The Grain Manifesto
We’re continuing our “manifesto” series (refer back to dairy and peanuts for earlier offerings) with the one topic most likely to spur controversy – grains. Our Whole30 program doesn’t include grains of any kind – no breads, cereals, pasta, rice, not even fake grains like quinoa or gluten-free substitutes. We’re about to tell you why. (Note, we are well aware that this information may run counter to everything you’ve ever been told by your parents, doctors, personal trainers, government agencies and TV advertisements. For that, however, we make no apologies… because all the people who have been selling you Whole Grains for Health all these years have been just. Plain. Wrong. We understand if this makes you kind of angry. It makes us angry too.. but that’s a topic for another post.)
Why We Don’t Eat Grains
A. Grains provoke an inflammatory response in the gut
Lectins are specialized proteins found in many plants and foods, but are found in high concentration in grains (particularly wheat), legumes (particularly soy), and dairy. The most commonly referenced grain lectin is called “gluten”, but there are many others which are found even in pseudo-grains like quinoa. Lectins serve many biological functions in animals, but foods with high concentrations of lectins are harmful even if consumed in moderate amounts.
Lectins are hardy proteins that do not break down easily, and are resistant to stomach acid and digestive enzymes. They migrate through your digestive tract largely intact, and disrupt the intestinal membrane, damaging cells and initiating a cascade of events leading to eventual cell death. (Translation: lectins destroy the cells that line your intestines, leading to small “microperforations” or tiny holes in your intestinal lining.) These holes allow intact or nearly intact proteins, bacteria and other foreign substances to cross into the bloodstream – where they do not belong. As the immune system notices foreign substances in the body, it responds and attacks. The immune response can manifest in an unlimited number of conditions (not just in the digestive tract!) commonly referred to as “auto-immune” in nature.
It’s important to note that these cautions are not just critical for those with a diagnosed Celiac condition. These negative downstream effects happen to everyone who eats grains, to various degrees.
B. Grains spike insulin levels
Grains pack a whopping amount of carbohydrates in a very small package. As most grains are also heavily processed (yes, even whole grains) they are broken down into blood sugar (glucose) in your body very quickly. A high amount of ingested carbohydrate broken down very fast leads to a spike in blood sugar. The body, demanding homeostasis, then releases a massive dose of a hormone called insulin to pull blood sugar levels back down. This is often referred to as an “insulin spike”.
When too much blood sugar is present in the system, your body quickly runs out of places to store it as useful energy, and will store any excess as body fat. In addition, when too much insulin is present in the system, the cells in your body become desensitized to the hormonal “message” insulin is trying to send. Since the message isn’t getting through, your pancreas is prompted to release even more insulin when your body doesn’t need it. Finally, chronically high insulin levels lead to a condition in which your body has trouble releasing the energy already stored in your cells. This is a bad place to be. If (via a diet high in carbohydrates) this pattern continues, insulin levels continue to rise, fat stores continue to grow and the body becomes completely incapable of responding to its own directions.
C. Grains have an acidifying effect on the body
A net acid-producing diet promotes bone de-mineralization (i.e. osteopenia and osteoporosis), and systemic inflammation. Grains are one of the highest acid-producing food groups. By replacing grains and grain-containing processed foods with plenty of green vegetables and fruits, the body comes back into acid/base balance (and a more positive calcium balance). Recent research out of Tufts University has also shown that a more alkaline diet preserves muscle mass. We like muscle mass.
D. Grains are “empty calories”
All grains – things like oatmeal, pasta, breads and cereals – have two things in common. They are calorically dense, and nutritionally meager. A small portion of grains packs a whopping amount of calories, almost all in the form of carbohydrates. All those calories, however, contain a miserly amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals). Compare the calories, carbohydrates and vitamin profile of two large slices of whole grain bread (100 grams) to one cup of chopped, cooked broccoli (184 grams – nearly twice the mass). (Nutritional stats from NutritionData.com)
Note that we’re not saying there is nothing good to be found in grains. They do contain vitamins and minerals in various proportions and amounts. But the serious down sides of grains far outweigh any potential health benefits. Bottom line – there is NOTHING found in grains that you can’t get from a better source with NO down sides (like vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds).
Questions? Doubts? Want more information? Post thoughts to comments.
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But I’m still skinny – don’t I want calorically dense?
And 184 grams vs 100 grams is nearly twice the mass not volume. The mass density will probably be approximately the same after you chew it and thus the volume will be nearly twice. Just a small typo really.
@Morten,
If you need more calories to gain some quality body weight, you’d want to choose foods that are calorically dense AND nutritionally dense, like sweet potato, chicken, and avocado. Skip the concentrated calories that are nutrient-poor (grains!) and consume foods that give you all the additional benefit of the vitamins, minerals, and phtyonutrients in addition to just the sheer calories. Also, thanks for the high school science (re)education. I’m sure that, despite the technical miscommunication, you still get the point that grains are a generally poor choice in terms of nutrients vs calories. Be well,
Dallas
a much needed article considering all of the hoopla over “whole grains.” I was about to do an article about it, but now I’m just going to link to this! Thanks guys
Okay, I’m in. though giving up my oat bran cereal with pecans in the morning will be HARD!! =)
Two questions though…
1. isn’t there a limit on how many fruits I should be eating a day? I try to stay around 3-4 a day.
also
2. if I eat more nuts/seeds, then my fat content is high and doesn’t that put me at risk for a stroke? (I’ll be 45 in a few weeks)
thanks,
love the manifestos!
…off dairy since the dairy manifesto
….off pb =( since the pb mainfesto
and taking my fish oil daily (even put my kids on it!)
Nadine
Great article. I’ve done a lot of reading on this topic over the past year, and it continues to keep me away from grains. One possible improvement to such an article could be a few references to support some of the claims (I know they’re out there, but some “detractors” will definitely say “Where are the references?”).
-Bo
So what’s wrong with quinoa? Isn’t it a seed?
great article, I just sent it to like 5 grain lovers. using it in the blog for tomorrow!
@Morton: Typo corrected, thanks… and, what Dallas said.
@Nadine: Eat “some” fruit, which means the amount right for your levels of sugar sensitivity. Most of our clients do better on way more vegetables and less fruit, but that’s pretty individual. You’ll just have to play around with quantity and see how you look/feel/perform.
As for the fat/cholesterol/stroke/heart disease connection, that’s an EXCELLENT question. The short answer is a definitive “NO”, but we’re going to take the topic main page to provide a more comprehensive answer. Stay tuned within the next week or two, tops.
@Bo: We’ve got more references than you can shake a stick at… but for every scientific article that says whole grains make you less healthy, there’s another that completely contradicts that stance. References are sometimes arguable, but you CAN’T argue with personal results. We’ve got plenty of those backing up our point of view – from our own experiences, those of our clients, and those from the hundreds of people who have posted testimonials on their own Whole30 program. But, as always, references are available upon request. (Or, use your own Google-fu.)
@Danni: Quinoa is a “grain-like seed” – a dicot, with a distant relationship to the grass family. Taking the first point out of the discussion for a moment, it’s still got ALL of the other three down-sides (insulin spiking properties, acidifying effect on the body and high carbs in a micronutrient-sparse package – one cup has 39g of carbs and half the complete nutritional profile of broccoli).
With respect to inflammation, quinoa also does have a fraction that causes cross reactivity with Celiacs and others with gluten intolerance – many find it difficult to digest, despite the fact that it’s “gluten-free”. One further caveat is that most quinoa products are a combination of quinoa and CORN. Chances are, if you have a gluten sensitivity, you may likely have a corn sensitivity as well.
Quinoa also contains saponins that act as anti-nutrients, so it needs to be rinsed prior to consumption, or purchased in a processed format (processed = not ideal), where the coating has been removed. Finally, quinoa, has been reported to have relatively high levels of oxalic acid, which may cause gatrointestinal problems.
All in all, LOTS of down sides, little up side, just say no.
This is fantastic. Thank you! Now that the people around me have accepted the “weird way I eat,” they’re curious about the “why” — and surprisingly enough, telling them, “Because Moxy-Boss told me to…” doesn’t always work. Now I’m armed with science. Yay, science! (Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto, you’re beautiful!)
Great post, as always! I’ve said similar things to my clients except my reasons look like 1. insulin spike, 2. lectins/gluten, 3. phytic acid. Is phytic acid not that important? Should I be stressing the net acid load to my clients instead?
I gave up grains a month ago and have never felt better. My carpal tunnel and IBS have virtually disappeared, and I’ve dropped a size in jeans without even trying. I have always been a serious bread lover and thought I would miss it, but I don’t.
I have full-on gluten intolerance, so I never intentionally consume gluten-y grains. I go back and forth on whether to consume any grains at all. Sometimes I do well, and sometimes I fall off the wagon.
I only digest millet and quinoa well if they are soaked/sprouted. If I don’t do that, they either sit like a brick in my gut and cause really slow transit times. I can eat rice with no problems at all, and tapioca (encountered a lot in gluten-free stuff and some vietnamese noodles) causes stomach upset for me. Supposedly, tapioca is a safe food if you’re recovering from gastroenteritis (food poisoning), so I find that odd.
A note about a couple of gluten-free grains or analogs…corn and sorghum are two of the worst offenders for me. I wonder if it’s just me or if corn and sorghum contain even more anti-nutrients than when they were last measured. Both are used heavily in animal feed, and thus are very engineered products. Even if they are fermented into GF beer, they cause me trouble, almost as much as regular beer used to do.
I actually soak my nuts and seeds for 12 hours and crisp in the oven as well. I find that works a lot better for me across the board. I see very few Paleo types doing that, and I do wonder why.
@Jae,
The phytates (phytic acid) that block mineral absorption are definitely part of the picture, yeah, especially for people that don’t rock an enormous amount of nutrient-dense veggies in their diets. Our Whole9 workshops talk a lot about insulin management and managing inflammation, so we tie in the things wrong with grains into those two (important, inter-related) issues. Thanks for the reminder, though. Your point is spot-on. I’d make the acid-base balance your 4th point.
What do you mean by “acidifying effects on the body”?
It strikes me that with the fat, protein and fiber in quinoa, the glycemic load is nothing to panic about. Also, I think there’s a huge difference between quinoa and “quinoa products,” which aren’t quinoa even if they contain quinoa. I guess I have a hard time getting lathered up about the dangers of quinoa. Sure, broccoli might have more micronutrients, but you could just toss some broccoli in your quinoa :p
@Danni: Note, I haven’t mentioned glycemic index or load at all in my rebuttal. Check the link in that section on “acid/base balance”. That will take you to a good discussion on Dr. Loren Cordain’s web site about why maintaining a slightly alkaline blood pH is critical to your health (and how grains are doing you a serious disservice on that front).
The one question we ask people when they get slightly defensive about their food choices is this… “Why are you fighting SO hard for your (fill in food choice here)?” I mean that in a respectful way – I’m not being a smart-@ss or making fun at all. Maybe you’re having a hard time letting go of ALL grains, or maybe you just love the taste of quinoa so much that you’re willing to overlook any potential down sides, or maybe you’re kind of mad that you’ve been told it’s a wicked healthy grain alternative, and now we’re telling you it’s totally not. Regardless, we’re really not trying to convince you Food A is the devil and Food B is a miracle. Our only mission is to give our readers the information as we see it, and encourage and show them how to make their own educated and informed decisions.
Best,
Melissa
You are always totally respectful Melissa — I don’t think I’ve ever thought otherwise. Truth be told I rarely eat quinoa and I am no champion of grains. I just get that “crazy train” reaction you had about carrots (even though quinoa isn’t a carrot) with certain foods like quinoa. People are fat asses and unhealthy for a lot of reasons, and I would wager quinoa consumption is not one of them. Bread/pasta/other processed crap at the expense of fruits and veggies and lean protein? Sure. So, I probably just seem like a PITA, but I just can’t help but defend quinoa (rinsed of course).
I have a question. Is polished rice really so bad in moderation. I’m sure I heard Robb Wolf mention in one of his recent podcasts that polished rice might be ok because the husk, which contains the phytate in the grain is removed during the polishing process, and this is one of the reasons that East Asians have good health outcomes despite high consumption of polished white rice. So the only negative to deal with is the insulin response, which is largely negated as I usually only consume rice post workout.
I ask this because I have followed a type O blood type diet for a couple of years with good results, and polished rice and rice noodles are my only grain intake (my wife is chinese). I struggle to replace that portion of my diet with vegetables.
@Dallas,
I go back and forth about whether to talk about phytic acid at all, since mentioning technical terms tends to make people’s eyes glaze over. Sometimes I just say “grains contain high amounts of lectins and phytic acid” and then talk about inflammation and anti-nutrient properties, without distinguishing much between the two. I realize that it’s not 100% accurate, but many of my clients don’t really want to know the details.
I’m still learning how to present information to clients in a way that is helpful and likely to influence behavior modification (not just correct/informative). The Whole9 blog is a great source of inspiration for me — always well written, informative, practical, not preachy. Thanks to you and Melissa, and keep ‘em coming!
I went strict Paleo 10 wks ago. I got a lipid and glucose panel this week. My Cholesterol dropped 42 points from 231 to 188. Everything went down, including my ratio, from 3.5 to 3.1. My glucose went down as expected to the normal range for the first time. I was eating well before, with a low carb approach, but the difference is dramatic. I feel good, I don’t crave bread, I’m having to make myself eat to keep calories up.
@Melicious: Yay, science… but you are also a walking, talking, gorgeous example of all of these concepts. That is more powerful than ANY research article or scientific study.
@Danni: No, I wager most people didn’t become diabetic or overweight because of a wicked quinoa habit. (Love that!)
@Robert: Rice is a “less bad” choice than, say, whole wheat bread… but it still meets three out of the four “down sides” we described in the article. You just have to decide for yourself whether it’s worth taking it out of your diet or not. For what it’s worth, we would MUCH rather see you eating nutrient-rich sweet potato or squash post workout, rather than nutrition-meager rice. You want to give those hungry muscles the GOOD stuff, not just empty carbs!
@Jae: You may have to say the same thing seventeen different ways before something “clicks”… and that same “click” isn’t going to work with all your clients. Reading, experimenting and practicing your speech is the best way to prepare yourself for working with people on this stuff. Thanks for the kind words!
@Michael: Holla! Now THAT’S the real deal right there. Biomarkers like cholesterol and fasting blood glucose do not lie. Congrats, and well done!
My friend Stacy and I were talking about this post at lunch and we have a question… we’re wondering how much is “too much” or, more specifically, how much is “OK”?
My question/example:
I eat like a rock star all week — no dairy, no grains, no sugar, very little fruit — and I get 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Presumably, I’ve got no inflammation from my behavior. Then on Saturday morning, I have a have a corn tortilla with my eggs, a cup of regular coffee, and a few bites of refried beans because I know, from trial and error, that doesn’t make me feel bad, physically or mentally. Am I doing myself damage physically? i.e., am I actually creating inflammation that undoes all the good done by my exemplary habits the rest of the time? How much grain as a “treat” causes problems — and how long does the inflammation last after?
Stacey’s question/example:
She’s not 100% grain-free, but she doesn’t eat much. Today, she had meatloaf that she made from scratch… approximately two pounds of meat and about 1/3 cup bread crumbs. The bread crumbs are a small percentage of the calories, but are they causing a problem for her anyway?
Thanks in advance for helping us understand!
Are sprouted grains included in your list of foods to forgo? I’m going raw and would like to know what natural foods are considered unhealthy, and how to stay relatively fit and strong while lowering my protein and calories. I’ve been told that amino’s are what our bodies use to create muscle and since plants are abundant in this nutrient, meat is a middleman and unnecessary. This might be too much for one post, but mainly I want to know if sprouted grains are unhealthy.
Thanks
I saw the above post about someone’s carpal tunnel disappearing after eliminating grains. My boyfriend’s carpal tunnel has been horrid this week, after I allowed grains BACK in the house after cutting them out completely for a good week. He thinks I’m full of crap. Any links or words of wisdom I can give him??
I just started the no dairy no whole grains this past Monday and I seem to be doing alright but to be honest I can not see me sticking to this my WHOLE life. What happens when say in 5 years I decide I want whole grains again in my diet? Will I blow up like a balloon? I know so many people that went off Atkins (no carbs) and they gained weight like crazy!
Thanks. Funny enough I picked up some sweet potatoes to try yesterday. I don’t have fond memories of them from childhood though.
I quite like the blood type diet though, it’s a bit like astrology, pseudoscience. It obviously works enough to keep people interested and it has some nice folk psychology behind it.
Sorry about the science lecture but being a scientist it comes naturally ;) I just wanted to point out that you could get away with saying that the caloric density is 9-10 times higher in the bread than the broccoli. Of course it would take more bites of the bread to get the same volume in your stomach (because there’s more air in bread) which would probably reduce your bread intake slightly.
I guess the real question is: how do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with broccoli? *tongue-in-cheek*
@Melicious,
Great question. Here’s the deal: since you’re rockin’ such Good Food throughout the entire week, and you’ve already done the hard, hard work to eliminate 100% of Bad Food from your diet (and then systematically reintroduced small amounts of stuff to figure out what stuff really kills you and what is “less bad”), I’m not gonna freak out about a corn tortilla and a couple bites of Lectin Bombs. But hear me clearly: eating that stuff is not optimal, because it only takes a few grams or even milligrams of some of this stuff to continue to promote that “silent inflammation” in your body. The inflammation lasts 10-14 days, which is why it’s so, SO important to COMPLETELY cut that stuff out if you have any hope of actually learning how those food choices affect you. But I know you’ve already done that, and if the tortilla and beans is the conscious, deliberate choice you’re making to enjoy something that you know isn’t optimal but you really, really like, savour the suboptimal choice, limit the quantity, and ditch the guilt about making a conscious choice to eat something that’s less than perfect. After all, what use is eating healthy 100% of the time if it makes you miserable? For Stacey… I’d push her towards doing a full-on, real-deal Whole30 so she can have her eyes opened to how good she can actually look, feel, and perform before reintroducing bread and other junk. As far as the meatloaf, try using pecan meal or ground walnuts as a substitute for the bread crumbs. Did that answer your question?
Dallas
Thanks, Dallas! That *does* answer my question. But the news isn’t so good, is it? Seems like the painful truth of it is: if I want to perform my best and feel my best — and deal with my broken-ass, annoying-as-hell thyroid — even a small indulgence can be problematic. I’m going on record right now to say, “Silent inflammation can suck it!”
Thanks to Moxy-Boss’s awesome consulting — and vast patience — I don’t feel guilty about treats anymore. But this does make me question how much I want to eat that half tortilla. Other foods are SO tasty, I’m not really sure the tortilla and beans, on occasion, are worth it. Definitely worth thinking about.
One of the things I really appreciate about the aftermath of my numerous 30-day no-cheat stretches is that making the conscious choice to NOT indulge gets easier and easier. I feel so much more rational and in control of eating now. The days of no cheating make it easy to say “no” because there’s a defined goal to achieve — and somehow, giving myself the freedom to choose to eat “treat” foods makes it easy to say “no” because the no cheating time has made me realize the treats don’t taste as good as I remember, and they don’t do anything good for me.
However, I’m making this (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/11/food/la-fo-crackpierec11-2010feb11) for my husband’s birthday in two weeks, and I’m telling you right now: a small piece of that will give me something: YUMMINESS.
However, “sacrificing” tortillas and refried beans for a month or two seems like a fair trade to be able to handle a small sliver of a once-a-year birthday treat.
I’ll pass along the info to Stacey. Thanks again!
I eat very little grains myself, but i don’t think they’re so evil as you portrait them here, or human beings would have evolved to eat something else instead of those huge amounts of corn, wheat, rice and beans that surround our planet.
I agree, there are a lot of options for a better nutrition if you compare it solely to a bread slice, but come on, bread is not that bad, it’s made with milk and eggs so it can’t be empty calories like coke or candies. Just be aware of how much of it you eat. If it was that bad, then why have we humans evolved our societies around bread and other grain derived foods? Shouldn’t we all be really ill by now? (specially when you talk about the auto immune response). I guess we’re kind of exaggerating the results of some scientific study on a very specific population group, as it has happened a lot of times before like with milk, aspirine, etc.
It’s a good article though, worthy to read and think about it, makes the squirrel get busy.
@Oscar:
I’m not sure whether to take you seriously or not, mostly because your “bread is made with milk and eggs” argument is, well, ridiculous. However, on the off chance that you’re NOT kidding…
Human beings have NOT evolved to eat grains. Our bodies have never been able to, and still cannot, tolerate them. We as a society “evolved” to be grain-based because (a) it’s cheaper, (b) it’s convenient (non-perishable), (c) it’s big business with lots of money to be made, and (d) Ancel Keys was a terrorist who scared us all into the same low-fat, high-carb diet that made us SICKER than we’ve ever been, ever.
Dude, WE. ARE. SICK. “Adult Onset Diabetes” is now called “Type II Diabetes” because more and more KIDS are developing the condition. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and cholesterol, OBESITY, allergies, auto-immune conditions like autism… all on the rise, to a degree never previously seen in our history. And I’m not talking about a single scientific study on a specific population group… I’m talking about measurable, reported health and disease statistics on HUMAN BEINGS, in general. We ARE sick, and for all of these reasons, we are NOT exaggerating the reasons why high carbohydrate diets based around grains make you LESS HEALTHY.
For the record, we weren’t exaggerating about milk, either.
Best,
Melissa
Well, i’m just saying that i don’t believe that grains and bread are as evil as you’re telling.
But well, as you think of yourself as master of the truth and of anyone that thinks different from you as ridiculous, then, well, thanx for the fun.
I’d suggest to go and consult with an appropiate and certified food and health specialist to desing one’s diet instead of basing it on some ridiculer who has some fancy website.
cheers!
@Oscar,
At no point have we presented ourselves as “masters of the truth”. In fact, we are continually learning more and more about the profound effects that food has on our bodies, and that’s what motivates us to share what we learn with… you, and with hundreds of our readers and consulting clients who have literally changed their lives by making some of these changes to their diets. Not to mention how much better we feel… but nonetheless, it’s no sweat off my back if YOU keep eating however you are now, because I’m only in control of what I eat, and it only affects my body. I have no vested interest in changing the way YOU eat. We only try to share what we learn with people who, like us, are interested in living longer, happier, healthier lives. Happy eating.
@Mel,
Your attitude is, in a word, AWESOME. We’re stoked to count you as a reader, contributer, and friend.
Count me in for the Crack Pie ;)
Thanks to you and the M-Boss for all the encouragement and fresh info. Stacey and I spent most of lunch talking about grains and the evils/joys thereof again today. And when we talk about it, it gets our other co-workers interested and soon, everyone is eating just a little better.
Yay.
Oscar said, “or human beings would have evolved to eat something else instead of those huge amounts of corn, wheat, rice and beans that surround our planet”.
Melinda Beck, writing in the Wall Street Journal on Feb. 23rd said:
“The current epidemic of obesity also has prehistoric roots. Our hunter-gatherer forbearers were tall, lean long distance runners who subsisted on plants and protein. When populations shifted to agriculture about 10,000 years ago, a carbohydrate-rich diet became the norm. Early farmers had more calories but less nutrition, and average heights dropped from 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-3 for men, and from 5-foot-5 to 5-feet for women. Metabolisms adjusted over the millennia—but populations that shifted to agriculture more recently, like Polynesians and American Indians, have the highest rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes today.”
I’ll offer two thoughts:
o First, humans did not evolve to eat grains. They chose (and choose) to. M-Boss hit on some of the
reasons why.
o Second, the evolving that is taking place to adapt humans to eating grains does not appear to be all
that successful so far.
Tom
I used to use baked whole grain nachos for my home-made guacamole, NOW what will I use???
Awesome post guys…seriously easy to understand and pass on to friends/family.
Thanks,
Nathan Magniez
I agree all grains are evil, but we are mammals and not birds.
My wife uses coconut flour to make bread, meatballs, meatloaf. Coconut Flour is made from dried and defatted coconut meat and then ground into a powder similar in consistency to wheat flour. Unlike wheat flour, coconut flour can be eaten raw. Coconut flour taste great and is good for you IMHO.
As far as I can tell from this list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_phytochemicals_in_food
phytic acid, phytoestrogens, and saponins are common elements in the plants you discourage. Seems sensible enough since even if they weren’t harmful to human cells they would still hurt your gut flora. That puts processed foods out too since they all contain preservatives that will hurt your gut. And you should get wine and dried apricots without sulfites.
One note though. Paleo is generally a good diet but if you have colonic cancer, it is pretty bad. Not all foods are optimal for all situations.
I saw this post on my local CF blog this morning and wanted to add my two cents. I very much believe in good nutrition and agree that the Paleo diet and others like it make sense. However, as a doctor I often find myself in the position to counsel patients on nutrition and therefore can’t afford to take what I read on a website at face value. Having said that, in my opinion, I think you may be exaggerating the effects whole grains play in our diet.
I thoroughly agree that starches can raise our glycemic load leading to insulin resistance (why there are so many diabetics in hawaii) and they are often full of “empty calories”, esp white bread/rice, but your other claims just don’t make sense to me. And as others have asked already, I’d love to see at least A FEW scientific articles to support your claims. No one knows what causes “auto-immune” problems like crohn’s/UC, lupus etc but genetics is definitely a factor and no definite antigen, lectins or otherwise, have been found. Even MS seems to depend more on where you grew up than what you ate as a kid. Also, the lining of your gut multiplies very quickly and is surrounded by lymphatic tissue. Certain grains may cause microperforations but no more so than seeds or a variety of other foods we eat. Your intestines are designed very well and it takes more than some bread to allow bacteria to leak into your bloodstream or we would have died as a species long ago.
As far as the acid load concern, this is the first time I’ve heard this and is equaly confusing. If you took someone who ate at McD’s three times a day, and someone who follows your diet religiously, their blood pH would be identical. Our kidneys and endocrine system are very efficient in this regard, or as I said previously, we wouldn’t be here anymore. And wouldn’t you agree fruits are much more acidic than rice? I went to Dr. Cordain’s website as you suggested and reviewed the listed literature but most are comparison studies to the “western diet” and not whole grains so aren’t readily applicable.
My cholesterol levels and fasting glucose are perfect. I have no autoimmune diseases nor does anyone in my family. Yet I eat pizza, bagels, rice and spaghetti weekly. Of course I don’t smoke, exercise often, and eat well (in my opinion). I feel moderation is key, not elimination. At this point in time, until actual research comparing diets with whole grains to those without is done showing a benefit, I can’t in good faith extend your practices to my patients. Please tell me if I’m wrong, I really do want to be as up to date in this area as I can. Thanks!
@Morten,
Thanks for chiming in. We definitely steer away from foods that are preserved in unnatural ways (some drying/smoking is okay with me, but why is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in my food?!?). However, the primary reason we recommend that folks avoid wine is the alcohol itself, and no antioxidant (like resveratrol) can outweigh the negative effects of the alcohol on our bodies. (Sorry, wine aficionados.)
Pertaining to your “Paleo is pretty bad for colon cancer patients” comment, I’d like to restate what we’ve said before: our dietary recommendations are not intended to replace medical advice, and some may not apply to people with life-threatening illnesses. However, I have run into very, very few situations where improving your overall health by managing your insulin load and decreasing systemic inflammation does not have a positive, if indirect, effect on other body systems, including those threatened by a disease process. But I’m always interested in learning more, so if you’d be so kind as to post references about the Paleo diet for colon cancer patients, I’d love to read it. Thanks,
Dallas
This is such a great thread — I love all the conversation this post has sparked!
I need to chime in on Dallas’ comment above: “I have run into very, very few situations where improving your overall health by managing your insulin load and decreasing systemic inflammation does not have a positive, if indirect, effect on other body systems.”
I originally started eating clean (call it paleo or primal or whatever — I dumped grains, dairy, sugar, and soy) to lose weight/body fat. My primary motivation was to look great naked. Shortly after dumping the garbage from my diet, I started to feel really, really good. Like: better than ever before. I woke up with zing and found myself singing in the shower.
But my weight didn’t budge. So after a few months of frustration, I visited the doctor. I was concerned because I’d had half my thyroid removed the previous year; maybe the leftover half-thyroid wasn’t working any more.
All of my blood work was excellent — the doc’s exact words, ‘You’re going to live forever with results like this.” — except for one thing: my thyroid (TSH) levels.
Turns out, the half-thyroid the surgeon left me wasn’t working. BUT thanks to my clean diet and training habits, instead of GAINING weight the way most hypothyroid patients do, I’d maintained my weight. With ZERO metabolism, I maintained my weight and was able to keep training and going to work and living my life. Many hypothyroid patients can’t do that, but because I’d eliminated the inflammation in my body, I was able to function.
And because I’d already cleaned up my diet, the endocrinologist and I don’t have to waste time fixing my daily eating habits before we nail my correct thyroid hormone dose. I’ve already done the clean-up — and I’m convinced that Melissa and Dallas came along at just the right time to help me do that. If I’d been eating the “old way” while my thyroid pooped out, I’d be much heavier, fattier, and unhealthier right now. My blood work and my endocrinologist can attest to that.
What a great, thought-provoking thread – especially the responses thus far. I particularly appreciate Josh’s comments, which to a large degree reflect my current approach to diet and nutrition. The insulin response and nutritionally devoid nature (compared with veggies) of grains has led to our family reducing our reliance on grains.
That being said, I would agree with Oscar’s assessment that grains are not evil. Given the world population today, they are an essential part of world-wide nutrition. The sicknesses that Melissa described in her response and in the link provided are diseases that seem to have erupted over the last 100 years, not the last 10,000.
Sorry to be a bother but no one answered my question?! This is my original post:
I just started the no dairy no whole grains this past Monday and I seem to be doing alright but to be honest I can not see me sticking to this my WHOLE life. What happens when say in 5 years I decide I want whole grains again in my diet? Will I blow up like a balloon? I know so many people that went off Atkins (no carbs) and they gained weight like crazy!
Will this happen?
Thanks so much and sorry for the repeat!
Nikki, my personal view (take it for what it’s worth) is that eliminating or reducing grains and dairy, or any dietary change meant to improve health, is meant to be a lifestyle change not a short-term diet. After your period of total elimination, it should really be up to you to determine whether it seems like a worthwhile long-term change in your diet.
Unless you return to the world of grains and dairy in a frenzied binge, I don’t know why you would gain a bunch of weight. The reason people gain weight “like crazy” after a “diet” like Atkins is that they look at nutrition as an all or nothing deal and abandon all efforts to moderate food consumption once the diet is officially over.
Some people will tell you “grains make you fat,” but just know that this statement is highly debatable. That said, it may very well be true for some people. You have to figure out what works for you based on all the information out there.
To jump in on the debate I am going to say ‘Grains are evil’ to my body. I get bloated and feel heavy whenever I try to introduce them in limited quantity back into my diet. Dairy has not been quite as evil for me. I can have any high fat content dairy product that is not overly processed (butter, heavy cream) but anything else is nasty (ice cream, yogurt).
I was actually coming on here to ask if coconut flour was okay and I see that Steve mentions in his post above that his wife uses it and no one has suggested it wouldn’t be a good Paleo choice. I’m hoping that is the case as organic coconut flour is way cheaper than ground almonds.
I am going to make chile verde this weekend and am going to attempt some almond/ coconut flour tortillas to go with it. One recipe calls for 2 tsp of honey, the other 3 tbsp of lard. Which way should I be going?
Sprouted grains? Good or Bad? Nutrient dense and a grain or nutrient deficient and a waste? Anyone?
I just want to say to all who disagree that grains might be bad for you. Open your mind, just a bit. I was recently diagnosed with Celiac – I had no symptoms. Not one. Physically, after being gluten free for 6 months, I still do not feel any effects if I eat gluten. You say they don’t hurt you – how do you know?? If someone has no symptoms, it’s not something that will ever be checked. How many other people in the world have this problem, but have no clue – and there is no reason to ever check on it??
I was iron deficient, when the Celiac was diagnosed which showed that I was not absorbing minerals the way I should. Quite frankly, I doubt I ever would have known about the Celiac if I were not on Thyroid meds. Basically the only hint was that my prescription spiked to very high levels, and was unstable. So – how much damage would have been done if this had never been found. I have relatives that have horrible auto-immune diseases, and have never been checked for gluten intolerance. This is my third auto-immune disease – now, mine are pretty innocent as auto immune diseases go, (Hashimoto, Celiac, and Vitiligo), if there is something as simple as removing grains, dairy and legumes from my diet that might (I understand this hasn’t been proven..), just might….prevent me from getting another much more devastating disease (RA, lupus, etc), then I’m going to do it. So please keep the open mind – there really are people’s health and lives at stake.
Its blogs like this one, and Robb Wolf that help keep me on track, having no symptoms makes adherence much more difficult than if you get big stomach cramps.
What’s right, what’s wrong? I don’t know – I’m no scientist, have no medical background, I’m just a believer based on my real life experiences.
By the way, Mel -gotta tell ya – I follow your blog, and I feel you are a bit of a kindred spirit, agewise, your struggles with weight, thyroid, etc. (except, I dislike running – far prefer to pick up the heavy things!)
@Nikki: To echo a lot of what Danni said… You really need to stick with this experiment (no dairy, no grains) for at least 30 days. That’s the bare minimum time it takes your body to heal from the damage done by years of ingesting foods that poke holes in your digestive tract. After 30 days, or 45, or 60 (however long you can keep it up), reintroduce one of those food groups in a moderate amount and see what it does to how you look, feel and perform. You may be surprised to find that foods you thought were okay are not, in fact, okay. In which case, it’ll be easy to stick with for the rest of your life – if you discover eating XXX makes you feel like crap, it’s pretty motivating to avoid food XXX.
Should you decide to reintroduce some grains or dairy into your diet, understand that, even if you feel NO immediate, crippling symptoms, those foods are still not making you healthier. But as Danni said, as long as you don’t OD on any one food group (or indulge often in foods that you KNOW will wreck you for a solid 24 hours), your big picture health and performance goals shouldn’t be compromised because you chose to indulge in a piece of french toast on a Saturday morning.
If you haven’t already, check the Whole30 tab for more information, specifically the “Start Here” post.
Hope that helps,
Melissa
@Neil: Guacamole is great scooped up with chunks of red pepper, carrot sticks or celery.
@Chris: Sprouted GRAINS. Perhaps marginally less bad, but still nowhere near a good choice.
@Steve: Coconut flour is a good food product – this one includes ONLY organic coconut in the ingredients. My concern is what you’re MAKING with the coconut flour. “Paleo” pancakes and muffins are a good, healthier TREAT alternative, but you have to be careful not to try to shove your old, crappy diet into a shiny new “Paleo” mold. I know YOU know this, because you’ve been following us FOREVER with amazing success! Just a word of caution to those thinking they can now eat pancakes for breakfast every day.
Best,
Melissa
Many countries throughout the world are clearly not so restrictive when it comes to grain intake yet are considerably much healthier than the US. In fact many of the healthiest nations are, not coincidentally, those with grain-based diets. To many cultures ethnic-specific foods are almost embedded into their collective psyche and not just mere sustenance. I can’t imagine people abandoning their cultures’ historically rich cuisines and becoming an acolyte of this no-grain theory.
I think the real issue at heart is humans degradation of the agricultural process and the ways in which grains were cultivated. Grains were not meant to be split, milled at high temperatures, stored for a long period of time, or consumed refined. You claim grains spike insulin, but what you fail to mention is that ingesting the grain in whole form (bran, germ and endosperm) SLOWS the digestion of starch, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and leaves us feeling satiated. I have read that even in their unrefined form, grains do contain antinutrients that can wreak havoc to our intestinal tract, but careful and prolonged preparation of these grains (soaking, fermenting, etc.) essentially negates the potential danger inherent in antinutrients, and what’s left is an abundance of digestible vitamins and minerals.
I think the heart of the matter is that the massive confluence of industrialization and food marketing has essentially destroyed what was once an unadulterated attitude and consideration of food vital not only to our health but the well being of society. Excessive grain intake is obviously not in our best interests, yet there are many other post-agricultural-era inventions that pose a far greater risk to our health than the moderate consumption of grains, e.g., excessive reliance on cars coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, exposure to first- and second-hand smoke, pollution, etc.
Josh M. described his perspective eating moderately and has excellent bloodwork. However I was eating moderately and my bloodwork (I posted my lipids above) didn’t get really good until I cut out all grains. Perhaps the issue here is that we are not all the same. I have a roll of fat at my waist even though I work out , and always did. So does my child. She eats grains. But so does my wife. She has no belly roll, is fit and in shape and eats a lot of carbs. There must be something genetic about the way our bodies respond. By the way, I have also lost 12 pounds since going Paleo while working out hard and lifting heavy as usual. I’m 5’9″ and went from 186 to 174. I’m also eating a lot.
This may not be a way to eat for all, but it seems to be the way to eat for me.
Thanks Melissa! Sorry if I missed what Danni said and made you repeat. I guess I wanted to hear it straight from “the horse’s mouth” sort of speak. Helped out alot :-) Thanks again!
@ Neil: Someone form my local CrossFit shared this on the forums for Paleo “Tortilla” Chips. I have not tried them yet, but they look good! It may not be totally in the spirit of this blog in particular (as in to find ways to feed yourself the old foods, in new “tricky” ways) but, maybe every once in a while?
http://www.barbellsandbacon.com/archives/294
As for me, I started a 7 week Paleo Challenge with CrossFit Portland about a month ago. After years of doing it “the normal/mainstream way”, with weight watchers and calorie counters, I never really lost weight- it always came back and I was left depressed, down on myself and HUNGRY. My most recent endeavor of 6 months consisted of counting every single calorie that entered my mouth- I weighed, measured and agonized over every morsel. The most I lost- and was able to keep off- was 2lbs. Cut to today, four weeks after staring my challenge- I’ve lost ten lbs without counting a single thing. For someone who has struggled with weight issues my whole life, I cannot tell you how liberating- and life affirming!- that is. It’s like I can live a normal life, something the chronically overweight don’t feel they can do.
It’s still hard sometimes- I didn’t get heavy because I didn’t like eating crappy food. But everyday I see results, everyday I don’t feel so full I want to die, everyday I have more energy, everyday I get closer to a pull-up or a non-knee push-up, everyday I get faster and stronger, I move closer and closer to making this change permanent. I may actually get to live the life I always wanted for myself but thought I couldn’t have. Pretty sweet.
I love your blog- it gives me knowledge to combat my own misinformation and keep me on track. Thank you!
@Melissa: Thanks for that, I was thinking thick slivers of water-chestnuts might be good, too.
Does anyone remember: “Daddy’s great! Gives us chocolate cake! Daddy’s great!” It’s from an old Bill Cosby routine. “Nutrition! Eggs! Milk! Wheat!” Just like bread.
http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=14462
Thanks for the manifesto. A lot to think about. Is there a Crossfit journal article about paleo like the one about the Zone? A few pages of the basics that a trainer can print out and hand to people? There should be!
Great article! Another good place for user-friendly info is at http://www.marksdailyapple.com. Mark has discussed all of this stuff extensively, so if you’re looking for more info, that’s a good place to start.
@Melissa, Hey too much of any food is not a good ideal. I would never eat paleo pancakes every day and in fact, I doubt I will even eat them once. Pancakes are only good, if you add sugar to them in the form of something like lots of Maple Syrup and Sugar is a big no no.
But Coconut Flour Bread for dipping in Sunny Side Eggs well that is just good paleo eating or a slice of Coconut Flour Bread with chicken helps fill the tummy or a Coconut Flour Muffin lightly sweeten with a couple dark chocolate chips makes a nice Birthday Treat instead of Wheat Flour Sugar Cake.
Coconut Flour is nothing more than Ground Coconut Meat with the some of the fat removed and the fat removed is the coconut oil we use in the Paleo diet. So yes, I believe coconut flour used correctly is very paleo and very good for you. Just don’t add non-paleo stuff to it and you will fine. Oh yea, Coconut is a good Alkalizing Food too.
See http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm to compare coconut to wheat.
I don’t eat grains anymore, because grains are poison to humans , but coconuts are just good paleo food.
Just my two cents.
@Melissa : The Sprouted GRAINS I was referring to are actually raw sprouted seeds which are referred to as sprouted grains. Probably not the same realm in terms of effects on glycemic indexes. Sprouted grains (IE SEEDS) are alkaline. Eating this nutrient dense food produces enzymes which aid in the digestion of protein (actually the middle man in attaining amino acids and the meat you eat is full of parasites, i’ve seen them – they’re gross) starches, and carbohydrates. Also, this enzyme allows for better utilization of the nutrients in the food you already eat. Low levels of vitamins can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. More enzymes = more nutrients in the body = less carpal. Excellent teas for over acidity are Alfalfa, Dandilion, red Clover, Watercress, and Yarrow. For more information i suggest going to the following web sites.
http://www.innerself.com/health/lesperance03273.htm
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/sprouts.html
Thank you for your take on food. The lumping of all grains together (Steel cut oats and Pasta) is a bit of a fallacy, but that’s for another time. I tried the paleo diet, but saw parasites from the acidic meat I ate leech from my body when I went raw. Also, my raw diet has had no negative impact on my training. You get all the amino acids you need from plant sources without the long term negative impacts to your body. Heck, if you want a better fran time, go drink a red bull. but is that as healthy as eating Organic Raw Produce? Very Entertaining. I’ll continue to research and refine. Thank you. :)
About colon cancer: A high-fat diet makes you release more of a hormone that increases proliferation of intestinal cells among many other things. This is fine unless you have a form of cancer that is stimulated by this hormone. It’s like how some breast cancers are stimulated by estrogen. And then there’s an idea that phytic acid will reduce some nutrients to levels that are benign to humans but bad for cancers. But I don’t think it has been through a lot of clinical testing. I don’t really know why I brought up colon cancer. And almost no matter what you do, you are probably promoting some kind of cancer and inhibiting another kind.
Actually, maybe I was thinking about colon cancer because of the whole “grains punch holes in your intestines”-idea. Like that doctor dude commenting above I have never heard of this phenomenon or about plant proteins showing up in someone’s bloodstream. I have heard of bovine proteins showing up in people’s blood but I’m pretty sure that the consensus was that this occurred when milk is homogenized and nano-scale milk fat particles form. A particular size particle is apparently able to enter blood from the intestine somehow. There is a lot of research in this field since it is a big obstacle in drug development to get your compound to move from the intestine and into the bloodstream. So yeah, I would definitely review my references for that hypothesis if I were you.
That said I have a hard time seeing how anyone could say that Paleo is an unhealthy way of eating. Saturated fat intake has been shown to not influence cardiovascular health (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071648) and there isn’t even that much fat in Paleo anyway.
Keeping your blood sugar stable is considered good by everyone – and Paleo even gets rid of the torrid amounts of fructose present in conventional Western diets by excluding sugar. Glycemic Index diets piss me off because while sugar might be GI 100, sugar is 50% fructose and the stress it puts on your system is a lot higher than what a bit of insulin spiking causes. I’d love to write a “Why sugar is evil”-manifesto for you guys sometime. It would give me a chance to piss on the hippies who think that sugar is evil but honey, agave, and maple syrup is *good* because it’s Natural.
I have no idea what acidic and alkaline foods mean in this context. Your blood pH is what it is and your cellular pH is what it is and this is mainly buffered by carbonate and phosphate. If you are short on phosphate you have bigger problems and if you are short on carbonate you are dead. I’m actually a bit unsure of whether being dead would be enough to get rid of carbonate – you might actually have to be quite decomposed. There are various disease states that can cause your blood to go slightly acidic or alkaline but you will notice it. I don’t know the theory behind the acid-base idea of eating so I would actually prefer not to discuss it.
Inflammation! If I claim that grains don’t poke little holes in peoples bodies then what? Well, my hypothesis, my guess, is that while adding omega-3 to your diet is all well and proper you should reduce omega-6 too to get an appreciable effect. If you look at this (very biased) site http://www.mercola.com/beef/health_benefits.htm you’ll notice the difference in omega-3 to omega-6 levels between cows and chickens raised on grains or not grains. You see the same when you look at milk http://www.karlloren.com/diet/p100.htm
Grains are empty calories. This is true. If bread and pasta seems cheap then try calculating the price per nutritional value. Don’t do it the other way around. If the nutritional value is very close to zero then the price per nutrition is astronomical. That’s pretty much how I weaned myself of chips and candy – I am so damn cheap that that actually worked.
So in conclusion I think Melissa and Dallas are right. I want to point out that a lot of compounds take a long time to be cleared by the liver (and some like dioxins and PCBs are just things we have to live with are in our bodies). And while something might not kill you, small amounts can have a profound effect without that effect increasing with intake. My personal experience with this was with chips. I’ve never really bought them myself so when I moved away from my parents I did eat any (cheapskate like I said). I only ate them because they were there (and delicious). But every time I would eat any my skin would break out and that would last 2-3 weeks before it was gone. And then I figured “What if I just eat a little bit”. Nope – exactly the same effect.
I also want to point out that you should be careful about the reasons you give people for what you tell them to eat. Humans really, really want explanations but it leads to false ideas which leads to false dogmas. Like the idea that since cholesterol is a big component of artherosclerotic plagues then they must be caused by people eating too much cholesterol. Or the idea that fat people have a lot of fat so eating fat must have been what made them fat. Or the idea that since people who eat a lot of vegetables have lower mortality, antioxidants must be the bee’s knees (supplementing antioxidants actually keeps mortality at the same level or increases it and they reduce the production of superoxide dismutase and other protective enzymes in response to stress).
And I want to point out that if you haven’t eaten grains for a month or longer then suddenly eat them, it will always cause you discomfort because your gut flora needs to adjust. It is the same as a vegetarian beginning to eat meat. You should be very careful.
And I want to apologize for the length of this post.
@Chris: I jumped the gun on this one, and assumed you were speaking of sprouted grain products, like Ezekial bread. My mistake, and apologies. I get what you’re saying, and I understand how sprouted “grains” work. Again, we’re not saying “all grains (and grain-related foods) are ALL bad”. There may be some benefits to sprouted grains, but we still consider them a sub-optimal source of carbohydrates when compared to vegetables and fruit. Thank you for sharing your points – I’m glad you’ve found success with your raw diet. As we always say, if what you are doing is working so well for you, then keep doing it!
@Morten: Thanks for sharing, especially what you’ve learned from your own personal perspective. Those personal testimonials will always hold more weight than any scientific reference.
@Steve: Coconut = FANTASTIC, any way you slice/grind/chop/dice it. Right on with your points here!
@Josh M, Morten, Susannah, and Chris,
Thanks for your healthy skepticicm. I learn a ton from good discourse like this, so I look forward to sharing what I’ve read. I’m right in the middle of moving and travelling internationally for the next couple weeks, but I have every intention of responding to your comments (soon, I hope!). I’m working on accumulating a (long) list of references that support Whole9′s perspective on diet, but as you can imagine, that takes time. I don’t have a full archived list of references, but I’ll try to come up with a few key references that you might be interested to read. Thanks for your interest in learning more.
Dallas
Have learned and am learning quite a few things here, but still wonder why, if all these grains are so nutritionally deficient and cause so many health ailments (diabetes, heart disease, etc), why then do Asian countries like Japan or other countries like India not have the same incidence of these problems given their long historical consumption of rice, soy, and other whole grain products and scientifically are “healthier” than us with lower incidence of any of the cited diseases? I’ve heard other various expert theories of genetic adaptations of enzyme production that aid protein processing and soy digestion , but wouldn’t whole countries be already sick/dying starting generations ago rather than a noted slight uptick in lifestyle diseases due to the recent adoption of consuming more processed foods common in Western countries?? This question continues to perplex…any light you can shed??
Fantastic info. I am an endurance athlete – have been doing CF endurance-style training over the winter and switched from a crazy-high-carb diet to eating no grains or sugars and very little dairy. If my first triathlon of the season is any indication, this is working WELL. The only exception to my new diet is on competition days. I typically eat a breakfast of granola and half a banana before competing – a combo I’ve used since high school. I like to think that it’s good to get my blood sugar up a little (I’m chronically hypoglycemic), and I rarely have stomach problems since this meal digests pretty quickly. Am I wrong to make this exception? I am open to trying new things, I’m just not sure what works…
@Still Learning: Generalizing about the “Asian” diets is tricky, because there are so many cultural variants. But if I had to sum it up, high level, in a nutshell… Asian cultures do eat rice, yes. But they ALSO tend to eat a lower calorie diet, far less sugars and processed foods, way more fish (and therefore less crappy quality red meats), more dark, leafy vegetables, less fruit AND get a heck of a lot more exercise than Americans. I’m going to say all those other factors more than compensate for the rice. (And don’t forget, rice isn’t as “bad” as wheat and other grains, because it contains no gluten (the most “toxic” of the grain lectins).
@Erin: I’m going to say your first triathlon of the season is a darn good gauge of how well your new diet is working! Good for you. Competition day is a strange animal – our friend James Hobart (winner of last year’s East Coast Qualifiers) ate M&Ms on game day. True story. And given his performance, I’m not gonna tell him to switch to almonds and cranberries. If it’s working for you, stick with it on competition days. You could always play around with “practice” game days where switch up your diet and see if it works even better.
Thanks for the advice! (And the excuse to try eating M&M’s for breakfast, haha…)
Speaking of Asia and the rice/fish thing, I found this article really interesting: http://liberationwellnessblog.com/2010/03/06/obesity-in-japan/
“In addition to rice, fish and vegetable, the Japanese eat a lot of fat. In fact fat consumption in Japan has increased by two thirds in recent years. They love fried foods. They eat tons of eggs. And I’ve never seen meat so fatty. ”
Most other cultures eat their animals nose-to-tail. I think that Americans not eating anything but muscle meat plays some small part in the decline in our health. Would your great-grandmother think it was a good idea to eat all lean steak and skinless/boneless chicken breasts? Would she have thrown out the bag of parts that came with the chicken? When was the last time you made a bone broth or ate marrow?
@Nicole,
Interesting perspective. We have some friends (smart folks, too!) that talk about eating bone marrow and organ meats and such, but it’s a bit much for me personally. Ultimately, it might be good for you in some ways, but I’m not sure that the omission of bone marrow and fatty organ meats would actually cause a significant decline in societal health. There are a TON of other interesting factors that play into this discussion, too, like acid-base balance and the source/quality of the meat. All in all, we’re fine with you savouring your bone marrow – we just don’t ;)
Just a heads-up on the “Asian” diets: both India and China both face massive epidemics in type 2 diabetes among the urban middle class, who pretty much eat traditional diets but don’t get much (if any) exercise:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2960937-5/abstract
The rural, agrarian areas have much lower rates of diabetes, despite eating diets that are higher in % carb intake:
https://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/download.cgi?db_name=NZAE2007&paper_id=72
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1373260
I don’t have any further studies, but I really think the hard manual labor combined with malnutrition in rural areas are compensating for the rice intake.
On grains being acidifying: the table you point to also shows that meat/fish have similar PRAL loads to grains. Since you all aren’t advocating a vegetarian diet (i hope), I don’t understand what you’re trying to say about grains that wouldn’t apply to meat. it weakens your argument, imho.
@Nadia,
Good info, and I think you’re spot-on in pointing out that epidemiological studies are complex and multifactorial and therefore it can be tough to draw concise, accurate conclusions from them. That’s a good reason why we don’t get much into discussions of things like Asian rice consumption or the French paradox (Is it the wine? The exercise? The fat?). Like we say at our workshops, let’s focus on how food effects each of us, now, personally, in real time, and let anthropologists and epidemiologists sort out some of those confounding factors. I don’t live in China or France (or Paleolithic times, for that matter), so the most relevant and important thing for me is: how does MY food effect ME?
Concerning your point about both grains and meat having an acidifying effect on your body, I don’t think it weakens our “argument” at all. Here’s why: grains have 4 “strikes” against them (5 if you count antinutrients like phytic acid), and the strongly acidifying effect they have on your body is just ONE of those strikes. Sure, meat has an acidifying effect on your body, but when balanced with a large variety and volume of vegetables and fruit, you can still live in a very balanced (or even slightly alkaline) state. It’s not all black and white… Lots of food groups have pluses and minuses, and we feel that grains have dramatically more cons than pros. Thanks for your input.
@Josh M,
I apologize for the unusually long response time. I’ve been on a looooong-overdue vaca with family, and it was absolutely brilliant. I’m encouraged by your willingness to learn and to consider new perspectives, and I’ll do my best to help you understand our perspective more clearly. I also appreciate your (healthy) skepticism of what you read on the internerd, because there is a LOT of misinformed, sensationalized stuff out there. So… all that being said, let’s talk.
You’re already with me on how grains contribute to hyperinsulinism, great. The potential renal acid load (PRAL) of foods can be quantified, but the take-home message is that a systemic acidosis (produced by a diet that is overwhelmingly acidifying) is a bad place to be. (Every food either has an acidifying or alkalinizing effect on your body. This is easily confused with whether a food is “acidic” (think grapefruit, which is alkalinizing) or “alkaline” (like milk, which is acidifying). It’s the effect on your overall body pH that matters.) You are correct, of course, that your body will maintain your blood pH in a very narrow range, but that is not to say that their overall body would not be in a chronically acidic state. The intercellular and intracellular materials themselves can – and will – become more acidic in people with a diet that is acidogenic (overall acidic PRAL). Unfortunately, there are a bunch of nasty things associated with a chronically acidifying diet, including potential bone loss and elevated inflammatory markers. It’s also important to note that all grains are acidifying, whether they are “whole” or not. I guess the end-of-the-day message about grains’ effect on systemic acid-base balance is that, among multiple other health concerns, grains significantly contribute to an acidic state that’s a pretty unhealthy place to be.
Concerning lectin-induced intestinal microperforation, it is my understanding that the mechanism by which lectin compounds allow entrance of foreign, undigested substances to the body has more to do with elevated rates of intestinal cell death (apotosis) than with actual structural damage from things like seeds, as you mentioned. I agree with you that our intestines are very resilient, dynamic structures, but in the presence of chronic (daily, breakfast-lunch-and-dinner!) exposure to inflammatory lectins, the permeability is increased to a hyperphysiological level, and larger molecules/compounds that would not normally be able to cross the intestinal barrier are able to do so (think “leaky gut syndrome”), provoking a chronically elevated immune response initiated by localized immune “garrisons” of immune cells (gut-associated lymphoid tissue like Peyer’s patches). Ultimately, this chronically elevated exposure of the immune system to foreign substances and microorganisms can contribute to autoimmune conditions like RA, lupus, etc. I’m not saying that lectin-induced gut irritation directly causes immune system dysfunctions (autoimmune conditions), but it certainly can contribute to or exacerbate them. Personally, I want nothing to do with substances that are likely to cause my immune system to become “paranoid” and attack my own tissues. No, thank you.
As far as your personal health is concerned, I’m glad to hear that some of your biomarkers are in a good range, and that you do not have any manifestations of autoimmune conditions. My “little” sister (who’s 28) has RA, and it sucks. I think a key point, though, is (as you as a physician know) that the simple absence of symptoms does not indicate excellent health. The concept of “silent (systemic) inflammation” is becoming more recognized as a key contributing factor in lifestyle-related diseases, and I’d gently caution you against thinking that a normal fasting glucose and the absence of raging symptoms is an indicator of excellent health. Food for thought.
As far as references go, I’ve got some archived on my computer, but the list of stuff I’ve read over the years to come to these conclusions is pretty long. Shoot me an email at dallas@whole9life.com and I’ll be glad to share the .PDFs that I’ve saved. I hope this has been helpful, and please let me know if there’s anything else I can clarify. Thanks for your genuine interest (and healthy skepticism!). Be well.
Cool beans Dallas. Thanks.
My first thought on the acid-base thing was “junk” and then I read the wikipedia entry and I thought “yep, junk”. But then I got the thinking about it and I wondered if maybe people didn’t mean “stuff with negative or positive charge at physiological pH” and it would relate to the kidneys somehow. And after I got the book by Cordain I saw that he also mentions the kidneys (as well as blood pH) and I felt more calm. So I still need to find the good review for the biochemistry-minded person but I feel more assured that there is some kind of basis and I can see that more negatively charged compounds excreted by the kidneys would cause the kidneys to also excrete more positively charged ions (like calcium). I don’t know why it isn’t sodium/potassium instead though.
And Cordain is also less sure of the implications of increased intestinal permability (I assume that it is some tight junctions opening up, similar to how some nanoparticles can enter through the gut).
So I tried the whole30 thing as well as I could (I’m moving to a different continent so there’s a lot of social stuff). I found that bacon really makes me feel bad (it wasn’t on the never-eat list in Cordain’s book, just the bad meat list and that was because of the fat – fat isn’t bad and bacon is convenient). I realize now that there is ridiculous amounts of salt in bacon and that salt is probably what has been giving me tummy problems for the last couple of years (very little salt in what I cook myself – a lot of salt when I go out). Sodium chart here: http://oto2.wustl.edu/men/sodium.htm – anything non-Paleo is packed with salt.
And I also realized that on the days where I got a lot of leafy greens (packed with chloroplasts) I felt the best. And if you really think about it our ancestors for the last at least 1.5 billion years have been eating green photosynthesizing bacteria or things that ate them (chloroplasts are the remnants of a symbiosis between an ancestor to plants and a photosynthetic bacteria – you could say that the plants are still digesting that one bacteria that was eaten so long ago. Though that is a more poetic than accurate description). Eating only grains and things that eat grains is more than just rejecting the evolution of man.
But I’ll probably go back to drinking milk (don’t like cheese) and some soaked oats. I only miss morning oats with berries (lot of frozen berries) and breakfast is my worst meal on paleo. But I’ll soak them with lemon juice to get the phytic acid degraded. And eat my hundred grams of leaves each day ;)
Why go grain free? It just might reduce or eliminate your joint and/or muscle pain. I went grain free last fall; all my fibromyalgia symptoms completely disappeared. No pain, no vertigo, no brain fog, no overwhelming fatigue, no digestive disturbances; nothing but blessed, blessed health and a clear head.
After 15 years of near constant pain, debilitating vertigo, crippling fatigue, memory and cognitive problems, it still feels like a miracle to be symptom free. Mind you, I didn’t have a bad diet before going grain free – organic whole grains, organic vegetables and fruit from the garden, lean meats, plenty of fish and no junk food. Despite this excellent diet, I was crippled by pain and an inability to think.
Do I miss grains? You bet. Enough to go back to “fibromyalgia”? No stinking way. Pass the elk burgers please, but hold the bun.
(And yes, I know that this is completely anecdotal. But I live in this body – trust me; I know the difference between total, abject misery and glorious, magnificent, silly, goofy, happy to be alive wonderful-wonderful life.)
is there some studies that i can refer to when discussing this with people? the information you provide is perfect but having official citations would make it easier to speak with the sceptics.
@Krista: There are a wealth of resources available from trusted sources on line. Google “Grains + Lectins” for a good start, or for more scientific studies, search for “Grains + Lectins + Cordain”. And just for fun, search for “lectins + autoimmune” too.
So our county health dept is doing a big push on nutrition because of some grant they got. They are preaching their garbage to us here at the fire dept. They hung up a big poster in our kitchen ” Whole Grains Optmize your Day” ” Whole grains are nutrient rich and contain bran and germ for a healthy heart and digestive system” along with a bunch of other BS……….So i print off the Grain Manifesto and wrote on top of it ” The real truth about grains” Now I am catching a bunch of grief for it…… Better get off here so I have time to get in my 6-11 servings of grains, but I will have less refined grains so its OK…..LMAO
@Lee: Uh-oh. LOVE your enthusiasm, but please don’t get fired because of our blog posts. ;)
LOL,,,Melissa
To make things even better, they brought in a chef to prepare us a healthy lunch yesterday.
Pasta in meat sauce
Bread
Yogurt with granola and berries
Boxes of Kashi, Kellog, and Nutrigrain bars
Fat Free Cheeses
and some crystal light packets to add to our water.
I would never get fired, but I will make my voice heard!!!!
Lee,
WOW. That is the kind of “healthy food” that has made the US (and other Westernized countries) so fat and sick. Say whatever you can (safely) to help your coworkers!