Book Review: Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD

I just finished reading Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD.

William Davis, MD is a cardiologist who has found that promoting a wheat-free diet in his patients has led to improved health.

Davis is of the opinion that wheat is over-consumed in our society, since it is ubiquitous in the American diet. It is touted as health food and people are encouraged to eat more whole grains. He shows how wheat has been developed over the last half-century and is not nearly as natural or healthy as it is claimed to be.  Our bodies, in consuming so much of it, become more prone to heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of other health problems, regardless of whether we are plagued by full-blown Celiac Disease.

Davis challenges the reader to remove wheat from their diet for a month and to watch for positive changes in the body.  He has a simple list of what to eat and what not to eat, and a few recipes at the end of the book to help get the reader started.


With  my health challenges over the last few years, I found this book to be affirming.  As readers here might already know, I have been eating Gluten-free for a year now, after years of dealing with food allergies and various immune system problems. I try to avoid Genetically Modified foods, but so far wheat hasn't been put on that list. But maybe it should be on the GMO list; though it doesn't have genes from other species blasted into it, it has been unnaturally changed in a laboratory in a much shorter time than would have ever happened naturally.  I find Davis' explanation and observations of the development of modern wheat to shed a little bit more light on the reasons my immune system (or...my whole body in general, really) dislikes wheat, and why it gives me  "brain fog" and heartburn and makes me  hungry all the time, rather than classic Celiac symptoms.

Dr. Davis focuses on avoiding wheat in his diet recommendations, and replacing that wheat with vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, eggs and cheese. I can get on board with that!
He tells the reader to avoid "gluten-free" foods. I was confused at this suggestion at first, but then figured out that what he meant was to avoid the highly processed "gluten-free" foods that are mainly starches and not Real Foods.  If you replace wheat with starches, you will have the same junky diet leading to heart disease, diabetes, etc. (and let's face it, highly processed food really isn't the best for us) If you are Celiac, eating this "junky gluten-free" diet would be better than eating gluten, as far as your intestinal health is concerned, but you would still be at risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. due to the junk.

One thing that I personally cannot get on board with in his book is his support of artificial sweeteners and his stance against all sugars. My own stance is that natural sugars are better than, say, Splenda or Nutrasweet or even Truvia(GMO corn additives). But I suppose in the grand scheme of things, if one gives up most bad things, there is room for a little "cheat" here and there and most people's bodies can handle it. And I have to agree on one thing: Sugar/Sweetener (whatever the source) in moderation is key. 


I had gotten this book from the local library, but I plan on getting my own copy of it so that I can re-read, highlight, underline and write notes in the margins. There is a ton of information in this book, and I would definitely recommend it to my health-seeking friends!

Here's to good health!

Book Review: Ted Dekker's Lost Books Series

As you can see from What I'm Reading in 2011 (see sidebar), I have been reading a whole lot of Dekker lately.  This post pertains to The Lost Books series.

If you like Dekker's Circle Series (and I loved them), then you will most likely be drawn to the Lost Books series.

The Lost Books series is geared towards a younger audience, but that doesn't make the nature of the story any less riveting than the Circle Series.  The characters are younger, and they intermingle with characters from the Circle Series(heavily) and other books by Dekker. So far, I have read Showdown from  the Paradise Series and some of the characters in that book pop in as well.  This gives the stories more depth as we learn about how the characters interact and what they are up to.

As with all of the Dekker books I have read, the Lost Books series explores the meaning of good and evil, what it is to struggle with one's own desires, and how we can triumph over these things with the help of God(Elyon).

I enjoyed the whole series overall, but I do have to say that the last two of the series, Lunatic and Elyon, are written in a slightly different style and with a character I really did not like (maybe that was the point).  I would venture to guess that this is because these are co-written with Kaci Hill, not written strictly by Dekker himself.  That said, I was still eager to read the characters through to the end of the books to see what was going to happen and how it was all going to end!

I would recommend these books to anyone who likes a good, clean, well-written story that will keep you thinking long after you have finished.

Book Review - Crazy Love by Francis Chan

I and a group of friends have just finished reading and discussing Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and I do believe that we would all recommend it to others to read.

In Crazy Love, Chan points the reader to Christ and His love for us, and challenges the reader to live wholeheartedly for Him, returning the Savior's love for us.  To the world, this relationship will, indeed, look like Crazy Love.

Crazy Love is chock full of challenges and personal examples of what living out that love might look like for each believer.  One challenge to our group as mothers of young children was what we would do if faced with the opportunity to take a complete stranger(and family) into our own homes for an indefinite time.  This sparked a lot of discussion and provoked a lot of thought as to why we had the feelings we had...and whether some of those feelings needed to change.    The book also challenged us to look at our own lives and how we are living(type of home, vehicle we drive, money we spend...) and see how we can change for the glory of God.

This book is a wonderful tool for a book discussion group, with plenty to explore and talk about late into the night and ponder for weeks to come. I would even venture to say that I will be re-reading(and re-marking/highlighting) and pondering this book yet again.

I want to share a few things  that really jumped out at me:

1. Awe Factor Video - Never forget Who God is--our very Creator!

2. The point of your life is to point to Him...all that matters is the reality of who we are before God.

3. God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine. (What man defines as "success" is rarely the same as what God would label Success).

4. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe....slaves to the god of control.  Yeah, still working on that one...

5. If life is a river, pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, we automatically begin to be swept downsteam. To pursue Christ is to follow Him deliberately, not passively.

6. Jesus didn't die only to save us from hell; He also died to save us from our bondage to sin as we live our lives on this earth.

7. What matters is how we use what we've been given, not how much we make or do compared to someone else.  What matters is that we Spend Ourselves.

8. Are you driven by fear...or love? Do you obey out of wanting to please and serve Him. Are you OBSESSED with Him?

9. Read about followers of Christ who have gone on before us, and see how they lived, completely relying on and obsessed with Christ. Ex. Rachel Saint, Rich Mulling, George Mueller just to name a few...

10. Ask yourself, "Is this the most loving way to do life? Am I loving my neighbor and my God by living where I live, by driving what I drive, by talking how I talk?"...Is this what I want to be doing when Christ comes back?


I challenge you to read this book (even better--read it with a friend or group of friends and discuss!). You will be challenged in your faith and your life will be changed as you seek to deliberately live for Christ.

Book Review: Ted Dekker's Circle Series....Black, Red, White, etc.

I admit it. I am a fiction snob. I have my favorites (generally historical fiction but also some light sci-fi) and the English major in me tends to shun uber-predictable formula fiction as, well, blase'.

Which makes it hard for me to find a read that I really, truly get into and not feel like I've wasted my time reading it.

I have waited for what seems like ages (well, it has been several years) to find an author who (in my opinion) shows promise of giving me some satisfactory escapism as I wait patiently for my other favorite authors to publish their next books.

That author of promise is Ted Dekker.

The first book I read by him, Showdown, was pretty good. I wasn't sold on him at that point, though. In Showdown, he writes about an area of Colorado I am fairly familiar with, and though the setting piqued my interest, the places in the book didn't exactly match the real deal. (well, duh, it is a fictional place...unless of course anyone has happened upon an underground monastery in those parts??? hehe) Most people wouldn't know that, though. I also realise, as I am mid-way through the Circle Series, that Showdown was probably written mid-way through writing this series(not sure, haven't checked all the copyright dates), as I think I remember some allusions to the Raison Strain in Showdown. I might need to give it a second chance...


I was introduced to Ted Dekker's Circle Series as I was listening to a friend describe to someone else the fascinating things happening in the book she was reading. After hearing the discussion, I had to get my hands on these books and give them a try.

Halfway through Black, and I was hooked.  Finally, a story with depth and meaning (well beyond the scope of the book)!  Last night I finished Red and then promptly started White.

The books are set circa 2010. Thomas Hunter, the main character, finds himself having dreams that are outlandish, yet have serious implications on the future of the "real world".  A virus called the Raison Strain is about to be set loose in the "real world" and Thomas seeks to find the information he needs in the dream world in order to save the "real world".

There is deep symbolism and many parallels in these books are to Biblical stories and people's(both historically and present) relationships with God. One overriding theme throughout the series is what is called the Great Romance. This is about the relationships both between the characters themselves and between the characters and God/Elyon. 

As a follower of Christ, these books have made me think more about my faith and and grow in my faith in Christ. I would recommend the books both to fellow believers and to those looking for a good edge-of-your-seat potential-end-of-the-world read.

Christian or not, I don't think you would be disappointed. Dekker has amazing talent and is a very gifted storyteller.

Book Review: Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen is an insightful look into the influences on our children today, where these influences come from, and how to cultivate the imagination of children today, rather than destroy it.

The public school system(and much of modern education in general) comes under fire as Esolen examines how and what we are teaching our children. His rather dry humor shines through as he analyzes and explains each of his points. He references many pieces of literature and events in history that I want to revisit after reading about them in this book. Probably half of them, I had never heard of and want to learn more about.

I was not able to complete the book (only made it 2/3 through and had to return it to the library, where I had it out on interlibrary loan).  It is a fairly deep, fascinating, eye-opening read that I hope to one day revisit and finish, perhaps sometime when the kids are gone camping with my sis-in-law or our next road trip. It does take some time and lots of focus to make it through, but I found Esolen's humor and perspective to be both enlightening and entertaining.

Just a thought--I think this book would be an excellent choice for a book club to read together and discuss one chapter for each session.

Book Review: Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo

Heaven is For Real is the story of a 4 year old boy who had what has been called a near-death experience and how he shared his experience with those around him. The book is written by the father of the boy, Todd Burpo, who is also a Wesleyan preacher.



I just finished this book yesterday and promptly loaned it to someone else to read. It is a can't-put-down book that can be finished in a matter of a few hours and mulled over for much longer than that. Scripture is footnoted throughout the book so you can see for yourself the correlations between the Bible and what Colton experienced.



I found the book to be quite close to what Scripture describes heaven to be like, though I know there is much we in our human finiteness cannot fully comprehend. As the mother of a miscarried child, and having lost my grandmother just over 6 months ago, it gave me renewed hope and a longing for what and who(and Who) is waiting for me after this life on earth.

The book gave me plenty to think about and opened my eyes a bit more to the world around me and the ministries Jesus has me in. We really should come to Jesus as little children...and cherish those children we have in our lives...and not dismiss them because "we know better".  Sometimes they are wiser than we and have more faith than we do. There is much we can learn from them.



This is a book that I want to purchase for myself (this one was borrowed on interlibrary loan) so that I can loan it out to others and they can in turn pass it on to someone else. Definitely a must-read. :)


UPDATE: Here is an interview that FOX News did: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4600541/new-book-claims-heaven-is-for-real

Book Review: FOOD RULES An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan

It probably comes as no surprise that I am a fan of Michael Pollan's books and his ideas about food: Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much. The book FOOD RULES An Eater's Manual elaborates on this idea.

Though I did fairly well during the holidays at avoiding pure junk, I figured I could definitely use a reminder of what I really want my focus to be on. So, I picked up FOOD RULES at the library.

This book is an excellent quick and easy read. If you had a dedicated hour/hour and half to read, you could probably make it through this book in that time. Or, you can do like me and take it in little snippets of time here and there, because it is written in small parts that are easy to stop at and not completely lose one's train of thought. Whichever way you approach it, if you care about what you eat, you will be pondering what you've read for days. :)

The book not only tells the reader what NOT to eat ("edible foodlike substances"), it also steers the reader to what we SHOULD be putting on our plates and why.

All in all, it had just what I was looking for.

Some of my favorite rules I want to apply this year:

#4 Avoid food products that contain high fructose corn syrup (not necessarily because it's GMO or has a good chance of containing mercury, or even because it's sugar, but because if a product has this ingredient, it's pretty much a guarantee that it's highly processed....and not good for you.)
#13 Eat only food that will eventually rot
#19 If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.
#20 It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car.
#21 It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language (ie. Big Mac, Pringles, Cheetos, etc)
#25 Eat your colors (and we're not talking added colors here)
#27 Eat animals that have themselves eaten well (as in, eaten what they were created to eat: not GMO grains/soy)
#30 Eat well-grown food from healthy soil
#31 Eat wild foods when you can
#32 Don't overlook the oily little fishes (anyone have good mackerel/sardine/anchovy recipies?)
#33 Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi
#38 Favor the kinds of oils and grains that have traditionally been stone-ground
#42 Regard non-traditional foods with skepticism (ie. soy milk, soy "vegetable" oils, soy in processed foods, etc, not to mention GMO's)
#44 Pay more, eat less.
#46 Stop eating before you're full. "To say 'I'm hungry' in French you say 'J'ai faim'--"I have hunger'--and when you are finished, you do not say that you are full, but 'Je n'ai plus faim'--'I have no more hunger.' That is a completely different way of thinking about satiety."
It's the same in German.
#56 Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.
#60 Treat treats as treats.
#62 Plant a vegetable garden if you have the space, a window box if you don't.
#63 Cook


Whew! Hope I can do it! :)

Book Review: The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien

If you or a loved one has or suspects they have food allergies or sensitivities, you owe it to yourself and them to pick up a copy of The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien.

Written in much the same mindset as Seeds of Deception, Omnivore's Dilemma, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, O'Brien takes the topic of food even further with even more studies and helpful information for the allergy sufferer. She also makes it personal, as the information she found and shares in this book pertains to her own children's health and the health of the coming generations.

The fact that carries through the entire book is that food in other countries is far better than is our food in the United States, but it doesn't have to be that way. Our American food contains additives that are banned in other countries(even Russia!) due to the studies that have shown links to disease and the response of citizens saying they don't want this "junk" in their food. McDonald's and Walmart have taken the "junk" out for other countries, but continue to add them to food for people in the United States. In addition, much(can I say Most?) of our food is Genetically Modified/Genetically Engineered and we have no idea, since it does not have to be labeled as such in the United States! There have been studies with links to diseases such as cancer, allergies(could the increase in allergies be due to the GMO's in our foods?), and even obesity linked to GMO's. Yet our government continues to use them and not label them. O'Brien suggests the reason other countries mandate GMO's to be labeled while the United States government does not label GMO's has to do with the differing health care systems. Ours tends to be money-driven, and the more sick people there are, the more money the pharmaceutical companies will get to treat the sick people, so there is no incentive to label GMO's even though they have been proven to cause health problems.

Would we like to make an informed decision when we shop? Then we need the foods containing GMO's to be labeled, so we can decide whether to subject our bodies(or those of our children) to them.

In addition to the GMO issue, O'Brien also tells of her frustration with Monsanto and the Food Allergy and Anaphlaxis Network(FAAN), issues with soy(whether GMO or not), rBGH hormones added to milk, as well as the other colorings and artificial flavors and such added to our foods. She gives helpful advice on how a family can "wean" themselves (or their kids) from the unhealthy foods to healthy foods and healthier bodies.

I admit to feeling ever more jaded now after reading The Unhealthy Truth, but I'd rather have the facts and operate on those than to shop with ignorance and pay with the health problems in myself and my family. We cannot depend on the government to watch out for us. The government seems to have "make money" as its' top priority, rather than having healthy citizens. We need to watch out for ourselves, and we need to arm ourselves with the information to do so.

One sentence really stood out to me as I finished this book: "Don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good." It is better to do something and take a step away from all of the meddling that has been done to our foods, than it is to freeze and do nothing. Good advice. A little change is better than no change at all.

Having read The Unhealthy Truth, I have found ever more reason to take another step away from the conventional American diet. I hope my health, and the health of my family, will be the better for it in the long run!

Book Review: Seeds of Deception

Americans are consuming Genetically Modified food every day and the majority of the people are not aware of it. Unlike Europe, where GM foods are clearly labeled(if they are even offered), Americans have been kept in the dark as to what has been happening with their foods. Except for a few sparks of concern(Starlink Corn, for instance), it has mostly been held under wraps.

Seeds of Deception, by Jeffrey M. Smith is a book that was written to educate the public about this very serious issue. It is not fear-mongering, as every claim, point and study that is talked about is cited in the back of the book. Smith names names and gives you the connections of the people involved in the Genetically Modified foods and how they are pushed on the American people.

Genetically Modified foods have the potential to effect our immune systems(ie. cause allergic reactions, diabetes, etc), contain unnaturally high doses of toxins, and forever change the DNA structure of the plants this earth currently produces. This is only a small part of what has been scientifically proven, but has been held under wraps by the likes of Monsanto and the FDA.

One example: Roundup Ready soybeans, engineered to be able to withstand high concentrations of Monsanto's herbicide named Roundup, are known to contain a much higher amount of tripsin inhibitor. One study found that a certain strain of GM soybeans contained as much 27% more tripsin inhibitor than do natural soybeans. There is no separation of natural soybeans and Roundup Ready soybeans, with the exception of Organic Soybeans(which cannot be grown 'naturally with herbicides/pesticides' and cannot be GM). Tripsin inhibitor has been identified as a major allergen. The UK does extensive research on allergies and food sensitivies, and found that in March 1999 soy allergy jumped a whopping 50%. The soy that was in the UK at that time was primarily imported from the US and a significant percentage of that was the Roundup Ready variety. Not long after this, Ireland also experienced the jump in soy allergy. It was during this time that the UK banned GM foods until they were further tested and proven safe BEFORE being put on the market. (page 160)

Some other examples in this book are: GM corn causing respiratory, intestinal and skin reactions in 39 people living adjacent to a GM(Bt) corn field and breathing the pollen when it was pollinating, GM foods not having the same nutritional value(often far less) as natural foods, problems with antibiotic resistance as a result of Antibiotic Resistant Markers being placed into the DNA of foods, and the list goes on.

This is definitely a book to get your hands on and find out for yourself what is going on in our food supply and what is going into our bodies without our being aware of it. Only with this knowledge can we avoid GM foods and attempt to get our government to care more about the people and less about the money.

Here is a site to get you started and keep you updated on the newest happenings regarding Genetically Modified foods and other related issues: Seeds of Deception.


After reading this book, I am looking at my personal experience with allergies. I have had pollen allergies as long as I can remember, but the food allergies didn't really hit full-force until I moved to OH, in the farmhouse surrounded by corn and soy fields. I wonder whether my already-compromised immune system just couldn't handle the corn and soy anymore? I wonder whether there was some biological shift from my breathing in all the pollens of GM corn and soy(not to mention the Roundup) and that was what caused me to start reacting to many many foods? Just a thought...

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

I just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemmaby Michael Pollan. This is an excellent read, giving insight into our food supplies and how things are done behind-the-scenes. He writes with witty humor and is easy to follow as he describes his findings to the reader.

In this book, Pollan describes the unique problem we as humans have of determining what exactly we should be eating. We have such a vast array of foods to choose from; will they be good for me now, for the long term, or will they harm me(immediately or in the future)? This is the Omnivore's Dilemma. There are very few species on earth that have the amount of choices in food as do humans.

In our modern society, most people have no idea where our food really comes from. We assume it's safe to eat if it is bought from the store and often leave it at that. We know very little about what it took for the food to arrive at the store, ready for us to purchase and consume it. If only we knew.

Pollan attempts to make us aware of where our food comes from by following the making of three meals from the very beginning plants and animals, through the production process, all the way to his table. He includes the Industrial(based on Corn), Pastoral/Organic(based on Grass/Sustainable Agriculture) and Personal/Hunter-Gatherer (based on the Forest/Foraging/Gardening).

Had I not already battled Corn Allergy, I would have been skeptical about what Pollan writes about how corn has infiltrated our food supply. Having gone through the whole avoiding-corn thing, I find it heartening that others that are not allergic to corn are also becoming aware of this and spreading that awareness. Pollan explains how the Industrial food system became dependent on corn, and how corn ended up being in so many of our foods. One main point in this section is how "You are what you eat" is very true, but it also extends into "You are what you eat eats, too." It is amazing to see how much we rely on corn, not only for food but for many other things as well.

I found the Pastoral/Organic section of the book inspiring. Pollan interviews various "experts" in each of the types of farming/food production. One such person who was interviewed was Joel Salatin, author of Everything I Want to Do is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front, as well as a plethora of other books in which he shares his farming experiences and techniques. Pollan's perspective of the Salatin farm(Polyface Farms) is entertaining as well as educational. I have put some of his ideas and techniques in the back of my mind for future use and hope many others are also planning on utilizing them as the need for Sustainable Agriculture comes to a head.

The Personal/Hunter-Gatherer section of the book was a rather insightful section as Pollan dealt with the whole aspect of hunting and gathering from nature and how these things are viewed both from the hunter's perspective and from the "outside". He also dances around issue and option of vegetarianism, with respect, and comes to his own conclusions based on what he has seen in each of these arenas of food production.

I highly recommend this book, whether you are interested in raising your own food, eating healthy foods, or making food choices that are environmentally friendly. It's good to know where your food is actually coming from. Ignorance is not always bliss.