Has being overweight left you spending sleepless nights? Has your self-confidence taken a blow due to being overweight? We may have just the diet that will help you shed those pounds, without forcing yourself into starvation.

It is the Wheat Belly diet we are talking about. Is it really as effective as it sounds? To know more, keep reading!

The History Of Wheat Belly Diet:

The Wheat Belly diet is a unique diet, which is based on the concept that in taking natural foods and discarding processed foods helps you shed excess flab and stay healthy.

This diet plan was invented by a cardiologist named William Davis (1). He realized that he was overweight and also discovered how eating wheat based foods made him feel less energetic. He also observed that his blood sugar and cholesterol levels were quite high. This led him to develop a diet that discards gluten-rich foods and promotes natural foods. Davis started taking foods with lower glycemic index and started avoiding wheat based foods. It resulted in significant weight loss and improvement in blood sugar levels. He asked his parents to follow this routine, and they also reported improvements. It inspired him to write and publish a book on his theory of diet and weight loss.

Basics Of The Wheat Belly Diet:

The basic principle of wheat belly diet is you will have to discard wheat based foods from your meals. This means you cannot eat bread, cereal, pasta, and donuts. Eating foods made with barley, certain oats and rye are not permitted either.

While some people may think it is one type of a gluten-free diet, Davis advises against eating gluten free substitutes of typical wheat based foods. He is of the view that such foods can also trigger identical blood sugar response. Apart from wheat, the followers of this diet are also required to stop consuming high-fructose drinks, sugary foods, potatoes, rice, legumes, sugary fruit juice, etc. Cutting out trans fat and processed foods is also a prerequisite.

What Is Allowed In The Wheat Belly Diet?

When adhering to this diet, you can eat foods like:

• Vegetables
• Selected fruits like apple, oranges, and berries
• Raw nuts, plant based oils
• Organically raised eggs and meat
• Limited amount of dairy products
• Fermented soy foods
• Whole grains like millet, quinoa, and beans

While this diet does not permit consuming wheat-brewed beers, followers can drink red wine. David encourages the followers to work out, but does not specify the types.

A Typical Menu As Per The Wheat Belly Diet:

Breakfast can comprise of almonds, berries, and fat-free yogurt. For lunch, you can take grilled chicken pieces, steamed vegetables with olive oil and half cup brown rice. For evening snacks, you can munch on raw vegetables and Black-bean dip. For dinner, you may partake baked eggplant with mozzarella cheese, green salad with olive oil.

How The Diet Actually Works?

According to the proponent of the wheat belly diet, exclusion of wheat in all forms helps reduce daily calorie consumption for an adult individual. By discarding wheat, you can reduce your daily calorie intake by 400 calories. This calorie intake reduction can result in losing a pound per week. Davis also adds that wheat has an appetite stimulating protein named gliadin, which makes you crave for more food, making weight loss difficult. By eliminating wheat from meals, you have a reduced appetite and a lower risk of blood sugar spikes. When the blood sugar level is not high, the body tends to store less fat.

Advantages Of Wheat Belly Diet:

There are several advantages of this diet:

• Losing weight with this diet is easier. Since daily calorie intake is reduced, losing weight becomes simpler. Besides this diet cuts off sources of trans fat, which is actually beneficial.
• The diet is not complicated to follow. You need not keep a tab on the daily calorie intake or limit your portions.
• This diet includes plenty of fresh vegetables and selected fruits. These offer your body enough nutrients to stay healthy.
• Intake of organic and fresh foods helps lower harmful cholesterol levels and stabilizes blood sugar. So, this is also suitable for cardiac health in the long run.
• Vegetarians will find it easier to adapt to this diet.

Drawbacks Of The Wheat Belly Diet:

No diet is flawless, and the same is true of this diet. The major limitations are:

• First of all, adhering to this diet is not easy for everyone. This diet discards a lot of wheat based foods and Davis also advises to discard gluten-free alternatives.
• When adhering to this diet, you will have to shop and buy foods more carefully. You will have to be careful about buying any food so that they do not contain gluten.
• Those who are vegan will find this diet pretty restrictive. This can lead to risks of nutrient deficiency.

What The Experts Think Of It?

As a matter of fact, health experts and dietitians have both applauded and criticized the wheat belly diet. It is true this diet promotes weight loss, but that is not because of shunning gluten exclusively. The diet cuts out many foods that are associated with weight gain. Examples include high-fructose corn syrup, rice, soda, etc. However, it also discards legume that is packed with protein.

While weight loss and reduction in cholesterol levels pave the way for heart health, the inclusion of red meat and high-fat dairy foods is not suitable for people with high cholesterol or heart ailments. Some health experts also think the claim made by Davis, that this diet helps stay away from ailments like arthritis and diabetes, is only partially true. These disorders can be triggered by a myriad of factors, and just by eliminating gluten you do not become immune to them, they argue.

This diet is akin to another popular diet that endorses eating like ancestors of the human civilization – the Paleo diet. It does endorse healthy foods and eating habits, but adhering to it is not simple for everyone. Eventually, you may lose weight without discarding wheat from your menu if you keep a tab on the calorie intake.

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by Renold Rajan via STYLECRAZE