It is definitely true and I appreciate this article very much.  I've come to realize that our society has been brainwashed into this obesity epidemic.  We are bombarded with food at every turn in our day to day lives and I for one am tired of living like that.  I honestly, don't believe we should be eating as much as we do.  It's not natural and I plan to change.  Reading articles like this helps to cosign my own views about weight and society.  So thank you and keep up the good work>

A bit of romanticism here.

Read The Last Gentleman Adventurer a memoir written in the 1920s but only recently published. It's by a man who lived with Canadian Inuit when they were still living a traditional hunting-based life.

They ate their meat raw, which preserves many nutrients. They  ate the stomach contents of their prey which gave them nutrients from partially digested grasses which human stomachs unaided can't eat. Sometimes they starved.

Humans eating a truly paleo diet eat a lot of things that would get you and me heaving. Lots of organ meats, brains, eyeballs, you name it.

The paleo fantasy ignores the fact that hunter societies became agricultural partly because when prey were scarce they starved. There are only a few place on earth with climate where you can easily live a hunters life. Those are the areas where people kept hunting up through the 20th century.

But The Native American populations that met Champlain in Canada in the 1500s, for example, were attracted to his settlements and began trading with him for food, because they experienced several years of deep snow where they were unable to find prey and where large numbers of their people starved to death.

I'm a fan of low carb eating, but also a trained historian with an undergrad degree in Anthropology. My training in anthropology has kept me from getting quite as enthusiastic about the paleo concept as others, because too many of the concepts about that are bruited around in the diet world are mostly fantasy and don't mesh with the realities of how nonagricultural societies have really lived.

Our family often watches this show (we far prefer it to the sensationalized Man vs. Wild show), and my 10 yo son has noted the difference between what one would eat in nature compared to what he sees eaten by our society.   That has really helped reinforce the perception our food supply at home isn't really "missing" cereals, sodas, packaged snacks, breads, etc.  

And I want to scream at the TV whenever I see Man vs. Wild's Bear Grylls hawking trail mix cereal.  Sheesh!  My son called me to the
TV and replayed the advert to clue me into that absurdity (the contradiction wasn't lost on his young mind).  If he has to use his celebrity status to hawk a food, couldn't he have found a jerky company to represent?  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yIatQ7QVbg

Somehow I doubt we'll see Les Stroud hawking boxed cereals.  I suspect he is far more principled.  We're going to miss his shows, now that production has ended.

Brilliant observation and well written, great post.  All the talk of "it's my genetics" just don't matter in the environment we evolved in.  Genetics or not, no one would be fat.

I love the blog and read every post.  Keep up the excellent work.  I wish you were in my area so I could have you as my doctor.

The other day, as I walked into the local supermarket, I noticed a male customer coming out carrying a plastic bag chock full of groceries.  Most prominent in it was a giant box of Cheerios.  Most prominent on the shopper? A giant, and I mean giant wheat belly.  Coincidence?  I think not.

You can learn a lot about a persons health by taking a peek at what's in their grocery cart!

madcook

I've always liked your blogposts, but I think this is ridiculous:

"Even an obese, diabetic, gluttonous, XXX dress size 350-lb woman would return a lean 105 lbs, size 0, non-diabetic, fully able to run miles in the wild tracking game."

Not all overweight people are gluttons, and blaming them doesn't help them. Furthermore, how healthy is it to lose 200 pounds in 6 months?

I hope he's not about to eat that cute little owl creature!

I love Survivorman, but there's one very important detail missing from his adventures: community.

I like the new look. Nice work!

Hi, Jenny--

Valuable insights.

I'd love to hear more on this track. I wasn't aware of your anthropology background.

Kipper,

I totally agree! Poor Les -- I think the monotony of loneliness counters many of the adventures he embarks on.

Paleo man was very social. Our contacts and networking (like wolves v. lone coyotes) allow us to sleep at night -- pun intended -- and gain the restoration to be better hunter/foragers for the next day.

-G

>>> The paleo fantasy ignores the fact that hunter societies became agricultural partly because when prey were scarce they starved. There are only a few place on earth with climate where you can easily live a hunters life. <<<

Jenny, while this is true, it doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to eat a paleo-like diet as much as possible, even if it means we do our hunting-gathering at Whole Foods.

I've yet to see anyone switch to a paleo diet and not have dramatic improvement in health (and fat loss).  This is a civilized paleo diet, to be sure, but still leaps and bounds better than the USDA sanctioned diet.

My version of a paleo-diet is this: high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb.  No grains, no fructose (except naturally occurring in fruits/berries), no oils with over 10% polyunsaturated fat.

Latest lipid readings:
HDL - 89
LP(a) - 3
tri's - 47
CRP - .02
(I have about 100 health markers I measure, all in an optimal healthy range for a 30-yr-old -- I'm 47.)

It would be impossible to get similar values on a USDA diet. If anything, turn the food pyramid upside down and you'll get a far healthier diet.

Do you ever have your health markers measured?  What diet do you follow?

I attended a talk by Survivorman Les Stroud in Seattle a week ago. He was asked what skill he recommends for a beginner at wilderness survival to learn. He said a good first thing to study and to practice is recognizing edible wild plants.

He also said that he's not giving up and plans to do a lot more shows, including an idea for a show where he sets teenage survival students on survival challenges. He said that it was just a rumor that he was quitting.

When the subject of the other guy came up, the whole room broke into laughter, and Les said, "What Bear Grylls does is just entertainment. What I do is real." (Everyone already knew that Man vs. Wild was all planned and Bear stayed in hotels at night with his camera crew when he wanted. Bear's show was never claimed to be real, they just let viewers assume that.)

Survivorman diet results: He says the first few times he got really hungry by the second day, but after doing that so many times, his body seemed to say, "So that's how you're going to live?" and started to deal with it. Now he can go more days without food before getting as hungry as he used to get and he doesn't get as weak. Regarding mental fatigue, he writes notes to remind himself what to try filming, so when he's the most tired and lonely, he can still get something done in a day for the show. (Of course, since it's real, he might not get that bow fire going, or whatever he wanted to try on camera.)

From what I've seen on the show, he recommends "protein" to stave off hunger pangs, that is, to "keep [his] strength up" by "getting something in [his] system" when he's actually eating very few calories. He recommends various wild plants for having a lot of "nutrients." He also believes it's worthwhile in cold places to try getting something hot, "even if it's just hot water," to "make you feel more human" to "keep your spirits up" because hope can make the difference for survival. He doesn't seem to have anything against eating fruit, and eats it when he can find it. He has said that that best he ever ate on the show was in the Cook Islands {where he laid out a banquet for himself including coconut and shellfish.)

If you were starving, trying to survive with your family in Paleolithic times, and in the forest or jungle you found a tree with ripe fruit on it, would you listen to someone who says, "Don't eat carbohydrates, only eat fat, because carbohydrates cause cardiovascular disease eventually, and especially don't eat fructose because that causes hyperlipemia, high blood fat levels after ingestion, and that sounds especially bad for you," or would you just say, who cares, it's food, and eat the fruit?

Jenny:
Do you think that modern man actually needs periods of starvation (fasting)? We appear to have no effective intellectual or metabolic defenses against persistent effortless plenty.

(Perhaps we came up with recessions, depressions, and wars as a modern survival ploy?)

Seriously, though, thanks for your comment which as usual, shows realism and insight.

MikeV

I have tried neither starving nor fasting. Nearest was growing up in Britain during WW2, with dad a 5 year POW.

Its great to know a modern day man can survive in the wildest areas of earth.

I was just wondering what a paleo-man would select to eat if dropped in a supermarket or burger joint today.

Would it be any different then what most americans choose?

Thanks, Sonny. Wonderful insights.

I agree: In times of caloric deprivation, the composition of diet becomes much less important a factor. Just eat.

DH watches one of those shows sometimes, it's gross.  He said that guy keeps trying to catch fish but isn't very good at it.

I read this post with great interest. I'm a big fan of Les Stroud, and I've taught wilderness survival myself on and off for many years-- since I was in my early teens, if fact.

I've done some wilderness trips similar to those on Survivorman. My last one was 10 days in length. In those 10 days, I traveled over 100 miles down a river to my destination. No food, no luxuries. I ate whatever I could find.  Crawdads, fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, insects... You learn to appreciate whatever you can find. Ate some vegetation. Watercress grew in springs along the river, which was a great treat, as it's tasty and packed with some good nutrients. Stinging nettle was also abundant, and could be eaten after boiling. For the most part, though, animals made of the majority of my diet, and that's what I was on the lookout for all the time. I was using an awful lot of energy every day, and the last thing I wanted was a salad. I wanted meat. Fat. That's the only thing that provided real satisfaction, but I did of course eat the vegetation when it was available. You have to eat whatever you can. When you're on the edge of starving, you can't be picky.

The thing I appreciate about Survivorman is the high amount of failure that is reflected on the show. Stroud's ideas don't always work. They often fail, multiple times, in fact. And believe me, that is exactly how it is in real life. Gathering food and surviving takes time and effort, and you're not always successful.

Let me tell you, if you want effective weight loss, this is the way to do it! In those ten days, I lost about 20 lbs. I was lean and strong. six-pack abs and not a shred of fat. I actually felt pretty good by the end, too. I could have probably eaten more/better if I hadn't been moving constantly (by allowing traps to do their thing, etc.), but I'm sure the results would have still been similar. It was far more effective than any "diet" I had been on up to that point.

I've often wondered how popular it would be to start up a survival/weight loss school. A kind of "Paleo Camp," as it were. Take overweight people out for 2 weeks, teach them survival skills, and then have them test their skills in the wild to shed a few pounds (under a controlled setting of course). All the while, teaching them nutrition/how to eat, so they have principles to take home with them. Heh. It would probably be too intense, but it's a thought, anyway!

David

David--

That is an absolutely fantastic idea! I predict that you would have a waiting list a year long if you did something like that.

Please let me know if you pursued this idea.

Dr. Davis,

I'll sure let you know if I end up doing something like that. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

David

As someone who prefers not to eat animal flesh I am so pleased to see Jenny's post.

Doesn't a bit of Darwin apply in this case and maybe a little bit of physics; the conservation of energy.  If you eat more calories than you expend, you get fat.  Doesn't matter if it is wheat or pigs liver.  

Trevor

Have to jump in and defend Bear Grylls. He's the real deal; British special forces, climbed Everest, etc. even though he's churning in the hype machine right now. His show is based partly on artifice, but is full of gems. The information is very good, he's highly fit and strong, and very intelligent. My children and I watch survivorman for the laughs; he doesn't seem much better at surviving than we would be, and as for fitness, well...Suffice it to say they are very different, a somewhat larger than life character v. Everyman.

Survivorman's quiet desperation of living in the wild, preoccupied with worries over where his next meal might be found, is a stark contrast to the bloated, shelves stacked floor-to-ceiling supermarkets, and our modern society's all-you-can-eat several times per day lifestyle.

Does this mean we shouldn't be taking calcium supplements? I've been taking 500 mg per day.

Hello Dr Davis, I've read recently that calcium supplements are a bad idea - they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Does dietary calcium have a similar effect? I would value you opinion.

Thanks,

Richard

There is a lot of controversy in Canada currently for a treatment of MS; the opening of blocked or restricted neck veins.  Dr. D, you mentioned dementia, which, to my simple understanding, is either nerve damage or vascular dementia due to a series of small strokes. So my reason for this post is to ask the question; Is the tissue type of veins the same as arteries, and if so, would the same inflammation calcification cycle occur?  If the answer is yes, does that imply vitamin D3 /K2 and wheat elimination has potential for MS sufferers and people trying to avoid vascular dementia in old age?
thanks
Trev (recovering vegetarian)

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/11/18/multiple-sclerosis-vein-death-costa-rica-mostic.html

Mike and Richard--

I have been advising my patients to take no more than 500 mg calcium per day, given the potential for increased cardiovascular events with higher doses per the studies coming from New Zealand. Also, achieving healthy vitamin D blood levels easily doubles the intestinal absorption of calcium, making supplementation of additional calcium less necessary.

This research was published in 2005.
Any updates on this?

Thanks

Dr. Davis, I hear/read so much about 'inflamation' in the body and 'anti-inflammatory' diets, etc.  So I was wondering if the C-reactive protein test is a reliable way to measure this? If so what is the suggested limit or safe range in YOUR opinion?

Excellent blog! I eat an almost dairy free diet (grass-fed butter is the exception for vitamins K  and A and butyric acid etc and to add fat to overly lean protein)   that includes almonds, filberts, sardines and salmon with bones and greens for calcium. I also eat lots of very dark chocolate/cocoa.  I supplement with vitamin d.  I recently passed a calcium oxalate kidney stone and doc says my dairy free diet is far too rich in oxalates and phytic acid. I have also been plagued with calf and foot cramps. He suggests adding small amounts of cheese or a calcium supplement to block the oxalates.  Despite my magnesium rich diet -- he also says I need a magnesium supplement. It's only been a few days since I've added 2 calcium/mag tablets at night (only contain about 300mg calcium and 180 mag plus additional mag citrate powder in hot water) and my cramps seem to have subsided.  Anyone else get mineral deficiencies eating paleo style with nuts and bones but no supplements?

Anonymous, I take Mg supplements, too. I seem to have a hard time absorbing minerals.

The nuts you're eating contain phytic acid, which blocks mineral absorption. The Weston A. Price Foundation recommends soaking and roasting nuts and seeds to neutralize the phytic acid.

This is more complicated than the notion that high calcium intake=high "calcification" ...

...Blood Ca and its accumulation in soft tissues can increase (from bones) even though less is eaten. Ca metabolism is far more important than magnitude of intake.  It seems that Ca supplementation actually decreases intracellular amounts.

If the diet is acidic, calcium will be used to buffer this acid which will ultimately be excreted through the urine. On the other hand, if the diet is alkaline, then no calcium is needed for this purpose. So the question is, where does this un-needed calcium go?

Maybe an alkaline diet isn't such a good thing after all is all I'm saying.

Anon about MS--

I would be careful about extrapolating the wheat-dementia connection to MS. It would be deeply concerning if there were a connection, but I am not aware of such a connection.

The one truly compelling observation being made in MS is the vitamin D discussion. To my knowledge, that clinical trial is still underway in Toronto.

I too had lots of trouble with kidney stones but no more.  The only change I made was stopping calcium supplements and starting magnesium.  I take 500 mg of mag at bedtime and have not had a kidney stone pain in almost 2 years.

Dr. Davis,

Wondering how you explain the paradox that statins seems to significantly increase coronary calcium, but to lower coronary events?


Thanks,
David

Regarding magnesium supplementation - I've read that most magnesium supplements have little to no bio-availability, making it pointless to take them.  There are some on the market which address this concern and I've seen good reviews of them - but they do cost more.  I've also read at multiple nutrition sites that our foods have less and less magnesium as our soils are very depleted.  But almonds, pepitas and nut butters are good sources, as are some other foods, like black beans.  There are lists online.  I've also read that Epsom salt baths are a good source of magnesium.  So I take ES baths and I've made myself a magnesium skin lotion with ES.  Instructions for doing this can be found online.

Basic Ca phosphate crystal deposition disease: Most pathologic calcifications throughout the body contain mixtures of carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite and octacalcium phosphate. Because these ultramicroscopic crystals are nonacidic Ca phosphates, the term “basic Ca phosphate” (BCP) is much more precise than “apatite.”

Nutritionally people eat hydroxyapatite not apatite  BCP

I guessing the moral of the story is to eat acidic calcium, calcium citrate or hydroxyapatite not apatite.

I have read that Vitamin K2 is very helpful in getting rid of the Calcium.

Martin Levac also raises a good point. I would think as long as the diet is balanced, then calcium will not stay in the arteries.

It could be that too alkaline diets might cause this problem. In India several very strict vegetarian (not vegan) societies do not eat onions and garlic. Both are very highly alkaline.

While Non-vegetarian societies eat a lot of them. I guess the difference may be due to the acid base theory. The over all diet should be very slightly alkaline to be best.

This ACID/BASE diet argument is a little odd sounding to me but even a quick Google leads to the simple explanation that it is the influence of minerals in the diet on blood pH

"The consumption of animal protein, grain, and high amounts of milk increases the acidity of the body, whereas foods rich in minerals such as green vegetables and fruit increase the alkalinity. Generally, the Western diet induces a chronic, low-grade metabolic acidosis.  This relates to the loss of calcium through excretion in urine.  Here is the link:-
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/9/2374.full#BIB7

cool, but is there any link to heart heath?

I see that some readers asked the same question I was thinking related to calcium supplements. For instance, I hear quite a bit how much coral calcium is good for people. I would assume based on what you have said to take no more than 500 mg of that as well per day?

HI, David--

While statins do not have much effect on slowing the progression of coronary calcium, I know of no data suggesting that they increase coronary calcium.


Hi, Pat--

While absorption of magnesium products varies widely, magnesium "salts" like the malate and glycinate are absorbed quite well.

Basicly, calcium concentrated outside a cell has a safe bio-chemical role to perform & magnesium inside that same cell has it's major bio-chemical role. They both have vital cellular functions.

When calcium "lingers" inside a cell it keeps over-stimulating things; building up in there is even worse. This inflammatory mechanism occurs in many tissues, not just blood vessels.


Dietary deficiencies of calcium & magnesium naturally trigger a para-thyroid hormone activation. This hormone signal is for getting more calcium available to the body's tissue cells.

As you get older there is commonly more para-thyroid hormone circulating in your blood. It can form a negative feedback loop with pro-inflammatory factors (like cytokines); as the inflammation keeps calcium inside the cell.

Cause or effect of calcium being where it's not supposed to be may involve a vicious circle. Rare youngsters with coronary calcium would suggest uncommon genetics.

The preceding paragraph to the above-quoted passage is probably also very relevant to this discussion:

"It is not clear how or why the claims for high vitamin D levels started, medical experts say. First there were two studies, which turned out to be incorrect, that said people needed 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood, the upper end of what the committee says is a normal range. They were followed by articles and claims and books saying much higher levels — 40 to 50 nanograms or even higher — were needed."

Can you point us to other studies that point to the efficacy of 30 ng+ concentrations?  

I am not attempting to be adversarial at all to your views -- I have been following them closely following my own research.  But given that I havea  data-driven bent, this report has given me a reason to reconsider, and I would love your guidance.

I doubt anyone needs calcium or magnesium supplementation. Calcium and magnesium are virtually impossible to avoid - I believe they're in every plant food. I'll stick with D3, MK-7 and hormones.

"Less calcium, less plaque to rupture, less risk."
It is well known that ethylesterized omega-3 fatty acids, e.g., E-EPA, stabilize arterial plaques. This explains at least partly how these omega-3´s protect the heart and arteries. See for instance J Atheroscler Thromb. Epub ahead of print 2010 Nov 17

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jat/advpub/0/1011160316/_pdf

Minä suosittelen K2-vitam.  Se poistaa kalkkia ja ehkäiseen sen kertymistä verisuoniin !!!

Are all OTC omega 3 products ethylesterized? If not, which ones are?

I know a group of guys that run marathons regularly.  If you asked them why they run, they will tell you there are two reasons; one to prevent heart disease and two to drink beer with out gaining weight.  Special emphasis will be placed on drinking beer.  I was reminded this week of how much the group enjoys their beer when the head of the group CCed me on a letter he wrote to Kroger grocery store pointing out that their Miller beer price is significantly higher priced than Wal-Mart, located just across the street.  If Kroger did not lower the price, well, they might just have to shop elsewhere.  

I'm going to send them this blog and tell them they can stop running blind.  Today there are tests to determine if you have heart disease.  I'd suggest to them to drink red wine instead of beer, but that might be asking too much.

That's great.

Now we can only hope that their doc's know what to do next if any of them have Lp(a) or other "obscure" factors.

When (what age) should one have a heart scan and Lp(a) test done if there are no symptoms? What would be the approximate cost to get the recommended testing done and evaluated?

I am curious as to why you focused on LPa as the likely cause. For example I am a regular runner and my LPa is in the low normal range. Is there something about running that makes LPa abnormalities more likely?

Hi,
I believe that the combination of Lp(a) and marathoners is no more likely than the general population, but it makes for media hype--the apparent contradictions of ultra-fitness and a disease generally associated with poor lifestyle. Lp(a) is, more often than not, the source of the contradiction.

Do you have any advice on a Vitamin C/Lysine regimen? Apparently this combination was recommended (in high doses) by Linus Pauling years ago for cardiac health, particularly in controlling high levels of Lp(a). TIA

John--

I can only tell you that we've tried a number of times only to see no substantial effect.

The concept has the basis in some real--and very interesting science--but the leap from a "test tube" observation to a "cure" for heart disease and cancer is, to say the least, a big one.

Mike--Please see the extensive commentary on these issues on the Track Your Plaque website that this Blog accompanies. You will find an enormous amount of discussion, even in the non-Member, open content section.

Eliminate wheat and cornstarch, check.

What about other grains?

Is it necessary to eliminate ALL grains to get control of small LDL, etc., etc.?

What about oats, as oat bran is a mainstay fiber of the TYP program?

Are cooked oat groats (whole oats) an acceptable grain on TYP?

So many questions... perhaps better to post these on the TYP members forum.  

Thanks for this informative blog!

Terri
madcook

Well somebody should invite a "Wheat Patch" -
The withdrawals are very very strong for me and have taken some time to subside.

Hi Dr Davis,

Here's an intro

the peptides

more on the peptides

male breast enhancement?

behavioural effects

Insulin effects

I like that last one as it provides a link through exaggerated pancreatic response to carbohydrate, subsequent hyperinsulinaemia leading to reactive hypoglycaemia. Then hunger triggers another bagel, more hyperinsulinaemia and then an anticipatory bagel becomes habitual as hunger is unpleasant and can be avoided. This sets up for chronic hyperinsulinaemia with pathological insulin resistance as a survival tactic for muscles to avoid sugar poisoning. Chronic hyperinsulinaemia equals metabolic syndrome, small dense LDL etc etc...

Both spinach and haemoglobin contain similar sequences, but wheat is verging on indestructable in its structure, plus it opens the tight junctions between eneterocytes to gain access to the systemic circulation, not a feature of many other foods...

Peter

The schizophrenia links would be off topic on a CVD blog...

What implications are there for someone to eliminate wheat if they are not overweight and their triglycerides and LDL particle size are both in a good range?

I was lucky not to have the brain fog on quitting wheat, but I had it when I was abusing wheat!  

Truly, it feels like I got my old brain back, the youthful, smart one, when I quit eating wheat and all gluten.  Such brain fog that stuff gave me.

Not only did I have withdrawal symptoms when I eliminated wheat (and barley and rye), but I become fatigued, irritable, foggy brained and red eyed if I get even the tiniest bit of these grains. I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Tests by Enterolab revealed my body makes antibodies against gluten(the carrier proteins in these grains).

The heart connection? For me, I think wheat contributed to or caused the inflammation that blocked my heart vessel. I cannot prove this other than to say my health has improved dramatically since giving up wheat and other related grains. I have also found I need a diet low in carbs to keep my blood glucose low. That eliminated all the other grains.

How common is gluten sensitivity? There is a growing number of doctors who believe this affects 10-30% of the population. Add to that, the people who have a wheat allergy(wheat is among the top 8 allergens), and you have a lot of people who should not be eating even a smidgen of wheat.

Peter, thanks for the links.

I haven't eliminated wheat, but after eliminating corn and its derivatives from my diet, my already painful and increasingly serious sinus infection cleared up.  I also went from needing 11-12 hours of sleep to 9-10.

I think allergies to corn are very common but almost never recognized.  Corn is in almost every processed food.  I was sick for a decade before a friend suggested avoiding corn and it took only two days to see a dramatic improvement in my health.

I can only speak from my own experience, but after eating wheat (all grains) for 50 years, my immune system is shot. Now if I consume even a couple of items (pasta or muffin or bread), within a day my feet swell up and my left knee is so painful I can barely walk nevermind the pain in my back. Those are just the first warning signs. If I dare continue, I know that within a short time I could possibly die. After a week of no grain and sugar, I'm practically jumping out of bed with no pain whatsoever anywhere. I have tested this several times (stupid me) and no longer experiment.

i have been off wheat and soya for two weeks, for the first week i felt fine, but now i feel half asleep, like i haven't got enough energy for anything and could just fall asleep at any given moment.  i though i was alone! I have also dropeed two dress sizes in the past two weeks and am becoming concerned about how quickly i am losing weight? should this slow down soon? I am a little over weight, but not massively so i don't want to lose too much.

i eliminated wheat from my diet and had the  fogginess and headaches.

very informative blog, thank you

I'm on day 4 of wheat removal and it's very tough.

I know from experimentation that potatoes, rice, fruit, corn (corn flakes), and even artificial sugars like a chocolate bar don't affect these withdrawal symptoms.  

I haven't tried oatmeal or barley out of a fear of gluten, but just to add to the discussion that I'm finding wheat uniquely bad for withdrawal even though I'm getting plenty of carbs from white rice and fruit, also getting plenty of meat and fat and veggies.  Adding in wheat makes the withdrawal symptoms go away, although I feel much worse physically.  Thus, I'm having heavy fatigue and headache constantly despite having a moderate amount of carbs with each meal.  Also, from experience, the rice I eat with each meal gives me very mild negative effects physically, so I'm positive all of this headache and fatigue is from wheat withdrawal.  It's become very consistent by now.  I hope this goes away soon...