Wheat Belly, or,.. How to get a few decades younger

[ionbeam]

Why is it that everything we enjoy is bad for for us?...

Words to live by: "If it tastes good, spit it out."

Nature made man to be a nomadic grazer, eating only what was seasonally available or an opportunity of the moment. Lots of exercise, 100% all natural food with no chemicals or additives. In return nature made man disease ridden with many dietary deficiencies and a life span in the range of 30 years. Yup, those were the good old days, unlike today where everything you eat will kill you. In 70-90 years.

 

[Gyrobob]

How is it different from other low carb diets like Atkins?

It is similar to Atkins, but Atkins is a diet. The Wheat Belly thing comes from a realization that wheat and grains are harmful and addictive, and cause all kinds of unhealth. It is not a diet so much as just stopping a harmful activity. So, the main diff is that Atkins is a diet focusing on weight loss, that ignores all the maladies brought on by grains. The Wheat Belly system is simply not eating any wheat or grains, and enjoying all the unimagined health benefits, only one of which is weight loss.

Here is an FAQ on the ideas. Just click on the file with FAQ in the name.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/krdo241unlgbkpz/3UinkI-CRN?m

 

[wheatonFJR]

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

 

[Gyrobob]

Why is it that everything we enjoy is bad for for us?
My short list of things that are "bad" for us.

sugar, milk, eggs, beer, hard liquor, bread, ice cream, candy, anything fried, soft drinks, red meat, bacon, butter, pasta, and some go as far as to say "anything with a face on it".

It seems like we live in a contrary world. If we plant a garden, lawn, or flower bed we get weeds. We didn't plant weeds but they are there.

Let's face it, there are food and drink products available to us that may not be best for our health or waist lines.

With all that said, Mom had it right, "everything in moderation".

As for me, the only thing I hate doing is doing without.

You got some of it right. "Everything in moderation" will kill you. Drugs, unsafe sex, hand grenades, wheat, getting shot, etc.,... there are quite a few things that need to be avoided altogether. We now know wheat and other grains are on that list.

On your short list, the things that are actually bad for you are sugar, milk, bread, ice cream, candy, anything fried, soft drinks, pasta. The rest of it is pretty much okay because our bodies are engineered to thrive on meat/fowl/fish/veggies/fruit/eggs/nuts/some dairy.

 

[Gyrobob]

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

Generally the harm from beer comes from it being brewed from wheat, and most beers are rather carbish. There are a few brands that, while brewed from grains, aren't all the harmful. Red Bridge is one brand I can remember,.. there are several others. You can't be guzzling down six-packs though, the carb load will add a beer belly to your wheat belly.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

Don't be silly Wheaty! The wife doesn't know everything.

 

[Gyrobob]

Words to live by: "If it tastes good, spit it out."

Nature made man to be a nomadic grazer, eating only what was seasonally available or an opportunity of the moment. Lots of exercise, 100% all natural food with no chemicals or additives. In return nature made man disease ridden with many dietary deficiencies and a life span in the range of 30 years. Yup, those were the good old days, unlike today where everything you eat will kill you. In 70-90 years.

Jack Lalanne made that statement decades before the realizations about wheat and other grains were more widely known. The way nature made man, as you mention, is exactly the point. We were designed to eat meat/fish/fowl/veggies/nuts/fruit, etc. The meals you can make from that list number in the hundreds of thousands, and it takes little effort to make them really tasty. I think I could live forever on steak and salad, or fish and veggies, or chicken wings and cold veggies chunks, or or or or ,.....

What nature did was to make man adapted to his natural environment. That took millions of years. A few seconds ago (speaking relative time spans here) man discovered agriculture and ruined everything. For 99.6% of our history, we thrived on a grainless existence. 9,000 years ago (the few seconds I am talking about), is when the researches note the appearance of diabetes, toothdecay, heart disease, arthritis, etc.

"Everything we eat will kill you" is true if what you eat has wheat or other grains (or sugars) in it. Most food sold in Walmart has wheat in it. You have to shop around the edges (produce, butcher, dairy, etc.) to avoid the wheat.

 

[Bounce]

How is it different from other low carb diets like Atkins?

it has a different guy's name associated with it and therefore a load of products to sell.

i've found simple callory control is less complex and self regulating. high callory, low filling items drop to the wayside very quickly. that usually means sweets and carbs but instead of targeting them you simply learn to balance a regular diet.

but that's too simple and doesn't allow for books, apps, and other things that someone can attach their name to.

As mentioned, ex-smokers and ex-drinkers, etc. have to psych themselves up to quit. I've also seen it in people going through messy divorces; they have to demonize their former partner to help initiate major changes in their life. That enertia is hard to stop once it gets rolling and often gets misdirected outward. Like the militant anti-smokers who demonizes those who choose differently than them[1], the born-again eater risks fervently alientating those around them. Terms like "wheater" are a warning sign just like "sinner", "smoker", "drinker", etc.; they are used to make their continued personal efforts easier as they demonize their "past life" to help avoid back sliding. As an ex-smoker, I saw that in myself too. Once the new patterns are cemented into place, the trait tends to moderate somewhat.

As mentioned earlier, ANYTHING can become a religion. If you want to discuss this one in more depth, point those who are interested to the appropriate (read other) site(s) and discuss to your heart's content.

A few seconds ago (speaking relative time spans here) man discovered agriculture and ruined everything. For 99.6% of our history, we thrived on a grainless existence. 9,000 years ago (the few seconds I am talking about), is when the researches note the appearance of diabetes, toothdecay, heart disease, arthritis, etc.

How is that possible when everyone knows the world is only about 6,000 years old? (Dang that religious stuff.)

 

[El Toro Joe]

I don't know...all this talk about wheat, is making me hungry for a PB & J on whole wheat bread

 

[Gyrobob]

How is it different from other low carb diets like Atkins?

it has a different guy's name associated with it and therefore a load of products to sell.

i've found simple callory control is less complex and self regulating. high callory, low filling items drop to the wayside very quickly. that usually means sweets and carbs but instead of targeting them you simply learn to balance a regular diet.

but that's too simple and doesn't allow for books, apps, and other things that someone can attach their name to.

As mentioned, ex-smokers and ex-drinkers, etc. have to psych themselves up to quit. That enertia is hard to stop once it gets rolling and often gets misdirected outward. Like the militant anti-smokers to demonize those who choose differently than them[1], the born-again eater risks fervently alientating those around them. Terms like "wheater" are a warning sign just like "sinner", "smoker", "drinker", etc.; they are used to make their continued personal efforts easier as they demonize their "past life" to help avoid back sliding.

As mentioned earlier, ANYTHING can become a religion. If you want to discuss this one in more depth, point those who are interested to the appropriate (read other) site(s) and discuss to your heart's content.

He has no products to sell.

Low calorie high carb will kill you.

It is lot simpler to just not eat anything with wheat or grains or sugars in it. Some folks say, "Well that doesn't leave anything to eat." If you can't find anything to eat if you limit yourself to meat/fish/fowl/veggies/fruit/nuts/dairy,... you are not very aware of your surroundings.

this is nothing like a religion. It is a simple understanding that grains are bad, so don't eat them. Doesn't sound very fanatical or radical or religious to me.

I found out what I was doing (eating wheat and grains and sugar) was unhealthy. I stopped eating wheat and grains and sugar and I got waaayyy healthier.

If this were religion or fanaticism there would be a sacrifice or a cost or a cult or something. All that is required is to try it for a couple of months. If for some strange reason you are immune to the normal improvements, just go back to what you were doing. No harm no foul no cost.

 

[Bounce]

a fervent belief

dogma

a desire to Prosthelytize

Hmmm...

Aside from the philosophical discussions about drivers behind behavioral change...

Like I said... We're happy you're happy. After losing 75 pounds in the past year, I understand your enthusiasm. The thread's not locked and the oportunity to point people to a discussion forum about such things remains open.

 

[str8]

If I stop eating wheat, am I going to live longer than 75 3/4 years?

Probably not. For some in the world, it would be shorter cause they would starve.

 

[Gyrobob]

I don't know...all this talk about wheat, is making me hungry for a PB & J on whole wheat bread

This is a normal reaction for a wheat/grain person. Cravings. Once you are off of wheat for a week or so, cravings go away mostly. Most folks don't understand wheat has a lot of appetite stimulants in it.

Blood sugar spikes cause all kinds of maladies. What would you think is healthier, when it comes to blood sugar spikes,... a Snickers bar or two slices of whole wheat bread?

When Dr Davis made the statement "Two slices of whole wheat bread will give you a more harmful blood sugar spike that a Snickers bar," I thought that was total bul***it. So, I decided to prove him wrong. I bought a cheapo glucometer at Walmart, and then ate two slices of whole wheat bread one morning, and then a Snickers bar a week or two later just to debunk such an idiotic statement. Check these two links to see how it turned out:

https://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh253/Gyrobob_theOriginal/Healthy%20Stuff/Bloodtest22Mar2012.jpg

https://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh253/Gyrobob_theOriginal/Healthy%20Stuff/SnickersBloodSugarTest01.jpg

I report,. ... you decide.

 

[Gyrobob]

a fervent beliefdogma

a desire to Prosthelytize

Hmmm...

Aside from the philosophical discussions about drivers behind behavioral change...

Like I said... We're happy you're happy. After losing 75 pounds in the past year, I understand your enthusiasm. The thread's not locked and the oportunity to point people to a discussion forum about such things remains open.

This is way more than just weight loss. Yeah, I lost maybe 10 or 15 pounds, the other changes are huge.

For example, my 66 year old neck with the beginnings of arthritis was beginning to be a safety problem when riding motorcycles in traffic, and when flying gyrocopters in traffic patterns.

-- Both those situations require your head to be on a swivel to make sure you know everything that is going on around you,... that no one is going run you over

-- After a few months of being wheat free, my neck feels like it did in my 30's.

-- This is the safety aspect of it.

The day-to-day niceness is quite a factor as well. No more achy joints, no more lower back stiffness either. Sleeping is more comfortable with comfy joints. Wheat is very inflammatory and has quite a worsening effect on old-guy joints.

Yes, I do come close to proselytizing sometimes, but my motives are genuine. Anyone who reads these posts can either try it or not. If they try it the right way (it's really simple), they'll feel a lot better. If they do actually try it, they don't have to spend any money, go to any meetings, sign up for anything, etc. All they have to do is stop eating wheat and other grains. If they blow it off,... ain't no never mind to me,.. I just feel a little bad that they deny themselves some pretty nice improvements.

 

[Fred W]

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

That is just crazy talk.

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

Generally the harm from beer comes from it being brewed from wheat, and most beers are rather carbish. There are a few brands that, while brewed from grains, aren't all the harmful. Red Bridge is one brand I can remember,.. there are several others. You can't be guzzling down six-packs though, the carb load will add a beer belly to your wheat belly.

The vast majority of beer has no wheat in it, excepting those described as "wheat" or weisens. The primary ingredients in beer are: malted barley, water, hops and yeast. Beer that conforms to the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity decree) can have no additional ingredients. Other sources of starch can be added to supplement the barley malt's, but they are considered adjuncts. Wheat (even when malted) has very little in the way of diastatic enzymes which are integral in the mashing process to convert starches to sugar. No sugar means no fermentation food for those hungry yeasts, means no beer.

I would never for a moment consider a diet (or lifestyle change if you prefer) that dictates that one couldn't enjoy beer now and then. I'd much prefer to die young.

 

[Gyrobob]

If I stop eating wheat, am I going to live longer than 75 3/4 years?
Probably not. For some in the world, it would be shorter cause they would starve.

Good points.

You will live longer, but no one can predict how much.

It is really unfortunate that so many areas of the world are wholly dependent on grains. It's understandable because grain scientists have made it really cheap and easy to grow. Yes, people would die from starvation if they had no grains. It's a shame they can't have something healthier to eat.

Here in this part of the world, we have zillions of choices of what to eat. The key is to just not eat the bad stuff. Wheat/grains/sugars are very bad stuff. Just stick to simple, single ingredient food.

 

[Gyrobob]

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

That is just crazy talk.

I hear from my wife all the time that beer is bad for me...should I stop drinking it?

Generally the harm from beer comes from it being brewed from wheat, and most beers are rather carbish. There are a few brands that, while brewed from grains, aren't all the harmful. Red Bridge is one brand I can remember,.. there are several others. You can't be guzzling down six-packs though, the carb load will add a beer belly to your wheat belly.

The vast majority of beer has no wheat in it, excepting those described as "wheat" or weisens. The primary ingredients in beer are: malted barley, water, hops and yeast. Beer that conforms to the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity decree) can have no additional ingredients. Other sources of starch can be added to supplement the barley malt's, but they are considered adjuncts. Wheat (even when malted) has very little in the way of diastatic enzymes which are integral in the mashing process to convert starches to sugar. No sugar means no fermentation food for those hungry yeasts, means no beer.

I would never for a moment consider a diet (or lifestyle change if you prefer) that dictates that one couldn't enjoy beer now and then. I'd much prefer to die young.

Barley counts as wheat. Hops are not grains, technically, but they have much the same effect.

No one said you could not have a beer now and then,.. and no one said you had to die young.

 

[str8]

Mmmm. I love beer. I think I'm addicted.

Can't wait till tonite.

 

[Fred W]

Barley counts as wheat. Hops are not grains, technically, but they have much the same effect.
No one said you could not have a beer now and then,.. and no one said you had to die young.

Why does barley count as wheat? I thought it was just the genetically re-engineered wheat that is so evil. Is it just all grains that have to be eliminated? That doesn't seem to be what he says.

Hops are a flower, nothing like a grain, and they contribute no carbohydrates to the final beer, only flavoring oils and compounds. Hop tea has zero calories.

The doctor that came up with this theory says that you cannot eat any wheat. None. It is just too addictive, he says, though he doesn't seem to explain how or why it is any more addictive than any other food. All food is addictive.

If barley is considered as wheat in his theory, then that means you can't have beer.

As for me dying young... it's too late. I don't consider myself a young man.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I bet there are alot of blood sugar thingies in your gyrosbob.

BTW, I like your calm posts...even when a few of us poke atcha. Some people seem to get a burst aorta if you hint that they might not be as manly as they think they are.

I'm glad that this stuff helped you out...

...I just don't want to hear later that you've gone all Amway on us.