Testimony of the Day
This woman flew over 2 hours to my office! And the ‘kicker’ is that she makes beautiful cakes all day and is surrounded by sugar and wheat, but she is committed!
“In October 2102 I started on the path to having gastric bypass surgery after years of yo-yo dieting and being overweight since around age 8-9. I did everything from doctor supervised to phen-fen to WW to Medifast. My best weight loss was from Medifast but it quickly became too expensive and really was icky to drink shakes all day!
In January 2013 I read a Wheat Belly synopsis. This was an interesting concept to me so I bought the Wheat Belly Cookbook on Kindle. At the end of his book, Dr. Davis offered Maria’s Blog as a great place for recipes, guidance, etc. I checked it out and was impressed so I bought the Metabolism book for my kindle. Then I had an initial health assessment and email consult with Maria. I immediately stopped my diet coke addiction (over 40 oz a day) – that was the hardest one for me. During this time we started eating less wheat and sugar and by January 15th I got rid of all the grain products and went wheat free.
Since that consult with Maria in early January through today I’ve lost 51 lbs. The first 40 came of rather quickly and the last 11 have been slower, but are still coming off at about 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. All this with little exercise (since I’m allergic to it! Ha, Ha, Ha!) I canceled my WLS that was scheduled for April 2013 and couldn’t be happier. My moods are improved, I’m sleeping great, my body doesn’t ache all the time, my hands and feet aren’t always cold, I’ve not had a headache or acid reflex since late January, and my PMS is much better. I was experiencing facial ticks and vertigo type symptoms daily and the doctor didn’t know why but within 10 days of getting off the Diet Coke, they were gone and haven’t been back.
I still have a long way to go (another 75 lbs maybe) but am now confident I have the right knowledge and the right nutritionist (Maria) to help guide me. Maria’s books, blog posts, and facebook page are great and full of eye-opening insights. We like most of her recipes I’ve made – especially the treats! I would love to be able to afford one-on-one consults but our budget only allowed for the basic health assessment and email consult. Of all the things I’ve done to shed the pounds, paying Maria (including books, cookbooks, and one seminar) was the best money I’ve ever spent. Wish I would have found Maria sooner – I would have saved a ton of money on wasted programs. -Paula”
WHEAT BELLY: TOTAL HEALTH
Dr. William Davis, author of New York Times best-selling book Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health has done it again. He brilliantly wrote a perfect pairing book called Wheat Belly: Total Health. It is a coherent next step for anyone choosing to take control of their life and become the healthy person they deserve to be!
If you have an autoimmune disorder plaguing you such as Hashimoto’s, Graves, or diabetes, migraines, chronic pain, low energy, depression, take a step towards healing and get this book!
There are 3 main sections to Wheat Belly: Total Health. The first section illuminates the issues with eating grains of all types. He describes why those “healthy whole grains” that are pushed on us by many medical professionals are anything but healthy!
The second section teaches why this diet is more than just about losing weight, but becoming the amazing and healthy person you deserve to be! I too wasn’t always this healthy and active. Even as a teenager; it wasn’t until I cut all grains did I feel like the strong woman I am today. In this section you get guidance on how to make this switch as effortlessly as possible. I love how he includes tips from his patients; that was my favorite part!
In the third section, you are informed of all the harm consuming grains have done on our bodies… depressing yet empowering how we have the POWER TO CHANGE and TOTALLY RECOVER! And by adapting this LIFESTYLE (not a temporary diet) that is when we begin to heal our bodies from terrible ailments (as well as losing that Wheat BellyJ).
So start your path to health today and pick up Wheat Belly: Total Health! You deserve to be the strong and healthy person you were meant to be!
Click HERE to get your copy (on SALE now!)
I read this book a few months ago, and still have not really decided how I feel about it. I think a lot of it is very revenant, and does show our obsession with using artificial ingredients to save costs, to show how far our food has come from the original grain (in a bad way), but I do not think every single person would benefit from removing wheat. I did it, despite warnings not to as an elite athlete, and I really did not notice any benefits or advantages to doing so. I have definitely cut down though, and it has made me think about a lot of my options; using other grains instead of wheat now.
As an athlete, you might want to take it to a ketogenic diet to reap all the benefits for performance. I talk about it in detail in my book Keto-Adapted.
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/athletes-and-low-carb/
I’m not an athlete. I’m just your average everyday woman who exercises and tries to eat like she should. I have had weight issues since I was a child. I had tried many of the weight loss diets from WW to Slim Fast to the Cabbage Soup diet, etc. But when a friend of mine told me about Maria’s blog I thought I would check it out. I was having migraines and was having mini seizures three sometimes four times a month. Since I have cut out not only grains but all flours except using almond and coconut flour that Maria uses in her recipes and have gone completely ketogenic not only do I not have any migraines but I’ve not had any seizures.
The reason for my long dialogue is to say that I understand you being questionable about it but I’m telling you that it works. I along with countless others on Maria’s facebook page and other fans of Maria’s blog will tell you it works too. Thank you Maria for showing us the right way to being healthy. God bless you and your family.
Way to go Jolena! That is great! 🙂
Thanks for the heads up! I can’t wait to dive into his book, and Tina, I’m sure athletes could benefit from low carb. I am one myself and I run. I’m slowly adapted and switching body fuel from sugsr to fats
Maria, I found you through wheat belly also and ditto the woman’s testimony posted today. you are awesome. thank you for your package plan and patience, it literally changed my life. I am becoming free from the toxins of the manufacturers through a clean lifestyle taught by you. you not only help with cleaning up our food but you assist us in removing other things from our lives, like stress by encouraging sleep, cleaning up our cleaning and personal products, plastics, etc, the list goes on. I have to admit that I do read other authors but you have been the most comprehensive. I have had to read countless books to your one book to get on track. THANK YOU FOR THAT. thank you for updating us and staying on top of new research. I appreciate you. (you have saved me money because I eat less cuz I’m not hungry and I am the cookie lady, chip lady and weighed 258) I am now 233 in 2 months. yeaa… thanks again. and no more knee pain and lots of energy and good sleep.
Way to go Janet! Thank you! 🙂
Maria, do you think that wheat was EVER a good thing? I’m wondering (since I have not read the book) if it is genetic modification that ruined wheat, or if it was never good for humans to eat?
I don’t think it was ever a good thing to eat and the modifications just made it that much worse. 🙂
I have been 98% wheat free for at least 6 months but have not had a significant weight loss. I am sugar free, only use coconut oil, and read labels. Mostly eat only real food. Here is my problem I am losing hair. Not in clumps just enough to be a concern. This happened once before many years ago when I went on the Adkins diet (no carbs). I take biotin supplements and use a biotin shampoo/conditioner. I feel it is the removal of wheat from my diet again that is causing this hair loss. What can I do to prevent the hair loss?? Help…
Pat, I don’t know what Maria will say but I wanted to ask if you have had blood work done lately as hair loss can be a symptom of thyroid/endocrine related disorders?
There can be a few reasons why. When you body starts to heal imbalances can show up. There is also something called the healing crisis where things get worse before they get better as you heal. With a health assessment I would be able to tell what is going on. 😉
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/supplement-plans/
Maria, I’m looking forward to reading Dr. Davis’s new book. Thanks for the review.
Pat, Just a couple thoughts…
Sorry you’re having health problems but changing our eating habits does require total commitment. I didn’t get healthy till I committed 100% and removed all grains (not just wheat) & sugars. I’m pushing 70 now and have been living a low carb lifestyle for 12+yrs. I’d say the last 8 were with total commitment because my health had improved so much. I don’t think removing something that’s unhealthy from your diet is responsible for creating the issues you mention but I’m not a doctor. All I know is that healthy eating is not something we dabble in, it’s something we commit to or not!
PS: Atkins is not and never was “no carbs”!
Maria, I have your Keto-Adapted book and also Secrets. Both great books! I bought Dr. Davis’s new book a couple of days ago but I have not had the time to read much lately.
I just wanted to say thank you for doing what you do. Since I went grain (and sugar) free April 21 I have lost 20 pounds, I have said goodbye to migraines, asthma, and joint pain. I am sleeping great, I have energy, my mind is sharper, I look younger, and my cheerfulness quotient is off the charts. My husband has lost 25 pounds and is getting his blood sugar under control–we have both stopped taking statins. I am 65 but I feel much younger. Just moving through space is effortless now. I feel like I have been given a priceless gift–extra years to my life, and good ones, too! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Bless you and your beautiful family.
That is great! Way to go. Thank you!
Maria, I love your blog and thank you so much for continuing to point out others in the health field who really “get it.” I also found you through Wheat Belly and your site is bookmarked as a daily visit.
Thanks!
Not a very public person when it comes to personal things but I’ve been on keto for going on 3 months without any weight loss or body fat loss. My ketones remain .1 lucky if I get to .5. I’m on a slew of supplements that you recommended (magnesium, adrenal support, hormonal support) I make sure to get my 8 hours of sleep. My body is holding on to fat, I cannot lean out and my body is recently rather inflammed. I had some of these same issues on paleo which I hated. I’m a group fitness instructor that teaches 5 classes a week plus I do crossfit and try to incorporate yoga, Pilates and at least one of my own personal training sessions. I always fast before my workouts or when I have to teach except I find it difficult to do that during my
Evening classes.
Here are my struggles that are years of struggle with my relationship with food that I’m having a hard time kicking:
1) i still have cravings for treats. Possibly
Due to all the yummy treats you post and all the posts on the keto recipe group page:)
2) I find myself eating just because there is yummy smelling food around even though I’m not hungry or because I have to
Go teach for the next 2-3 hours and I’m afraid I’m gonna be starved half way through or bonk if i don’t eat before it’s too late
3) overeating, not knowing when to stop
I keep pushing through and want to stay on this regimen because I’ve noticed better sleeping habits, I don’t get mood swings due to glucose increase and drops, I can go hours without ” feeling hungry” and I do enjoy eating the foods!!
Anything you can recommend besides seeing a therapist. Seriously I really want to break my horrible relationship with food!! Working out is clearly not my issue.
You have to trust that fat is going to sustain you and eat more fats and less carbs. Keep your total carbs below 20g a day, fat at 70-80% of calories and protein 50-75g a day and you should see things start to move. And you will easily get through much more than 3 hours without getting hungry. 😉
Thanks! Cabbage and cucumbers are unlimited correct? So they don’t count towards total carbs correct?
Pretty much. I still count the total carbs but you typically can’t eat enough to go over your limit as long as it is eating with a high fat item (sauce, etc). 😉