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Wheat Belly Compare?
QUICK FACTS
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BACKGROUND
PRO
CON
DIET and NUTRITION
EXERCISE
CONCLUSION
Common Misspellings
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Wheat Belly?
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Wheat Belly Diet Review (UPDATED 2024): Don't Buy Before You Read This!
Can eliminating all wheat from your diet really solve your weight and health problems?
Top Rated Diets of 2024What is it?
The Wheat Belly Diet is a weight loss diet that claims wheat is the biggest reason why people are overweight. Information about this diet is available in the official book, which is said to contain cutting edge information about the science of nutrition.
It’s also suggested that wheat can cause not just obesity, but other harmful effects such as high blood pressure, rashes, inflammation, and more. The book also mentions how the obesity epidemic in the United States is not caused by a lack of self-control, but with eating whole grains. In reviewing many kinds of diets our review experts have found the most effective for weight loss is the 18Shake Diet. This diet offers an appetite suppressing meal replacement and a fat burning diet pill. When combined they help to increase weight loss benefits without the use of stimulants or artificial ingredients. Learn more about the 18Shake Diet by visit the link cited here.
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Wheat Belly Diet Ingredients and Side Effects
The diet calls for people to stop eating the following:
• Any wheat based product. This includes noodles, bagels, muffins, doughnuts pancakes, and any form of bread. Also banned are tortillas, cornstarch, gravy, chips, tortillas, candies, soft drinks, and oatmeal.
• Fried or fast foods, hydrogenated fats, and cured meats.
• Sucrose, honey, agave syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. This also effectively bans certain types of fruit juices and soda.
• Gluten-free foods, fat-free, or low-fat dressings.
• Rice flour, potato products, pretzels, rice cereals, and white bread.
The following are allowed in limited amounts:
• Fruit with no more than 2 servings a day. The preferred fruits are melons, apple, nectarines citrus, berries and peaches. It’s advised to limit mangoes, bananas, grapes and pineapple.
• Only a serving of dairy products of any kind.
• Limit of 40 grams of dark chocolate with 70 to 85% cacao.
• Sugar free foods that arestevia based instead of aspartame based.
• Only 2 to 4 ounces of real fruit juice.
• Sweet potatoesyams, brown or white rice, soy, legumes, and beans.
Our review experts have crafted a comprehensive list of the highest rated weight loss diets.
The diet cautions for people not to eat gluten-free versions of the banned foods. Instead it’s advised to eat unlimited raw nuts, vegetables, grass-fed or sustainably raised meat, full fat cheese, and ground flaxseed.
Limited quantities of chia, quinoa, millet, amaranth, and beans are allowed once one stops eating wheat. This type of diet limits many kinds of unhealthy and high calorie foods, and it’s possible that this alone will cause weight loss, but it may be hard to sustain. A Dr. Melinda Ratini says:
“If you lose weight on the Wheat Belly Diet, it will likely be from making healthy food choices and not because you shunned gluten. There is no scientificevidence that foods with gluten cause more weight gain than other foods”
Other issues of this diet are outlined by Web MD:
“The Wheat Belly Diet is not particularly easy to follow… Banishing food groups is not recommended unless there is scientific evidence to back that decision up. And there is no prof that gluten is the bad guy in the obesity epidemic”
Therefore, the evidence shows that there is no reason to adopt this kind of diet. It can be difficult to stop eating all the foods the diet bans and limits. When making severe restrictions of dietary choices, it can make a diet difficult to follow. This can cause one to crave many unhealthy foods which make it hard to sustain for the entirety. This diet is recommended to be followed as a lifelong strategy. It can also be difficult to eat out as food choices are limited.
For a list of the highest rated weight loss diets, click on the link cited here.
EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this diet with a proven meal replacement such as 18 Shake for better results.
Wheat Belly Diet Quality of Ingredients
Many unhealthy and high calorie foods are banned on this diet. It limits foods which are known to be nutritionally weak as well. While this can lead to weight loss, it’s difficult to uphold due to the severe restrictions.
No evidence supports the idea that wheat causes weight gain however. A clinical review by the Journal of Cereal Science found:
“No data justified negativeopinionabout whole-wheatproducts in a healthy population”
“we conclude that whole-wheat consumption cannot be linked to increasedprevalence of obesity in the general population”
It’s clear from all the science available that there is no need to follow a diet like this. Click the link cited here for a comprehensive listing of the top ranked weight loss diets.
Wheat alone and the other foods which are banned are not enough to guarantee weight loss. It’s possible by limiting these kinds of foods that one won’t eat a high amount of calories, but it’s only because of calories and not due to the wheat.
The Price and Quality of Wheat Belly Diet
The book sells for $9.52 on Amazon.com. Other costs would go towards the foods one will have to cook. It’s possible that by limiting so many kinds of foods and allowing mostly vegetables, nuts, and organic and grass fed meats that one will be consuming less calories. This may lead to weight loss if one makes sure not to overeat.
However, there’s nothing in wheat that would cause weight gain if eaten in moderation. Many claims are made by the Wheat Belly Diet which has been disproven.
It can become expensive to have to keep purchasing organic and grass fed meats, as they are much more costly than regular meats.
Business of Wheat Belly Diet
The diet was created by a Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist. Since he deals with disorders of the heart, it’s unclear how he determined that the Wheat Belly Diet would be a solution to weight loss.
The doctor has been criticized for making unverified claims about wheat causing weight gain. There have been complaints that the doctor only uses what’s known as anecdotal evidence, which means certain people have claimed to have benefited but without any science to back it up.
One review on the doctor’s claims by St. Catherine University showed:
“Davis also claims that elimination of wheat from the diet results in the cure of many conditions, from diabetes to rashes. Nearly all the conditions he claims are made better by wheat removal are also improved by weight loss”
The review suggests that because the diet limits and removes high calorie foods, it’s possible any cure of illness is due to a reduced risk of obesity and not because wheat is bad for the body.Our review experts have compiled a listing of the highest ranked weight loss diets.
EDITOR’S TIP: The top 10 list of the best diets is available here.
Customer Opinions of Wheat Belly Diet
Here are some direct quotes taken from customer reviews:
“think it will be difficult for most people to follow consistently for a long time”
“Sections of the book amount to propaganda, fallacies, and unsubstantiated claims”
“people are setting themselves up for massive failure if they think they can adhere to the strict Wheat Belly diet”
“You are left with a pedestrian low carb diet”
People often mentioned that the diet was far too restrictive to be followed without either failing, or taking the joy out of eating. There were also concerns from people who felt that the claimed science is not actually legitimate.
Some customers didn’t understand why there were healthy foods such as fruits which are considered unhealthy by this diet. Many users also complained about it being hard to make meals with the limited food selection. This made it hard for many to eat out and enjoy foods that aren’t created at home.Discover which weight loss diets were ranked as the best for weight loss via the link here.
Conclusion - Does Wheat Belly Diet Work?
The Wheat Belly Diet calls for eliminating, limiting, and instead using more whole foods that are unprocessed. This diet can be healthy much like other similar diets which only allow few kinds of foods. No science has proven any of the claims made by this diet, such as the idea that wheat is a cause of health issues and obesity. Certain people with gluten allergies might benefit from avoiding these kinds of foods, but this is in a limited amount of the population. Clinical studies and reviews from real nutritionists and health experts have concluded that this diet makes unjustified claims.
Our review experts have found that out of all the diets available, the 18Shake Diet was the most effective for weight loss. It offers an appetite suppressing meal replacement and a fat burning diet pill. This helps to maximize weight loss by increasing metabolism, boosting energy, and aiding calorie burning, and providing many well-rounded health benefits. It has only natural ingredients with no added preservatives, colors, fillers, binders, or cheap thickeners.
Users of the 18Shake Diet have also left positive testimonials and reviews on the official website. Discover more information about the benefits of the 18Shake Diet by visiting the link here.
- Product Name
- User Rating
- Easy to follow
- Cheap Price
- Fast Results
QUICK FACTS
Start the Diet Now Advertisement
- Established: 2011
- Founder: Dr. William Davis
- Accessibility: Book
- Diet Type: Wheat-free, gluten-free
- Gender: Male and female
Do You Know the Best Diet Pills of 2024?
BACKGROUND
Wheat Belly is a new book written by Dr. William Davis that shows you how to lose weight through eliminating wheat. Dr. Davis is a renowned cardiologist who has witnessed over 2,000 patients regaining their health after eliminating wheat from their diet completely. As a result, Dr. Davis has written Wheat Belly to serve as a step by step guide to living a lifestyle without wheat. This book can be used by both men and women and includes cutting edge science and nutrition ifnormation. The book covers wheat as the unhealthy whole grain and talks about how the wheat we eat now is not the same wheat our grandparents ate.
Wheat Belly singles out wheat as the most destructive ingredient to our modern health. Wheat is blamed for the rise in type 2 diabetes, cataracts, wrinkles, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and a host of other diseases. By simply eliminating wheat from your diet, it is suggested that you will be able to quickly lose weight, think more clearly, sleep better and reduce your chances of several diseases.
PRO
- Highlights the benefits of eliminating wheat
- Many people have improved their health using the methods in this book
- Makes a clear connection between eating wheat and several diseases that are on the rise
- Following a wheat-free diet can yield quick weight loss results
- Several success stories available
- Book written by an experienced cardiologist
- Talks in-depth about modern wheat
CON
- Giving up wheat completely will take effort
- Book only offers one point of view where wheat is concerned
- Information directly contradicts recommendations for whole grain given by the USDA
- Gives the impression that eliminating wheat is the only solution
DIET and NUTRITION
Wheat Belly is all about eliminating all wheat from you diet in order to improve your health, lose weight and lower your chances of getting several diseases. Dr. Davis offers several examples of patients he has tested this program on and the health improvements they have experienced. Because wheat is included in foods more than sugar, fat or salt, it will be difficult to adjust to not having it at all. There is an extensive list of the types of food that contain wheat as well as those that don’t. The types of food that you will be eating after eliminating wheat are listed below:
- Dairy Products
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Cheese
- Meat
- Fish
- Soy Foods
- Legumes
- Oils
- Avocados
- Dark Chocolate
EXERCISE
There is no specific exercise program included in Wheat Belly. It is suggested that after you eliminate wheat from you diet you will have a lot more energy to do things like exercising.
CONCLUSION
Wheat Belly is a book that offers the point of view that wheat causes the majority of health and weight problems that are currently plaguing so many people. Although this style of eating may not be suitable for everyone, the suggested foods are part of a healthy diet. Dr. Davis has used this program for his patients and has seen dramatic results. If you are looking to lose weight and improve your health, you may find that giving up wheat can help you reach your goals.
Common Misspellings
wheats belly, wehat belly, wheat bellie, wehat bele
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Wheat Belly?
User Feedback
(Page 1 of 2, 26 total comments)Joy P
My elderly mother has been on the Wheat Belly Diet for almost a year, after she self-diagnosed a gluten intolerance. I am really worried about her however. Most of the calories she is consuming while following the Wheat Belly seem to be coming from red and processed meat, full fat dairy products, and alcohol. She is quite overweight, has high cholesterol, and had breast cancer in her late 40's. Bowel cancer runs in the family. However the Wheat Belly books she pours over obsessively every evening don't mention the links between the above mentioned foods and heart disease and various cancers, including breast and bowel. I would dearly love for her to move away from this diet and take a more moderate, whole-food approach to her diet, but I'm unsure how to do so without upsetting her as she is adamant that the Wheat Belly Diet is the only way to go. Any suggestions?
posted Jan 2nd, 2018 11:49 pmSherry
I am on day seven of the 10 day detox. No grains at all and no sugar. In 7 days I've lost 4 pounds. It used to take me a month to lose 4 pounds and that was with walking on the treadmill for an hour a day. It is a remarkably easy way to eat. I don't even miss grains. I am eating well, never hungry, and I don't even crave my beloved ice cream! I will check back in at the end of September to update, but so far I am thrilled.
posted Sep 1st, 2017 7:05 pmChristie
+I went off Wheat and grains about 2 years ago after a friend at Zumba swore by Dr Davis' book. It worked, I was losing weight, not starving, my knee pain was gone in 3 days, better sleep and my skin looked better. Sadly, I didn't stick with it and I really regret it. I am wheat free again as of this week. I highly recommend. I am post menopause and was warned that losing weight would be very hard, but that's not true when I follow WB/Grain free eating.
posted Apr 16th, 2016 1:13 amJohn baker
?Is it ok for Kidney Transplant patients ? I,am a kidney transplant,2 1/2 years,I as my Cordinator a bout wheat belly,she referred to the Hosp. Dietician ,oh Ido ,recommend fad diets!
Marci
After one year on the Wheat Belly Diet, 70 lb loss, I feel great! I have so much more energy, minimal migraines (now only weather related), can walk away from food once craved, and most important blood work numbers all in normal range!!! Keeping healthy is hard work but it is worth the effort !!! Dr. Davis' diet and books are informative and helps you to understand the importance of choosing the right foods to eat!!!
posted May 27th, 2015 11:16 amLiashane
+I am halfway through the book and this book does give the impression that elimination of wheat is the only option as stated as the final bullet point under the "con's" listed. As a matter of fact, he routinely comments about the elimination of sugary foods, processed foods, etc. Yes, his focus is primarily on the elimination of wheat but he in no way indicates that is the only answer on its own. The book is extremely informative and supports many assumptions I've made on my own over the years. It has been my experience that my only successful weight loss has been with a "low carb" option which often back fires (as it is now) once I "fall off of the wagon". I am listening to his book in audio form and finally feel that someone recognizes the plight I face; that food (primarily carbs) are "my crack". I am hiding "evidence" from my family, sneaking off to eat a croissant, and spending in excess on Starbucks pastries. I am excited to complete the book and hold a glimmer of hope that I can overcome this addiction.
posted Sep 16th, 2014 4:47 pmjoe
+I am halfway through the book and alot of what the Dr says makes sense, but alot is also hard to believe. I decided to try eliminating all wheat products, but not rice, beans, etc. Here's where I am really freaked out - I am a middle-aged male, 6'1" and 212 pounds. After 2.5 days (with no excercise but extreme cravings for bread) I now weigh 203.5 pounds. How is that even possible? I couldn't lose that much weight even if I was fasting. That's more than 8 pounds lost in 2.5 days! And yes, I weighed myself twice each time just to be sure. No doubt, for me it's tough giving up wheat, but this is just a one-month experiment that I've embarked upon. If I don't like it, then it's back to toast with peanut butter for me! But so far, wow - quite a weight loss in a short amount of time.
posted Sep 4th, 2014 2:31 pmFrank Shinpaugh
+I got the Wheat Belly book for my birthday 3 years ago and reluctantly and suspiciously read it 3 times. It took me 6 months to wean myself from wheat, barley,and rye. I think that it is really addictive. I lost 80 pounds in 7 months. My wife lost about 30 pounds and my daughter lost 62 pounds. We all feel great and I finally have the hang of eating correctly. Portion control is still my weakness, be it fruit or vegetable and I continue to work on that. But, I have learned to eat a balanced diet and rarely get hungry like I used to.
posted Aug 22nd, 2014 2:58 amI was able to give up my blood pressure medicine, cholesterol meds, gout pills, and a diuretic pill. I feel great and sleep great.
I am a believer in this new lifestyle. It works for me at age 65 when no other diet has ever done so, and I have tried them all.
I eat a good breakfast, a modest lunch, and a good supper. I do not find it necessary to eat after supper as I used to before this lifestyle change.
I can mow and weedeat all day if necessary, raise a garden, and generally stay a lot more physically active than I previously was able to do.
I am most pleased with the Wheat Belly book and have incorporated most of it's suggestions. I do however occasionally eat potatoes, corn, and even ice cream when I want to. I just don't do so every day. The operative term is MODERATION in all food selections. As I have come to learn you can overeat just about anything and it will be bad for you, but eat moderately and you can get away with something real good every once in a while, but no Wheat.
Stan Diehl
+I tried a wheat free/gluten free lifestyle this past July 1st and have lost 35 pounds (today is November 14th). I feel so much better, and for one instance, I no longer have acid reflux! This will be my lifestyle (I am 64) and not just a quick-fix diet. Wheat based foods, which I loved to indulge on in the past, no longer is even tempting to me (even as others eat these items in front of me) I'm FREE of being hostage to wheat.
posted Nov 14th, 2013 10:50 pmflagger
-He is a fake. He tells you to stop eating so many things, including all grains and potatoes and starches, so what you're left with has no calories and you'll go hungry and of course lose weight. You can do this by just eating less calories, but still eating all of these things. Don't by the book. A sham.
posted Oct 24th, 2013 3:15 amJohn koroloff
+Don't read anyones opinion about Dr David's book until you have read it and understand the science that supports his thesis and have tried the diet for at least 30 days...originally a super (overweight prediabetic) skeptic ... Found That appetite disappears most of the time, belly shrinks, lost 12 lbs, energy increased..this way of eating is for real
posted Jul 17th, 2013 1:46 pmK D
+Four weeks 20 pounds gone.
posted Jul 11th, 2013 3:46 amNotice the nay sayer didn't try the
diet
Kimberley Raehn
?Is eliminating wheat or gluten from my diet safe for a seizure patient and a cdiff patient? I'm a seizure patient and would like to know if it's safe.
vicki ensz
?Will the Wheat Belly diet help get rid of back fat? I know it gets rid of belly fat, but I wonder about back fat.
AMH
+I have tried every diet under the sun. NEVER have I felt this good than I have after trying Wheat Belly. It was a bit tricky to get used to in the beginning, like deciding what to have for breakfast, but once I started, I have never looked back and have continued to loose weight all the way through. I found it very hard to believe what Dr. Davis was saying would actually happen like not being hungry, but it really does happen! I decided to give it a fair try for a month and then stop if I hated it. I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I don't really care what people are saying that there is no scientific evidence, the evidence is, it's working. Period.
posted Apr 24th, 2013 7:16 amMark
I've been on Dr. Davis' plan for 90 days today. I can tell you that I can't stop looking at my stomach. For the first time in 25 years, I see ab-muscles again. Lost 18 pounds, but if it is possible, it seems it came all from my belly.
posted Apr 20th, 2013 2:56 amPlus, my energy level is noticeably improved.
Blood sugar levels are going in the right direction.
Peripheral neuropathy is disappearing from my feet.
Bottom line: I'm much healthier today than I was 90-days ago.
Bill
+I noticed a lot of these reviews are people who have been with it a month. so heres a guy thats coming up on a year:
posted Apr 17th, 2013 3:34 pmPragmatic Pros: I lost 50-60 lbs very quickly Its easy... sometimes I think (forgive me) that men do better on this diet better than women , but I like the simpleness of this thing.... no grain, no sugar period. thats easy for me. counting points and thinking about portions can be tough for me..... my cravings are gone, my appetite is in check... and my gastro problems are gone. I havent had my blood glucose checked, but Im sure its better...
Cons: making gluten free sugar free foods can be expensive .....
Restaurant eating can be tough once you get past the house salad
do I want a cupcake now and again, YES, but it passes. Yoga is lightyears easier to do with 50 less lbs. My migraines have almost been eliminated. the most common trap people make with this diet is moving to gluten free packeged products and substitutiing potatoes and rice for pasta and bread. bottom line... eliminate the packaged foods: gluten free or not. I think everytime Im looking at one: would I rather just have a baked potatoe or a cup of rice cause its pretty much the same thing. Almond flour costs a bloody fortune... im rambling.
dennis
After reading Dr. Davis' book "Wheat Belly" I wasn't impressed. It seems the premise of his book is to eliminate wheat from your diet and all of your problems are solved. You'll loose tons of weight, your blood pressure will improve, your glycemic index will improve, no more aches and pains, etc, etc. Well, if you read the book carefully you'll see that in conjunction with cutting wheat from your diet, Dr. Davis also tells you to cut corn, rice, potatoes, barley, and just about any other starch on the planet. Then he goes on to say that natural sugars, as from fruit, are also as bad - so, cut fruit. I've read in his blog where people who've told him they are not loosing the weight even though they've been on his diet for a month or more are told to FAST. Really, fast. Sorry Dr. Davis, you're a sham, a charlatan, a hoax. It seems in the end all you are telling people is to eat a heck of a lot less and you will loose wight. No kidding ?
posted Apr 2nd, 2013 4:23 pmdarcy
+I eliminated wheat products from my diet one month ago tomorrow. I was suffering from intense sharp pain in both knees. I could hardly walk. On the third day the pain was gone in my left knee and on the sixth day it was gone in my right knee. I have also suffered from "Proctalgia Fugax"(rectal pain) for the last 7 or 8 years. I just realized the other day that the pain is gone. Coincidence or what. There must be something to it and I am going to stick to it. I bought some chickpea flour today so that I can have wheat free pancakes tomorrow morning. I loved home made bread but I love being pain free a whole lot better.
posted Mar 4th, 2013 3:11 amkelly
If you read the book carefully you'll see that the Dr. also recommends cutting ANY product that includes gluten. That means, oats, rice, potatoes, etc. This would make it a basic no carb diet. Carbs are where most of the calories are in the western diet. The only think new in the book is the studies done on chemical reactions to the GM wheat we all eat now. That would include Whole Wheat.
posted Feb 15th, 2013 6:07 pm