THE WHEAT BELLY NUTRITIONAL APPROACH FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH
Most modern adults are a metabolic mess created, in large part, by excessive wheat and sugar consumption. Eliminating the worst carbohydrate source of all, wheat, fixes much of the problem. However, there are other carbohydrate problem sources that, if full control over metabolic distortions and weight is desired, should also be minimized or eliminated. Here’s a summary of do’s and don’ts.
CONSUME IN UNLIMITED QUANTITIES
Vegetables (except potatoes and corn)—including mushrooms and herbs
Nuts and seeds—almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamias, peanuts (boiled or dry roasted); sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds; nut meals and flours
Oils—extra-virgin olive, avocado, coconut, lard, tallow, cocoa butter, flaxseed, walnut, macadamia, sesame
Meats and eggs—preferably free-range and organic chicken, turkey, beef, pork; buffalo; ostrich; wild game; fish; shellfish; eggs (including yolks)
Cheese, butter, ghee
Non-sugary condiments—mustards, horseradish, tapenades, salsa, mayonnaise, vinegars (white, red wine, apple cider, balsamic), Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (gluten-free, tamari, or coconut aminos), chili or pepper sauces
Others—flaxseed (ground), avocados, olives, coconut, spices, cocoa (unsweetened) or cacao
CONSUME IN LIMITED QUANTITIES
Protein and lactose-containing dairy—milk, cottage cheese, yogurt
Fruit—Berries are the best (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries) as well as cherries. Be careful of the most sugary tropical fruits, including pineapple, papaya, mango, and banana. Minimize dried fruit, especially figs, dates, apricots, dried cranberries, and raisins, due to excessive sugar content.
100 percent fruit juices
Grain-like foods—quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat
Legumes—black beans, white beans, kidney beans, butter beans, Spanish beans, lima beans; lentils; chickpeas; potatoes (white and red), yams, sweet potatoes
Soy products—tofu, tempeh, miso, natto; edamame, soybeans
NEVER CONSUME
Wheat products—wheat-based breads, pasta, noodles, cookies, cakes, pies, cupcakes, breakfast cereals, pancakes, waffles, pita, couscous, bulgur, triticale, kamut, spelt, emmer, einkorn, rye, barley
Wheat-related grains—corn, oats, rice, rye, barley, sorghum, millet, bulgur
Unhealthy oils—fried, hydrogenated, polyunsaturated (especially corn, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, cottonseed, soybean)
Gluten-free foods—specifically those made with cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch, or tapioca starch
Fried foods
Sugary snacks—candies, ice cream, sherbet, fruit roll-ups, energy bars
Sugary fructose-rich sweeteners—agave syrup or nectar, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose
Sugary condiments—jellies, jams, preserves, ketchup (if contains sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup), chutney
Odds and ends.
Olives (green, kalamata, stuffed, in vinegar, in olive oil), avocados, pickled and fermented vegetables (e.g., asparagus, peppers, radish, tomatoes), herbs and spices are among the nutritional odds and ends that provide variety. It’s important to extend your food choices outside of familiar habits, since variety is part of a successful diet that provides plentiful vitamins, minerals, fibers, and phytonutrients. (Conversely, part of the cause of failure of many modern commercial diets is lack of variety. The present-day habit of concentrating calorie sources in one food group—wheat, for instance—means many nutrients will be lacking, thus the need for ineffective fortification.)
Condiments are to food as clever personalities are to conversation: They can run you through the full range of emotions and twists in reason, and make you laugh. Keep a supply of horseradish, wasabi, and mustards (Dijon, brown, Chinese, Creole, chipotle, wasabi, horseradish, and the unique varieties of regional mustards), and vow to never use ketchup again (if made with high-fructose corn syrup and/or added sugar). Tapenades (spreads made of a paste of olives, capers, artichokes, portobello mushrooms, and roasted garlic) can be purchased ready-made to spare you the effort and are wonderful toppings for eggplant, eggs, chicken, or fish. You probably already know that salsas are available in a wide variety or can be readily made in minutes using a food processor.
Seasonings should not begin and end at salt and pepper. Herbs and spices not only are a great source of variety but also add to the nutritional profile of a meal. Basil, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, and dozens of other herbs and spices are available in any well-stocked grocery store, fresh or dried.
In the world of grain-like foods, one stands apart, since it consists entirely of benign proteins, fiber, and oils: flaxseed. Because it is essentially free of carbohydrates that increase blood sugar, ground flaxseed fits nicely into this approach (the unground grain is indigestible). Use ground flaxseed as a hot cereal (heated, for instance, with unsweetened almond milk, hemp milk, or coconut milk with added walnuts or blueberries) or add it to foods such as cottage cheese or chilis. You can also use it as part of a breading mix for chicken and fish (e.g., with almond flour and grated Parmesan cheese).
Kidney beans, black beans, Spanish beans, lima beans, and other starchy beans have healthy components in them such as protein and prebiotic fiber, but the carbohydrate load can be excessive if consumed in large quantities. A 1-cup serving of beans typically contains 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates, a quantity sufficient to substantially impact blood sugar. For this reason, small servings (¼ cup) are preferable, consistent with our net carb limitation.
Beverages.
It may seem austere, but water should be your first choice. You may find that, minus the taste-distorting effects of wheat, water actually tastes better than you previously thought. Even if you did not like drinking plain water before, you may find that your taste buds are renewed and the natural act of drinking plain water is quite wonderful. (Of course, filter out chlorine and fluoride before drinking.)
One hundred percent fruit juices can be enjoyed in small quantities, but fruit drinks and soft drinks are very bad ideas. Teas and coffee, the extracts of plant products, are fine to enjoy, with or without milk, cream, or coconut milk. If an argument can be made for alcoholic beverages, the one genuine standout in health is red wine, a source of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and resveratrol. White wines contain less of the healthful ingredients, but still fit into this lifestyle. Beer, on the other hand, is a wheat- and barley-brewed beverage in most instances and is the one clear-cut alcoholic drink to avoid or minimize. Beers also tend to be high in carbohydrates, especially the heavier ales and dark beers. If you have positive celiac markers, you should not consume any wheat- or gluten-containing beer at all. (You will also find a more detailed listing of safe alcoholic beverages beginning on this page.)
Some people just need to have the comfortable taste and feel of foods that are traditionally made of wheat, but don’t want to provoke the health headaches. In the sample menu plan that starts on this page, I include a number of possibilities for wheat-free substitutes, such as wheat-free pizza and wheat-free bread and muffins.
Vegetarians will, admittedly, have a tougher job, particularly strict vegetarians and vegans who avoid eggs, dairy, and fish. Strict vegetarians need to rely more heavily on nuts, nut meals, seeds, nut and seed butters, and oils; avocados and olives; and may have a bit more leeway with carbohydrate-containing beans, lentils, chickpeas, wild rice, chia seed, sweet potatoes, and yams. If non–genetically modified soy products can be obtained, then tofu, tempeh, and natto can provide another rich source of protein.
GETTING STARTED: TEN DAYS OF A WHEAT-FREE LIFE
Because wheat figures prominently in the world of “comfort foods” and the universe of processed convenience fo
ods, and generally occupies a proud place at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, some people have a hard time envisioning what life might look like without it. Going without wheat can be downright terrifying.
Breakfast, in particular, stumps many people. After all, if we eliminate wheat, we’ve cut out breakfast cereals, toast, English muffins, bagels, pancakes, waffles, donuts, and muffins—what’s left? Plenty. But they won’t necessarily be familiar breakfast foods. If you regard breakfast as just another meal, no different from lunch or dinner, the possibilities become endless.
Ground flaxseed and ground nut meals make great hot cereals for breakfast, heated with coconut milk (canned and without emulsifying agents or thickeners), almond milk (though you will have to make your own, as store-bought virtually all have emulsifiers and thickening agents), or water, and topped with walnuts, raw sunflower seeds, and blueberries or other berries. Eggs make a return to breakfast in all their glory: fried, over-easy, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled. Add basil pesto, olive tapenade, chopped vegetables, mushrooms, goat cheese, olive oil, chopped meats (uncured bacon, sausage, or salami) to your scrambled eggs for an endless variety of dishes. Instead of a bowl of breakfast cereal with orange juice, have a Caprese salad of sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella, topped off with fresh basil leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Or save some of the salad or grain-free pizza from the previous evening’s dinner for breakfast the next day.
When in a hurry, grab a hunk of cheese, a fresh avocado, a plastic bag filled with pecans, and a handful of raspberries. Or try a strategy I call “dinner for breakfast,” transplanting foods you ordinarily think of as lunch or dinner foods into breakfast fare. While it may appear a little odd to uninformed observers, this simple strategy is an exceptionally effective way to maintain a healthy first meal of the day (and a return to the notion of breakfast not as a grain-fest but simply another meal with meats, eggs, organs, vegetables, etc.—the way humans did it for the first, oh, 99.9 percent of our time on this planet before industry-driven wheat-mania took over).
Here is a sample of what ten days of a wheat-free diet approach looks like. Note that once wheat is eliminated and an otherwise thoughtful approach to diet is followed—i.e., eating a selection of foods not dominated by the processed food industry but rich in real food—there is no need to count calories or adhere to formulas that dictate optimal percentages of calories from fat or proteins. These issues take care of themselves (unless you have a medical condition that requires specific restrictions, such as gout, kidney stones, or kidney disease). So with the Wheat Belly lifestyle, you will not find advice such as drink low-fat or fat-free milk, or limit yourself to 4 ounces of meat, since restrictions such as these are simply unnecessary when metabolism reverts back to normal—and it nearly always does once the metabolism-distorting effects of wheat are removed.
The only common diet variable that we tally in this approach is carbohydrate content. Because of the excessive carbohydrate sensitivity most adults have acquired through years of superfluous carbohydrate consumption, I find that most do best limiting daily carbohydrate intake to no more than 15 grams net carbs per meal, as discussed above. Even athletes or people who engage in vigorous endurance exercise can follow this program, although it may require four to six weeks for their bodies to convert from a carbohydrate-dependent metabolism to a fat-mobilizing metabolism, meaning that there will be an obligatory four- to six-week period during which performance will be impaired. For many people, performance at the completion of this conversion period will be higher than during the carb-consuming days. (Some, but not all, athletes performing at elite levels may need a modest carbohydrate boost, e.g., a banana or apple, during extreme endurance efforts.)
Note that serving sizes specified are therefore just suggestions, not restrictions. Also note that anyone with celiac disease or other antibody-positive form of wheat and gluten intolerance will need to go the extra step of examining all ingredients used in this menu and in the recipes by looking for the “gluten-free” assurance on the package. All ingredients called for are widely available gluten-free.
Day 1
BREAKFAST
Hot Coconut Flaxseed Cereal (this page)
Kinder Bar (this page)
LUNCH
Large tomato stuffed with tuna or crabmeat mixed with chopped onions or scallions, Mayonnaise (this page)
Tomato, Chorizo Sausage, and Lentil Soup (this page)
Selection of mixed olives, cheeses, pickled vegetables
DINNER
Spinach Ricotta Pizza (this page)
Mixed green salad with radicchio, chopped cucumber, sliced radishes, Ranch Dressing (this page) or Vinaigrette Dressing (this page)
Carrot Cake (this page)
Day 2
BREAKFAST
3 eggs scrambled with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto, Feta cheese
Coffee Cake Quick Muffin (this page)
LUNCH
Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche (this page)
DINNER
Baked wild salmon or seared tuna steaks with Wasabi Sauce (this page)
Spinach salad with walnuts or pine nuts, chopped red onion, Gorgonzola cheese, Ranch Dressing (this page) or Vinaigrette Dressing (this page)
Ginger Spice Cookies (this page)
Day 3
BREAKFAST
Sliced green peppers, celery, jicama, or radishes dipped in hummus
Apple Walnut Bread (this page) spread with butter, cream cheese, natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter
LUNCH
Greek salad with black or kalamata olives, chopped cucumber, tomato wedges, cubed Feta cheese, extra-virgin olive oil with fresh lemon juice or Vinaigrette Dressing (this page)
Chocolate-Coated Green Banana Bites (this page) or Mocha Prebiotic Shake (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
DINNER
Three-Cheese Eggplant Bake (this page)
Chocolate Mousse (this page)
Day 4
BREAKFAST
Classic Cheesecake (this page) (Yes, cheesecake for breakfast. How much better does it get than that?)
Blueberry, Carrot, and Kale Prebiotic Shake (this page)
Peppermint-Mocha Coffee (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
LUNCH
Turkey-Avocado Wraps (this page) (using Flaxseed Wraps, this page)
Homemade Apple Pie Granola (this page)
DINNER
Pecan-Crusted Chicken (this page)
Steamed or roasted asparagus drizzled with sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (this page)
Day 5
BREAKFAST
Caprese salad (sliced tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil leaves, extra-virgin olive oil)
Apple Walnut Bread (this page) spread with butter, cream cheese, natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter
LUNCH
Tuna-Avocado Salad (this page)
Ginger Spice Cookies (this page)
DINNER
Shirataki Noodle Stir-Fry (this page)
Mocha Prebiotic Shake (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
Day 6
BREAKFAST
Egg and Pesto Breakfast Wrap (this page)
Chocolate-Coated Green Banana Bites (this page)
LUNCH
Crab Cakes (this page)
DINNER
Parmesan-Breaded Pork Chops with Balsamic-Roasted Vegetables (this page)
Apple Walnut Bread (this page) spread with butter, cream cheese, natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter
Day 7
BREAKFAST
Peppermint-Mocha Coffee (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
LUNCH
Italian Pork Sausage, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Quiche (this page)
Strawberry, Lime, and Avocado Prebiotic Shake (this page)
DINNER
Beef Chili (this page)
Mexican Tortilla Soup (this page)
Sliced jicama or daikon radish dipped in guacamole or hummus
Classic Cheesecake (this page)
Day 8
BREAKFAST
Carrot Cake (this page)
Peppermint-Mocha Coffee (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
LUNCH
Nori-Wrapped Salmon with Sriracha Mayonnaise (this page)
Blueberry, Carrot, and Kale Prebiotic Shake (this page)
DINNER
Tri-color Noodles with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (this page)
Chocolate for Adults Only (this page)
Day 9
BREAKFAST
3 eggs (fried, scrambled, boiled), bacon or sausage
Cranberry-Mango Super Probiotic Yogurt (this page)
LUNCH
Ramen Noodles (this page)
Strawberry, Lime, and Avocado Prebiotic Shake (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
DINNER
Duck Egg and Sorrel Frittata (this page)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (this page)
Day 10
BREAKFAST
Avocado Deviled Eggs (this page)
Blueberry, Carrot, and Kale Prebiotic Shake (this page) with 1 teaspoon powdered inulin
LUNCH
Wheat Belly (Revised and Expanded Edition) Page 26
