We were jazzed to have Dr. William Davis, multi-year New York Times best-selling author of Wheat Belly come by the kitchen on his recent media blitz in support of his upcoming North American tour.
I am pretty sure you’ve all heard of the book Wheat Belly, are familiar with the benefits of kicking the wheat, and with it, the wheat belly.
I first had the opportunity to interview Dr. Davis nearly two years ago when his book first came out. He was taking a lot of heat from his fellow cardiologists for his theories about wheat and heart disease. Fast forward two years, millions of books sold and with many national TV appearances, and his colleagues aren’t laughing.
In this exclusive interview, I ask the ever-friendly, eloquent and passionate doctor some tough questions:
- How are the doctors responding to you now?
- Is the benefit to the “Wheat Belly” diet really about the wheat, or is it about gluten, or is it really just about cutting out processed food?
- Does Wheat Belly suggest that it is impossible to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan (this was really interesting!)
- Why has Wheat Belly been so heavily criticized (everything from stodgy science, a calorie-rich meal plan, use of artificial sweeteners and microwaves) and yet still the revolution continues?
- The problems with “gluten-free” foods.
- What happens to all the farmers growing wheat?
The key when we remove anything from our diet is ultimately to forget about it! The goal is to focus on all the goodness we can have, and not dwell on what we can’t. I can tell you in complete honesty — reducing my grain intake about 18 months ago had me releasing a significant amount of weight.
Also remember that diets are forever shape shifting. Part of being your own best health expert is being open to addressing what your body needs. If what Dr. Davis shared in our interview, or what he has written in his book makes sense to you, try it. Might just be that missing piece!
Dr. Davis was an absolute pleasure to chat with and I highly recommend checking out his work.
Have you ever tried cutting out wheat? What were your results? Did you stick with it? Share your story below!
17 responses to “Lose The Wheat, Lose the Weight? Really? | MeghanTV”
I am wheat free again–still trying to reduce the sugar and corn–but I’ve no longer had migraines or joint stiffness since! Haven’t yet lost any weight, but my clothes are fitting better. I tested negative on a celiac panel, but this is working for me and I’ll continue on this path from now on.
The tests only show so much- they test for one type of reaction where there are so many possible responses by the body.
I really enjoyed this video. Here is my conundrum…I became vegetarian at 13, and vegan at 20, and now at 32 I have been considering eating meat, and tried a couple of times, but I can’t stand the texture. When I bite in it is very “meaty” to my tongue that prefers more “beany” textures. I’ve also tried eggs, but the smell of cooking eggs sends me to the bathroom and I don’t like the texture of cooked eggs. (I’m very much a texture eater)
I am currently gluten-free and eat a whole-foods diet, avoiding those foods you mentioned with all the starches and such. I do have a typical vegan diet of beans, grains, fruit, veg. I would like to have a more varied diet that includes local, humanely raised meat, but I’m not sure what to do because the texture creeps me out. Any suggestions?
Have you tested you levels of stomach acid? A symptom of low stomach acid is a distaste or lack of appetite for meat- as animal based foods are so protein dense that the digestive juices need to be flowing in abundance! If you would like to start with broths- that might be a way to ease yourself back into it.
Eliminating wheat (and other grass seeds) from my diet is something I am considering. For someone who is such a bread/starch lover though, this seems impossible! My question is if I eliminate a considerable amount of wheat (and other grass seeds) from my diet but not all, will I still benefit my health, or do I have to completely remove them all from my diet?
Because of the addictive properties Dr. David talks about- your best bet for success is to eliminate all for a time and then see how you feel when you add a little back in once in a while. Keep in mind that often we crave our bodies worst poison.
What about high quality whole grains? I am still skeptical that it is necessary for health to eliminate gluten (unless you have an issue). There are so many processed products out there that have gluten in them and I agree that these are not good for health. However, I do not feel that a good quality whole grain bread or baking with an organic spelt flour are bad. Am I totally wrong? I consider these things as a part of eating whole foods.
It’s hard to say. Dr. Davis is going on one philosophy and you are likely to find as many studies that support it as oppose it. The very best way to know for sure is to try it. Give it 3 or 4 weeks and keep a food journal to see how you feel.
THIS.
WAS.
AWESOME.
So great to see this issue hitting the masses. And Meghan, great interview q’s and loving this look today :)
I discovered you several years ago, you know, when you had the long hair and dark fuzzy low res youtube videos – nevertheless they were engaging and informative, so that has never changed ;) – but you came a long way since then because you worked so hard for it. A true savvy online health entrepreneur making waves. So proud of you.
Keep inspiring. <3
-maya
Thank you Maya! Love that you’ve been with me since the frizzy lid and no-budget videos :)
I have been wheat and gluten free for over 4 years, and have a larger “wheat belly” than ever and have not lost any weight. I do eat some grains not every day- brown rice, quinoa, no breads, no pastas. I try and follow the UnDiet information and have followed Meghan for approx 2 years. Has anyone else had this problem of not losing weight or am I missing something.
The glycemic load of the foods you do eat are also very important.
HI Meghan
Thanks for sharing this with us. Question… Can we still drink wheat grass shots??
Absolutely!
I suffered for years with systemic candida and not until I cut out grain did I see a drastic improvement in my symptoms. Anti-fungals alone didn’t cut it – the paleo diet has changed my life!
Hello! great interview. However he wasn’t clear on vegetarian versus vegan. The diets really are pretty different. You were clear but he seemed to conflate the two.
[…] modern varieties of wheat contain a whole lot more of it than they used to. According to the book Wheat Belly, we’ve bred our wheat to contain so much gluten that our immune systems no longer recognize […]