this book really hit home for me. I've been struggling for awhile with what could possibly be so bad about Wheat. It's been consumed for far longer than 10,000 years, and many cultures existed for centuries with no "Western Diseases" consuming it. This books answers that question with spades, but be warned. The author dives headfirst into a lot of technical jargen, and the book could have gotton to the point in about 1/2 the amount of words. The bottom line however is that I tried it, and it worked fabulously well. The belly did go down, doing nothing more than just stopping bread. Not oats, or rice, or grits. Just Wheat. It just went away. Took about 3 weeks, and it was slow, but it worked. Mild joint pain also cleared up.

CAUTION: for the health conscious only

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, but only those who have an open mind to change. This book goes against conventional wisdom but can save your life.

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

no

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

I had an extreme reaction. My glycemic index dropped by 40 points and I lost 20 lbs in one month.

Excellent book

I was very much impressed with this book and think it should be part of a library that includes "Why We Get Fat", "The End of Overeating", and perhaps "Good Calories, Bad Calories" if you want a longer version of Why We Get Fat. And if you want to know more what to do with what you are left w/ to eat, try The Perfect Health Diet or The Primal Blueprint (the author pretty much advocates this sort of eating, but uses a more scientific approach than eating that way because ancestors did)
As far as a review of the audio, it's in the upper half of good to me. Didn't put me to sleep, didn't overemphasize or dramatize things, and was read about how I would read it.
As far as the content: It seems impossible at first to consider that wheat could be bad since it's been used since bible times, but you'll find in the first few chapters how much our current version has been genetically (not just hybrid) modified to create a grain that produces a much more powerful blood sugar spike, has a much higher gluten content, and is problematic for most people. Reading this book, it is hard to not want to give up wheat. The problem lies in whether or not the individual is willing to make those changes.
The only cons I see is that he is less aggressive on complete avoidance of vegetable oils and is less strict on sugar, tho he does say to avoid and limit both. As to the previous reviewer, I have a medical background and have spent considerable time reading all the above mentioned books and following the current research. The more I read, the more I'm convinced that wheat is very much toxic and can be at least partially to blame for many of the diseases affecting our society. Type II Diabetes is related to diet, excess fat accumulation, etc and is very much preventable even if one does have a genetic predisposition to it (read "Why We Get Fat" and you'll see how our overweight mothers are partially responsible for this). There is a reason that the numbers are rising rapidly along with our waistline sizes. DM type II is a problem that can be prevented by diet and sent into remission if, like the author mentions, the beta cells that produce the insulin have not been so destroyed that they can not recover. I have helped and seen multiple diabetics get completely off insulin and have normal blood sugars and A1C after losing the weight and avoiding the carbohydrates that cause blood sugar elevation and also prediabetics who have had those numbers return to normal ranges after changes in diet and this book can help you get started in that direction or avoid it altogether.

A Great Listen! Perfect for a long trip too!

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

Yes. Easier to grasp the somewhat intricate explanation of blood sugar and how it reacts to foods.

What did you like best about this story?

I guess his witticism.

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

N/A

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, while driving from FL to NC.

Any additional comments?

When we arrived in NC we cleaned out our pantry, changed our way of life and feel like a million bucks!

Funny and life changing...

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

This was a great book and had some wonderful insight in it, enough science to seem real, and some very good tongue in cheek humor... bravo! I have been working on recreating my diet with the help of this book and have been successful in losing 10 lbs in a month without restricting food except for wheat and the grains that Dr. Davis recommends. It is worth spending the credit.

You will never think of wheat the same!

Whole grains! Not what you think. Wheat is more than a fat inducer, an appetite stimulant, it's a contributor to many reversible ills that are quite common. This book does get a bit technical for the everyday reader. I was glad to read it as an audio book so I didn't have to figure out pronouncing the terms I am not familiar with. I found I got a great deal of useable information without understanding the chemical mechanics of Wheat.

Read Gary Taubes, "Why we get fat," instead

What was most disappointing about William Davis’s story?

I am a physician who reads and critiques the scientific literature and I have a personal interest in diet. I've lost 40 pounds over a 3 month period (weight down from 198 to 158 lbs, I am 5'9) partially following low-carbohydrate principles along with high protein and fiber. If what William Davis was saying was true, then all of society would be suffering from the problems associated with wheat. The reality is that most people do fine with some wheat in their diet.

The scientific literature supports low-carb dieting, and thus by eliminating wheat you are achieving a low-carb diet. If wheat were the specific cause of obesity, rather than all carbs as a group leading to obesity, then substituting non-gluten containing starches for wheat should have wheat loss benefits. Not even Davis claims this to be the case. He states that you cannot eliminate wheat and substitute other carbs because all carbs raise blood sugar. If all carbs raise blood sugar, than why is he choosing to write a book only about wheat?

The study that would need to be done (randomized controlled trial) would need to be comparing a wheat-free diet (allowing all non-gluten containing starches) to a diet allowing wheat with both diets having equal calories and carbs. By having the only differing variable between two comparison groups being the presence or absence of wheat in a diet, a study could establish cause and effect.

He makes a good argument for why low-carb dieting is a good idea, but scientifically Gary Taubes makes MUCH better arguements in "why we get fat" and "good calories/bad caloreis." Taubes cites very strong sources such as JAMA, while Davis even uses a blogger as his citation. The specific blog he cites is written by someone with a degree in English rather than any dietary, nutritional, science, or medical training.The performance was funny and entertaining though.

Courageous and Important Work

Thank goodness for doctors like this who have the courage to tell the truth about what our food is doing to us DESPITE what our government's "Dietary Guidelines"recommend. Very informative.

This book changed my life.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am making sure that I give this book to everyone who will listen.

What did you like best about this story?

I appreciated the scientific information, and also the dry sense of humor that accompanied the science.

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

I have not listened to any of Tom Weiner's performances.

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

The candid beginning that blatantly called fat by it's monikers -- wheat belly, bagel butt, and biscuit face -- was spot on.

Any additional comments?

This book has brought me back to what I always knew and used to practice: having a relationship with my body, and nurturing that relationship.

This is a brilliant book, but...

... don't buy it if what you're looking for is unbiased information. The author tells you, clearly, from the onset that he doesn't think wheat does anyone any good at all.



Personally, I find this book absolutely fascinating. I've enjoyed listening to it, and it's interesting to hear about so many studies that have been largely ignored by the medical community. He speaks a lot of Celiac disease, weight loss and diabetes, among other things. I've found information here that I've never heard of before, which in and out of itself is quite astounding (I belong to that nerdy group of people that read and listen to this for fun).



Sometimes I do find that I can only listen to the audio book for a short while, before wanting to shout "Yes, I get it, wheat is bad!" at the author, which is the only downside I've found so far. Well, I'd also like that he'd name what studies he's referencing when and from what year they are, so that I can look those up for myself, but that's a minor detail.



All that said though, this is a good book, well researched, well thought out, well read and fascinating - that's why it gets four stars from me.

Dough!

Fascinating stuff. I found this book to be well narrated and the content to be highly interesting. I agree with other reviewers that the point does get laboured. However I did not find that this detracted from the subject. After listening to this I have moderated my consumption of wheat and have found that in doing so it has certainly stabilised my eating patterns. For me the key element was how wheat affects your blood sugar. Some of the suggestions are speculative, but if you’ve tried everything else then why not give it ago. A great book.

Wheat Belly review

This is a book that provides lots of answers for anyone that's questioned why they can't lose weight. It's not the calories that's the problem, it's the wheat and gluten. Since reading the book Ive stopped wheat and feel so much better in a week. It's a must read if you're seriously looking to change your look and your life forever

It changed my life

I came to this book more by accident than any concerns around wheat as I'd heard excluding wheat could help with fibromyalgia. To cut a long story short the book has transformed my eating habits, returned my digestion to normal, stopped those awful unpleasant accidents and has reinvigorated my energy levels. Thank god for books.

we all needed to know

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

This is the scientifc based, best book ever about the truth about wheat, and the most simple solution to 90% most common health problems of our moder society.
As soon as i listened to this I bought the actual paper book. It require to be read carefully.
Got off wheat and lost the belly and have no arthritis any longer, nor i feel tired...

This book changed my life and my waist line

I had a suspicion that something wasn't right. I had an underlying stomach condition (hiatus hernia) that seemed to be getting worse, facing the possibility of an operation to solve the problem. Cutting out wheat has drastically changed how I feel, given me more energy and helped me lose weight.
This book is thorough in the 'why's' of wheat issues, full of testimonials and has some great practical advise.
Well worth reading the whole book!

Far too long

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This book should be cut down to about 1 to maybe 2 hours in length - This guy can really talk and goes into far more detail than he needs to

Would you ever listen to anything by William Davis again?

Only an abridged version.

How could the performance have been better?

Don't get me wrong the book is great, just far to long. So the performance could be far better if he went into less detail.

Did Wheat Belly inspire you to do anything?

Yes - It's made me cut down on my wheat consumption, I no longer see bread as being healthy.

It's already improved my life.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, everything you need to know about today's wheat properties and it's affects on today's society.

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

How quickly people's health improves just by omitting wheat from their diet.

What about Tom Weiner’s performance did you like?

Clear, concise and easy to understand.

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

It changed the way I eat and so improved my life completely for the better.

Any additional comments?

I'm now wheat free and no longer have a 'Wheat Belly'.

No more 'healthy whole grains'

Some parts of the book are very technical and the author might be exaggerating the consequences of wheat, however, it is informative and you will definitely cut down on your wheat intake after listening to it.

The author talks about how wheat is the cornerstone of diabetes, so diabetics should give this one a try.

Take from it what you will but you will be amazed

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

informative bias health

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

The pronunciation of food types and medical conditions that one might otherwise say wrong in their mind.

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

The emotional reaction to I had to this book was shock. From a scientific point of view I completely understand and can see how wheat has had these effects. The evidence presented in terms of patients he has cured is astounding (I do hope the claims are true and not absent of disclosing other implemented treatments).

I myself suffer from IBS and are well aware of the symptoms he has described. After reading this book I endeavoured to follow his program and see how the results panned out. The most difficult part I found was eliminating the wheat! It is so abundant and an additive to almost everything we eat. To remove it and live a normal live is near impossible. The effort, planning and organisation is like rearing a baby. Everything you do and everywhere you go needs to have forethought and you must take you sling bag fill of 'alternatives' as you would nappies for an infant. Then there is the problem of being a guest and turning down al the foods that have been graciously prepared for you.

I tried a wheat minimisation diet and that help things quiet a bit. My rule was - where I can control it - I will. It was enlighten and yes - I felt better.

Read this book to learn. Make your decisions based on your situation and lifestyle and try to adapt. You will most likely feel healthier and more lively as a result.

Good luck