William Davis, MD, is a preventive cardiologist whose unique approach to diet allows him to advocate reversal, not just prevention, of heart disease.
He is the founder of the 
For everyone who asked for a simplified, essentials-only version of the diet I advocate in Wheat Belly, here it is.
This is the very same diet I advise for patients in my office that achieves spectacular reductions in small LDL particles (the #1 cause of heart disease in the U.S), as well as unraveling diabetic/pre-diabetic tendencies. The diet starts with the biggest step: elimination of wheat. But a healthy diet cannot end there, else you and I could eat no wheat but fill our calories with soft drinks and jelly beans. So the next step is to limit carbohydrates if your goal is to lose more weight and correct metabolic distortions like high blood sugar and small LDL particles.
Eliminate:
All wheat-based products (all breads, all breakfast cereals, noodles, pasta, bagels, muffins, pancakes, waffles, donuts, pretzels, crackers), oat products (oatmeal, oat bran), cornstarch-based products (sauces or gravies thickened with cornstarch, prepared or processed foods containing cornstarch, cornmeal products like chips, tacos, tortillas), sugary soft drinks, candies
Enjoy unlimited:
Vegetables-except potatoes; fresh or frozen, never canned
Raw nuts and seeds-raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, cashews; dry-roasted peanuts (not roasted in oil); pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Healthy oils (unheated)-olive, flaxseed, coconut, avocado, walnut
Meats-red meats, pork, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs. (Consider free-range, grass-fed and/or organic sources.)
Non-wheat grains-ground flaxseed, chia seeds
Teas, coffee, water, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or coconut water
Cheeses—real cultured cheeses only (not Velveeta or single-slice processed cheese)
Avocado or guacamole; hummus; unsweetened condiments, e.g., mayonnaise, mustard, oil-based salad dressings; ketchup without high-fructose corn syrup; pesto, tapenades; olives
Limited:
Fruit-No more than 2 servings a day (one serving is a level handful), preferably in this order (best first): berries of all varieties, citrus, apples, nectarines, peaches, melons. Minimize bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and grapes
Fruit juices-only real juices and in minimal quantities (no more than 2-4 oz)
Dairy products-No more than 1 serving per day of milk, cottage cheese or yogurt, unsweetened (Fat content does not matter.)
Legumes/beans; peas; sweet potatoes and yams; rice (white and brown); soy
Dark chocolates-70-85% cocoa or greater; no more than 40 grams (approximately 2 inches square) per day
Sugar-free foods-preferably stevia-containing, rather than aspartame
Never:
Fried foods
Fast foods
Hydrogenated “trans” fats
Cured meats-hot dogs, sausages, bacon, bologna, pepperoni
High-fructose corn syrup containing foods; honey; agave syrup; sucrose
Processed rice, rice flour or potato products-rice crackers, rice cereals, pretzels, white breads, breakfast cereals, potato chips
Fat-free or low-fat salad dressings
”Gluten-free” foods
Quick tips:
For healthy breakfast choices, consider ground flaxseed as a hot cereal (e.g., with soy milk, milk, or unsweetened almond milk; blueberries, strawberries, etc.). Also consider eggs; raw nuts; cheese; consider having “dinner for breakfast,” meaning transferring salads, cheese, chicken, and other “dinner” foods to breakfast.
Add 1 tsp or more of taste-compatible healthy oil to every meal. For example, mix in 1 tbsp flaxseed oil to ground flaxseed hot cereal. Or add 2 tbsp olive oil to eggs after scrambling. Adding oils will blunt appetite.
If you suspect you have a wheat “addiction,” use the first week to add healthy oils to every meal and reduce the amount of wheat by half. In the second week, aim for elimination of wheat while maintaining the oils.
Reach for raw nuts first as a convenient snack.
hi Dr. Davis
I was at your event in Moncton NB. Canada 1 week ago and I have read your book and I have been off of all wheat, potatoes, pastas since March 21st 2013, the cover of the book says loose the wheat loose the belly, I have lost 14lbs. BUT NOT from the belly what am I doing wrong? please HELP. I have just been dianosed with diabetices so no sugar either. I have been stuck at not losing any weight for the last 4 weeks, I ‘m walking up to 2 miles very often and when I’m not walking I’m doing yard work. plus I started the omega 3 with vit. D so what else can I do to get this going again? thanks I need all the help I can get.
Catherine
Gee, Catherine: I would just stay the course and enjoy your freedom from unnatural appetite provocation. I believe that the effects you desire will develop in time.
Just be sure to avoid the foods that provoke insulin to accelerate loss of tummy fat, meaning all grains and sugars. Wheat is the worst of the worst and the only grain with its own built in appetite stimulant, but you can lose tummy fat faster by eliminating all foods that trigger insulin.
And have some delicious wild boar at the Boar and Tide!
Hi Catherine,
Read this:
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-to-lose-weight-as-fast-as-possible/
2+ huge problems with that AN advice:
1. fails to specifically ID gluten-bearing grains as “starches” that you must drive to zero.
2. Includes the bewildering advice “Optional – Do a “Carb Re-feed” Once Per Week” with no rationale as to what the point of it is (nor any mention of the hazards).
Further gripes:
Advocates “fruits” with no caution about their hi-carb nature, and no discussion about minimizing fructose specifically.
Includes the revealing blanket statement “Avoid Artificial Sweeteners”. There is massive variation in the risks associated with alternatives, and some are relatively benign (and absolutely preferable to continuing to use real sugars – many will read this summary and start using agave nectar
).
Hello Dr. Davis,
Today marks week 3 that my husband and I have begun a wheat-free lifestyle following your book.
I must say I do feel better (less bloat), more energy etc..however…..I have not lost weight; in fact this am I got on the scale and low and behold I have gained 1.4 lbs since starting 3 weeks ago! what is going on?!!! what am I doing wrong??? I am diligent in what I put into my body (ie: no wheat or sugar) am eating super-healthy foods, am following it to a “T” but still no weight loss!!! I am on the verge of perhaps discontinuing this lifestyle if its going to keep packing on the pounds for me….not to mention all the extra time I am now spending in the kitchen preparing the meals, running to grocery store to stock up on fresh veggies, nuts etc . I am wondering if this is all worth it??? Is it possible I am taking in too many calories??? (could the raw nuts I am consuming be too many carbs/calories??) what is the carb allowance per day in order to lose weight?
I am at a crossroads right now because one of the main reasons I am following this is to lose my excess weight; I don’t mind the “work” involved, however I really need to start seeing some results….soon!!!
Please advise Dr. Davis!!!!
Thanks,
Kim in Ontario, Canada
First issue, Kim, is whether you have completely eliminated wheat; be sure to not allow stealth sources thorugh.
Second, limit other carbohydrates. Because you are encountering a wall, or even weight gain, consider counting carbohydrates and limiting them to 15 grams or less “net” carbs per meal, i.e., total carbs – fiber.
Should that fail, consider this blog discussion:http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/10/i-lost-the-wheat-but-didnt-lose-weight-2/
Ok thx for the info. After reading your reply I went to some of the usual ingredients I have been using regularly and came across the almond Breeze non dairy beverage (made by Blue Diamond Almonds) which I make my morning smoothies with and found tapioca starch (3rd ingredient listed) in it….could this be my culprit??!!??!! So I am going to take a break from it and try to find another more suitable substitute and see what happens….if still same problem of no weight loss after this then I will look at my daily carb count and take from there. I feel too good being wheat free to just give up this easily! Thx for the response Dr D!
I am a work in progress getting rid of wheat and all the baddies! Wheat free is easy because I feel so much better. It’s the sugar I’m having trouble with.
I have been looking at the old blog posts and was wondering if anyone had a Wheat Belly master grocery list? I seem to be eating the same things and would like to spice it up a bit.
Thanks for all the great info!
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Unlimited red meat and coffee? I don’t think so.
I found your book through a physical therapists I know. She offered to discount my bill if I read Wheat Belly. I believe that this will be one of the best things I can do for my “new” life.
I have been the ‘victim” of extreme obesity my entire life. Last year I loss 120 pounds before a hip replacement. I can loose the weight but I can also gain it back. I have gained 50 pounds back and I do not want to go backwards in my life anymore.
I am over 400 pounds and a 1600 cal. a day plan will work well for me. I know how to do this eating conventual food but not sure how to do this with your food choices.
A plus is I LOVE vegetables and spices. Especially garlic and hot sauces. I have gone shopping and have my eggs, raw nuts, avocados, the right oils, etc.
Can you give me direction on how to put a plan together?
With the “old” way of eating I would do the following servings a day for a total of about 1600 calories a day.
3 fruits(240 cal.)
2 dairy(160 cal.)
4 carbs(320 cal.)
3 fats(360 cal.)
9 protein(360 cal.)
unlimited vegetables(150-200 cal.)
Thanks for everything your about to do for me.