Are Grains Good or Bad?
The last 4,500 years of actual recorded human history finds man being very heavy consumers of grains. Grains have been the main nourishment for billions of humans worldwide throughout all history. Only in the last 70 or so years do we see people having trouble with grains. Why? What's changed?
Sometimes people ask us why we say it's ok to eat many grains when some health professionals advocate a total grain-free diet. Good question.
There's confusing information out there about grains. It's true that there are some health advocates promoting a total grain-free diet. Typically, this stance stems from the belief that we need to eat like our ancient “caveman” ancestors. This has resulted in a diet called the Paleo Diet.
There are definitely valid concerns with modern grain with what has been done to it in recent years. These would be grains such as hybridized wheat and GMO or non-organic grains. However, the Paleo philosophy takes this to the extreme. We reject the Paleo philosophy due to it being based on a misunderstanding and serious lack of evidence as to who our ancient ancestors actually were and what they ate. The Paleo Diet is a high-meat, high-protein, high-fat diet, all of which are medically proven to be associated with causing leaky gut and inflammation which is at the foundation of all autoimmune diseases.
So what's going on with grains?
What's going on with grains? If they have been a pillar of nutrition for billions of humans for thousands of years then why are people now suddenly having problems with them?
The real question is this.
Has the physiology of mankind suddenly and drastically changed to be incompatible with grains or have the grains suddenly and drastically changed to be incompatible with man?
I believe it's the latter. We are responding differently to grains now because of environmental factors. Chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, and unnatural hybridization breeding methods have sadly ruined much of the grain supply. So how do you know for sure if you are having an issue with grains or not?
Getting Tested
Every person is a little different and should get tested to see what sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances they have to different foods and especially grains. When I suspected I had an autoimmune disease, I did a special test which helped me understand what foods my body was having an issue with.
Here's me with the results of my food allergy antibody test that I had done in 2013. This test was super helpful since it let me know which grains I had to eliminate and which I could keep. As I put together my at-home healing program, I used this test as a guide and starting place.
You can order the same test I did at enterolab.com. In the picture I'm not happy because I found out the bad news about how my body was responding to wheat. I had seven times the appropriate amount of wheat antibodies in my GI tract. Just in case you don't know, antibodies are the specialized cells your immune system produces to fight toxins. The immune system produces specific antibodies for every specific toxin it encounters. The overabundance of any particular antibody is an indicator of which toxin is in your system and that your immune system is currently fighting.
If you would like more information on the tests I took and the five steps I used to reverse my autoimmune condition you can download the 40 page limited edition version of my eBook for free.
The good news
The good news is that grains that don’t register as stimulating the production of antibodies are typically okay to eat if they are non-GMO, organic, and have not been subjected to hybridization methods which include radiation. There is nothing wrong with grains as long as they are not covered with toxic chemicals or have been monkeyed with at a cellular level.
More good news!
Even some of the grains that do register as stimulating an antibody response can even be added back into the diet after a long period of abstinence, assuming that the gut has had enough time to be healed. I was able to add organic rice and organic corn back into my diet, both of which originally appeared on my test. Most recently I added certified gluten-free oats back with no problems whatsoever. This was a big blessing because I didn't have oats for three years, and I really missed oatmeal and granola.
To find out how I healed and achieved these results you can download for free the limited edition of my eBook.
Grains Can Hurt You If Not Prepared Right
That's right, even with non-GMO, pesticide-free, good quality grains, you can do damage to your gut and brain if you don't prepare them correctly. And once you have a history of gut damage as is the case with anyone who has had an autoimmune disease, you will be twice as vulnerable to this potential damage.
This same fact is true when it comes to preparing most seeds like amaranth, teff, and quinoa.
How do I cook the grains to avoid this damage? In my post, "What a Normal Day of Eating Looks like on an Autoimmune Reversal Diet for a Busy Person" I explain how to prepare grains and seeds so that they don’t hurt your digestive system.
Having said that there is one grain in particular which in the US will almost always be toxic for you that you have to watch out for. Learn about it in the next article about the top 3 toxins causing autoimmunity.
The top 3 Toxins Causing Autoimmunity Found in Your Kitchen.
Photo Attribution
Peinture-murale-de-la-tombe-d’Ounsou-scrible-comptable-des-grains-détail, Mbzt-2013.jpg