Are you currently grain free or on the full GAPS Diet to heal your allergies or another autoimmune issue?
Fear not, this can and should be only a temporary situation!
Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride MD, author of groundbreaking book Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS), writes that almost half the population reports some sort of “allergy” to a food or foods.
Despite this sobering statistic, she estimates that only 1% of people cannot recover from these food allergies (yes, this includes celiac).
This means that only 1% of people really need to be grain free forever. Going grain free to reverse allergies should be only a 1 1/2 to 2 year process, not a lifelong sentence in the vast majority of cases!
The important thing is to know how to prepare your grains traditionally when you re-introduce them!
Plenty of Traditional Societies consumed grains, some like the Swiss obtained a large share of their calories from sourdough bread. Hunter-gatherers from Canada, the Everglades, Australia, Africa, and the Amazon consumed a variety of grains, tubers, vegetables and fruits that were available in addition to plenty of animal foods, so don’t fall for the incorrect notion that ancestral societies didn’t eat grains and that it is unhealthy to do so.
And, if you haven’t yet learned to prepare your grains traditionally and are still consuming plenty of modern grains on a daily basis, you better learn quick as the autoimmune/allergy train is coming down the tracks at full speed and it’s headed straight for you (if it hasn’t flattened you already)!
Knowing how to prepare grains traditionally is the only way to consume them long term without autoimmune illness inevitably cropping up, unless you are part of the 1% who needs to avoid them forever.
For most of us, then, traditional preparation of grains is an essential skill in the kitchen, one that must be mastered to experience vibrant health.
Please note that freshly grinding your flour and baking your own bread with yeast is not traditional preparation of bread!
Fresh bread that is homemade does not necessarily equal healthy bread!
Bread and other grain based foods must be sprouted, soaked, or sour leavened to be digestible and healthy!
So, go with the grain, not against it. It is not necessary to be grain free to be healthy and it’s certainly not very fun – at least not long term.
Eating, after all, is meant to be a pleasant and enjoyable experience and grain based foods no doubt play a big part in that.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources and More Information
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, 2009
Nasty, Brutish and Short? by Sally Fallon Morell
Interesting, I’ve bought sourdough bread before at a local farm near me, but never prepared it myself. That will be next on my cooking skills-to-learn list!
This might be a little tooooo healthy for my taste. But knowledge is always a good thing. http://t.co/3aunxg98
Goodness Sarah, I hope you are right. I was getting really good at sourdough and then I started getting fat. I could not leave it alone. It wasn’t a discipline issue. It was like an addiction. I too had “Wheat Belly”. Do I need to go full GAPS in order to be able to eat properly prepared gain again. I am currently using raw dairy products. Also, the grain naysayers insist that grain converts to sugar so quickly that it plays havoc with your insulin. Even if your gut is healthy, could insulin resistance be a problem?
Sandra
Possibly if a glandular imbalance is present as well. Again, the grains are not the problem. It is modern living which has messed people up and they are becoming intolerant to foods that are fine to eat like traditionally prepared wheat. It depends how far down the rabbit hole one has gone with their health how long it will take to come up for air.
Sarah, if 99% of people’s allergies can be healed, does that include lactose intolerance? Both my young daughters (aged 1 and 3) were on GAPS for 6 months and I took them off when they began to drink raw dairy with no difficulty. However, they still can’t tolerate pasteurized dairy. I heard lactose intolerance was genetic, but neither my husband nor I have any issues with it. Did I take them off GAPS too soon, or is lactose intolerance really genetic?
I would not consider lactose intolerance an allergy. This is more genetic in origin. Some racial groups do not produce lactase (the enzyme necessary to digest lactose) as well as others. Hence, raw dairy works as lactase is present in raw dairy where it is destroyed in pasteurized dairy.
Thank you – that really eases my mind!
Not to be a stickler but Mark McAfee corrected me on this once:
Lactase is not present in raw dairy; the bacteria that produce lactase are present in raw dairy.
I do think that 99% of dairy allergies can be reversed. I don’t think that you took them off of GAPS too soon. If they can drink raw dairy, that’s fine (and that is allowed on GAPS).
I’d keep up with the probiotics. You may find in time that they may be able to consume pasteurized dairy with no problems.
Thanks Ann Marie – I sure hope so, because it’s getting to be a pain to make them a separate meal every time there’s a pizza party!
Hi Sarah,
I recently read or heard on a podcast (I can’t remember exactly where) that people who have celiac are often diagnosed with lactose intolerance first as the enzymes that digest the lactose are often the first to go.
I developed horrible lactose intolerance when I was 16, (of course on SAD diet) so I’m wondering, if it’s genetic how did I do well until the age of 16? Also, no one else in my family has it (parents & 3 siblings).
Also, my digestion is a mess now, I’m sure with multiple food intolerances and leaky gut as well as auto-immune diseases. I’m going to do GAPS.
I remember having lactose intolerance show up for me somewhere in mid-childhood. However, before that I had other symptoms of milk intolerance: such as chronic ear infections. I think our bodies were reacting to milk & eventually just became unable to handle it at all. Or could it be blamed on something else (such as antibiotics wiping out our friendly gut flora so that’s why we could no longer handle the milk)? I’m sure there’s an explanation somewhere. Good luck on the GAPS. I really want to try it but fear fighting my family about it!
Eating grains – but eat them properly. Read: http://t.co/D0DPRtrs http://t.co/TzUEznPT
Have you read the latest research about how wheat was RADICALLY changed in the late 60’s and early 70’s because of concerns w/world population? Please read Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. There are podcast interviews on Underground Wellness and Living La Vida Low Carb with Jimmy Moore if you don’t want to read the book. The wheat that is out there is no where near the wheat that traditional societies used and soaking/fermenting can’t really help it.
A quote from his blog (please ignore what i perceive to be an inappropriate/discrediting images on the top of his blog. It is too important of a message to simply dismiss)
‘Cause it ain’t wheat. It’s this stocky little high-yield plant, a distant relative of the wheat our mothers used to bake muffins, but genetically and biochemically lightyears removed from the wheat of just 40 years ago. We have geneticists and agribusiness to thank for this transformation from 4 1/2-foot tall “amber waves of grain” to the 2-foot tall semi-dwarf genetic variant now sold to us in the guise of “healthy whole grains.”
I don’t buy this argument at all. The problem is not with the wheat. The problem is that people’s guts are a mess. Fix the gut, the wheat is fine. Yet another fad book.
By the way, my stomach is flatter now than before I had my 3 kids and eat wheat every single day pretty much. The difference is that I DON”T BLOAT from the wheat because I traditionally prepare it. I could have a big ‘ole wheat belly too if I ate modern wheat foods. I also do zero situps. My stomach muscle tone is only average.
Heh heh heh!! I couldn’t agree more, Sarah. Wheat Belly was written from a perspective different from what you and I and other nutrient dense eaters believe. His message is going to be damaging to some folks, no doubt about it. But that’s just my opinion and I’m sure I’ll catch flack over it.
Do people believe everything they read without actually THINKING it through?? Yes, I believe they do. When you get to be my age, you will have learned that common sense will tell you that just because it’s between two book covers doesn’t make it true.
The best (honestly) book I’ve read in ages is one I just finished last fall, called Health at Every Size, by Linda Bacon, Ph.D. WONDERFUL reading. Again, I don’t always agree 100% with everything I read, but Dr. Bacon’s book was more psychological than most. Food is emotional for a lot of people, but SIZE is even moreso. For me, as long as I feel well, I’m good to go. I don’t let things bother me too much about size or food; if I’m hungry for something, I eat it. PERIOD. I don’t make excuses for why I shouldn’t.
Also, one of my pet peeves is people who think they are “allergic” to something. People can have food sensitivites (which can be overcome sometimes with just minimal effort) and mistake them as an all-out allergy – which is just a load of hooey, IMPHO. Avoiding something you THINK you might be allergic to is a mind-over-matter thing which needs to be turned around and dealt with. If it’s a true allergy, that’s a whole ‘nother thing and then you DO avoid it. But going on the word of some guy who wrote a book and not really testing it for yourself is not really very logical.
@D
That’s the second time that book has been recommended to me. I’m going to go order it!
I mean Health at Every Size, of course. Not Wheat Belly. Although I will read that just to see what he says.
Had the RAST test myself and showed in varying degrees how allergic I was to foods. Lots of foods with little allergies. Some I was off a week, some two weeks, others a month.
Guess what? My system calmed down. At the end of the month my residual asthma problems that I couldn’t kick out with laco-fermented veggies and raw milk cheeses (which had been working quite well before)….anyway….my asthma turned around! Being away from the allergins for a bit of time IS a therapy. The RAST test and eating less allergin triggers for a short period does work.
Also, check out cave therapy. Before I knew about eating correctly and the RAST test, I had an unrelenting bout with asthma and had been just hospitalized with it. Meds didn’t take it away or hardly dent it. Desperate, I found a cave in Germany and stayed there for 11 days. Normal therapy is for 3 weeks. In WWII to flee from the Allied bombings, citizens from Cologne would sit in this cave. It was discovered that people with respiratory problems got better.
I did with cave therapy: again, your body calms down when the allergin triggers are removed. And then you can slowly reintroduce them if you’re lucky.
I’m curious why you would think Davis’ advice is “going to be damaging to some folks”? I have a hard time believing that eliminating one food source from our diet would cause damage. Wheat has taken on such a huge “role” in our food culture and so many of us will do anything to keep it in our diet. Why? Many reasons perhaps, but the addictive argument is worth considering. Also, like most grains, it is cheap and accessible (not necessarily a bad thing). But to suggest that our diets will be lacking without it? Not buying that argument. I don’t think we would be having this discussion about any other single food, be it broccoli, bananas, chicken or millet! We Love Wheat almost more than any other food (okay, maybe chocolate!) and I think it’s important to look closely at why that is. Only individually can we answer that question, but being clear on if it is serving us or we are serving it would be helpful. 😉 Even prepared properly, it is not the most nutrient dense food. Having said that, I do agree with Sarah that the problem lies more with the host (us), not with the food. Unfortunately most people’s health is so compromised today that wheat should be very far down on the list of foods that will provide optimal nourishment. BTW thank you for the book recommendation! 😉
Hi Sarah,
I have been grain/starch/refined sugar free for just over 2 years now. How do I know if I am ready to start consuming traditionally-prepared grains, or if I would still need further healing, such as through the GAPS diet?
Thanks!
If you have been symptom free for a year, then go for it. I was talking to a gal over the weekend who has been in remission for a year from ulcerative colitis (on FULL GAPS for a year) and is reintroducing soaked brown rice which is the best one to start with according to Dr. Cowan MD (WAPF Board member).
I am a bit confused by this. Grains cause much inflammation and most are GM now so wheat is not what it used to be. My husband went off grains and starches and finally has good blood pressure. Dr. Mercola talks about a no starch/grain diet.
This is simply not true. Only corn is GM. That’s great your husband has improved off grains. How long has he been off? If it’s been a year or two, time to reintroduce properly prepared grains. People tend to go from one extreme to another (tons of grains or no grains) and neither one is optimal for most people.
My husband also benefited tremendously from going grain free for a period of time (he only needed 6 months). He now eats grains a few times a week which works for him and he can enjoy his food so much more now.
Going grain free is THERAPEUTIC not optimal for long term eating for the vast majority of people.
And, this “wheat is not what it used to be” argument is baloney. What food is what it used to be? Everything is hybridized including pretty much all the veggies. The problem is that people have overconsumed grains that were not traditionally prepared, have taken way to may antibiotics and other drugs and their guts/glands are a mess. Once you heal, you can eat grains fine again.
The problem is not the grains, it is modern living which takes a period of time to heal from.
Oh YAY!!! I’m so glad to finally see someone stand up and say the same thing I’ve been saying for a long time. The “grain ain’t what it used to be” argument is truly baloney, you’re right about that. Also, the fact that grain effects everyone adversely is nonsense.
We don’t eat a lot of bread around here, but when we do it’s sourdough. I simply don’t like sprouted breads and neither does my DH. We even eat “regular” bread sometimes – gasp – because DH’s favorite is a recipe I received from his Mom long ago. It’s a whole wheat bread made with honey. Very tasty. We never buy bread at the store anymore, and haven’t for years. Once in a while I will buy Sourdough English Muffins if I haven’t had time to make any, because some mornings I love a good English Muffin with honey and cinnamon and LOTS of real butter. If I’m having soaked oatmeal, I like my EM with just plain butter and I “dip” it into my oatmeal, to which I add dried bing cherries while it’s cooking, then when it’s in my bowl I add a dollop of creme fraiche, some maple syrup or honey, and a little more real butter. Good, hearty, wintery food.
Sarah, I value your opinion and your blog and so I don’t understand your replies to those alerting you to some new research. I would appreciate your opinion about the Wheat Belly research about what has been done to wheat. It seems like you are completely dismissing it without even reading it or listening to a podcast and that is disappointing.
I have to agree with Pam a bit here. But also, wheat really ISN’T what it used to be. In the early 1900’s wheat was about half starch and half protein. Between then in now – just a century! – wheat has become about 5-8% protein and the rest is starch! This alongside the rise of HFCS, hydrogenated vegetable fats, and changing eating habits it’s no wonder that everyone is fat now. The thing is that yes, most everything including veggies are hybridized. This is true. But wheat – the staple of the Western diet – changed too rapidly for humans to keep up with and I think that it should be dropped for older grains if at all possible. Like Pam, I find it alarming when WAP-friendly folks take a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude about things. We HAVE to be open-minded and approachable or we wind up repelling the same people we are trying to help. Don’t be all Paul Chek about it! 🙂
Hi Sarah,
I think it’s important to note that some people never do well with grains, even properly prepared ones, despite eating traditionally and having done GAPS. I include myself in this category. Regardless of all the theories and anthropological data, each one of us are unique and it is best to understand what works for us as individuals and listen to our body’s signals. While many cultures thrived on grains, others did not even include them in their diet. They are not a necessity for healthy living and are only a healthy option for some. I would not want people to feel that their diet is somehow nutrient deficient if grains are not included! However, if you can eat them and enjoy good health, celebrate and pass the sourdough!
Hmm…I’m curious where you get your information that corn is the only genetically modified grain? I’m just wondering as I worked with a nutritionist from England who felt that wheat has been so modified that it can hardly be considered in a food in some cases. I’m not sure where to go for answers, but could you share where you found information that wheat is non-gmo? Thanks.
Maybe you’re confusing GMO with hybrid foods. Wheat is definitely hybridized.
I would suggest that Sarah read “Wheat Belly”. It clearly explains what has happened to wheat and it is far worse than GM. The current wheat is a “monster grain”. Everyone should make up their own mind as to what they eat, but for people reading this and other “real and traditional food blogs” that are currently promoting grains in order to promote the E-class of a fellow traditional food blogger, please, please do your own research and trust no one! There is no such thing as “healthy whole grains”. No matter what the government, health agencies, Big Medicine, Big Ag or traditional bloggers tell you. Get educated; your and your families health is so worth it! Don’t keep trying to make a really bad food less bad. Educate yourself and do what you think is right for your health!
If grains are so bad, why did many healthy Traditional Cultures consume them? People who are against grains are never able to satisfactorily answer this question. Therefore, it is not grains that are the problem, it is the person and the degenerative state they are in. Unfortunately, we are all a different generation of Pottenger’s cats aren’t we? Let’s not point the finger at the blameless grain.
So, true, Tina. Good advice!
We are NOT “healthy traditional cultures”. The people you refer to ate foods that were raised in pristine, fertile soils that were phenomenally nutrient-dense and so they could afford to displace some nutrition with nutrient-deficient grains. Today’s foods are not as nutritious- our soils are depleted and it is a challenge to get enough nutrition in the diet without displacing them with the further nutrient-deficient cereal grains. Even if every bit of the nutrition were bioavailable, grains are at the bottom of the nutrient density spectrum. Any time you eat them, you are filling up on calories that could otherwise be far more nutritious if sourced from other whole foods.
I don’t understand why bread-lovers always trot out the Swiss from Price’s book as evidence of “health”. They weren’t as healthy as the other groups he visited who didn’t have as much grain in their diets, and this was in spite of their remaining foods sources being grown in (and grazed on) some of the most fertile soil in the world.
If you are healthy and lean, properly prepared grains can be a benign indulgence, but they are simply not ever going to be “healthy” or “nutritious”. And FWIW, I didn’t find any arguments in your post for why anyone “should” be eating grains. Saying that someone else does it and is OK, or that some of us can eat them “safely” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for why they SHOULD be eaten.
~Huntress
THANK YOU, Paleo Huntress!! Very well said, all of it.
I really wish I could attend this but I have a scheduling confiict 🙁 Darn it!
Sarah – can you offer some advice on [when it is time] the best grains to introduce to your toddler for the first time? 🙂 Thanks!
@Allison Go ahead and sign up for the webinar and you’ll get an announcement via email about how to access the recording.
Properly prepared grains are fine for toddlers after age one unless autoimmune symptoms present and gut rebalancing becomes necessary.