Wheat Belly: Is It Just Atkins?

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  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,789 Member
    Pretty interesting article on carbs ............the conclusion

    "
    Conclusion

    I hope you can see by now that the carbohydrate hypothesis of obesity is not only incorrect on a number of levels, but it may even be backward. The reason why obesity and metabolism researchers don't typically subscribe to this idea is that it is contradicted by a large body of evidence from multiple fields. I understand that people like ideas that "challenge conventional wisdom", but the fact is that obesity is a complex state and it will not be shoehorned into simplistic hypotheses.

    Carbohydrate consumption per se is not behind the obesity epidemic. However, once overweight or obesity is established, carbohydrate restriction can aid fat loss in some people. The mechanism by which this occurs is not totally clear, but there is no evidence that insulin plays a causal role in this process. Carbohydrate restriction spontaneously reduces calorie intake (as does fat restriction to a lesser extent), suggesting the possibility that it alters body fat homeostasis, but there is no compelling evidence that that happens due to a hormonal influence on fat tissue itself. The brain is the primary homeostatic regulator of fat mass, just as it homeostatically regulates blood pressure, breathing rate, and body temperature. This has been suspected since the early brain lesion studies of the 1940s (47) and even before, and the discovery of leptin in 1994 cemented leptin's role as the main player in body fat homeostasis. In some cases, the setpoint around which the body defends these variables can be changed (e.g., hypertension, fever, and obesity). Research is ongoing to understand how this process work"

    http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.ca/2011/08/carbohydrate-hypothesis-of-obesity.html
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    I read the book, Wheat Belly. It starts out saying that wheat is bad then, as the book goes on, all carbs are bad and will cause obesity and diabetes. Starches are then called bad, along with bananas and most fruits are limited as too sugary.

    I'm frustrated. Honestly, I had never even heard of the book until a neighbor mentioned it.

    But, i bought the book. I also bought the cookbook and tried baking the non-wheat bread. I can only describe it as a total waste of calories. Totally tasteless. The second loaf was better - edible, but lacking in any real flavor.

    Foods listed as good are nuts, veggies, meats (except processed), their non-wheat non-starch organic recipe foods, cheese and minimal fruits.

    Years ago I read Harvey and Marilyn Diamond's Fit for Life, at the behest of my SIL. that one started off saying it was a simple plan with few restrictions, but ended up being mostly vegetarianism with some food combining thrown in and info about "hygiene" which was essentially about pooping. My gut tells me that Wheat Belly is an Atkins clone.

    Can anyone tell me if wheat elimination has helped them and what extent do you choose to go to? GF? Total elimination of starch, wheat and the whole smash?

    What does gluten free mean to you?

    While I've never been into the Atkins/low carb thing, I did read Wheat Belly and liked it. I decided to cut back on wheat and wow, it definitely did make a difference for me personally. All of my bloat disappeared and my red, acne prone skin has cleared up. I still eat it occasionally, but it's not a daily thing anymore. I eat a primal leaning diet now, with a focus on meat, eggs, veggies and then smaller amounts of dairy, fruit, nuts etc. Works for me :)

    Also, I don't try to make/find substitutes for wheat products-I cut them out and just eat different things. I don't miss bread, pasta etc at all and have no desire to eat them. I love how I eat now :)

  • Well, I am going to stick with a wise MFP friend's mantra, which is: "If you can't do it for a week, what makes you think you can do it for a lifetime."


    Good bye, Wheat Belly. I am going back to my own plan. Move a lot, eat less. After I have a freaking piece of cheesecake.

    That is a good way to go, IMO! I dug up some Weston A. Price Foundation stuff years ago and it started me on a "omg, food is killing me," journey. I was never as intense about it as some of the members, and it only took me a few months to drop WAPF specifically, but it did make me more concious of what I was eating. After 3 or so years of reading blogs, science papers, etc I've come to the conclusion that there is no perfect diet. There are some good basic guidelines (less processed foods) but stressing out about rather or not everything you eat is perfect is probably a waste. You are pretty much assuming that your favorite blog/book/podcast/etc knows what it's talking about.

    If I ever find time for a microbiology degree with a human anatomy concentration, then maybe I'll be able to say that diet A is better than diet B.

  • Carbohydrate restriction spontaneously reduces calorie intake (as does fat restriction to a lesser extent), suggesting the possibility that it alters body fat homeostasis, but there is no compelling evidence that that happens due to a hormonal influence on fat tissue itself.

    The less carbs = less calories, MFP shows me that! I tend to eat lower carb, but with a family of diabetics it seems like a good move for me (specifcally simple carbs, but I do eat some startches, complex grains, etc). Whenever I do get something, like a crossant, I'm always surprised by the calorie count. There are some low-carb foods I like that have high calories, but it does seem a bit crazy that a airy flower based snack has more carbs than half a cup of nut based trail mix. Eatting the one that makes me feel full means I eat less. That aspect of "lower" carb is easier to find logical. Just the simple calorie counting aspect.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    tried baking the non-wheat bread
    See, I don't generally like the 'make fake versions of stuff you're trying not to' have principle personally. I have been doing a pseudo primal approach and mostly trying to cut significantly down on wheat and sugar. Primal at least doesn't have to be low carb to the extent that atkins is low carb as you can eat fruits, veggies (including starchy tubers) and I would generally prefer potatoes to bread anyway. I think I feel somewhat better on this approach but I haven't really been doing it perfectly so I'm not sure what the difference would be if I eliminated wheat completely. I will say cutting wheat and sugar and focusing on animal products/protein/whole fruits and veggies makes the most intuitive sense to me of any diet I've seen.

    As for Wheat Belly, I haven't read the wheat belly book so I can't say whether it is just atkins revisited, but I understand there are a good number of people with undiagnosed gluten intolerance and some find that cutting out wheat helps. If reducing carbs keeps reappearing it might be because it works. I found GCBC fairly convincing on that front, but I also enjoy Dr. Lustig's presentation and he put the blame entirely on sugar, rather than carbs in general.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    I am GF and DF because eating either makes me inflate like a hot air balloon..but it doesn't mean by default I eat low carb or no bread type products at all. I do eat the GF counterparts. Udi's is an amazing brand for GF stuff IMO
  • frugalafterfifty
    frugalafterfifty Posts: 240 Member
    bumping to check out the websites later
  • Gearjammer71
    Gearjammer71 Posts: 151 Member
    I had a problem, that I won't be too specific about, (Very Gross) but I had to cut the wheat out. I went cold turkey, and suffered for more than a week. Problem is gone now, pounds are dropping, and I feel great.
  • justtodayjen333
    justtodayjen333 Posts: 142 Member
    I only eat organic kale rinsed in mountain spring reverse osmosis water, but only the kind that came in biodegradable water bottles.

    He mentioned kale! I like it deep fried in bacon grease and topped with cream cheese and coconut oil! Organic, of course!

    Cracking up over all this kale talk! LOL!:)
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I got on the scale today. I was down again (5 lbs total).

    HOWEVER, my scale measures fat vs. lean. I have been tracking it for months and up until this week, my fat has been going down while the lean was going up.

    Since I started with the wheat free, low carb thing, I have noticed little changes and today it was apparent. Over the last five days I have lost 5 lbs in LEAN MASS and my fat has stayed the same.

    Done. I am DONE with this. I am going back to eating the way I was before this Wheat Belly crap.

    Quackery.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    I wrote this a while back. I hate posting things like this on the forums because of trolls. I truly believe we have a gluten epidemic, not a carb one. There are a ton of wonderful recipes out there. I found a bunch on pinterest. That website has been a life saver. I dont think carbs in general are bad but its the ones you choose to eat. I pretty much only eat rice and corn these days.

    This is what I posted.

    Gluten Sensitivity - Do you have it?
    Recent studies have shown that it is estimated around 30%- 50% of the population could have some form or a gluten sensitivity. It is way too early to tell at this point as their are not many tests to find out. The best way to find out are with a AGA-IgA and the AGG-IgG blood test. I have it and didn't know for the last 33 years! Here are the symptoms which I have 90% of them.

    Diarrhea and/or constipation
    Abdominal pain and/or heartburn
    Bloating
    Fatigue
    Brain fog
    Anemia
    Joint pain
    Rashes
    Depression and/or anxiety
    Weight gain weight loss and
    Inability to lose weight
    Inability to gain weight
    Teeth problems (yellow and frequent cavities even when you brush and floss all the time)
    Psoriasis, eczema, hives or skin rashes
    Missed periods (seems to be more prevalent in pcos women too)
    Being super itchy

    Elevated AGA-IgG levels are found in about 10% of the overall population, and frequently are seen in other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. This study is only estimates 10% of the population simply because the rest of the 20-40% are unaware they have the sensitivity and have not been tested for it.

    Some people think its because of how processed wheat is these days and the types of strains we have verses the types that were unadulterated we ate 100 years ago. Every single time I eat gluten I gain 3-4 pound overnight. I still eat it as I am a baker but limiting it has helped me dramatically with weight loss and my energy levels. At this point if I do eat a large amount of gluten I feel so bad and have such an energy dip I can barely keep my eyes open for a few hours, I get a flare up with my psoriasis, constipation, I get SUPER itchy and my stomach hurts.

    I guess a lot of people think "carbs are bad" and the only diet that works for them is Adkins. People, its NOT the carbs, its the gluten!!!! Carbs are actually good for you! You can still have rice, potatoes and even gluten free baked goods! Trust me on this. Try it for a week. I have psoriasis and within a week of cutting out the gluten it got like 70% better. It almost disappeared! What can it hurt?

    So yes, gluten free or low gluten diets can help with weight loss if you have the sensitivity.


    Sources:
    http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/How-Many-People-Have-Gluten-Sensitivity.htm
    http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/symptomsofceliacdisease/a/Gluten-Allergy-Symptoms.htm
    http://gluten.lovetoknow.com/Gluten_Intolerance_and_Losing_Weight
    http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Sensitivity-Testing.htm
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Human nature says " because I have lost 40 lbs. What I am doing is superior to what you are doing". I don't necessarily buy into the idea that " everyone is different " but, I do think our personalities and environments make us different. In the end, what works for me may not work for you, not because we are physically or biologically different, but because we are psychologically and environmentally different. I also think we have to take a really honest look at sustainability in our diet. I am sure I could work any method for a period of time, but if I am honest with myself, a restrictive diet isn't sustainable for me. So even though I may believe another method " could " be superior, I'm not going to do it because I can't do it forever. Are there things that are not as healthy for me? I am sure there are, but I refuse to make any food the boogie man. For me, there is a line that I am unwilling to cross. Even the healthiest on here, there are others who do more, eat better, work harder etc. We will never be perfect. I am just gonna do the best I can.
    "
  • SnicciFit
    SnicciFit Posts: 967 Member
    I guess a lot of people think "carbs are bad" and the only diet that works for them is Adkins. People, its NOT the carbs, its the gluten!!!! Carbs are actually good for you! You can still have rice, potatoes and even gluten free baked goods! Trust me on this. Try it for a week. I have psoriasis and within a week of cutting out the gluten it got like 70% better. It almost disappeared! What can it hurt?

    YES! People think carbs are only in bread & pasta. I get that all the time: "so you don't eat ANY carbs??!!!". Um... I eat fruits & veggies...
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Human nature says " because I have lost 40 lbs. What I am doing is superior to what you are doing". I don't necessarily buy into the idea that " everyone is different " but, I do think our personalities and environments make us different. In the end, what works for me may not work for you, not because we are physically or biologically different, but because we are psychologically and environmentally different. I also think we have to take a really honest look at sustainability in our diet. I am sure I could work any method for a period of time, but if I am honest with myself, a restrictive diet isn't sustainable for me. So even though I may believe another method " could " be superior, I'm not going to do it because I can't do it forever. Are there things that are not as healthy for me? I am sure there are, but I refuse to make any food the boogie man. For me, there is a line that I am unwilling to cross. Even the healthiest on here, there are others who do more, eat better, work harder etc. We will never be perfect. I am just gonna do the best I can.
    "
    Fantastic Post I totally agree
  • charleyreedto175
    charleyreedto175 Posts: 60 Member
    I have read the Wheat belly book cover to cover over the past year. I took the cook book from the library and selected 10 breakfast menu's 10 lunch and 10 dinner meals. They are foods that I like and follow the Wheat belly plan to the letter. I use whole and natural foods. Real veggies, real meat 3 days chicken, 2 days fish, one day no meat and one day eat what I want. At three weeks into this diet I am now at 37 pounds down and 5 inches off my waist. Yes the food is good, the exercise is harder and I am working my butt off. The result is the diet works