You may have heard the #1 New York Times best-selling novel, Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD. Published in 2011, this testament to gluten-free has sold more than one million copies in less than three years.
Yet, the gluten-free craze has been around for a decade—if not two. So what is it about this book that has captured people’s attention?
By providing the definitive answer to the wheat debate.
Lose the Wheat, Gain Your Health
Dr. Davis tackles the question of wheat itself. While it commonly accepted that refined flour is bad and should be avoided, what about whole grain wheat? Or sprouted wheat?
Well, it appears that wheat by any other name is still wheat. And the reason comes down to science and genetics—or, more correctly, genetic modification.
As Dr. Davis details, today’s wheat (even the whole wheat variety) is virtually unrecognizable from the wheat of our ancestors. The reason is due to big businesses desire for higher yields.
The result is wheat that went from 14 chromosomes to 42 chromosomes, thanks to genetic combining of three unique plants. Unfortunately, this combination, while definitely resulting in greater yields, has also resulted in more and more health issues for those of us who consume it.
This is where the book really stands out. Dr. Davis details, with thorough research and painstaking care, the medical changes wheat causes in your body.
In a nutshell, Davis breaks down the number one reason wheat is so destructive—its carbohydrate makeup. It’s predominately glucose, and one of the worst kinds of glucose (amylopectin), which is highly digestible.
The result is that wheat increases blood sugar levels higher than straight sucrose itself. Plus, wheat has been shown to have addictive properties, so the more you eat, the more you want to eat.
This quickly results in a cycle of eating wheat, increasing blood sugar levels, eating more wheat, higher blood sugar levels, etc.
And that then leads to a whole host of health issues, from weight gain and digestive issues to diabetes, pH imbalance, skin issues, heart problems and even memory and cognition issues.
Dr. Davis then takes the research and backs that up with something even more compelling—success stories. Each chapter has several examples of people who dropped the wheat and reclaimed their health.
The book also contains how-tos and recipes to help you make the transition from gluten to great health, without falling into the trap of substituting pancakes and bagels with gluten-free options. Instead, Davis focuses on real food as replacements.
Leave a Reply