Holistic Approach to Slimming Down Your “Wheat Belly”
by Laurie S Roth Donnell, Master Herbalist and Holistic Health Practitioner

“Wheat Belly,” written by Dr. Davis, a noted cardiologist, explores the evolution and infiltration of wheat in our daily food. Today’s wheat is genetically modified; this genetic modification is different from laboratory GMO gene splicing. Nevertheless, the amount of 20th century agricultural genetic modification has outpaced the human digestive system’s ability to adapt. In Davis’ book, regarding the U.S. consumption of wheat, he states, “We get most from a hybrid of Triticum aestivum—our great grandmother’s wheat—called dwarf (or semi-dwarf) wheat, which now comprises more than 99 percent of all wheat grown worldwide.” Beer belly is just an “old time” expression for what is actually wheat or grain belly, according to Body Ecology. This belly fat is a visceral fat, or fat that has accumulated around body cavity organs like your liver, stomach, or intestines. Subcutaneous fat is just under the skin. It is the flabby, flesh of any part of your body. Obese folks have both visceral and subcutaneous fat issues. A beer or wheat belly most likely indicates visceral fat. In addition to the obvious potential of diabetes II from obesity, there is another ominous aspect of visceral fat. Visceral fat acts as a gland, secreting hormones that make the immune system react. This produces more fat to store and protect pathogens from invading our organs. It is the proverbial vicious cycle, and it produces low-level chronic inflammation that can result in various autoimmune diseases.

Five wheat belly indicators:
1. High blood sugar
2. Skin problems, rashes, acne, and eczema
3. Bouts of anxiety and depression—low energy
4. Gut disorders—yeast infections
5. Early aging disorders that include dementia

Beyond the above lies celiac disease, which can be determined by a blood test and/or gut biopsy.

Bottom line, even if you are not a celiac disease sufferer or gluten sensitive, you still could be suffering from the ill effects of wheat or other grains. Even organic whole wheat has a high glycemic index (GI), which over time may increase your glycemic load and create diabetes II. Whole-wheat grains are considered complex carbohydrates, and modern day wheat contains amylopectin A, which is a rapidly absorbed carbohydrate that spikes your blood sugar, and more.

Alternative grains include: buckwheat, which is not actually wheat, amaranth, rice, hominy, sorghum, tapioca, arrowroot, and quinoa. Oats however are controversial, as it has been argued that oats are contaminated by wheat. In addition, a vitamin therapy that includes vitamin E (800IU), B complex, coenzyme Q-10 (50 milligrams) and L-carnitine (500 milligrams) daily has been shown to support healthy glucose levels. Also try drinking 4 to 5 cups of tea made with ½-cup chrysanthemum flowers boiled for 15 minutes in 5 cups of water then strained to assist in glucose stabilization.

If you are interested in enhancing your health via simple diet changes, I suggest start by going through your kitchen, pantry, and refrigerator, and eliminate all processed foods that are high in sodium, fat, and simple sugars, including honey and corn syrup. This includes frozen dinners, processed meats, cold cuts, cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, and candy bars. In addition, do not forget about your liquid empty calories hidden in processed soft drinks, juices, alcohol, and sweetened teas. Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rice, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and beans. Drink water as your main beverage, as it is zero calories and a very healthy choice, I suggest at least 10 cups daily.

Moreover, please check with your primary care physician when embarking on any new health regime.

Sources:

http://bodyecology.com

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com

http://www.mayoclinic.com/

http://www.livestrong.com/

Contact the author at lauriedonnell@hotmail.com

Know Your Nutrients: Vitamin E
by Amanda Hawkinson

Most people know that vitamins are essential for normal growth and nutrition. While they are found in our foods, many of us do not get adequate amounts through diet alone. Vitamin E is one such nutrient.

What is vitamin E?

First used in 1938 to help premature newborns achieve normal growth rates, vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that works well with vitamin C to combat damage to the cells and tissues from free radicals (highly reactive, and short-lived, uncharged molecules). When taken together, vitamin C actually lengthens the time (or reactivate) vitamin E has to neutralize free radicals that can cause inflammation that lead to eventual damage.

Why take vitamin E?

While primarily used for its antioxidant properties that help prevent various cardiovascular, neurological and respiratory diseases, as well as maintain proper structural function of the skeletal and smooth muscle, vitamin E also helps create red blood cells and may even help with cancer prevention. Additional benefits of vitamin E include its ability to aid in the relief of Alzheimer’s symptoms and correct diabetes-related eye damage.

Are you deficient?

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, “Vitamin E deficiency is rare in humans. People who cannot absorb dietary fat or who have rare disorders of fat metabolism cannot absorb vitamin E. Symptoms include greasy stools, chronic diarrhea and an inability to secrete bile.”

Where can you get it?

Vitamin E can be found in various food sources including vegetable oils (wheat germ, sunflower, and safflower oil), avocados, nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, and almonds), seeds, and green vegetables (especially spinach and broccoli). Further food sources include asparagus, kiwifruit, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mangoes, tomatoes, and papayas.

For those who are deficient and may not be getting enough vitamin E through dietary choices, incorporating a high-quality, doctor approved nutritional supplement into your daily routine may be beneficial. For example, the Riordan Clinic Supplement Store carries Carlson E-Gems 400 IU for $54.75. Stop by, or visit us at www.riordanclinic.org, to get yours today!

Sources:

1. www.drweil.com
2. www.umm.edu
3. www.whfoods.com

Visit our on-site supplement store or website, www.riordanclinic.org, to purchase this or other supplements, books, and DVDs.

Patient Profile
by Chris Brannon, RN

Are people with gluten intolerance looking for an excuse for strict food habits, or are they just picky eaters? Probably not. Gluten is a protein complex found mostly in wheat, barley, and ryes, and causes a multitude of unwelcome health symptoms for a growing number of people.

As an example, a 31-year-old woman visited the Riordan Clinic after dealing with multiple gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, pains, etc.). She constantly felt inflamed and puffy throughout her body. After visiting with a clinic physician, she made the decision to switch to a gluten free diet. Within a matter of days these symptoms were starting to resolve.

She found that with the new structure of her diet and better management of her health, she was able to regain the ability to live young. Not only were these problems coming to a halt, she noticed she had more energy than before. As in this case and in others time and again, we have found that getting to the root of the problem can produce beneficial health outcomes.

To find out more about how our medical team can help you or to make an appointment, call 316-682-3100 to start your journey to a healthier you.

Wheat belly or just plain fat? As Dr. Hunninghake has stated, the medical explanation for our epidemic of obesity is the development of insulin resistance, and this occurs when we eat too many carbohydrates, repeatedly, whether in the form of sugar or wheat. The initial result of this over consumption is a persistent elevation of our average blood glucose, which can be accurately measured by the test known as hemoglobin A1c.

To maintain homeostasis (stable physiology), we increase our production of insulin, which enables us to normalize the blood glucose not used in energy production by conversion to fat. Eventually, the persistent demands of excess insulin result in insulin resistance or exhaustion, which can be detected by the fasting insulin test.

A new test now coming into use is serum leptin. Leptin is a hormone produced by our fat cells. It is responsible for controlling appetite, fat storage and for telling the liver what to do with its stored glucose.

Hemoglobin A1c test $80
Fasting insulin test $104
Serum leptin test $144

Call to schedule your lab appointment on-site or to receive test kits through the mail.
316-682-3100 or 1-800-447-7276.

Supplement Special: SAVE 20% on Wheat Belly Books

Wheat Belly- by William Davis, MD

A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.

Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100 million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist, William Davis, calls “wheat bellies.” According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.

After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat”—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who have experienced life changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient.

Reg $25.99
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Wheat Belly Cook Book -by William Davis, MD

This cookbook companion to the New York Times bestseller Wheat Belly serves up 150 great tasting wheat free recipes to help readers lose weight and beat disease.

Wheat Belly shook the foundations of the diet world when author and renowned cardiologist William Davis revealed that an epidemic of adverse health effects—ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the buildup of stubborn belly fat (so-called “wheat bellies”)—could be banished forever with one simple step: Saying goodbye to wheat. The Wheat Belly Cookbook takes readers to the next level with over 150 fresh and delicious wheatless recipes, including Breakfast Quesadillas, Braised Pot Roast with Vegetables, velvety Peanut Butter Pie—and surprising wheat-free hits like Blueberry French Toast, Bruschetta Chicken on Angel Hair, Spaghetti Bolognese and velvety Scones.

Additionally, readers will also learn how to:

-Dodge symptoms of “wheat withdrawl” experienced by about 10 percent of dieters, ensuring a smooth transition to this new healthy eating plan
-Set up their wheat-free kitchen, including important prep techniques, shopping lists, and strategies to get the whole family on board
-Avoid regaining a wheat belly while eating out at restaurants and parties—plus exciting meal ideas guests will love

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Happy Mother’s Day
from Marie’s Café & Bakery

Cafe Hours 9:00 am – 3:00 pm M–F
Bakery Hours 9:00 am – 3:30 pm M–F
(Located on the lower level of the Riordan Clinic Supplement Store)

May is a month of celebration! Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day will be here before you know it! Marie’s May lunch special is the perfect way to party like it is Cinco de Mayo and to show your mother how much she means to you! Stop by today to indulge in our savory chicken tortilla soup!

Happy Cinco de Mayo Lunch Special

Chicken Tortilla Soup with a side salad and a cookie

Large soup $5.54
Small soup $4.25

Offer valid through May 31, 2013. Not valid with any other offer. Excludes tax and gratuity.

You’re a dependable source of comfort;
You’re my cushion when I fall.
You help in times of trouble;
You support me whenever I call.

For all the loving things you are
and caring things you do,
I’m honored to call you mother
I love you too!
Happy Mother’s day!

Also, throughout May and in celebration of the Memorial Day holiday, you can honor our service men and women with a Marie’s Café and Bakery gift certificate.

Thank you to our military men and women, whose dedication to our country does not falter, halt or swerve. We salute you.

“Caring for the whole person has always been our focus.”—Marie Hunt, Owner

Please visit our website for more information. mariescafeandbakery.com

Wheat Belly: An Unintended Consequence
Presenter: Ron Hunninghake, MD
Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $10—Lunch is included.

We are now offering a soup and salad bar for lunch. Please come a few minutes early to dish
up before the lecture begins.

Is wheat really that bad for you? Don’t we need those “healthy whole grains” that are so often
recommended? The answer is NO. In fact, the “wheat” that is used in much of our foods today is
very different from that of our ancestors…and it is taking a toll on our health. Join us as Dr. Ron
discusses the unintended consequence of our genetically modified wheat and why it may be
important to live a gluten free/wheat free way of life.

If you are unable to attend in person, check out this lecture on our live webcast.

Reservations required: Call 316-927-4723 or email us at reservations@riordanclinic.org

Wheat Belly: An Unintended Consequence
by Ron Hunninghake, MD

After you shower this morning, before you get dressed…stop and take a look at your body in a full length mirror. You most likely will see some degree of a “pot belly” looking back at you. Over 68% of Americans are waking up to the fact that visceral body fat is complicating their self-concepts.

Nobody wants to be fat. Fifty years ago it was the rare individual that was. Pull out your family album and take a look at great grandpa and grandma and their kids. Oh sure, there were obese individuals back then…but they were by far the exception.

Today, fat is the rule.

The medical explanation for this is insulin resistance. Something is making human cells in America (and in most countries that have adopted Western eating habits) more resistant to the effects of insulin.

The result is higher insulin levels. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. When glucose levels run higher (due to the intake of high glycemic carbs in an insulin resistant individual) the pancreas simply makes more insulin in order to drive the extra glucose into hungry cells. Higher insulin for unclear reasons causes more fat to be stored around your abdominal organs. This visceral body fat is creating the pot belly phenomenon.

Starvation and extra sit-ups or gym-time generally do NOT make the pot belly go away. Intense dieting can cause more skeletal muscle loss than is does “table muscle” loss. Overly intensive exercise can stress your adrenals, push up your cortisol levels and surprise you with what doctors call a cushingoid pot belly. Even if you do knock off a few inches off your belt size, it takes very few cookies or cupcakes for the inches to sneak back!

What the heck’s going on here?!! And what does Norman Borlaug have to do with this mess?

Norman was a wonderful man and a great scientist. As a plant geneticist, he is credited with developing dwarf wheat. For this he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. So…what does dwarf wheat have to do with visceral body fat?

For thousands of years the “amber waves of grain” were cultivated by our forbearers. Hunter-gatherers became stable farmers. Human art, culture, and civilization grew out of our relationship with the wheat plant, which was so valued that it was honored as the “staff of life.” Even today we honor the nutritional value of “healthy whole grains” in our quest for better health. The whole grain we are primarily referring to is whole wheat, which constitutes over 90% of grain consumption in western societies.

In the 1980′s, whole wheat assumed an even bigger role in our quest for healthy hearts when it was mistakenly assumed that dietary fat was the cause of high cholesterol leading to heart disease. Fat was rooted out and replaced by our revered “healthy whole grains”…and their evil sister–sugar.

Ironically, it was also in the 1980′s when the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) began tracking the obesity epidemic which we now know is in full swing…and still growing (literally)!The uncomfortable but unassailable historical fact here is that the adoption of the American Heart Association’s battle cry—”Healthy Whole Grains”—precisely coincided with the world wide adoption of Norman Borlaug’s dwarf wheat development into common agricultural practice.

Traditional Triticum aestivum wheat grew upwards to four feet tall and it swayed in the wind, creating the beautiful “amber waves of grain” effect. For centuries, cultivation problems, poor disease resistance, and other production issues limited wheat’s potential for higher yields.

Norman Borlaug solved that with his dwarf wheat. He knew that the modern practice of fertilizing with high nitrogen would cause a larger head of grain to grow. On the tall Triticum wheat stalk, that heavier head would bend and break, killing the plant. On his shorter, thicker dwarf wheat stalk the heavier, higher yielding head of grain could survive and thrive. Further breeding and hybridization made this new wheat more resistant to disease and weather extremes. It grew faster and was easier to harvest. Small and large farmers produced more for less cost and more profit.

Norman was hailed as the “Father of the Green Revolution” and the savior of mankind from world hunger thanks to an 8 to 10 fold increase in yield with his dwarf wheat. He was an international hero.

His breakthrough was so successful from an agricultural perspective that there was nary a thought as to how this and the thousands of new wheat hybrids might affect the nutritional aspects of wheat as human food. Essentially NO nutritional studies were done. It was assumed that a wheat hybrid was no different from a tomato hybrid. Wheat is wheat…right?

Wrong! What was at least 28% protein in Emmer wheat (an ancestral strain of wheat) became only about 10% or so in the modern hybrids of Triticum aestivum. These hybrids were loaded with super-carbohydrates composed of long chains of branching glucose units called amylopectin A.

The 75% amylopectin A content of modern wheat, while being characterized as a “complex carbohydrate” turned out to be no better than even the simplest carbohydrate…sucrose. Eating two slices of whole wheat bread is glycemically worse than drinking a can of cola containing nearly 11 teaspoons of sugar.

The glycemic index (how much and how fast the carb content of a food is absorbed) of whole wheat bread is 72. White bread is 69. A Snickers bar is only 41!

Wheat-induced blood sugar surges take you on a glycemic roller coaster ride. What goes way up…will come screaming down. Eat wheat (processed or not) and you can expect a blood sugar high followed by a shaky hypoglycemic low. What relieves that uncomfortable low? Craving and eating more wheat and sugar. (The glutens in modern wheat hybrids also changed their genetic structure as well with the rise in special polypeptides that mimic addictive opiate drugs…giving special meaning to the words cracked wheat!)

Too many roller coaster rides over days, months and years is what sets up the development of insulin resistance. High wheat equals high insulin. High insulin equals visceral fat. Visceral fat equals wheat belly.

Is this what Norman Borlaug intended?

It is ridiculous to even think that a man who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 would have had any intention whatsoever in making over 2/3′s of Americans fat! How could he in his wildest dreams ever have thought that dwarf wheat (which now makes up 99% of all wheat production) would lead to over 34% of us becoming obese prediabetics and diabetics?

The American Heart Association’s endorsement of “healthy whole grains” was intended to lower our heart disease risk. Instead, ask any doctor about the unprecedented rise in obesity with all its grim outcomes: cancer, arthritis, dementia, autoimmune disease, depression, macular degeneration, shame, regret and despair.
Again I urgently ask: Is this what Norman wanted? No. These are clearly unintended consequences! But here we sit: 68% of us waking up and looking in our mirrors with a fat wheat belly looking back.

The following list shows many (but not all) of the wheat-related diseases that accompany this world wide epidemic. (This is because Borlaug’s dwarf wheat has been “successfully” exported and implemented in almost every country in the world.)Now the big question: What do we do about this?

Schizophrenia
Obesity
Diabetes
Arthritis
Irritable Bowel
Aging
Cataracts
Depression
Heart Disease
Cancer
Chronic Fatigue
Colitis
Alzheimer’s
Celiac Disease
Neuropathy
Autoimmunity

There is no easy answer. I expect the best answer is that each one of us must take ownership of the problem as it relates to our own health issues. If you have a wheat belly, you must ask yourself: “Is wheat worth it? Can I live without it? Can I find alternatives that are healthier for me?”

Answering these questions honestly will not solve this unintended global mess that is slowly creating a healthcare crisis of such huge dimensions (literally!) that government planners are at a loss as to how to even approach it.

As I have stated before, it is impossible to legislate better, healthier choices. That must be left up to the individual. That’s you…and that’s me.

Here’s my political slogan for the future: “True healthcare reform…is self-care reform

Hypothyroidism: One Family’s Concern
by Victoria Hamm, CMA
Our genes play a significant role in the diseases we may one day develop. By living a healthy lifestyle, we can hope to lessen our chances of suffering from the diseases that have been passed down to us.
Recently, a very young patient visited the Riordan Clinic presenting some concerning symptoms. After an appointment with one of our doctors, she was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. The diagnosis was not surprising as her mother and two sisters have a thyroid disorder as well. She visited the Riordan Clinic in hopes to maintain her thyroid and increase its function.
Hypothyroidism can cause many different symptoms, such as exhaustion, weakness or depression, as well as dry skin, brittle nails, hair loss, anxiety, migraines, and even cold hands and feet. Having your thyroid tested (with lab work) can tell you if you have a decreased or an increased thyroid, so you can start a treatment plan.
While reviewing her results, her doctor noticed that she was also low in vitamin D and iron. Being low in iron can also cause symptoms such as hair loss, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and decreased attention. She now has started supplemental iron and vitamin D as well as thyroid medication. With supplementation her symptoms decreased and she has noticed increased energy. With continuous daily improvements, due to correcting her deficiencies, she has now adjusted her lifestyle from her genetics.
It is important to know and understand your family history of disease so that you might prevent the same symptoms by making lifestyle changes to stay healthy.
To find out more or to make an appointment, call 316-682-3100to start your journey to a healthier you