I'm pretty sure he said curry powder - I listened again this morning to his first book - on my ingredient packet: coriander, tumeric, cumin, chillies and fenugreek -
nothing else is mentioned..... so I'm officially going to be a bit naughty until someone confirms or tells me which of those herbs (??) may be a problem?

Just to catch up - I subscribed to that blog Janet, and I've emailed my request to attend the Auckland meeting - Nov 13 -
yay!

Thank you!

BTW, anyone into herbal teas? I mean they promise all sorts on the packets.... is there a thread for that?

Curry powder, and many other seasoning mixes, contain flour to prevent clumping. Healthier to buy the pure spices, but it is more work.

I drink herbal teas for the flavor, especially some with spices that make it taste sweet, e.g. Hot cinnamon spice or pumpkin spice. But these are not diet teas and don't promise anything, just something hot and mildly "sweet" to have instead of a snack. What herbs are you considering?

Wow, so great you are going to the Low Carb evening!
Maybe listen to some of Jimmy Moore's podcasts before you meet him. I liked his "Ask the Low Carb Expert" series that he did for about a year, because each interview is on one topic with some good doctors. http://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com

Christine Cronau is another speaker who does Fat tours Down under. http://christinecronau.com. And Sarah Wilson from I Quit Sugar http://iquitsugar.com

Dr Davis has a "Quick and Dirty" version of his diet right on his blog http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/...-quick-dirty-2/ and this diet summary website has more of the details and lists on what to eat and avoid http://www.chewfo.com/diets/wheat-b...void-food-list/ If you want to lose weight but are not celiac, the small amount of wheat in a spice mix and other foods on this long list may not hold you back, but they add up, and some people are sensitive to a tiny amount. If you (and your family) follow the Q&D guidelines, that is good enough for most.

Here are all the speakers from the Low Carb Down Under Tour in August (Dr Phinney and Noakes are always interesting)
http://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...jUpuwO7TLslIGpJ

If they do contain flour, it will be listed on the ingredients.

I have read that is US and Canadian labeling law, but depending where the spices were packaged if imported, possibly not. Though the old Sun Brand Madras Curry Powder popular in the UK, and maybe NZ too?, claims to be free of "adulteration". That is what I use and nothing's happened to me yet, and it does 'clump up', so maybe no flour.

I never understood how wheat flour is supposed to keep things from clumping. Have you ever worked with wheat flour? If it gets even the tiniest bit damp it gets sticky and clumps like mad. You'd probably want to use some sort of mineral powder instead, like certain types of magnesium or calcium, or maybe rice flour.

I've heard all kinds of things like this on my journeys through gluten free boards and many of them are specious.

For folks who are very sensitive, they do need to be aware that factory produced things are often run on lines where wheat products are also produced and there can be some cross contamination.

There are some groups out there that test products (GIG, I think) and publish their results. And companies that use GMP guidelines shouldn't have an issue. One thing you can do is call or email companies and they'll tell you pretty much everything you need to know. Google is also your friend. Put the brand/product and the word gluten into a search engine and you can usually find what you need to know.

I also buy many of my spices from Penzey's and they're a recommended source by many celiacs.

Here's something about McCormick spices I googled up:
http://glutenfreegirl.com/2011/07/w...gourmet-spices/

Here's the group that does gluten free certification: https://www.gluten.net/

Here are their suggestions to consumers:
https://www.gluten.net/wp-content/u...bel-reading.pdf

Wow Nancy and Janet, I'm trying to keep up with the information!

Very impressive, yes I must check out that link "quick and dirty" diet list. I'm kind stymied with the mustard powder and dijon mustard - both don't look too good.

I don't think I've got any major allergies or whatever - but I thought by totally making sure no wheat (I think mustard label says it's caramel colour comes from wheat, as an example), that helps to minimise cravings?

I was disappointed, after buying raw nuts, to notice the label, saying could be produced on the same line (or whatever) as soy or gluten products... but anyway.

I was surprised to see "wheat" in soya sauce, but anyway. I better look up some of those gluten free links.

If you are on facebook he has a great page and links to his blog. It is amazing seeing the transformations people have experienced. I'm trying to get back into and really have to sit down and plan my meals or I just grab for something.

I agree. I've read some criticisms of Wheat Belly which seem to have validity to me, but on the whole I agree with his message, and he has a light and humorous touch to his writing which I think makes it more accessible to a large audience.

Funny and true story: I was at a meeting yesterday. This was NOT a diet-related meeting, but a meeting of a pastel society we belong to. One of the women, during our social part of the meeting, was saying that she had suffered for 20+ years from allergies - allergy testing showed her to be allergic to just about everything under the sun. She was on all sorts of medications and nothing helped. She had constant sinus issues, postnasal drip, constant coughing and sneezing, painful itchy eyes. And she felt, completely unrelated she thought, stiff and arthritic and in serious pain most of the time. She suffered through all sorts of medical tests and doctors basically said there was not much more they could do for her, basically telling her that since many of her allergies seemed to be to plants and grasses she should just avoid the outdoors as much as possible

Then her young teenage daughter wanted to go on the Atkins diet. The mom thought it was a dangerous fad, but the girl begged. So the mom finally decided that since she would be doing the cooking anyway she would go on the diet with her daughter to show support, and to try to get a feel for what the diet did to you. Well she went on Atkins inductions and in TWO DAYS (she said it was literally just two days) all her allergic symptoms vanished. Not only that but her arthritic aches and pains vanished too. She was dumbfounded. Food experimentation eventually made her realize that the culprit was wheat - although that was NOT one of the things her allergy testing showed up as an issue.

Anyway that was some 10 years ago, she still avoids wheat, and says in all these years her allergy symptoms have never returned, nor her aches and pains. And now when she recently had allergy testing it didn't show her to be allergic to anything!

Second woman said that in her early fifties she began suffering from severe GERD, and her belly had terrible bloating most of the time. Quite accidentally (I missed part of her story) she discovered that when she eliminated wheat the GERD and the belly bloating vanished. She works at the Mayo Clinic so she asked the top gastroenterologist there if it was really possible that wheat was the cause of her symptoms. Amazingly (yay the word is getting about among the medical field) he told her absolutely yes it was possible, especially if she was of Celtic or northern European descent. When she told him she was mostly Irish he said, "Well that's almost certainly your problem then. Skip the wheat and stick to potatoes". And he even went on to say that the wheat we eat here is genetically modified and highly processed, and very different from what they eat in Europe where folks who have problems here often find they can eat bread in Europe with no problem.

However neither of these women had read Wheat Belly, though one had vaguely heard of it. I urged them both to read it. Of course they both already have an answer, but I find Wheat Belly very affirming for those who want to avoid wheat, myself among them!

I might have to put Dr Davis' books on my 'to-read' list now. I followed his blog before he published WB, and I figured there'd be nothing new in it for me to learn. Maybe I'll read it anyway.

Debbie, those stories sound like me. My cat allergy used to be so bad, that I had about a four-hour window during which I could visit someone with cats in the house. Then I'd get the asthma attack, runny nose and water eyes. Heaven forbid I pet the cat and forget to wash my hands before I touch my eyes. When I stayed at my parents' house for Christmas one year, I had to sleep at the next door neighbors' house because it was so bad.

Now? Almost nothing. A bit of a runny nose if anything. It's shocking to me.

I saw both Wheat Belly Total Health and Grain Brain for sale at Sam's Club yesterday!, epi-center of the monster boxes of processed wheat products. The cereal isle makes me weep, and oh, the special candies for Christmas already stacked sky high.

Merpig, that is a great story of the "wisdom of crowds". The popularity of Wheat Belly has exploded through the stories of success like that, now it is so much easier to learn of them through social media, etc. I heard someone say that Paleo (and by extension other wheat and sugar free LC type plans) continues to grow because people try it, get noticeable health benefits, and do not "drop out". There is no trying to climb the ladder or reintroduce the foods that made people sick before the "diet". A simple, permanent change in what you eat and it works.

My allergy story is the same, eczema as an infant and throughout 50+ years, seasonal and food allergies on and off, now nothing. Saw my dermatologist for another issue, and gave her copies of the skin section in both of Dr Davis's books (Kristine, read the first book too...our library has all four of his books) and she had already read some articles by a woman researcher/dermatologist who thought gluten was the reason for many skin conditions, so she was open to reading more about it. I even got in my pitch about "all grains", not just gluten-free, other components of wheat impact skin, etc.

As souprgl said, his Facebook page is terrific! Over 200k followers, but it is "managed" so only success stories, the Doctors challenge tidbits, and members recipes end up on the timeline section. Read back through older posts on his timeline, at least a full month as he has a daily motivation tip for each monthly challenge. The stories of the health benefits seen is Very motivating, I read it everyday.

I never thought about wheat having anything to do with my allergies. I discovered I was allergic to cats in my teens when I stayed overnight at a friend's house. I woke up with the cat in bed with me and it was all over for me! Now another friend has a cat, but he hides when people come over, so he doesn't bother me. I still have my seasonal allergies and skin problems. My step daughter has 2 cats. I think she got them to keep me away. LOL I'm the wicked step-mother.

I liked Grain Brain more than Wheat Belly. Even though it focused more on brain disorders like dementia, there was a lot of other good information in it. Right now I have the new Wheat Belly book checked out of the library until the 14th of Nov. I want to make sure I read through it again before I return it. It makes you actually scared to eat wheat!!

Wow - great to hear the experiences!

I don't really think that I have any allergies.... so I feel a bit weird, but I know many people, including my kids and hubbie, who I think DO have wheat allergies, so that's part of my motivation for doing this.

Also, even though I don't have a "diagnosed" health issue... I am quite overweight and probably close to diabetes scenarios, plus just when I heard him talking about all the other affects for the brain and heart etc.... just made me want to give it up, am tired of being "led around by my belly and "never-ending appetite/ cravings" and so I see this as a sensible alternative lifestyle choice.

BTW, has anyone tried out the recipes in the book?
Can I have any recommendations please?
Over the years, I've tried out a few recipes (not these WB ones) and most have been given the "YUCK!!" label, by the family..... sooooo if anyone can recommend any - I'd be really keen to start with 2 successful recipes.

My plan at the moment is to try to make and introduce 2 WB recipes per week.... am planning to make my own pesto, mayo, curry powder first - as some base ingredients, but was also thinking about some biscuits or something for a breakfast meal... suggestions?

Do try his recipes!, you can find many on the web. Instead of "low carb mixes" you might have used in past, now a lot of almond flour, coconut flour, etc...very tasty. I'm not a big baker but made his basic bread, pumpkin muffins for breakfast, etc. He worked with good cooks to develop recipes for his book, like Maria Emmerich. She just had a post on Thanksgiving foods that included a biscuit recipe, unless of course, you mean biscuit in the UK definition of word, in which case, I steered you totally in the wrong direction.
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/best...o-thanksgiving/.

Some recipes I mentioned are right on his website under the holiday posts.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/recipes/

Look on his FACEbook page and he posts photos of foods from his books members like. His Pizza crust has got to be number one, his flax wrap is quick and convenient for a sandwich. http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/reci...?recipe=1900264
Check Pinterest, bloggers will post photos and the actual WB recipe there.

Thanks very much Janet!

So far, I've made 3 things - aioli, cheesecake and choc chip biscuits..... the coconut flour and almond flour crust actually does look good - even though it didn't "roll out" like wheat bases.....

I've gone to all three links you've suggested and saved under my favourites. I've been copying out WB recipes and converting to metrics, where I need to.

I don't have a microwave, so I'm hoping that I can still make the flaxseed wrap - the usual "frying" way.... but I'm well stocked up now for WB baking.

Oh - and you're steering me in the perfect direction.

I noticed I was kind of getting "fed up" or niggly about my diet - so at least going through recipes - is a good way for me to still be creative and have some fun in the kitchen and more dietary choices.

Glad to help with recipes, Michelle, and great "to see you". A wonderful photo, you look happy and healthy. Wow, down 24 pounds and nearing goal just since you started Wheat Belly? Low carb seems to be agreeing with you.