Wheat Belly 10-Day Grain Detox (31 page)

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Wheat-Free Market Foods Sweetener—This unique combination of monk fruit and erythritol has, teaspoon for teaspoon, four times the sweetness of sugar, allowing a little to go a long way.

IDENTIFYING PROBLEM INGREDIENTS IN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

If you can obtain the package insert for a prescription drug from the pharmacist or examine the ingredients listed on the package for an over-the-counter drug, you can check for wheat/grain
components.
You can try just asking the pharmacist, but you likely won't get a helpful answer. Likewise, most doctors do not know what drugs contain grains or gluten in some form.

You can contact the manufacturer of the drug, though this can yield a tangle of uncertainty and the possibility of being bounced around from person to person. It can occasionally yield a straight answer, however, and is worth a try if the package insert or package is unavailable or unhelpful.

There is a Web site where a fairly comprehensive list of gluten-free drugs is maintained by a pharmacist:
glutenfreedrugs.com
.

SAFELY NAVIGATING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Provided you choose your sources wisely and drink responsibly, there is no reason alcoholic beverages cannot be a part of your grain-free lifestyle. Making the wrong choice can block weight loss, cause dreaded reexposure reactions to grains (e.g., bloating, diarrhea, joint pain), and even provoke the return of autoimmune conditions that, as you now know, can provoke misery that lasts for weeks to months. On the other hand, choosing alcoholic beverages wisely can mean spending an evening with friends without any such problems. Also bear in mind that, during your 10-day initiation to this lifestyle, any more than one drink per day will turn off that day's capacity for weight loss. So go very lightly or abstain altogether during the detox period or while you are actively trying to lose weight.

Wine

Wine is as close to a near perfect wheat- and gluten-free choice as we get. Combined with the probable health effects that derive from light wine drinking (no more than two 4-ounce glasses per day), it should be your first choice. Most benefits derive from the dry red
wines,
less so white, so choose cabernets, merlots, zinfandels, and other dry reds for the benefits as well as the pleasure. Note that wine coolers typically contain barley malt, as well as greater carbohydrate and sugar levels. For these reasons, wine coolers should be avoided.

Beer and Ale

Nearly all ales, beers, malt liquors, and lagers are brewed from grains and are therefore off the list, as there are grain protein residues present—generally 1 to 2 g per 12 ounces, enough to stimulate appetite, provoke inflammation, and initiate autoimmunity. People with celiac disease or the most extreme forms of gluten sensitivity should avoid beers altogether except those designated gluten-free. If they're gluten-free, no gliadin or gluten should be present (at least below 20 parts per million, the official FDA cutoff), but be aware that there remains potential for uncertain reactions from other grain proteins. Those of us without celiac disease or gluten sensitivity seem to do okay with beers brewed from sorghum and rice, but because these also include barley malt, you may have to make your decision on an individual basis. (If a sorghum-based beer causes bloating or abdominal discomfort, for example, you'd be best off avoiding it.) A beer aficionado who loves microbrews will have to search out and screen beers for problem ingredients. I have had a couple, for instance, brewed from chicory that were delicious. Of all alcoholic beverages, beer is the most hazardous, so be careful.

If you must drink beer, among the least troublesome are:

REDBRIDGE.
An Anheuser Busch beer, Redbridge is brewed from sorghum (a grain), has no barley malt, and is confidently gluten-free. Carbohydrate content is a bit high at 16.4 g per bottle; drink more than one and carbohydrates begin to stack up. Bear in mind that it is brewed from sorghum and may have some issues unique to that grain.

BUD LIGHT AND MICHELOB ULTRA.
Anheuser Busch's Bud Light beer is brewed from rice but also contains proteins from barley
malt.
The most severely gluten-sensitive should not indulge in this beer because of the potential immune cross-reactivity of barley and wheat gluten. But most of us just avoiding wheat but without gluten sensitivity can safely consume this brand without exposing ourselves to the undesirable effects of grains. Note that one 12-ounce bottle of Bud Light contains 6.6 g carbohydrates. Michelob Ultra is likewise brewed from rice and barley malt, and it's low in carbohydrates with 2.6 g per 12-ounce serving.

BARD'S GLUTEN-FREE BEER.
Brewed from sorghum without barley malt, this beer is truly gluten-free but is still brewed from a grain. As with many of the gluten-free beers, however, it can present an excessive carbohydrate exposure if more than one is consumed (14.2 g carbohydrates per 12-ounce bottle). Because it is brewed from sorghum, it lacks the gliadin and gluten residues associated with wheat, rye, and barley, but contains less harmful residues of the relatively indigestible proteins of sorghum. So just beware of any undesirable reactions.

GREEN'S GLUTEN-FREE BEERS.
A UK brewer, Green's provides several gluten-free choices made from sorghum, millet, buckwheat, brown rice, and “deglutenised” barley malt. They are not grain-free and so have small quantities of grain proteins. Go carefully here and make judgments based on individual experience. Carbohydrate content of these beers is slightly less than most others, ranging from 10 to 14 g per 330-milliliter bottle.

Spirits

Avoid vodkas brewed from wheat, which include Absolut, Grey Goose, Ketel One, SKYY, and Stolichnaya. Also avoid non-wheat but gluten-containing grain-sourced vodkas including Belvedere (rye), Finlandia (barley), and Van Gogh (wheat, barley, corn). Smirnoff is brewed from corn, which is less problematic but does have a low quantity of zein protein residues. The safest
vodkas
are prepared from non-grains such as grapes, potatoes, and quinoa, and are free of any grain proteins. The list of grain-free vodkas includes Chopin (potatoes) and Cîroc (grapes). Beware of flavored varieties that have been pouring into the market, as they are typically loaded with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup or both.

For those highly sensitive to grain proteins, most whiskeys are off the list since they are distilled from the mash of rye, barley, wheat, and corn. While whiskeys nearly always test below the 20 parts per million limit for gluten that the FDA considers the safe threshold for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, many of us still seem to react to them (bloating, gastrointestinal distress, joint pain). It means that many of the popular whiskeys, such as Jack Daniels (barley, rye, corn), Jameson (barley), and Bushmills (barley), carry the risk of a grain/gluten reaction. If you are among those without such extreme sensitivities, you may be fine, given the very low quantity of grain proteins.

Brandies and cognacs are generally safe since they are distilled from wines. Safe brands include Grand Marnier, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin. There are occasional exceptions, such as Martell, that contain caramel coloring, a grain-sourced ingredient.

Rum is distilled from sugarcane and does not contain any residues of grain proteins. Look for just plain light or dark rum and avoid the flavored or spiced rums, which run the risk of a grain-based ingredient and added sugars or high-fructose corn syrup.

From a grain exposure standpoint, safe liqueurs include Kahlua (contains dairy), fruit liqueurs like triple sec and Cherry Kijafa, Amaretto di Saronno, and Bailey's Irish Cream. The most gluten-sensitive may have to avoid those blended with whiskey; while the source of whiskey is often not specified, it is typically grain. Note that liqueurs also tend to be high in sugar.

SUPPORTIVE
WEB SITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

Official Wheat Belly Facebook page:
facebook.com/OfficialWheatBelly

The Wheat Belly Facebook page is not a place for teenage girls to giggle about boyfriends, but a place for us adults to share stories of success and hurdles to overcome, commiserate during grain withdrawal, and share or obtain advice as you proceed through your detox and onward. You are joining hundreds of thousands of other people sharing this journey with you. (It's called the “Official” Wheat Belly Facebook page because, like anything with growing worldwide popularity, there are inevitable copycats.)

Wheat Belly Recipe Central Facebook page:
facebook.com/pages/Wheat-Belly-Recipe-Central/124754534306616?ref=hl

This is the place to find or post recipes consistent with the Wheat Belly lifestyle.

The Wheat Belly Blog:
wheatbellyblog.com

The Wheat Belly Blog and the Official Wheat Belly Facebook page are the two places to go for discussions and additional information about the Wheat Belly lifestyle. Updates to the program are published on the blog, as well as occasional recipes and announcements of events.

WHEAT- AND GRAIN-FREE FOOD SOURCES

Wheat-Free Market Foods:
wheatfreemarket.com

Facebook page:
facebook.com/WheatFreeMarketFoods

All products made by Wheat-Free Market Foods are reviewed and approved by Dr. Davis and are therefore consistent with the Wheat Belly lifestyle. Classic Granola, Slow Toasted Flakes breakfast “cereal,” Pizza Crust Mix, and other products are available online and in a growing number of grocery and health food stores. You can find nearly an entire cookbook of recipes on its Web site (under “Recipes” along the top navigation bar).

Thrive
Market:
thrivemarket.com

While Thrive Market, an online store for organic groceries and other products, is a paid membership site, it donates a free membership to a low-income family for every paid membership. The choices are organic, non-genetically modified, and gluten-free, and are expanding rapidly.

Radiant Life:
radiantlifecatalog.com

This online retailer offers coconut oil, coconut flour, and other organic, non-genetically modified products.

nuts.com

This is an excellent online source for whole and ground nuts at reasonable prices.

PREFERRED PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS

All the brands listed below meet the criteria of having high numbers of organisms in each capsule and at least a dozen (if not 30 or more) species of the varieties believed to be beneficial for bowel and overall health (based on clinical studies). Note that many mainstream brands, such as Culturelle, Align, and Activia yogurt, are not among the Wheat Belly recommended brands for various reasons, primarily for not meeting our criteria of number and diversity of microorganisms contained.

Garden of Life Ultimate Care Raw Probiotics

Renew Life Ultimate Flora Critical Care

VSL#3
—
Although containing only eight bacterial strains, the published track record of this preparation makes it one of our preferred probiotic sources.

COMMERCIAL SOURCES OF PREBIOTIC FIBERS/RESISTANT STARCHES

Build up your intake of these powerful prebiotic fibers gradually to minimize abdominal discomfort and bloating as you cultivate healthy bowel flora. While we aim for an intake of 20 g prebiotic fiber per day, less is needed for some of these commercial preparations. For example,
no
more than 5 g per day of acacia fiber and PGX achieves the desired effects (long term, though, an increase may yield greater benefits). Also, note that some of these fibers, especially PGX, are substantially water absorbent, and you will need to compensate by increasing fluid intake.

Recall that we are trying to cultivate diversity among the species composing bowel flora. You would do best by varying your prebiotic fibers several times per week.

Powders and Capsules

Inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

Purchased as powders or capsules, these fibers are closely related. Both provide a prebiotic effect to cultivate healthy species in the intestine, especially Bifidobacteria. Many preparations contain both forms.

PGX

While marketed primarily as a weight-loss supplement (by inducing satiety), this mixture of fibers also yields prebiotic effects. It is available as granules or capsules. (Avoid the Vegan Bars, as they are too high in sugars.) Start at a dose of 1.5 g twice per day and build up to 10 to 15 g per day (divided into two or three doses) over several weeks.

Prebiotin

This is a powdered form of inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and provides 4 g prebiotic fibers per teaspoon, 2 g per Stick Pac, or 4 g per Extra Strength Stick Pac (single-serve packages convenient for travel).

Renew Life Skinny Gut Organic Acacia Fiber

Provides 5 g prebiotic fibers per tablespoon.

Protein Bars

While there are more than two brands of bars on the market that contain prebiotic fibers, many also contain problem ingredients such as sugar, excessive carbohydrates, grains, or agave nectar. The bars listed below are the brands without these complicating ingredients. I find them especially useful for travel when I don't want to lug around raw potatoes or other cumbersome foods.

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Quest Bars—These low-carb bars provide around 17 to 18 g isomaltooligosaccharide. Choose the flavors sweetened with stevia and erythritol, rather than sucralose (which disrupts bowel flora and potentially works against the prebiotic benefits). This means choosing Banana Nut Muffin, Chocolate Peanut Butter, S'mores, Strawberry Cheesecake, Double Chocolate Chunk, Coconut Cashew, or Lemon Cream Pie.