Cereal, bread, pasta, rice...the staples of most people’s diet right?
They were certainly a staple for me for the first 35+ years of my life and I kinda couldn’t get enough of them.
The last 10 years however, have been largely without grains at all and suspiciously it's the healthiest I’ve ever been.
To be a little more specific as to what falls into the 'grain' category, we're essentially talking wheat, barley, rye, millet, oats, corn (maize), rice, and sorghum. One or all of these comprise most cereal, bread, pasta, baked goods, cakes, biscuits and refined foods in packets in this day and age.
Grains are full of fibre and nutrients and are naturally low in fat! What’s not to love? They’re necessary for health! Well...no. No they’re not.
Let’s start with the ‘necessary’ thing. There’s no such thing as a grain deficiency. Let that sink in for a second.
You will be lacking nothing and deficient in nothing if you opt out of the grain train.
Non-existent deficiency aside, the key issue with an overconsumption of grains - and even legumes for some people - is related to Inflammation.
Sadly grains are choc full of anti-nutrients known as lectins which irritate and change the integrity of the gut wall. The most famous of which is gluten - I'm sure you've heard of it.
Gluten is not the only problematic lectin, but it packs the biggest punch and here's why:
Gluten is composed of two main types of lectins - gliadins and glutenins - which are carbohydrate binding proteins well known to open tight junctions in the gut. LEAKY GUT = no bueno!
Gluten is well studied and is known to activate the immune system and trigger the release of zonulin, a protein that induces the opening of these tight junctions and leads to leaky gut.
We also know that gliadin passes across the intestinal epithelium and ends up in the breast milk of nursing mothers… And we wonder why many babies end up with autoimmune issues!
I know that's heavy...so let's lighten the mood a little and talk about cows :)
If you think about the advent of large scale agriculture in general, it came at a time when we needed to feed the masses cheaply. That happened with success.
But it still happens now, and it may not be quite so 'necessary' in the same way anymore, particularly as we now know better about the way the human body thrives.
Of course its still cheaper to buy a bag of rolls and some pasta and turn it into a week of easy dinners than it is to but fresh produce and quality protein...but at what cost to our health? Backpackers traveling on a shoestring live on 2 minute noodles for a reason - and it ain't their incredible nutrient density.
Back to cows. Despite the fact it's not their natural diet, grains are used en masse as feed on conventional factory farms to fatten cows for slaughter as quickly as possible and create a beautiful marbled piece of meat.
Do you want to be a marbled piece of meat?
How interesting that grains are used to fatten an animal. Grains are not our natural human diet either! Suspicious.
Neither is grass for that matter (or a plant based approach...but I'll save that for another day).
Instead of a diet of grass that cows have evolved to eat (they're a ruminant animals with 4 stomachs to break down this perfect natural diet for cows), livestock are fed grain for several reasons commonly justified as:
- "Maintaining a consistent meat supply" (over-population strikes again)
- "Improving eating quality" (makes it more fatty)
- "Meeting specific needs for niche markets" (many restaurants will brag about their grain-fed, highly 'marbled' meat)
- "Meeting the energy needs of animals when pasture is limited" (because FEED THE HUMAN MASSES, YO!)
- "Increasing animal size" (make them fat, see above)
Nowhere above do you see "because it's good for them, it's their natural diet, and it keeps them healthy & well".
The cows become inflamed just as humans do...and the fat ends up way higher in omega 6's (the inflammatory kind) than omega 3's (the anti-inflammatory kind).
Keen to source grass-fed meat yet?
Back to humans.
You will not miss the 'fibre' in grains if you eat a diet full of beautiful vegetables & fruits. More fibre than you can poke a stick at. All that you need.
Lastly how on earth is ‘low fat’ still a claim to fame? That's not exactly a grains 'draw card' in my opinion. Fat is the new black and another reason you wont be hungry when reducing grains and allowing yourself to be friendly with ample healthy fats (although it’s actually protein that is the king of all satiating macronutrients).
We can't just ditch ‘staples’ such as cereal, bread, rice, pasta and replace them with nothing! Nourishhhhh yourself. Protein. Veggies. Healthy Fats. Yes.
Yes, there are some interesting nuances in relation to grains, certain cultures and their prevalence in those particular diets.
There are also certain nuances around the ability for some people to comfortably eat wheat or pasta in Europe but not Australia or the US for example. The growing methods, the GMO, the use of pesticides like glyphosate (Roundup)...all these things play a role and I'm not going to go too far into the weeds there in this particular blog.
Additionally and as I tell my clients, it's important to acknowledge there's a spectrum with grains - a triple choc muffin or bowl of Nutrigrain is very different to a piece of traditional sourdough or a bowl of oats.
It's what we do MOST that counts, not what we do sometimes.
If you're not feeling ready to eliminate grains altogether, the least problematic grains for most people tend to be the least refined/processed and the gluten free kind like oats and rice.
They have one ingredient in their ingredient list! Usually a good sign :)
This includes legumes for some people too. And certainly all the pseudo-cereals and ancient grains like Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat.
But most importantly, listen to your body - it will tell you after consumption which grains or legumes it does ok with and which ones it doesn't! Gut pain, gas, bloating, irritable bowel, sore joints, brain fog, or skin irritations?
They're just a few of the tell-tale signs that perhaps grains/legumes aren't supportive for YOU.
Meanwhile, if we simply acknowledge that eating in a way that is evolutionarily consistent is the biggest game changer for health...let the thriving begin!
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