Grains have been getting a ‘bad rap’ lately. It’s like Déjà vu all over again with the ‘low fat’ diet.

Partly to blame are the popular Whole30 and Paleo diets which eliminate grains, and now food companies (even dog food companies) supply “grain free” products.

But before switching to a ‘grain free’ diet, it’s important to understand why people choose to eliminate grains and what they may be missing from doing so.

What are some of the benefits of eating whole grains?

We all know that whole grains are nutritionally good for us. They provide dietary fiber, niacin, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals. They may even help improve cholesterol, and lower risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes due to their high amounts of dietary fiber. The American Heart Association recommends that at least half of your grains are whole grains (1) So why is there any reason to be concerned with consuming grains?

Here are some of the reasons for why grains are getting a ‘bad rap’: 

1. Whole grains were not consumed by our ancestors 200,000+ years ago. Therefore, we are not biologically adapted to eat whole grains (queue in the Paleo diet).
2. Whole grains contain anti-nutrients such as phytic acid, which bind to minerals (iron, zinc, and manganese) and therefore our bodies have a hard time absorbing the nutrients, causing difficulties in digestion.
3. Whole grains are making us fat. Whole grains contain carbs, which the body turns into sugar and then stores it as fat, therefore making us fat.

So how does one digest (pun intended) all this?

Reason number one just isn’t a solid enough reason for me to not want to eat grains, as our ancestors have been consuming them for over 10,000 years at this point, but I do believe that we have changed the way that we eat whole grains.

Whole grains are often not in their whole form when purchasing them at the store, such as in bread or cereal products. They are most of the time refined, processed, and stripped of their nutrients, therefore making them harder to digest. Which leads me to the next reason people have been concerned about eating grains, due to the ant-nutrients they contain such as phytic acid.

What is an anti-nutrient? It’s a natural compound or protein found in food sources such as grains that interferes with absorption of nutrients, with phytic acid being one example.(2)

Luckily cooking, boiling, fermenting, soaking or germinating (sprouting) whole grains can help to inactivate anti-nutrients such as phytic acid and free minerals up for absorption by the body. (3)

That leads me to my favorite new plant protein that I’ve been currently loving by Sunfoods: Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Brown Rice Protein. You can get the whole grain and have most of the phytic acid removed from the sprouting process, leaving you with a nutritious protein!

 

Ancient cooking and food preparation methods used to involve more fermenting and sprouting and we are starting to see more these type of prepping methods found in grains such as wheat and rice. Perfect example, sour dough bread is fermented and has been an old cooking method used for years.

The last reason why a lot of people have been shying away from grains is that they contain carbs, and carbs have been given the reputation of making us fat, especially after the Atkins diet came about. Carbs are not the enemy, in fact, carbs are our bodies preferred energy source over protein and fat. If eaten in moderation, they can be very beneficial and enhance exercise performance. Make sure to choose complex carbs such as whole grains that do not spike your blood sugar levels. Oatmeal is a great alternative to whole wheat and is a lot easier to digest as it doesn’t contain gluten (look for gluten free).

Bottom Line: Whole grains are nutritious when consumed in their “whole” form, and may even be more nutritious and beneficial when fermented or sprouted as these methods can help to reduce the anti-nutrients they contain.

I cannot stress this enough but dieting is not a way of life, it causes more harm then good. Look at what the ‘low fat’ diet did for us? Listening to your body and feeding your body with whole, nutritious foods is better than any diet out there.

Do you choose to eliminate grains from your diet? I’d love to hear your experiences. 

Sources:

1. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/HealthyDietGoals/Whole-Grains-and-Fiber_UCM_303249_Article.jsp#.WW4foYTytaQ
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinutrient
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21919005