Right. It's not a question of willpower. Are the gorillas in the zoo expected to exercise willpower to stay lean? Is your dog and cat expected to do the same?

This just goes to prove that the whole concept of willpower is ridiculous as it applies to quantity of food. There is however a willpower aspect, when it comes to selecting food. Every morning, I buy a large cappuccino and I have to fight the urge to buy one of those tantalizing pastries on display. I don't crave them, out of sight, out of mind. But when I see them, they call my name. This effect is influenced in part by but not entirely by hunger.

The problem is that people aren't told the correct information about which food will satisfy hunger, and thus enhance your willpower to resist the bad food, and minimize cravings. The mainstream recommendations of low-fat, whole-grain, frequent meals has the opposite effect.

Bleh I'm preaching to the choir here

I ordered Wheat Belly from the US Amazon, but haven't received it yet. My question to those who have read it. Does one still get some benefit from quitting wheat even if one continues to eat rye (as in rye bread, for instance) and other gluten-containing grains? I want to start my husband on this diet. He is in better health than myself, and not as overweight. Still, his health is declining, and his wheat belly is growing. Should I convince him just to quit wheat, at this point, or should I ask him to quit all gluten grains? The second might be impossible right now. It will be asking too much. Getting him to do the first might be possible. What do you all think - would he get some benefit from just quitting wheat, even if he continues to eat rye bread? Is today's rye as "Frankenstein" as wheat, or is it better? What about spelt? Is it better than wheat? I really want my husband to start taking care of his health. But I have to be realistic, and I have to do it gradually. If he notices some positive changes after quitting wheat, it might become possible to wean him off all gluten products in the future.

By the way, he loves his beer! Are all beers wheat-based?

Wheat beers are wheat based, obviously. But most beers are made from barley or other grains.

I'd say that he needs to go cold turkey on ALL grains (including beers). Rye bread contains regular wheat floor.

Reducing grains gradually will probably have no effect. Only total abstinence will. I understand that this can be pretty hard to swallow for someone. Instead just propose that you both do this for 30 days. You can do anything for 30 days. If he's gluten/wheat sensitive, he'll notice improvements fairly quickly. He should also drop some weight. Then at the end of the 30 days, if the experience hasn't convinced him, try introducing gluten free versions of the food he misses the most.

Search the web, there are tons and tons of gluten-free alternatives. They are still loaded with carbs, so you have to minimize their use (Dr. Davis doesn't recommend them), but if they will prevent someone from dropping the diet in disgust, maybe it's worth it.

I found a gluten-free/low-carb bread roll recipe the other day:
http://blog.yourlighterside.com/200...aka-oopsie.html

and a recipe for paleo-bread
http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/

how are the recipes in wheat belly? Have you tried any of them? I ordered the book from the library but it's going to be a while before i have it in hand.

Great thread~i'm one of the non-celiacs who gets rheumatoid arthritis-like symptoms when i eat gluten. My son has been off of gluten (among other things) for his asd with great results. My mil get fibromyalgia when she eats gluten, my mom was recently diagnosed celiac. Honestly i think gluten is the devil and cant wait to read wheat belly. I hope that theres something new in it that i havent seen before but even if there's not, im glad for the awareness it's bringing.

Ps there is a gluten free beer but according to my aunt (who has celiac) its not worth the bucks.

My BIL has rheumatoid arthritis, but I don't know him well enough to bring up the subject. I mentioned it to my husband, but he doesn't put much value on "that stuff I read on the internet". I did convince him to go wheat free though, so here's hoping we will both loose weight.

I cut waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down on grains when I low carbed, obviously. I would go a week or two without it, then fit in a low carb wrap at lunch for a few days; or have a bite of pie (just a bite, honest!) or a sliver of cheesecake with a graham cracker crust.

These are very minimal amounts... and I didn't notice anything different. Only completely ditching all grains made me notice the change.

Of course, cutting down will have other health benefits. I like to reference my husband's experience at such times; he cut down, eats more fat, and even this "half-a$$edKins" as I call it, let him lose weight and his triglycerides plummeted!

Walnut, Dr Davis has posted some of his recipes on his blog, you might want to check them out.

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/category/recipes/

angeline~you're my link hero today! Thankyou!

Livestock will over-eat naturally all spring/summer long to naturally fatten up for the long winter ahead. I only feed my horses grass and grass hay, they are out on 20 acres and are worked. They are both fat, its not from eating ythe wrong foods. Gluttony I think is natural for us, its natural for us to fatten up for the long winter. The funny part is, that people don't have long hard winters any more, we don't need to fatten up.

I don't think long hard winters were long and hard on the savannah of Africa.

I've been watching Big Cat Diary on TV (Ha Ha - fab programme) and those lions go pretty hungry when there isn't a wilderbeast migration. I get the impression that they gorge themselves when there is food and can then go for a few days without if need be. Not human beings though of course, but excess eating when food is available might be a good survival strategy whether it's hot or cold. Food can be seasonal in warm climates too. Just a thought.

The biscotti recipe looks good and what do you know, I have all the ingredients on hand!

Let me know if you make it!

I think gluteny is natural for most of us, its part of early mans, and all animals survival. Most people don't have lean times of years or days and most "tame" animals don't either but it doesn't stop us from naturally wanting to eat the foods that make us eat more and gain weight. If I give my horses grain they will eat till they kill themselves, why? Theres something with the grain and the carbs and something in all of us that wants the grains/fattening foods. Were all prepping for winter, Old Blue looks like he's ready to starve for winter

Mentioning the animals, horses and wild animals love grains but really, they would only get a very little bit in the wild. Why do you think they love them so much? Because they have a high calorie and carb content and make them fat. We are the only animals that concern ourselves with being fat.

I do feel that grain is bad for us, I don't give it to my horses either. But there is something in it that makes us want it, or is it something in us that wants it?

This is what is explained in the book. By the time grains reach our brain, they have a morphine-like effect!