Over the course of my nutrition education, grains have become less and less a part of my diet. Initially, I can probably chalk it up to laziness. Upon learning how essential it is to soak all grains for 8-12 hours before cooking to break down the phytic acid which binds to minerals and makes them unavailable for absorption (westonaprice.org...more on this topic later), I decided this was simply too much work. However, slowly over the course of the last year I have intentionally phased out grains for good, and this tends to baffle people! We have been raised on the notion that whole grains should be the staple of any healthy diet. They're the base of that good old USDA food pyramid! Like so many myths that need debunking in the land of nutrition (please say you're all eating lots and lots of good fats at this point!), grains is another big one. So lets take a closer look...
Pre-grain (aka, pre-agricultural) Civilization and Health:
No one can really argue that our ancestors did not have a grain-based diet. Aside from a trace amount of wild grains here and there, grains were not a feasible food source. These populations lived on wild meats (all by nature free range and organic, of course), available vegetables (veggies such as tubers not so much due to their high need for preparation), nuts and seeds (again, raw), and fats mainly derived from the above mentioned sources (animal meat, nuts and seeds). Many people will argue that "sure, but these people had a notably shorter life-span, so it must be nutrition based!" This topic will be saved for a future article, but I will say that these "statistics" are skewed due to an array of variables, for example the average lifespan of our ancestors is generally averaged and this includes infant mortality (much higher) and death by emergency situations like animal attacks. Generally, if an individual survived these 2 main variables, their lifespan was just as long as ours is today, however
without the "wonders" of modern medicine keeping us alive (Mark Sisson,
The Primal Blueprint).
Phytic Acid:
More and more people are familiar with phytic acid, which is a substance found in grains
and legumes. According to Nora T. Gedgaudas in her book Primal Body, Primal Mind,
"Phytic acid actively binds minerals and eliminates them from the body, which results, with increased grain consumption, in widespread deficiencies of minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc...grains and legumes also contain goitrogens, or thyroid-inhibiting substances, as well as "foreign proteins" like gluten and gliadin, and they are an extremely common source of allergies and sensitivities that can lead to both physical and mental or emotional disorders, even when the best preparation methods are used" (pg 29).
Gedgaudas goes on to talk about one problem we face with grain-fed animals (an unnatural food source used because its cheap and fattening) being a deficiency in the amino acid L-tryptophan which allows us to produce the essential hormone serotonin (the "feel-good" hormone), and serotonin deficiencies can be the cause of depression, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, mood and other psychological disorders.
Glutenous vs. Non-glutenous Grains:
Many grains are gluten containing, while others are not. Gluten is the protein (it actually consists of 2 proteins: glutenin and gliadin) which gives bread its doughly, sticky, chewy quality. Gluten-containing grains include: rye, barley, spelt, kamut, wheat, durum, semolina, graham, and oats due to cross-contamination. I have already posted about the dangers of gluten on our digestion and overall physical and mental health, so please re-visit this earlier post. Remember, gluten is very hard for humans to digest, and after years of consumption (which is pretty much the standard american diet) it can lead to intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut syndrome) by breaking down the lining of our gut, letting in undigested proteins that should not be entering our bloodstream, which can lead to chronic inflammation and degenerative and auto-immune disease. Serious stuff.
It is also important to understand that while other grains are not gluten-containing (for example brown rice, quinoa, gluten-free oats), they still have many of the same or similar properties of the glutenous grains that block mineral absorption and contain various "anti-nutrients." Basically, we use more of our stored nutrients just trying to digest them than the nutrients they actually provide us with. If you are going to eat grains, they should be soaked, fermented, and sprouted to minimize this impact.
Well What Can I Eat, Then?!?
I'm not trying to break any hearts here, just giving some important information. Mark Sisson goes by the 80/20 rule, which I can get behind. This means that 80% of the time we eat the whole, nourishing foods that we know to be nutrient dense and bioavailable, and the other 20% can be a little looser! There is a lot to be said for letting go and enjoying life. Now, hopefully this 20% doesn't include loads of refined sugar and carbs (or even any!), but if you have grains every now and then, you'll probably be fine (unless you have an auto-immune or irritable bowel type of condition). They just should not be the staple of your diet. Instead, focus on grass-fed, organic meat, poultry, fish, raw nuts and seeds, lots of delicious, satiating good fats, and whole vegetables and fruits (seasonal and organic whenever possible). I can pretty much guarantee that not only will your health improve and you'll experience increased energy and a sense of well-being, but if weight loss is your goal, this will get you there.
Here's to our health!
Looking for a healthy dessert alternative around the holiday season? Doing your best to avoid refined sugar and flour....try these yummy cocoa snowballs! If you like dark chocolate and you like coconut (and c'mon, who doesn't!?), you'll like these...
