Official Review: Eat Wheat by John Douillard, DC, CAP

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LivreAmour217
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Official Review: Eat Wheat by John Douillard, DC, CAP

Post by LivreAmour217 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Eat Wheat" by John Douillard, DC, CAP.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Dr. John Douillard's Eat Wheat is a fascinating rebuttal to the gluten-free craze that is currently dominating the diet industry. In his book, Dr. Douillard makes the case for wheat (as well as the oft-maligned milk protein, casein) with historic and scientific evidence, and offers an alternative to elimination diets through Ayurveda, a holistic system of medicine from India.

Dr. Douillard postulates that wheat and dairy intolerances are the product of weak digestion, which can be caused by "stress, environmental toxins, processed foods, and a host of other factors" (p. 10). Through the Ayervedic treatments outlined in this book, people who have trouble digesting gluten or casein can heal their digestive systems and begin to enjoy foods containing these hard-to-digest proteins once again. Additionally, Dr. Douillard points out the many dangers of consuming excess sugar, and provides evidence that sugar may be the cause of multiple health issues that are currently being blamed on wheat.

The book explains Ayurveda in a simple, straightforward manner that does not require the reader to have any prior knowledge of this healing practice. Furthermore, Dr. Douillard keeps the focus on the digestive treatments, rather than providing lengthy histories or jargon-filled explanations that could bog down the reading. The result is a practical guidebook with treatments that can be used immediately by anyone who wishes to do so.

As well as providing abundant information on Ayurveda, Dr. Douillard cites many sources from conventional medicine to back up his defense of gluten and casein, and includes a sizable reference section at the end of the book. The marriage of ancient and modern medicine presented in this book was refreshing, as many books on alternative medicine tend to project a hostile or condescending view of conventional medicine. I was also impressed by Dr. Douillard's honesty regarding the treatment plan; he does not tout these methods as a cure for serious illnesses (such as Celiac Disease), as books on alternative medicine are wont to do. Rather, he makes it very clear that this treatment plan exists to help people who were once able to enjoy foods containing gluten and/or casein do so again.

My only criticism of this book is the doctor's insistence that the reader must avoid all processed and non-organic foods. He offers plenty of alternatives, and I cannot argue with the benefits of eating organic, but the fact remains that organic food can be quite expensive and may not be a realistic option for many people. However, it is also true that gluten- and casein-free products can be very costly, so perhaps individuals who have resorted to elimination diets would not see a significant change in their grocery bills.

Eat Wheat is a well-written book with an abundance of information, and I give it 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to its intended audience (those with diagnoses of wheat or dairy intolerance), as well as those with an interest in general well-being or alternative medicine.

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Eat Wheat
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Post by Rachaelamb1 »

Very interesting. I have seen a lot of people going gluten free lately. I am sure they would benefit from this book.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

Rachaelamb1 wrote:Very interesting. I have seen a lot of people going gluten free lately. I am sure they would benefit from this book.
Thanks for reading my review, Rachellamb! I agree that this book would be very beneficial to those who are choosing to go on a gluten-free diet.
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Post by peprica21 »

What a wonderful review, thank you. I need to add this book to my list. I have family and friends who are all gluten free but I never see a change in their body measurements so I've always wondered if this was a "thing" or not. I believe 100% in a healthy gut, which leads to a healthy immune system and therefore can process most foods perfectly fine. Sounds like this book fits my thought process. I know we all should not eat processed foods or lots of sugar all the time, but in today's American society we have to find a balance. Thanks again for the review.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

peprica21 wrote:What a wonderful review, thank you. I need to add this book to my list. I have family and friends who are all gluten free but I never see a change in their body measurements so I've always wondered if this was a "thing" or not. I believe 100% in a healthy gut, which leads to a healthy immune system and therefore can process most foods perfectly fine. Sounds like this book fits my thought process. I know we all should not eat processed foods or lots of sugar all the time, but in today's American society we have to find a balance. Thanks again for the review.
Thank you for your kind words! I agree that finding dietary balance is very important. I hope that you enjoy this book!
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

Great review, LivreAmour217! It's funny because I used to think I had a gluten sensitivity, but we recently heard that it may be the cause of some pesticides used in the U.S. rather than the gluten itself. Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

hsimone wrote:Great review, LivreAmour217! It's funny because I used to think I had a gluten sensitivity, but we recently heard that it may be the cause of some pesticides used in the U.S. rather than the gluten itself. Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!
Thanks for reading my review, hsimone! I, too, wondered if I had a gluten sensitivity at one point. It is blamed for so many health problems!
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Post by CrescentMoon »

This book is so relevant to today's society. I know so many people who are trying all sorts of new "fad" diets and trying to lose weight and just cutting out certain groups of foods hoping it will help. There is a lot of misinformation out there and this book definitely sounds like it will help counteract that. Great review!
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

CrescentMoon wrote:This book is so relevant to today's society. I know so many people who are trying all sorts of new "fad" diets and trying to lose weight and just cutting out certain groups of foods hoping it will help. There is a lot of misinformation out there and this book definitely sounds like it will help counteract that. Great review!
Thanks, CrescentMoon! I agree with you about all of the dietary misinformation out there! I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering a gluten-free diet.
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Post by Thimble »

Great review! I'm actually watching a documentary about sugar right now, so this review is very timely. I'd be interested in reading about this subject.
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Thimble wrote:Great review! I'm actually watching a documentary about sugar right now, so this review is very timely. I'd be interested in reading about this subject.
Thank you, Thimble! What is the name of that documentary?
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Post by Thimble »

Thank you, Thimble! What is the name of that documentary?[/quote]

It's called That Sugar Film. I enjoyed watching it. Very informative.
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Thimble wrote:Thank you, Thimble! What is the name of that documentary?
It's called That Sugar Film. I enjoyed watching it. Very informative.[/quote]

Thanks!! :)
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Post by bookowlie »

Very insightful review! Gluten has become Enemy #1 in recent years and is blamed for everything under the sun. It's nice to see a well-researched book that contains an alternative view. I like your comment that the author doesn't use jargon-filled explanations. There are so many diet and nutrition books out there that drag along with long, boring descriptions.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

bookowlie wrote:Very insightful review! Gluten has become Enemy #1 in recent years and is blamed for everything under the sun. It's nice to see a well-researched book that contains an alternative view. I like your comment that the author doesn't use jargon-filled explanations. There are so many diet and nutrition books out there that drag along with long, boring descriptions.
Thanks, Bookowlie! Gluten does get a bad rap, doesn't it? It was refreshing to read about a different viewpoint!
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