[jwags]

Just read Dana's blog on Hold the Toast. She reviews Dr William Davis's book, "Wheat Belly". Now, I think this may be a book I need to get. Even someone like Dana Carpender who has spent her life writing nutritious recipes can learn something new. At the end she says she may have to go back and redo a lot of her recipes that have wheat products in them.

Why is this carbohydrate different from all the others? | HoldTheToast! by Dana Carpender

 

[Shalynne]

Excellent. I really appreciate her acknowledgement of the hold that wheat has in our culture. Were that hold not so strong, our lives as low-carbing diabetics would be exponentially easier.

A couple of months ago, I was forced to conclude that my biggest problems with carbs and boluses came primarily from wheat products. Despite careful counting, my bolus reactions were random. Any spikes from one meal would persist for up to a week ... or more. Not true with non-wheat carbs.

Other symptoms also arose, both physical and emotional. We'll draw a considerate curtain on them.

I strongly believe it's the increased use of wheat and the changes in the plants themselves, combined with high-fructose corn syrup in everything, that really caused the rise in obesity -- not our behaviors. (Obesity can make exercise much more difficult. But we are told it's the other way around.)

I also hold those factors to blame for the fact that my diabetes is so much more severe than that of the elders in my family. It also came well ahead of "schedule."

 

[jwags]

I was reading another one of her blogs and recently she was dx'd with AHHD at the age of 52. She talked about the connection between this and wheat. Also diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimers. Mom mom has parkinsons and severe osteperosis. In her 70's she realised she was gluten sensitive, but she didn't give up all wheat products just some. I have read that many people who are celiac have a hard time absorbing calcium. I wonder if that might have been part of her problem. I have given up most wheat because of low carb but still eat some of my Flat Out Tortillas and WASA crackers which are mainly rye, though.

 

[fgummett]

Tom Naughton also posted a review of Wheat Belly on his Fat Head blog...

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And Dr Davis was also recently on Jimmy Moore's Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb podcast... 495: Marla ‘Fly Lady’ Cilley Goes Low-Carb And Dr. William Davis Releases ‘Wheat Belly’...

 

[fgummett]

I love the footnote to Dana's post...

I have read that missionaries to the Inuit had to deal with teaching the Lord’s Prayer to people who had no clue what bread was. Apparently the translation they came up with was “Give us this day our daily fish.” Sounds like an improvement to me.

 

[jwags]

Yes, that was a good one. I do think Dana is like a lot of us. We grew up thinking bread was the center of our culture. I remember growing up bread was always on the table. Now, to learn that the very basis of Americans diet could be causing injury is worrisome. Those of us who low carb know how much our bgs are without wheat. But we are told by our dieticians and doctors we are crazy. It is nice to have some science to back us up.

 

[Shalynne]

Tom Naughton also posted a review of Wheat Belly on his Fat Head blog...

---

And Dr Davis was also recently on Jimmy Moore's Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb podcast... 495: Marla ‘Fly Lady’ Cilley Goes Low-Carb And Dr. William Davis Releases ‘Wheat Belly’...

Just committed Grand Purchase Kindle.

Last week, we were out at a local festival. For the first time, I really noticed all the bellies walking around. A solid majority, it seemed -- no pun intended. (Please Note: I am in no position to criticize anyone on their belly or lack thereof. Just observation.)

And yet, we -- diabetics and non-, alike -- are always urged to eat lots and lots of "whole grain." What an atrocity! And yeah, I use that word judiciously.

I once thought no one in my family had actually died from diabetes-related causes, except for a great-grandmother who was placed on a starvation diet in the early 20th C. But her daughter, my grandmother, did succumb to Alzheimer's complications in the early 21st.

 

[Patdart]

Thanks to both of you for this posting. I had thought it might be a quackery book, but I'm gonna get it on iPAD and probably will read it straight thru. I read her blog entry about ADHD and it fit me pretty well and scared me about the dementia part. I need to read this book quickly. As a very low carber I have almost taken wheat out of my diet, but I do eat a rare 'fold over' sandwich and need to pay more attention to my little cheats it seems. So big thanks, Jwagw and Frank!

 

[moon]

Just committed Grand Purchase Kindle.

I did too - and he had me in the Intro talking about pics of all our skinny parents and grandparents and how it wasn't about exercise since exercise was considered unseemly, like having impure thoughts at church - LOL!

 

[jwags]

When my daughter was in high school I would drop her off and pick her up everyday. I would sit there and watch all the student depart the school. I was amazed at how many had the huge bellies, too. Even kids who are fairly athletic don't have the same bodies as athletes years ago. If you watch any old movies, especially the black and white ones you notice how the body shape has changed. I'm sure before diabetes most of us thought our diet was fairly healthy, but I did have that belly too. I just recently flattened it a bit. I did notice on vacation, I slipped up on my LC diet because we were eating out every meal. Of course I gave in to the bread on the table. Whenever I gain weight it goes to my belly first.

 

[Shanny]

I seem to have slept through this discussion, but I'm so glad it's here & I'll be reading Wheat Belly as soon as I lay hands on a copy. I do love Dana Carpender's style of writing & was tickled at her closing comment about the Lord's Prayer.

Thanks loads for the OP, Jeanne - and for the additional reviews, Frank.

 

[Shalynne]

Free Kindle software's available for the PC, too. (Many other e-readers do that, too.) That's how I read my stuff. Cheaper, too, than books from trees!

 

[Daytona]

I'm hoping she redoes one of her big recipe books (like the 1001 compilation) with all grain free versions!

I read Wheat Belly after I had already been eliminating grains because they just didn't play nice with my BG. I bought a second copy to give out to friends and family along with The Paleo Solution. I think I am turning into a zealot...

 

[wdmama]

I've been wanting to read Wheat Belly Just got the 500 More from DC from the library for new ideas.

 

[naynay]

I will have to download to my Nook and read this book. Sounds really good and true. I know the carbs, refined or whole grain, have kept my belly round. I do exercise (mostly because I do enjoy it. I do Zumba which is a combination of aerobics and Latin dance), but no matter what I do, the belly just stays round. I am hoping low carbing and high fat diet will help curb the body-belly fat. I worry so much about that because it is the worst place to carry fat. My endo told me to eat like the Paleo diet (believe it or not!) and I'm trying my best. I do have to ask however, she told me all nuts except peanuts. Does anyone have the answer to why not peanuts? Also, does anyone else have a bad reaction with their bg's with natural peanut butter? I think I have to eliminate it from my diet (and I LOVE peanut butter) because I am getting high numbers with it. Had some on an apple this morning for breakfast (only because it was quick and I was running late for work). I think I will have to either start keeping a carton of eggs at work in the frig or preparing night before and heating up at work. Even an apple is causing rise to the bg's right now...darn it! I do love fruit, but obviously even the low glycemic fruits are bothering me right now. Oh well...veggies and fat and protein...that will have to be it for now.

 

[naynay]

Does taking the Levemir at night help with DP in the morning? Just curious

 

[Shalynne]

Reading Wheat Belly now ...

Please Note: He does talk, repeatedly, about curing Type 2 diabetes through a wheat-free diet. His concept of a cure is that complications reverse and meds are no longer needed -- not that patients can go back to their old diets. (His point is that modern wheat is poison for everyone. I agree.) But for many -- perhaps most -- of us, even this level of cure-talk is unrealistic.

BUT ... I think his analysis and evaluation of wheat is Right On, with complex scientific data written clearly and simply. Overall, the book's a keeper.

 

[moon]

Even an apple is causing rise to the bg's right now...darn it!

I feel your pain. Seriously. I resisted giving up fruit, man did I. What broke me was when 1/2 grapefruit spiked me 50 points and I figured the fight wasn't worth it. When out though, I shamelessly savor a small bite from someone else's plate

This weekend I was at friends for dinner and they had a bowl of cherries out. I had one. I used to eat bags (and bags) of them. First cherry in a year and it was divine. But I realized not being able to keep munching in the bowl was okay, and that felt great.

 

[naynay]

I know what you mean Moon. Isn't it sad that just a single cherry can only be eaten? And yet cherries have many great health benefits; however those benefits do not outweigh the downfall for a diabetic.
I thank you for the encouragement on another discussion here regarding spaghetti squash. My hubby didn't mind it, but I think I undercooked it as it was crunchy. But, overall okay. I am trying to be extremely diligent with all this, and sometimes it is quite difficult because I just want something to munch on and I'm still so new to all this that I don't know what is safe and what is not in many foods. I'll get it figured out. I also am trying to see what will work for me with my Dawn Phenom. I've tried a few things that have not worked, and I'm wondering if I should switch to using the Levemir at night before bed rather than in the morning after waking, but before breakfast. That is another thing too; I don't want to take two shots at the same time, so if I do Levemir in the morning, then I am following up with a shot of Humulog right away. I have to eat to stop the rise of bg's in the morning, but is it okay to take two shots around the same time? I guess that is something I need to ask the endo. I am going to have to start preparing things at night that I can grab in the morning because I'm not what you would call the most "together" person in the morning! I'm definitely a night owl. hahahaha But thanks for the encouragement and the support.

 

[Shanny]

Naynay? The thing about peanuts is that they aren't truly a nut - they're a legume & legumes can be spikey for some of us. I do pretty well with peanut butter unless I go overboard, and that's easy for me to do. A trick I use is to mix a little dairy butter in with the peanut butter which dilutes the peanuts part but still gives me a nice thick spread on my GG crispbread. Check your PB to make sure there isn't anything added that might be spiking you - since you said "natural peanut butter", I would think not, but who knows?