Dr. William Davis

Cardiologist + Author + Health Crusader

"The food you eat is making you sick and the agencies that are providing you with guidelines on what to eat are giving dangerous advice with devastating health consequences. You can change that today."

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Chaz Bono joins the wheat-free movement

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Nutritionist Samantha Grant passed this impressive weight loss and health chronicle about celebrity Chaz Bono onto me:

In November, 2012, I was approached by The Doctors TV show to work with Chaz Bono.

Chaz needed to lose 80-100 lbs in 9 months. He was facing multiple health challenges, including diabetes and heart disease. As this was going to be documented on national television, the pressure was on for both of us!

First off, I knew that a gluten-free/grain-free diet was an absolute must. This single, but critical, change has vastly improved the health of all of my clients, not just Chaz. I always advise that they read Dr. Davis’ Wheat Belly as a homework assignment when they begin working with me. Clients who have suffered for years with debilitating fatigue, allergies, weight loss struggles, IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] and other digestive disorders have all been helped by my “just eat real food” approach.

As Chaz’s transformation was to be documented on national television, there were several things I needed to do–and fast.

1. Bring down inflammation–STAT.
2. Design a meal plan low in starchy carbs and sugar, high in protein and healthy fats and–of course–tasted good!
3. Make it sustainable. His changes weren’t just about the next 9 months—-I needed to set him up to succeed with a healthy lifestyle for the rest of his life.

Did I mention this process was being televised to millions of people?

Immediately, I began to reduce his intake of all grains, not just wheat/gluten. We eliminated all forms of soy, dairy, corn and sugar, as well. Chaz began drinking a protein shake to start his day.

Chaz enjoyed goat cheese and flax crackers as a snack a few times week. Goat cheese molecules are much smaller that dairy and are more easily digested. The crackers provided him with some crunch and texture that he enjoys.

During the next important phase, Chaz made the necessary jump to grain-free living. The results were remarkable: Inflammation decreased even further; his cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar all dramatically improved. You can watch the segment where we revealed his numbers HERE.

Chaz has since reported that he no longer has cravings and feels better.

“To me, it was never really about a number,” he told People Magazine. “It was just about getting healthy and feeling and looking better. So I’m just kind of letting my body dictate. I’ve been eating the same way now for months and months and that hasn’t changed. I’m going to have to eat this way for the rest of my life.”

Nothing satisfies me more than when a client has made a permanent lifestyle change for the better. My proven plans are always designed with that in mind–long term, sustainable lifestyle solutions.

I am very proud of Chaz for trusting me and taking the gluten free–now Wheat Belly–approach. He was motivated by the initial weight loss, but what keeps him and many others on the plan is how much better they feel.

As of May 2, 2013—-just 5 months into his program—-Chaz has lost an astounding 60 pounds, along with impressive reductions in blood sugar/hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and total cholesterol. Read his most recent update on my website here.

Chaz is getting lots of attention for his successful health and weight turnaround. Here’s another recent discussion about his transformation from the Huffington Post. Imagine the torture and frustration that Chaz has been spared by Samantha’s insight. Had he been advised–like millions before him–that he had to cut calories and exercise more, well, he’d likely be 10 pounds lighter, yes, but tired, frustrated, and poised to regain everything. Instead, he did the opposite of what conventional “wisdom” advised and enjoyed a magical health transformation.

Thanks for passing on this wonderful story, Sam! Contact nutritionist Samantha F. Grant through her website.

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Comments & Feedback...

  2. Good for him! Very pleased at his success .
    Dr. D, I thought you were going to finish your sentence – “Had he been advised”…to seek the council of a RD, he would have been advised to follow a standard CW (BS) diet…and end where you did . Haha! It’s late, my brain must be on autopilot !

  3. Congratulations Chaz to finding a great diet! It is Amazing what can happen when removing wheat. In Sweden diabetic people call it that they have “Diabetes type 0” when they eat themselves to Health and have no need of medication. The national Health care would save so much Money if they understood to cut wheat/carbs – and so much pain would be saved for the patients. Wheat Belly is a brilliant book and very much known in our circles of “LCHF”. We are trying our best to spread this Health message here on http://www.lowCarbHealthyFat.com if you have a minute to visit.

  4. After about eight weeks doing Wheat Belly, I’ve dropped roughly 17lbs. During the first four weeks alone, my blood pressure dropped from 140/90 to 120/70.

    But now I feel like I’ve hit a plateau. The weight isn’t coming off as as it once did. Reading this article made me rethink what I’m eating. I don’t eat much soy anyway, but I’m going to try eliminating dairy, corn, & sugar next.

    Any encouragement would be welcome. Thank you Dr. Davis.

      • Did you happen to see the link on that website that tells you about 6 “superfoods”? To alkalinize your body? One of the superfoods is WHEATGRASS. Hmmmmmm….

      • I believe that sprouts like wheatgrass or alpha sprouts or bean sprouts are vegetables and, nutritionally, are not yet grains or legumes.

    • I have just cut those things out, too, in an effort to reduce inflammation and lose weight. I am using the book “The Virgin Diet” to help me do this.

    • You have not been doing the wheat belly diet.!!! Sugar, corn…….verboten!

    • Dale, you and I have the same tastes in hairstyles! (: )
      Your results mirror mine. My blood pressure dropped dramatically after only 8 days on the wheat belly regimen. And it has stayed the lowest it has ever been.
      Like you, my weight loss has not been as dramatic, but it has been steady with occasional plateaus. For about three weeks I held at 217 pounds. But my waist shrunk by a half-inch during this period. Moral: just because you’re not seeing any weight loss does not mean that you are not having positive changes occurring inside your body.
      For a next step, I suggest you wean yourself off of table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. If you drink sodas, switch to diet. If you add sugar to coffee or tea, cut back gradually until you can eliminate it completely. I did this about a two years ago, before knowing about Wheat Belly, and saw my blood sugar numbers improve greatly.
      In short, keep at it! The results are worth it.

  5. The success of a celebrity like Chaz Bono can affect many many other people…. Sadly, in this country, it often takes a number of high profile people with success, to get the word out…. I just wish Chris Christie had elected to go wheat/carb-free rather than under the knife… he could have had such a positive affect in the war against unhealthy eating…. Thank-you Chaz for letting the world know about your efforts ….

    • Chris Christie is part of the “machine”. He’s one of “them”. He is probably beholden somehow to Monsanto and the like as well as Big Pharma. He CAN’T do Wheat Belly and achieve his political aspirations at the same time…..

      • YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT! Gov. Christie has often said that his weight and medical information is personal and private. Do not judge him so harshly.
        Why don’t you send him a copy of the book with a note about how this approach might benefit him? Let him make the decision about what he puts in his mouth just as you make the decision about what you put in yours.

        This blog is for an exhange of ideas and information concerning wheat/grains/sugarsbased on Dr. Davis’s program. It is not a political forum.
        Please keep it that way.

      • I would be very suprised if he went WB to loose weight. It’s always better to try out the least invasive protocol first rather than surgery. WB diet is the easiest of all the eating plans out there.

  6. That is fantastic news about Chaz Bono! I think it’s awesome that he is sharing his journey with everyone ;)

    Dr.Davis….. After years myself of weight struggles and health issues last Wednesday my Endocronologist ( unhappy with my lab results and increasing weight 290) told me to buy your book …and make this my new life style. He has given me a month to improve my A1C etc. that being said … I bought it as soon as I got home and read it …..I went cold turkey got rid of all wheat that day. Things are going well … First week and I am down 11 lbs …. But I have a question …. Is it actually possible to lose the 100 plus lbs I have to go with out counting calories and using portion control ? I have kept a log of carb intake but I am still unclear about calories And if I am to use a specific macronutrient ratio?

    Thanks for reading and for your help
    Liz

    • > … told me to buy your book …

      Be sure to buy the CookBook, as it will make the new lifestyle dramatically easier.

      > Is it actually possible to lose the 100 plus lbs I have to go with out
      > counting calories and using portion control ?

      In general, it appears that the answer is yes (based on lack of complaints here).

      If you’re keeping net carbs per day below 50 grams, your cells will be switching to fat burning. If there are no confounding factors, and nothing you are eating is appetite stimulating (like wheat) or leptin repressing (like fructose), then you won’t be over-consuming fat, and it will be body fat that gets metabolized. No harm keeping a calorie journal if you want.

      • Thanks so much for your help and taking the time to reply … I really appreciate it :)

    • It is dairy but is also different from cow’s milk based dairy. It’s been known for a long time that goat milk products are more digestible than those made from cow’s milk. Many people who are lactose intolerant (to cow’s milk) can eat goat’s milk dairy without problems.

      The nutritional profile of goat’s milk is different from that of of cow’s milk. Also, the fat molecules in goat’s milk are smaller, shorter, than those in cow’s milk, making them easier to digest. I have not seen it said explicity, but I’m assuming this also means reduced inflammation which might make some goat’s milk cheese OK even for highly restricted diets.

      One observation that is not exactly on topic here, but I have also seen the absolutely horrid acne on a young man’s face nearly disappear after he eliminated all cow’s milk products and consumed dairy only in the form of fresh raw goat’s milk.

  8. My comment has nothing to do with this article, but I think it needed to be posted ASAP!

    This is a news story just posted on Wash Post that basically a new type of wheat grain that was made by Monsanto got out of lab and into commercial land in Oregon!

    It gets more scary! People tried to kill this crop by chemical but they just did NOT die! Lab testing confirmed they were genetically modified to resist herbicide!!!??

    This is creepy & almost feeling like bad aliens invading Earth! Here is the link:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/usda-says-unapproved-genetically-engineered-wheat-discovered-in-oregon-field/2013/05/30/2975da22-c902-11e2-9cd9-3b9a22a4000a_story.html?hpid=z3

    • RoundUp-Ready wheat.

      It’s probably no extra worse than RR soy is vs. non-RR soy. If you’re not eating wheat, it’s a non-issue.

      But if you’re a farmer, it’s a huge issue, and this event may actually create some traction on a key GMO issue: how can farmers protect themselves against unintended (usually undesired) cross-contamination by patented hybrids (whether GMO, or the “traditional” recklessly random strains).

      The recent SOCTUS case, alas, did not involve this question (the farmer had deliberately planted the Monsanto Menace with paying the Monsanto ransom).

    • Scary, indeed, Alex!

      It means that, whether we like it or not, genetically-modified crops will make it to your neighborhood. Then watch out for the Monsanto attorneys who will then try to file lawsuits against the inadvertent “plantings”!

      • In another scenario, I see a large profitable organics company being “infested” with Monsanto’s precious lab experiments and suing them for destroying their organic status. Oh how I wish…but not for the organic company. Just a little revenge day dreaming…lol

      • According to the NY Times, Japan and South Korea will ban our wheat imports because of the threat of contamination as happened in Oregon!
        This is just the start. Monsanto may have to re-think their strategy. As the wheat free movement grows in this country translating to fewer sales, Monsanto will either have to become more responsible to prosper or it will decline as a company. Frankenwheat is now exposed and being shunned. What country wants to import diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.? I hope this is just the beginning of the backlash. The misery they have caused is just unimaginable.

  9. The husband and I have been wheat free since early February. Between us we have lost 53 pounds with little or no effort other than NOT eating wheat and just eating real food. We are not counting, weighing or measuring anything either. We appreciate that exercise is part of healthy living, we just haven’t been faithful to a fitness routine. We’ve also seen improvements in hair, nails, skin, joint pain, the entire gamut of gastro issues, sleeplessness, vertigo (heretofore blamed on changes in weather and allergies), energy levels, sinus issues, spring allergies and on and on and on. We’ve cleaned out all soda and anything with high fructose corn syrup, bad oils, anything hydrogenated, nitrates and nitrites. We’re also transitioning to organic foods and more grass fed meats. Trying to live by the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists. Found here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/. If I’m being honest, getting started was a chore, but the more you learn, the easier it goes. I find batch cooking a big help. For the first few days we still had cravings. Then we were just missing the ‘idea’ of bread, crackers, etc. I tried all of the flour substitutes, and we are not fans. However, after a couple of weeks, we no longer even miss the bread or the ‘idea’ of the bread. Early on the husband was always asking, “Can I eat this?” Now he’s reading labels – his eyes have been opened! Major shift in thinking since we stopped feeding the wheat beast! The Wheat Belly is a life changer!

    And if the health benefits of being wheat free aren’t enough, this should scare the wheat demon out of you…
    http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/05/31/us-discovery-rogue-gmo-wheat-raises-concerns-over-controls/

  13. Did I Miss something, I reread huffington post and watched the Doctors episode again, much raving about how well he’s doing and how great his numbers were. don’t recall the part about it being a wheat/grain free diet,,Dan

  14. I read her web site and followed the link to the Doctors show, I don’t think I heard her or anyone else say what the diet was

    • Is avoiding poison a ‘diet’? And if you were a mechanic, would you simply post how to fix cars on your website or would you encourage ppl to utilize your services? Remember too, Oprah was (unsuccessfully) sued by some industry heavies for some of her comments (they lost, she won, but what a hassle). Perhaps people are deliberately vague at times to avoid the hassle of being harrassed by other poison pushers of the world. If you are truly interested, maybe read slower and you’ll pick up the main points a bit better.

    • > … I don’t think I heard her or anyone else say what the diet was.

      Apart from the aspect of giving away what you could sell, vagueness is defensive. There’s probably some professional risk for a health professional to provide dietary advice that varies substantially from official deadly dogma. Unless the rogue holds the rank of MD, they could get called on any of several carpets for it, even if all their clients are having beneficial outcomes.

  15. Way to go, Chaz! So very happy for him. Wheat Belly is better than Dancing With The Stars for weight loss!

  16. It is really a great and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this helpful info with us.
    Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

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About Dr. Davis

Dr. William DavisDr. William Davis is a New York Times #1 best selling author and Medical Director and founder of the Undoctored program, including the Undoctored Health Workplace Program.