whole9life.com/2010/03/the-grain-manifesto/

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 volume). (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).

Excerpt from Nikki Young's interview with Antonio Valladares, author of Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook

The gut is a great place to look for an idea of how healthy ones body; what is coming out is a result of what is put in. What are some areas you look for in gut health that are signs the body is not functioning optimally and what is generally the cause?

Bloating is the most common issue. Constipation is a close second.

You should be pooping 2 - 4 times per day, roughly a half hour after you eat. If your only pooping once a day, your constipated. If you go for an entire day without pooping, you have problems that need to be addressed.

Bloating is caused by a food that shouldn’t be in the gut, most often gluten, dairy or soy. Beer has gluten so more people get bloated from beer than other alcohols.

Stress can also trigger digestive disorders and almost any food you eat when stressed will cause problems.

I teach people to use a food journal and record when they get bloated and trace it to the previous meal so they can start to see trends. You can see patterns or foods that trigger bloating, gas or other problems.

Loud belching and acid reflux is typically the result of a bacterial (H. Pylori) infection which decreases hydrochloric acid production leading to undigested food particles which can leak into the blood stream. Vegetarian diets can also cause the same low acid problem.

The cause of diarrhea is more obvious because it happens quickly, so you generally know what causes it. The other issues may or may not happen right away, so you have to be more aware.

Its also important to not eat while working on computer or watching tv as that is not conducive for digestion. When your stressed or focused, digestion wont be a priority for the body. Making sure you relax and enjoy your food is critical for optimal digestion and thus you health and vitality.

Supplementation. What are your beliefs in what is good and what should be avoided?

I have extensive questionnaires and do lab work with clients to see precisely what the imbalances are, then I know for sure what supplements they need. I don’t guess.

I use supplements when repairing a damaged metabolism or when healing from addiction. For adrenal recovery or other hormonal issues, I use bio-identical hormones. I use strong digestive enzymes, some supportive adrenal supplements and minerals at dinner for some people. It all depends of each person. Sometimes I use a multi-vitamin with someone who is really unhealthy.

I use organic, food based supplements and fish oil as well. When restoring brain chemistry, I use amino acids which work better than any drug around.

As a general rule, I discourage most sports supplements because many have artificial sweeteners which are neurotoxic or they have highly processed protein powders which cause bloating for a lot of people and all sorts of artificial ingredients.

Excerpt from Nikki Young's interview with Antonio Valladares, author of Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook

Food cravings are probably one of the hardest parts to overcome when following a paleo diet. What suggestions do you pass onto clients when they are experiencing cravings at their highest?

Cravings are often a symptom of a deeper imbalance or addiction. Make no mistake about it, sugar is a hard drug.

Caffeine, adrenal fatigue, too much sugar in the diet, insufficient sleep, not managing your emotions and not eating according our biological requirements all can cause sugar cravings. The most common cause is simply not eating often enough, when your blood sugar drops, cortisol goes up and that will trigger sugar cravings. Also, when your blood sugar drops, you can get depressed immediately, that will also cause you to reach out for sugar to counter balance that since sugar induces a serotonin response that makes you feel good. That’s also why so many people are addicted to sugar, they don’t manage their emotions and end up eating sugar cause it numbs them out.

There are so many people out there that simply don't understand the link between nutrition and health. How do you help educate clients who are not very knowledgeable in this area?

I think that’s the single biggest problem in our world. People don’t connect the dots, especially on a daily basis.

The concept of preventing disease is more like a vague idea in the distant future, most people don’t really care. But our diet controls our day to day function and most are clueless about how their food (or lack thereof) causes the fatigue, digestive disorders, poor focus, and depression that they experience daily.

I have clients use a food journal and teach them to pay attention to the results from each meal, usually about an hour after eating. Our mental/emotional stability is largely controlled by our diet. When they skip meals or eat crap food, they can see the connections easily in a journal.

Paying attention to your mental/emo wellness and energy levels is an easy way for most people to see the connections right away. People are less concerned about diseases and more concerned about immediate energy issues as well as appearance.

Excerpt from Nikki Young's interview with Antonio Valladares, author of Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook

Is there any particular food that you see the most improvements from when eliminated from someone's diet?

Eliminating gluten, by far, delivers the best results I have ever seen.

Pasteurized milk, artificial sweetener, soy, coffee and grains are the biggest ones.

In NYC it’s trendy to be coffee addicted and irresponsible with what you eat. Most people are eating muffins and coffee while running to the subway or skipping breakfast all together and they cant figure out what they’re tired, depressed, feel like crap or can’t lose weight.

Eliminating coffee and grains is challenging for some people because they are highly addictive, but liberating yourself from those two things delivers awesome results.

I hook my clients up with raw dairy products and that helps a lot as well. Getting off pasteurized milk products, especially low fat stuff, helps a lot. Clients who drink raw milk get real good results, especially the teenagers I work with.

If you could name 10 tips on how to achieve optimal health and a healthy lifestyle what would they be?

• Do what you love and love what you do.
• Have clear goals and take action on them 6 days a week.
• Work hard, play hard, rest hard.
• Pay attention to how food makes you feel and adjust accordingly.
• Spend as much time in nature as possible.
• Eliminate gluten, pasteurized milk, sugar, soy, processed foods and reduce caffeine & alcohol.
• Get to bed around 10:30 pm!
• Surround yourself with awesome people who also appreciate health & wellness.
• Eat 4-6 times per day and plan your meals in advance.
• Eat grass fed meats & eggs, wild fish and organic produce as often as possible.