Wheatbelly...? Wheat, the UNHEALTHY wholegrain?!

I'm not sure where everyone here is from, but from what I can tell, in America, Celiac disease is VERY uncommon. But in Europe, particularly Italy and Scandinavian roots, it is an extremely common disease. Since most Americans are from general European roots, I would say it's likely more than 1 out of 133 people have this disease. Where I'm from, I think the ratio is 1 out of 10 people. Gluten can cause migraines, general tummy troubles, joint pains, and pretty much anything else as Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease and your autoimmune system functions throughout your body. That's why each of us gets affected differently. Whole grains definitely DO help the human body out, but sometimes they cause problems too, just like any other food can. Wheat, rye, and barely all have gluten in them, but they are not unhealthy. The same way some people cannot have oranges due to the acidity, or some cannot have milk. They are not unhealthy, but some people just can't accomodate them.

I haven't seen it, but the documentary of the same name is on Netflix Instant right now.

The wheat we eat today is a GMO grain. So is corn. Both need man's intervention to grow. They cannot grow on their own therefore they are no longer a natural food. And whole wheat bread is just brown flour. There is no difference between that and white.

Plus, the amounts we are told to get them aren't so good either. Since when did grains become more important than fruits and veggies? My research helped me realize that grains are an optional food for most of us and completely bad for some of us, too.

I removed grains when I went Primal. It was an experiment. Every digestive issue I've had to deal with in my life (from one end to the other) disappeared withing weeks of going Primal (also backed off all that "healthy" fiber and can now go to the bathroom on a daily basis). I got a flat belly for the first time in my life - I didn't get this from the 1st 10lbs I loss, or P90X, or restricting calories. I hit a weight I haven't seen since before puberty (109lbs. I was 136lb when I was 14 and never saw below 120 as an adult until Primal Blueprint). And there is nothing "heart-healthy" about them. They don't help your heart any. They are also incomplete protein. They also contain "anti-nutrients" which are mineral binders. They inhibit your body's absorption of nutrients. Since removing grains (and beans) from my diet I no longer get cavities (I have 5 crowns, I've had 2 root canals and just about every dental appointment I have ever had I've had to deal with decay and cavities...until I went Primal). My dental hygeine hasn't changed.

And just because you add some whole grain to a high sugar cereal doesn't mean it is now "heart-healthy".

And then there's all the people now dealing with gluten-intolerance and celiac disease. Funny how those issues have increased as the gluten in grains have increased - from the genetic alterations done to it by man. More than 90% of the grocery store sells products that contain wheat.

I'll take bacon and eggs over oatmeal and toast anyday. And my body is now healthier because of this.

And I agree, try it for yourself (google "carb flu" though. Going cold turkey and removing the majority of carbs from your diet will give you "withdrawl" symptoms like stopping a drug. And make sure to get eat plenty of healthy fats (not industrial PUFAs; try saturated) so your body can use that for energy. Eventually your body will completely transition over to burning fat constantly (and not just when you sleep) and you might be surprised at how you start to feel).

Everything in moderation...including moderation.

The key isn't moderation, it's balance. That is what the human body's sole goal is...homeostasis. Harmonic balance of all the systems in the body.

the one thing I don't "moderate" is my fat intake. And I can't gain weight now.

"SO, what do you think on all of this? Personally, I don't necessarily believe the negativity he links to wheat...I mean, it does have fiber, and has other benefits. "

I just heard about this book yesterday. Wheat is totally not like it used to be, and never before has there been such a dependancy on this instead of other more nutritious grains and legumes. Yes, it has fiber, but that doesn't make it the best choice for fiber.

HAVE YOU deducted wheat from your diet? And do you see/feel any difference? Again, personally, I consider this to be a last stop decision down the line for me, just to see the negatives, and positives to this lifestyle alteration/change."

I dropped wheat, corn, rice, and potato plus refined sugars from my diet while pregnant for the last few months to maintain healthy blood sugars. I then dropped 10 pounds of EXTRA water weight I didn't need for the baby in the first 2 weeks. I then began to gain the weight I had been unable to gain for the first 7 months due to nausea. It was absolutely awesome. I was totally healthy and my midwife couldn't have been happier. I continued to eat like that for several more months and in nine months was fifteen pounds under pre-pregnancy weight. I'm trying to bring myself to do it again, perhaps more modified this time though.

I'm surprised that you are so certain without even trying it for a little while. The first two weeks suck. Then all of a sudden unhealthy cravings are gone and replaced with the desire for the good stuff. An added bonus I found was that without all the starch calories, I could eat a steak covered in butter and veggies in cream sauce and be guilt free, and feel amazing!

Like the OP, I think it's a load of rubbish. Saying that, I personally feel better when I keep wheat to a minimum, as when I eat a lot of it I get very bloated, my stomach swells up and I am gassy. That's not to say it makes me fat, but it makes me look bigger than I am. A couple of days wheat free and I am thinner (but not lighter).

Ezekiel 4:9 “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. "

If it's good enough for the Lord, it's good enough for me.

Ezekiel bread is made from sprouted grains, which is different than the processed loaves of bread you find in the store that are made from GMO grains, then added salt and sugar in way higher amounts than is necessary for a good bread.

The grain of our ancestors was also very different genetically. Einkorn, the grain first eaten by humans, had 1/3 the genes of today's wheat. And, as the above person said, was probably prepared traditionally, by soaking and/or sprouting the grains before eating.

I dropped wheat, corn, rice, and potato plus refined sugars from my diet while pregnant for the last few months to maintain healthy blood sugars. I then dropped 10 pounds of EXTRA water weight I didn't need for the baby in the first 2 weeks. I then began to gain the weight I had been unable to gain for the first 7 months due to nausea. It was absolutely awesome. I was totally healthy and my midwife couldn't have been happier. I continued to eat like that for several more months and in nine months was fifteen pounds under pre-pregnancy weight. I'm trying to bring myself to do it again, perhaps more modified this time though.

I'm surprised that you are so certain without even trying it for a little while. The first two weeks suck. Then all of a sudden unhealthy cravings are gone and replaced with the desire for the good stuff. An added bonus I found was that without all the starch calories, I could eat a steak covered in butter and veggies in cream sauce and be guilt free, and feel amazing!

Sounds good but I can't help but wonder, what DO you actually eat then? What about the food pyramid, is that redundant now? And do you have a family to feed as well? I just cannot imagine my children not eating bread/potato/rice/pasta any more, sure they need that as a good basis, for their energy levels?

^ also, I'm vegetarian with vegan tendencies, so I rely a lot on grains for calories!

whenever i eat bread, pasta or rice i feel bloated after and weighed down. when i was trying to loose weight i almost completely cut carbs out my diet and i lost alot of weight, purely cause i was exercising too. i wouldnt recommend this though as i was barely eating 1200 kcals a day and i became 'skinny fat'. i looked awful!

i had a blood test done at my doctors to see if i had a gluten intolerance but it came back negative. ive been told that these blood test are not accurate enough to decent an allergy. i'd have to go for skin testing.

im tempted to try a gluten free diet to see if this makes any difference to my health issues currently...i've got a sluggish digestive system, dry skin, feel lethargic quite alot and have dry skin and dermatitis.

I read the book and believe that it is very true.

What is the book's name and the author?

I think that everything can kill you and that everything is good and bad at the same time. We get so stressed about our food choices that when we go and eat it makes us sick.

I agree that if you have problem with eat don't eat it but not everyone is made the same. If you think about it everything now a days is man made even organic produce which I think is pointless to buy anyways.

Eat what you love and enjoy what you love to eat!

When I started Paleo, I discovered that I was gluten intolerant, because I felt so, so much better! I don't eat wheat anymore. I eat other grains on rare occasions. I feel ten years younger.

There's really no need to argue about it (or base opinions on NOT having read the book, that's just odd). Just try it for 30 days, and see how you feel. If you feel better, keep doing it. If it makes no difference to you, go back to eating wheat. No big deal.

Couldn't have put it better, agree totally!

Just my two cents. I eliminated all wheat and most other grains. Changed my life. Feel great. Lost 35 lbs.