Someone Clarify Grains for Me

Been reading around the forum about grains, and the general consensus is to eliminate it as much as you can to benefit hair.

My question: Why exactly are grains bad for you. Is it the gluten?

If it is gluten, what if I went to the health food store and bought gluten free foods/grains.. would this solve the issue and allow me to eat grains?

Lastly, are there any cereals that don't have grains in them? I like to eat cereal for breakfast, especially when I'm in a hurry.

Thanks

primitive civilisations ( in the switzerland mountains for example) have used whole wheat for bread etc. for hundred of years and they have been super healthy up to a very high age. Also they took a lot of raw grasfed milk and butter.

i think fresh whole wheat isn´t to bad. But bleached and processed white flour isn´t good for you...

and of course it has to be organic and non-hybrid

Wheat today is not grown like the ancient grains of yesterday, it's also stored for periods of time which accumulate plenty of mycotoxins. Also it is grown to yield plenty of protein which is the type that creates an autoimmune reaction the body.

The body will produce higher levels of antibodies because of this wheat.

Last, but not least, these grains raise blood sugar faster than table sugar.

This is not a complete list of reasons, but probably the main ones.

The USDA is not about the latest science, but more about food manufacture propaganda.

They have buckwheat cream of wheat and organic brown rice cereal at trader joes/whole foods. Also I don't know how good oatmeal is for you, but healthyfixx said it was fine.

100s of years is nothing in terms of human evolution.

Here is a good article to help you understand why grains can potentially cause problems.

http://thehealthyskeptic.org/9-steps-to-perfect-health-1-dont-eat-toxins

Hope this helps.

Basically grains are only good for you in moderation if they are fermented and organic. That goes for most seeds and nuts as well. When this is done grains can provide tremendous nutritional support as part of a balanced diet.

j87x - Oatmeal should be fermented.

Traditions in porridge preparation

"The old Scottish preparation of sowans resembles almost precisely the ancient Russian dish called oat kissel (pronounced “kee-SYELL”)—made from whole oats, which also produced a smooth, soured gel that was understood to be easily digested and especially nourishing for children, the elderly and convalescents. This complex method of preparation was certainly a means to address all of the components in grain that have been a challenge for the human digestive anatomy.

Oats contain more phytates than almost any other grain—in fact their high phosphorus content is largely bound up in their phytates. At the same time, oats possess relatively small amounts of phytase, the enzyme needed to neutralize phytate. The usual means to reduce phytate content in wheat or rye—by soaking for eight to twelve hours in a warm, slightly acid medium—is far less effective with oats. Germination and/or fermentation are the means to best convert phytate in oats. The old, traditional harvest methods provided natural opportunities for the oats to start and stop germination after harvest in their ripening and storage out doors, when in contact with light applications of dew or rain. The scythed sheaves first stood in the fields for days or even weeks until the crop was fully harvested. The sheaves were then collected and expertly piled in large, twenty-foot tall stacks and lashed down with ropes against wind, rain and snow. Of course it would be a disaster if the oats were actually to sprout fully before they were needed, but it seems likely that natural conditions allowed for some conversion of phytates while in storage. Drying in the kiln removed excess moisture and allowed for better milling and removal of the outer hull. The “sids” that the miller returned to the Scots farmer would contain most of the phytate still present in the oat groat—as it is contained in greatest concentration in the bran. The very long souring process—a week or more on average—would give the sids the time they needed to ferment, while also converting the gluten, starches and sugars into a nearly pre-digested form.

Another common preparation of oat porridge in the Scottish kitchen included the farm wife cooking a large pot of porridge early in the week that would be poured into the drawer of the kitchen cupboard and left to cool and congeal. All week, family members would cut a slice to take with them to the fields and eat cold under its new name, calders. Certainly the calders soured pleasantly as the days went by. Slices were also fried in butter to accompany fish or eggs."

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional-diets/1605-the-good-scots-diet.html

Excellent thread, I'd been meaning to ask about grains myself. Of late, I have noticed that grains and grain-based foods are not what my body really likes; they tend to slow me down, particularly the refined variety.

I do think oats are healthy, but my body does not like the processed variety- caused itching, water retention and acidity results. Could it be because of gluten or resulting mucous? In fact, the quick cooking one is the worst culprit, and I would strongly advise people not to go for it. My last small pack of Baggry's is still lying unfinished on the shelf after a year. I'll try to find whole oats next time and try to ferment them and see.

Another observation, semolina never fails to give me instant heartburn, just like flour pizza.

-9r5-

Milba, Silverlin, very good links in there. For ease, I'll link a youtube vid here for ease (from the first article) -

Sugar: The Bitter Truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM&hd=1

Here's an older one m1234 posted a while back.
Natasha Campbell-McBride on Gut Flora and GAPS diet
http://vimeo.com/10507542

Both should not be missed, imo.

-9r5-

so if i get gluten free cereals/crackers, etc.. is that okay?

helpmyhair1 wrote:so if i get gluten free cereals/crackers, etc.. is that okay?

IMO, no, but they aren't as bad for you as the alternatives.

act

helpmyhair1 wrote:so if i get gluten free cereals/crackers, etc.. is that okay?

IMO, no, but they aren't as bad for you as the alternatives.

Agreed. Grain are filled with other harmful lectins. Modern processed grains will also cause spikes in insulin. I know it might seem drastic to cut out grains, but you may see some real benefits. Maybe drop all grains for a month and see how you feel.

Personally, I've cut out most grains in my diet. Occasionally, I'll still have a few beers or a pizza because I enjoy it.

Funny you should mention grains now. I just finished watching the Documentary Fathead in which the Tom Naughton compares his fastfood forays with Spurlock's Supersize me. Tom Naughton does eats grains during his fastfood diet and he eats the worst kind of grains, the pre-processed crap that subordinates any Micky Ds sandwich, limiting the those breads and frys that come with his diner. As far as drinks, he usually had water, tea or diet something or other. But of the claims he made is that the high carb diet is causing most of our weight and health problems in the U.S. due to Govt. intervention and silly food policies championed by the CSPI. In the end, he lost weight, increased his HDL, lowered his cholesterol. One of the common sense suggestions he made was reducing your carbs by replacing the grains with vegs or fruit. DUH!

I don't personally eat grains as a rule, occasionally eating a pizza or some sourdough sandwich once a month or so. But as far as health concerns, just reducing your carbs by limiting your grains and increasing dark leafy greens is probably better for you in the long run.

Fathead on grains