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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The Wheat Belly Food Pyramid

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The Wheat Belly Food Pyramid For Total Health

According to the USDA MyPyramid, or the new MyPlate, grains–whole and white–should comprise the largest part of the diet. Advocates of this conventional approach argue that grains should ideally provide 60% of all calories.

In the Wheat Belly lifestyle, we reject the idea that grains should form the cornerstone of the human diet. In fact, we reject grains outright, as they are all seeds of grasses incompatible with human digestion. While I began this conversation by picking on the worst of the bunch–modern semidwarf wheat–understand that all grasses are related. Grasses are, more than most organisms, promiscuous and share genetics with each other quite readily. That’s how 28-chromosome emmer wheat, for instance, mated with another 14-chromosome wild grass, goat grass, and yielded the ancestor of all modern wheat, the first Triticum aestivum species. It means that, when you consume wheat or the seed of any other grass, such as corn, millet, or rice, you are also consuming components expressed by many other grasses.

Homo sapiens lack the digestive apparatus of ruminants that allow digestion of grasses. We lack the continuously growing teeth that resist the abrasive effect of phytoliths, the sand-like particles in grass blades; we lack the capacity to produce 100 liters of saliva per day; we lack a four compartment stomach that houses unique organisms that express the enzyme cellulase; we lack a spiral colon also housing unique microorganisms to digest the components of grass. We are a non-grass consuming species.

Accordingly, we need to reconstruct a dietary scheme that has had the grass-based rug pulled out from underneath. What’s left? Plenty: the meat and organs of animals, fish, shellfish, vegetables, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, berries and other fruit. We consume foods that we instinctively regard as food, not the seeds of grasses that we are told by agribusiness should be regarded as food. And, as primitive humans did for the first 2.5 million years of their time on earth, we do not engage in practices such as counting calories, limiting fat or saturated fat. We eat for satiety and consume what we need.

One uncertainty: the products of ruminant mammary glands, i.e., dairy. Dairy products were added about the same that the seeds of grasses were added to the human dietary experience around 10,000 years ago. Dairy undoubtedly has its own collection of problems, though not as flagrant as the seeds of grasses. (Dairy is something we will consider at greater length elsewhere.)

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Comments & Feedback...

  1. I like it. Certainly beats the pants off the USDA propaganda. Of course, most of us grow up thinking the USDA is there to help us when in fact its brief is to help American agriculture, a task it has been very successful at completing. It’s really a shame that there isn’t a real organization whose purpose is to help people instead of corporations, but I guess it doesn’t matter that much anyway, the Supreme Court having decided that corporations ARE people. Odd, though, that we can execute people but there’s no death penalty for corporations. I think their rights are being abridged by that lack; I am all for the death penalty now, LOL.

    I also like the new website, although I do have one issue with it; your posts no longer have any meaningful textual description accompanying the thumbnail/photo. Before, we could get a sense of what the article was about by actually reading the beginning (and when the post was first put up, by actually reading the whole thing); now all we have is a truncated headline. Most of the time it probably doesn’t make much difference, but I liked the old way better. That was my reaction anyway.

      • Dr. Davis,
        I have been intrigued by the Wheat Belly Diet (way of life). I have been following most of the suggestions in your book and I am still reading. I have a habit of jumping right in without more reading or study. I have been following the Wheat Belly way of life for 3 weeks…but I have not really lost weight. I do feel that my body is changing….especially my belly area…..but not really losing weight. I may be eating way too much cheese. Sometimes I just eat cheese and nuts for lunch. I am trying to make ahead my lunches for work….but I am running out of fresh food and do not have time to restock my refrigerator in a timely manner.

        I must say…I no longer have Brain Fog…I am thinking much more clearly, I have just given up my cream for my coffee and started drinking black coffee during this past week. I am trying to fit in more veggies, but I am not all that successful for every meal….and I take “before meal insulin” along with Lantus. I would like to be able to give up the Lantus. My A1C’s stink…I went from 9 – 10 during the beginning of the year…even though I was sticking to a 1200 calorie diet and walking 2 miles a day.

        I would seriously like to lose weight….I am in need of losing more weight….and finding that I may be eating too many carbs at mealtime….so I will have to start keeping a diary just to educate myself as to what I am doing right or wrong.

        I am not hungry mid morning, I usually get in my breakfast, sometimes a few nuts at break or nothing and then lunch. I also cook myself dinner as I do not like to go out and eat, because I have no clue as to how the food is prepared.

        • Unfortunately, Mary, your insulin injections are blocking weight loss.

          The only way to rid yourself of this effect is to drop back your insulin dose as much as possible, while still keeping blood sugars under reasonable control with wheat–and GRAIN–elimination, given the exceptional glycemic potential of all grains. Do this, of course, with the supervision of your doctor. Once you are off insulin, most people experience a sudden drop in weight.

    • I think I see cheese to the left of the avocado…………………………….

      Can’t imagine life w/o cheese LOL

      • Linda,

        I think that is butter. The cheese is above the avocado, to the right side and above the milk bottle. This pyramid needs to be bigger so we can easily determine the foods on it.
        What is that red stuff above the avocado and below what I think is bleu cheese?

        • You’re right!
          But, what are those items all around the avocado?

          We definitely need a larger graphic!

          • I think I see nuts, and some pods? Whatever is directly above the avocado is an unappetizing pile of something or other. Other than that, I like the diversity of foods represented.

          • When enlarging the photo, it looks like the cheese is to the left of the avocado and the butter is higher up to the right of the bleu cheese…..looks like it’s a Kerrigold package to me.

  3. Dr. Davis, what a surprise this morning! Love your pic where the loaf of bread is covered by a few sticks of dynamite. The whole site is new/fresh/says it all. Best wishes and much success.

    :( Miss the jumping girls though.

  5. For me, the font is too thin and is difficult to
    read.

    Serif is usually easier to read than sanserif.

    Other than that, the new site is great.

  6. Great makeover Dr. Davis…..I especially like your strong declaration on the opening page. A couple of things I miss….the ‘search’ function as well as a ‘recent post’ section. Although I did just notice that you added a ‘notify’ when sharing comments.

    • I love the new look and love how the WB plan is laid out in great detail. This should help newbies with many of the basic questions. But like Jan in Key West I really miss the “recent posts” feature. But what and where is “notify”?

      • Under the ‘Share My Comment’ button there are two small windows that can be checked if you want to be notified via email of additional posts.

        • Thanks, Jan in Key West. Still miss the old feature but gotta roll with the changes.

        • > … checked if you want to be notified via email of additional posts.

          And if you check either, you will get an email with a link to confirm. If you don’t confirm, you won’t get the followups.

          Presumably this is to prevent malicious spoofing – signing up someone else by using their email address.

  7. I am on chapter 11 of the book. Dealing with the Brain. My only concern as I started to consume goat milk to make my own kefir and yogurt is that the milk despite being from a good farmer is fed grains and the Organic non GMO grass fed Whey protein from cow were fed grass as well. Do I get contaminated by drinking this products? Kindly reply.

  8. WOW ! DR. Davis I LOOOOVE the food pyramid ! I would LOVE to have a BIG poster of it to hang in my kitchen. Is there any chance you could think about doing that ? Printing them up and selling them as posters ?

    ALSO….. a suggestion ….. since some of the pics are a little difficult to see…… could you possibly print the name of the food underneath it? It’s a wonderful guide on how to eat.

    ok well…… I just wanted to thank you for all you do…. and comment on the pyramid.

  9. Dr. Davis (or anyone that knows the answer)…….are we allowed to send out the short videos to our friends? If not, I’ll simply send out the URL and let them sign up for that series, if they choose to. BTW, I’m enjoying the heck out of them. Short, to the point, and arrives in my inbox. They are grabbers too. Watching them will bring back the novice to this website. Thanks.

  10. Dr. Davis, why all that processed meat? Processed meat has a lot of unhealthy additives.

  11. I just started reading the book and am on 2 days of wheat free.
    I noticed while shopping that there are certain cereals made of corn or rice. Are these safe to eat? EX. corn flakes, rice crispisx

  12. I can’t imagine eating any other way now. So glad I found WB and this wonderful blog. The information dispensed on this site is literally life saving and life changing!

  13. Dr. Davis,
    My husband, who turned 50 in Feb., just had a colonoscopy done last Friday. They found 5 polyps, which were removed. Today, we received the lab results of the biopsy done on the polyps. One was found to be precancerous. My husband and I generally practice a low carb lifestyle and try to shun wheat, however, the doctors are now telling my husband to avoid red meats, saturated fats and dairy and to add fiber in the way of cereals, breads, cereals and legumes. We don’t want to quit our low carb lifestyle, as we have been losing weight that we need to rid ourselves of, however, he is concerned on where to go from here. His family does have a history of colon cancer….his mother had colon cancer, but doesn’t any longer. My husband is also concerned with the frequent bouts of constipation that we experience on our low carb lifestyle. Any suggestions? We have your book and cookbook.

    Thanks for your time.

    • Reading the book and following the lifestyle are two different things…..I thin I would get a new doctor!

    • I was forced to stop ingesting dairy because of its autoimmune effects on me (IIH). As soon as I gave up dairy I stopped having problems with regularity. And incidentally, intestinal polyps are quasi-autoimmune.

      P.S. Find a new doctor.

    • > … biopsy done on the polyps. One was found to be precancerous.
      > … and to add fiber in the way of cereals, breads, cereals and legumes.

      That looks like a death sentence to me. I’d get new doctors.

      The somatic (gene) theory of cancer has gone almost nowhere since Nixon declared “war” on cancer. The Standard of Care for cancer now ensures that you die very little later, but much poorer and with advanced discomfort.

      The astonishing nutritional ignorance of the average MD becomes a clear and present danger when the topic is cancer.

      The metabolic theory of cancer (Warburg, Seyfried) looks much more promising, and under it, cancer is triggered by the familiar numerous identified carcinogens, which cause mitochondrial damage (not gene damge), but is fed by glucose, and is arrested or killed by ketone bodies (ketogenic diet). The genetic chaos of cancer (and it is chaotic), is just a consequence. A moderate or high carb diet is pouring fuel on the fire.

      Oncologists use glucose uptake to image tumors on X-ray, but don’t take advantage of that quirk to treat the cancer. Ask one why sometime.

      If had just switched to low carb and received this diagnosis, I’d continue the LC and might rely on watchful waiting on the polyps. I’d also look to fine tuning other aspects of the diet with an eye toward lower gut health (many things to consider there).

      If I received it after years of LC, I’d switch to a full keto diet, and look to adjuncts like exogenous ketones. A full cancer diagnosis would cause me to bring other tools into play.

      Dr. Dominic D’Agostino has links:
      http://ketonutrition.org/#

      Note that I am not a health care professional of any kind. I’m just an ordinary citizen attempting to avoid being killed by government diets and disorganized medicine.

  14. This is a serious question. I have been successfully following a low card, grains free diet. I like a cocktail, my beverage of choice, a vodka martini. When I look at a carb counter there are no carbs in vodka. But we notice that whenever we drink one, our weight loss goes wonky! Today I notice that vodka is distilled from grains, sooo is that the problem, grains in the mix, though low carb?

    • There are a couple of imported Russian vodkas made the right way with potatoes and very good. Also just saw in Hawaii vodka distilled using sugar cane and another distilled using pineapple. No mention of grain on either of those labels.

    • Metabolically alcohol (ethanol) is equivalent to sugar (fructose). Regardless of any other effects, regardless of anything else you do, ethanol and fructose will make you gain weight.

      It’s quite simple. If you do not wish to gain weight then don’t drink alcohol.

  15. Dr. Davis,
    I bought your book over a year ago and it’s amazing that the small price I paid for your book is more information or help than my cardiologist ever did for me . I tried going on this diet a year ago, but I made a huge mistake. I forgot to substitute fats for carbs, I was feeling just awful like I was going to collapse. So thinking I need bread instead of fats, I would go get a burrito or a burger and fries. After reading your book much more carefully, Ive actually lost a little over 10 pounds in 6 days and a lot of it has been water weight and my belly has shrunk. Don’t get me wrong, physically and mentally it’s not been easy, but eating fatty fish and steaks along with avocados and almonds has made it much easier this time.
    I am currently taking heart medicine, but after a week, I feel much better in my heart and I know it’s not the medicine making the i because Ive been taking the medicine all this time, though Ill continue to take the medicine until the doctors say no more, which I believe they will.
    I truly believe that your book and you yourself are a gift from God and I want to say God bless you.
    Just think, a week ago, I had trouble walking up stairs or walking a short distance. Today it was no problem. I believe that in 3 months, it will be much better too.
    – Benjamin

    • > I am currently taking heart medicine …

      Which med?

      If it’s a statin, there are some things you need to know about it that most MDs will not have told you.

  16. So how much fat is too much? Should I be measuring the amount of oil I use? I’m just not used to eating so much grease. It feels wrong! But I’m really loving eating gluten free so far. Its great to be dieting but not be hungry all the time!!!

    • > So how much fat is too much? Should I be measuring the amount of oil I use?

      In general, consume as much as you feel like eating (as long as you are low carb and not consuming wheat, rye or barley).

      > It feels wrong!

      That was Time Magazine’s fault in 1984.
      They fixed it last week. :)

      > But I’m really loving eating gluten free so far.

      The WB guidelines are not just GF. It is grain-free, also relatively low carb, reduced Omega 6 fat, no unfermented soy, fix your gut biome, etc.

      I have seen LCHF/paleo/primal authors suggest that switching immediately to a high fat consumption might not be wise, as you don’t instantly convert from full-time glycemic to being an efficient fat metabolizer. So you would zero out grains immediately, drop carbs to 50 net grams/day, and bring up the fats slowly. I don’t know if thise is necessary, but if weight loss is the goal, it won’t hurt at all.

      • Thanks Boundless!

        Yes, I have been avoiding all grains, eating lots of lettuce, spinach, avocado and supplementing with chicken, fish, beef, some cheese and I’ve been eating almonds like a fiend! And I think I’ve been pretty successful at keeping my carbs below 50 a day. I will have to keep better track of that… Either way, I feel great and its only been a couple of weeks. That in itself, motivates me to continue. :-)

  17. Dr. Davis,
    I started following the WB “diet” for aesthetic reasons – to lose my few inches of belly fat, not really knowing if it would be something I would stay with once that was accomplished. I was really at ideal weight then. Surprisingly, I have only lost 3-4 lbs. but an amazing 2 inches in my waistline. More of a surprise has been the huge reduction in joint pain (95% gone and I have one hip replacement), no more gas and bloating after my evening meal with normal BMs like when I was a child and overall more energy.
    Meal prep is actually easier for me now and I plan to continue WB as my lifestyle (really as a science major I was convinced with the science presented in the book). It is difficult for me not to speak up even to strangers about WB when I see a “wheat belly”. Thank you so much for publishing your research and insights.

  18. Hallo.
    I’ve read Wheat Belly last week and I’m still recovering from the shock. But now, I’m a little bit confused and I have some questions:
    OK, frankenwheat is toxic, but are all other cereals that bad for me? After all, I don’t want to get any thiner…. And I never eat junk food.
    I only eat bread at breakfast (a rustic bread made with rye flour) and a small cake, made by myself, sometimes, between lunch and dinner. Is that too much cereal for me? I must tell you that I eat lots of soup whit beans and also potatoes and I eat rice very often.
    I’m almost 45 years old, I don’t smoke, I don’t go to gymn anymore (I walk, I work in my small vegetable garden as a hobby and, sometimes, I go dancing, mainly in summertime), my weight is around 52 kgs, more or less, and I am 1,66 m tal (and plus, I am a lady and I live in a small town in Portugal (Europe), which diet is very different from amercican’s one and I’ve been healthy so far).
    I guess It’s better to maintain my usual diet with less cereals (specialy wheat) rather than with none cereals. What do you think?

    Thank you

    • > OK, frankenwheat is toxic, …

      Heirloom wheats are toxic too, just less so than semi-dwarf hybrid goatgrass (misleadlingy sold to you as “wheat”). All the gluten-bearing grains of any vintage need to be zeroed out in your diet, including barley and rye.

      > … but are all other cereals that bad for me?

      Name those you are wondering about. Most, like oats (even when not cross-contaminated with gluten) are sky-high glycemic, and guideline of a 15 net carb grams per meal won’t allow a typical portion size. Total carbs minus fiber carbs tells the tale. Certain grain have additional concerns due to specific proteins.