What's Wrong with Wheat?

In my search for a connection between wheat and migraines, I came across the book Wheat Belly by Dr William Davis, a cardiologist, which pointed out many diseases that are improved or cured by the elimination of wheat. (Telling someone that wheat is unhealthy causes people to question your sanity.) This led to reading about the primal diet in The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, which recommends eliminating all grains.

Pete Evans, an Australian chef and cookbook author, asked Dr Davis  to write a section about wheat for his new cookbook (coming out in 2014) . Here's an excerpt of what Dr Davis wrote:

WHEAT: UNhealthy Whole Grain 

See that big, delicious looking loaf of multigrain bread? Or that shelf of whole wheat bagels? Or that steaming plate of al dente pasta? They represent everything good in diet . . . well, at least according to current nutritional guidelines, such as those offered by Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing or the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All agencies agree: Grains, especially those from whole wheat, should represent the cornerstone of a healthy diet.

But there’s a problem in nutritional paradise: It’s not wheat . . . or at least it’s not the wheat that our mothers had, nor the wheat flour our grandmothers baked with, nor the wheat of the Bible or the centuries preceding.  

Modern wheat is the product of 40 years of genetics research, intensive efforts aimed at increasing yield-per-acre. The result: a genetically unique plant that stands 18-24 inches tall, a “semi-dwarf” strain, not the 4 1/2-foot tall “amber waves of grain” we all remember. Traditional wheat is long gone, a product that has not been on store shelves since around 1985. Today, virtually all products made with wheat flour, regardless of whether it is organic, sprouted, multigrain, etc., originates from this high-yield, semi-dwarf creation of genetics research. 

He continues with more information about why we need to remove wheat from our diet. Please go to Dr Davis' blog to read it all. 

Pete Evans says this about his new cookbook: “there will be no recipes featuring wheat… it will be along the lines of the paleo philosophy of loads of vegetables, some fruit, quality pasture-raised meat and wild-caught and sustainable seafood. The recipes will be very easy and inspirational.”  And he says in his kitchen at home they only use coconut and almond flours.