Why Grains May Not Be Necessary for a Nourishing Diet
{At the end of last year our family embarked on a modified version of the GAPS diet for a couple of weeks. I personally found it beneficial and am considering trying it out again. With that in mind, and due to a family emergency over the weekend, I thought I would re-run this article which was originally posted on March 13th, 2009.}
I think that most people can handle properly prepared grains. They certainly could play a nutritious role when eaten in moderation. But their are some of us who don’t handle them as well, who could benefit from finding other options and who need to avoid them in order to undo past damage. That is what the GAPS diet is about – fixing your gut by removing certain harder to digest foods while adding a good quality probiotic (see sources).
I have lived on a diet high in refined carbohydrates. I have lived on a diet high in whole grains. I have lived on a diet high in soaked or fermented whole grains. None of these high-grain diets have worked for me.
Grains make me tired, sluggish and foggy. They keep me hungry and increase sugar cravings. Most of all they make it extremely difficult for me to maintain a healthy weight. Insulin and leptin seem to be the key hormones in all of this.
For a while I thought it was because I had eaten the wrong kinds of grains (and lots of sugar) for my entire childhood. I figured I could just lose some of the weight brought on by my childhood and then grains would become a nutritious part of my diet. But then our family went off of grains, beans and all sweeteners for two weeks at the end of December. We were eating grass-fed meats, pastured chickens and eggs, nuts and seeds, fermented dairy and lots of vegetables and fruits. We all felt really good.
Let’s be honest. These are the reasons we eat grains:
- We are told to by a food pyramid. This pyramid, given to us by our government, was created by a mega-PR firm, Porter Novelli International. Their past clients include McDonald’s and the Snack Food Association. Is anyone else seeing a red flag here?
- They are cheap. You can use them as a bed for other more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and grass-fed meats. Basically, they are a filler.
- They taste good. Who doesn’t love a comforting bowl of oats or rice?
Reasons You May Not Want To Eat Grains:
- They are carbohydrate dense. Carbohydrates can be helpful in supplying energy for those who are extremely physical and active. For the rest of us who don’t work as a field hand all day, carbohydrates can convert into the extra inches on our hips. They can also trigger an insulin response that can leave us hungry an hour after a meal or craving sugar.
- They contain anti-nutrients. Grains contain both phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid is an organic acid contained in the bran or outer hull of grains. This acid can combine with minerals such as calcium and zinc and block their absorption in our intestines. It is possible to neutralize phytic acid through soaking in an acidic medium, but for some grains, such as oats, the phytic acid levels are just too high.
- They are difficult to digest. The enzyme inhibitors contained in grains are just as they sound – substances that inhibit the ability of enzymes to aid in digestion. Grains also contain complex sugars that are difficult to break down as well as allergenic proteins like gluten. Again, soaking grains does aid in their digestion, so if you do eat grains it is very important to properly prepare them.
- They are not as nutrient dense as other options. Per calorie vegetables contain far more vitamins and minerals than grains. Let’s compare one of the more nutritious grains, quinoa, with one of my favorites – collard greens.
For 49 calories worth of collard greens you take in:
| Collard greens, boiled 1.00 cup 190.00 grams 49.40 calories |
||||
| Nutrient | Amount | DV (%) |
Nutrient Density |
World’s Healthiest Foods Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vitamin K | 704.00 mcg | 880.0 | 320.6 | excellent |
| vitamin A | 5945.10 IU | 118.9 | 43.3 | excellent |
| vitamin C | 34.58 mg | 57.6 | 21.0 | excellent |
| manganese | 1.07 mg | 53.5 | 19.5 | excellent |
| folate | 176.70 mcg | 44.2 | 16.1 | excellent |
| calcium | 226.10 mg | 22.6 | 8.2 | excellent |
| dietary fiber | 5.32 g | 21.3 | 7.8 | excellent |
| tryptophan | 0.05 g | 15.6 | 5.7 | very good |
| potassium | 494.00 mg | 14.1 | 5.1 | very good |
| vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.24 mg | 12.0 | 4.4 | very good |
| vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | 0.20 mg | 11.8 | 4.3 | very good |
| vitamin E | 1.67 mg | 8.3 | 3.0 | good |
| magnesium | 32.30 mg | 8.1 | 2.9 | good |
| protein | 4.01 g | 8.0 | 2.9 | good |
| omega 3 fatty acids | 0.18 g | 7.5 | 2.7 | good |
| vitamin B3 (niacin) | 1.09 mg | 5.5 | 2.0 | good |
| zinc | 0.80 mg | 5.3 | 1.9 | good |
| vitamin B1 (thiamin) | 0.08 mg | 5.3 | 1.9 | good |
| phosphorus | 49.40 mg | 4.9 | 1.8 | good |
| iron | 0.87 mg | 4.8 | 1.8 | good |
| vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | 0.41 mg | 4.1 | 1.5 | good |
For 158 calories worth of quinoa you take in:
| Quinoa, uncooked 0.25 cup 42.50 grams 158.95 calories |
||||
| Nutrient | Amount | DV (%) |
Nutrient Density |
World’s Healthiest Foods Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| manganese | 0.96 mg | 48.0 | 5.4 | very good |
| magnesium | 89.25 mg | 22.3 | 2.5 | good |
| iron | 3.93 mg | 21.8 | 2.5 | good |
| tryptophan | 0.06 g | 18.8 | 2.1 | good |
| copper | 0.35 mg | 17.5 | 2.0 | good |
| phosphorus | 174.25 mg | 17.4 | 2.0 | good |
What Do You Replace Grains With?
I have found that when I first stop eating grains I want to replace them with something higher in carbohydrates, such as fruit or starchier vegetables like sweet potatoes and winter squash. After a while you get used to eating more leafy greens and high-fiber vegetables such as broccoli or cabbage.
Without a doubt I consume far more vegetables when I am not eating grains.
I can’t imagine that anyone would argue with eating more vegetables.
How To Prepare Grains If You Do Eat Them
I was very skeptical of the soaking, sprouting and sourdough talk in Nourishing Traditions. But I have seen a difference in our family’s reaction to grains when we make sure to prepare them in this way. Sprouting in particular seems to help as it lowers the carbohydrate content and increases the nutrient profile.
If you are struggling with any health issues, I would recommend going grain free for a couple of weeks to see how you feel. You might just find that your body responds very well. And you might not want to go back.
What about you… how do you eat your grains? Have you considered a grain-free diet for health reasons?
Thanks for this post. I have just embarked on a grain-free eating plan, along with my traditional foods diet. I am gluten and casein intolerant, and I’ve noticed that even if I eat gluten-free grains, I have a hard time digesting them.
I’m going to get a dehydrator and start drying veggies/fruits/meat to add variety to my meals and snacks.
hope all is okay on the home front. take care.
I second what Denise said, AND I looooooove what you said today. The more I learn, the more I’m all about the low-carb/low-grain thing for good health. In *theory* anyway… getting there isn’t as easy! But the more I know, the easier it gets. The movie, “Fat Head” explains this very well, too. I’m doing a review on it soon.
Kelly
Thank you for this article! Even though I am not always as strict with it as I should be, I know I feel *so* much better when I go grain free. The minute I have some grains that are not properly prepared or even sometimes when they are, my sugar and carb cravings go through the roof, and there is no end to my appetite. When I wake up in the morning and have pastured eggs for breakfast instead of soaked oatmeal, I am fine and feel full. I did have a grandfather who was diabetic, so I have no doubt that some kind of gluten intolerance and insulin resistance runs in the family.
Thanks again for posting this!
After being on a supposed “pro-thyroid” diet with rice and corn for the past three months, I am once again back on a no-grain diet. Not only was I not feeling as well as I could, my BG levels were higher. The past week has been no-grain and I feel significantly better. From what I have read, there are no essential carbohydrates: but we do need our good fats and a moderate amount of protein!
Just curious if you have eaten this way during a pregnancy and the early part of nursing? I was wondering if it is hard to keep up the caloric intake during these times without any grains whatsoever? Thanks.
Hope things have worked out with the emergency! I’ve been on a very low grain diet for the past 5 months and do feel much better.
I was excited to see this post since we also just started on a modified GAPS diet. I’m curious — what modifications did you make? We’re still doing starchy vegetables because I find those very hard to give up and I have a 1 1/2 old who loves them! I usually have an intense sweet tooth following meals, but since going on the GAPS diet I find that sugar doesn’t even sound good.
I’ve been curious about grain-free since you mentioned it a couple times in the past few months. Definitely would like to try it and have found I’ve handled grains much better since I’ve soaked them. Haven’t tried taking them to sprouting yet. Thanks for your informative post, as usual!
I gave up grains in September last year and I lost 15 pounds in 10 days – I didn’t need to loose it. At the time I weighed 145 at 5’9″. Now I weigh 130. I went back to grains in October. I agree they are not the best for everyone, but since I work out with yoga and body pump 3 to 4 times a week, I can get away with it. A nice slice of homemade bread slathered with home made butter – heavenly!
Hi Shannon —
I’m commenting on an old post, but just found your blog through a post at Saving Naturally.
Over the last decade, I was slowly becoming more of a vegetarian eater. I increased my intake of grains and legumes (including soy products) while reducing animal proteins other than eggs and some dairy.
Although we are told that this type of diet is supposed to be healthful and energizing, I found that the opposite was true. I gained weight, was very puffy, craved carbs (even complex) all the time, and was sluggish most of the time.
This past year I turned things around by keeping to a lower carb plan that includes coconut oil. I went back to eating mostly chicken (antibiotic/hormone free) from the natural market and some seafood (mainly sardines and wild caught shrimp) with lots of veggies and some low glycemic fruits. I’ve lost weight, feel so much more energetic, and have more brain power than I did on the veg diet. On those rare days that I cave in to some of my carb cravings, I notice the brain fog within an hour and usually opt to nap instead of do anything else of value.
Your post is very informative and helpful for those who may be wondering why their whole grain diet isn’t working for them! Can’t wait to read more of your blog.
Take care — Dee