Undoctored: Why Health Care Has Failed You and How You Can Become Smarter Than Your Doctor

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I was already familiar with Dr. Davis's dietary plan via his Wheat Belly and Wheat Belly Total Health books, but this book takes things one step further and explores the vagaries of the current "health care" system in America, and how it has evolved into nothing more than a profiteering scam. The health care system has no incentive to actually teach people how to be healthy...their business is treating the sick--that is how they make their money. Following the dietary and health advice of prestigious groups like the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Food and Drug Administration, etc. is no longer prudent. They may sound like benevolent groups, but in reality, they are supported in large part by donations from pharmaceutical companies, agriculture lobbyists and manufacturers of processed foods. Studies that your physician quotes to you as to why you should be taking a statin medication or why you should eat a low fat diet and more "healthy whole grain" were sponsored in large part by those same pharmaceutical and food lobbyist groups and have had the statistics twisted to profit those companies.

Dr. Davis is taking us into the future of healthcare...where YOU are responsible in large part for your health, not your doctor. Not your insurance company. And he tells you how to navigate all the new technology and information available now to anyone--not just to those with medical training. He's not a conspiracy theorist nutjob. He does NOT tell you to skip your yearly physical, your screening colonoscopy or mammogram, and is not an anti-vaxxer, or the snake oil salesman who tells you to take turmeric for your new cancer diagnosis or the root of some South American plant for your eczema! Not at all. Dr. Davis helps you to ask the right questions of your doctor. He helps you to lose the attitude that "doctor knows best" because in reality, many doctors don't know much at all about actual nutrition, about current studies that are NOT supported by drug companies, and for the most part, their goal is to see as many patients as possible and tick off your compliance that their employer and your insurance company requires of them.

Dr. Davis is a practicing cardiologist who has worked for decades within this American health system and, prior to his own enlightenment, preached the "follow a low fat diet and take this statin" form of cardiology and then was happy to perform a very lucrative angioplasty with a couple of stents when it didn't work. He has seen this system from the inside and knows how it works. He's also a Type 2 diabetic himself who has virtually 'cured' himself (and thousands of his patients and online community) by following his dietary and total health plan as outlined.

Mind you, I was not someone who needed a lot of convincing--in essence, as a nurse who has also seen the health care system from the inside and has grown increasingly troubled by what I'm seeing--really, Dr. Davis was preaching to the choir with me. I've been following a form of his eating plan for years, off and on--grain-free, sugar-free and mostly "Paleo" without a lot of processed foods, artificial sweeteners and such. But his plan takes it up a notch for me and I intend to adapt my current way of eating to his plan in the hopes of getting rid of more of my prescription medications and becoming as healthy as I can. Truly healthy, not just healthy on paper.

If you are someone struggling with chronic illness and take a handful (or two??) of meds for things like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cholestrol, acid reflux, osteoporosis, various autoimmune diseases, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, IBS...I strongly encourage you to give this book a read. Dr. Davis also has a lot of very informative videos on YouTube and there are literally thousands of testimonials from people who have followed his plan and become mostly "Undoctored." Meaning...they need a doctor if they fall and break a leg, or to perform an appendectomy or to do their screening colonoscopy, but they don't need a doctor to write them prescriptions any more. I think that many people start this program not necessarily because they want more health, but because they want to lose weight. It is touted as a weight loss plan, because that DOES happen. Often people start it as a 'diet' and do lose weight...but when the other health benefits become evident within just a short time, people stick with it.

As Glinda, the good witch of the north says in The Wizard of Oz, "You had the power all along, my dear." Dr. Davis helps to show you how to use it.

I've followed Dr. Davis on and off since about 2009, after learning I had cancer, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, was insulin resistant and severely hypothyroid. I went all organic, tried Atkins for a while, which morphed into basic LCHF eating, dabbled in Zero Carb (fail!) followed by primal/paleo, followed by gluten-free (following advice to treat my Hashimoto's thyroiditis). I did well on LC and paleo, but gained all the weight back when I tried to go gluten-free but using commercially available products. It didn't take me long to realize that the GF products I was consuming were hurting me badly, health-wise. My blood sugars soared and inflammation was obvious. Severe plantar fasciitis resulted in achilles tendon surgery in 2016. With a basic underlying understanding of low carb WOE, I knew I had derailed myself badly. At 62, I can't afford to be ignorant about my health (nor trust "conventional medical wisdom and doctors") if I wish to live another decade or so and watch my grandchildren grow up.

I'm glad I followed him on FB and Twitter, because otherwise I would not likely have learned about this book. It encapsulates everything I have learned on my own over the past several years. I naturally love anything high tech, and because I have a fair amount of medical knowledge (having worked in medicine both veterinary and human, including chiropractic and naturopathic) this book resonated with me on every page.

This book should be recommended reading for every adult regardless of health status. If you're already healthy, Undoctored will help you remain that way. If you are not, Undoctored will give you the tools you need to reclaim your health.

Bravo, Dr. Davis, for saying what most other health professionals will not.

This book is life changing!

Well written and very informative. I now finally understand what happens to the body with an excess carbohydrates. I should have known from all the reading I have done on nutrition over the years, but this book finally hammered it down for me. I now understand why - even practically starving myself to loose weight - the belly fat remains.

I have been on Paleo diets before where grain was completely eliminated, and I am one of those individuals who do not seem to experience grain withdrawal symptoms. But within the first week of starting the "Undoctored" lifestyle, I have not only lost weight but have also noticed that I have less inflammation ... I don't have a puffy appearance anymore and the slight edema I noticed in my ankles when overdoing the carbs and salt on the typical Western diet has now vanished. In less than one week! So I know it is working for me. My blood pressure has come down by 10 points in the first week alone. I'm sold!

I've read countless books on nutrition and this one is hands-down my favorite. Thank you!

This book is for everyone:

• if you suffer from, or are at high risk for a chronic, non-infectious disease (like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, IBS, acid-reflux, arthritis, etc.).
• if you're interested in true HEALTH care (as opposed to traditional SICK-care practices in this country), that will ward off chronic ailments typically chalked up to "aging"
• if you want to look and feel the best you ever have, which includes dropping weight without hunger, as well as destroying that 'urge to binge' that plagues so many, especially women

Been following Dr. Davis since I read the original Wheat Belly in 2012, and since have read countless other doctors and blogs etc. that all pattern on similar regime: LCHF (low carb, high fat). But UNdoctored is much more than that, especially for those trying to recover or reduce risk from chronic diseases. In a nutshell, core strategies are:

1. Eliminate ALL grains and greatly reduce or eliminate added sugar
2. Restore Vitamin D to optimal levels (not your doctor's typically very low recommendation)
3. Take Omega-3 Fatty Acids as Fish Oil
4. Supplement Magnesium
5. Ensure Thyroid Status is normal
6. Manage bowel flora (take probiotic / prebiotic )

But dropping the crappy carbs is #1 Key. There are ~ hundreds of sites and doctors today advocating similar principles (Dr. Peter Osborne (No Grain, No Pain), Dr. Mark Hyman (Eat Fat, Get Thin; and Blood Sugar Solution), Dr. David Perlmutter (Grain Brain), also Gary Taubes (Why We Get Fat – GREAT book explaining that excess body fat is a symptom, not a result, of the grain, sugar, and crap carbs we eat), etc.

Other marketers include: DietDoctor, Mark Sisson, Whole30, Paleo, Keto diet, which is very low carb (so many websites/books on this); South Beach, Atkins, etc. All fall under the umbrella of LCHF – low carb/high fat. It's so difficult to adopt this way of eating from our current food supply because Big Pharma and Big Agra (agriculture) keep each VERY rich making us sick with poor food choice availability, and then treating those symptoms with VERY expensive drugs.

Educate yourself!

I read this book in June 2017 and started eating in the "Undoctored" fashion in July 2017. I agree with many things Dr. Davis says - that modern medicine and our government do little to help us stay healthy and prevent illness. I have Crohn's disease and am fortunate that I am generally in remission but I have other health issues and wondered if this way of eating would help. After 2+ months of eating "Undoctored" I had the best colonoscopy I have ever had - and I've had 10 colonoscopies in the last 20 years. Very few polyps (this was a first) and a few very minimal spots of active Crohn's - less than in my previous colonoscopies. This is a very dense read but I am sold on this way of eating. I feel better and my colonoscopy results support the benefits for me of this way of eating. If you have any immune system issues, it's certainly worth a try. I have become less impressed with what Dr. Davis is currently doing - his blogs and recipes are all about the packaged products he sells on the Wheat Free Market. The "Undoctored" lifestyle does require an investment of time and effort to understand the philosophy and to find and prepare recipes that work with this way of eating. You will need to make most of your food from scratch. But once you get the hang of it, there are lots of websites and recipes online that will give you a variety of options. I was at the point where I was ALWAYS dealing with some health issue and was willing to make dramatic changes to feel better. I don't really think gluten is my biggest issue - I think soy and additives/chemicals are more of an issue for me. But with all of the genetically modified foods these days, who know?" If you have chronic health issues, this is worth a try to see if it helps you.

Being an MD, I can tell you that the medical profession has unfortunately become an industry. Of course if you get hit by a bus or shot, you need the medical services but regarding treating chronic disease the medical profession falls way short. It is crucial to take responsibility for one's own health. In general it is all about the diet. The diet is under your complete control I have been on a ketogenic diet for several years and after all my research, it is the way to go. Limit carbs to no more than 50 gms per day and preferably less than 25. As Dr. Davis states to ditch all the grains and carbs except for high fibrous vegetables. Dr. Davis brings to light the fact that the medical industry is about profit. Big pharma is not to be trusted as they very misleadingly claim spectacular results by using relative risk vs. absolute risk. This is clearly seen in the advertising of the statin studies. In my opinion, this is the biggest hoax. Cholesterol is not the culprit. It is sugar/carbs as Dr. Davis states. Big pharma does not spell out all the side effects of which there are many. Forget about the USDA which has given us the food pyramid. It is the exact opposite of what we should be eating. I met a PhD biochemist for the USDA. This man was morbidly obese. Right, we should take advice from him. These guidelines have caused significant damage, deaths, and disabilities. Just look around and you will see it is rare to find a thin person. We have been eating extremely excessive amount of carbs and frankenfoods for decades now and we have never been fatter. Please take Dr. Davis advice and you will be on the road to health.

This book is my medical bible that speaks the truth about the journey to genuine good health versus the maintenance of disease with drugs which is nothing more than a money maker. This book has cemented in me the seed of determination to be my own best medical advocate. My journey started years ago when I began to see the link between disease, man-made adulterated foods and beverages, the invisible toxic environments in our homes, our soil, the air all around us, our water resources and the multitude of products we use daily to clean with, walk on, sleep with, put on our skin, in our bodies, on our lawns. Almost everything we use and consume that we pay for contains harmful toxins and forever chemicals that will never be healthy for anyone or anything ever. Get into the habit of finding healthier alternatives. We are unknowingly paying to make ourselves sick, feeding a medical system that calls itself “healthcare,” but does not talk or teach nutrition or the benefits of organic food and growing our own. Author William Davis, M.D., presents the truth about healthy living, not misleading and deceptive information presented as facts. Take responsibility for your own good health journey, and practice and teach good health with a quiet approach with those you love and care about. Use the information you feel comfortable with. Let the change you want and need start with you reading this life-changing book. Be determined and consistent! If you falter, just get back to it! Yes, you can!

I give 5 stars to Dr. Davis' amazing, revolutionary book. Its sound advice backed by research, its indictment of the nexus of pharmaceutical industry and commercial food industry, and sound tips for the reader make this book excellent information for those motivated to read and incorporate advice.

The discussion of appropriate thyroid health is something most doctors refuse to acknowledge. The cookie-cutter approach to thyroid status and treatment fails most patients.

The importance of a good gut biome cannot be underestimated.

Highly recommend to those who think for themselves, and not simply concede their health to ignorant, ill-informed doctors. It's also a must to read his book, "Super Gut," as well.

Had a lot of information, but not organized very well and very repetitive. Plus, in one place it said not to eat sausage or bacon, yet there were recipes calling for those ingredients. Confusing! I have gotten way too many emails since going to the web page. The first email said i would get a free gift when signing up for the website, but all i got were free lessons that were videos of him talking about the same things he wrote about. But I emailed him and he explained that he may discuss things not covered in the book. So, since it was a nurse who recommended the book, I've given the program a shot. It has been exactly 2 weeks and I have lost 11 lbs. Normally, this would be very difficult for me to pull off, but for some reason, it's not making me crazy. I'm not following it to the T. For instance I had a little bit of BBQ sauce on my fish tonight even though it has a tad of corn starch. Since it was low on the list of ingredients, I feel that is fine. I have 4 more weeks, so time will tell if it helps any of my medical symptoms. I will update here, when or if that happens. If you try it, good luck.