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
Why bother? I’ll just avoid grains and not worry about soaking anything!!
Well, I am a Wheat Belly follower. I am 67 years old and have been over weight for 35+ years. I was very thin as a child, teenager, and young adult. Then I started gaining weight, and have had one heck of an up and down, always ending up heavier life. I’ve tried every diet that I know of, and I’d lose a few pounds and then fall off the wagon and watch it drive off into the sunset without me. Then, four months ago, I discovered WHEAT BELLY! I read it and began my new lifestyle. Yes, during December I fell off the WB wagon three times. I was absolutely miserable physically. However, when I looked up, the WB wagon was still there waiting for me to get back on. I have not fallen off since, and I truly believe that I never will.
After four months on WB, I am more than willing to “serve the life sentence!” I have lost 32 pounds. I no longer take Celebrex every day (after 13 years of doing so), because my arthritis pain, along with the swelling, red finger joints, etc. is gone. I no longer take Nexium every day (after 13 years of taking some type of anti-GERD medication) and I no longer have to supplement the pills with Mylanta, because since becoming wheat/grain free, I have absolutely NO acid reflux. In addition to that, I haven’t had any headaches, my blood pressure is lower (still taking meds, because that I will not stop w/0 dr. approval), my skin is not dry and flaky, more energy, and the list goes on.
I truly believe that you should read WHEAT BELLY and what DOCTOR William Davis has to say, medically speaking, about wheat and grains. He is a cardiologist and he has the research to back up what he says. Don’t condemn him or his “diet lifestyle” just because someone says that grains are okay. They could be wrong!!!!!
Obviously, you are avoiding wheat because we have damaged bodies from modern living. You are doing well because, just like Sarah said, you need to be able to heal first, then introduce the wheat prepared traditionally. Heal the body…. don’t blame the grain. 🙂
Corn is only GM??? Soy is totally GM! The government subsidizes corn, soy & wheat. This is where our problem is. All 3 of those products are in everything! This is why the world is sick and diseased. All 3 are inflammatory to the human system and should not be eaten by humans. If you have to go through that much trouble just to eat grains, there’s no point eating them. Autoimmune diseases are caused by inflammation. To solve the problem you eliminate the foods that cause it in all forms. You will NOT DIE by not eating bread, oatmeal, corn, soy, beans and rice. You may just live happier, longer and pain free without them. For those who choose to eat them have fun. I prefer a healthy gut 🙂
I am totally wheat free and only eat a little rice (no more than 1/2 cup), usually twice a day. Be aware that soy sauce has between 40-60% soy sauce. I used to cook a lot with it but no longer use the kind with wheat in it. This is not a gluten free way of eating, more wheat free. Check out the Wheat Belly book, by Dr. Davis.
I turned 50 this past September and for about one year I had been experiencing what I thought were peri-menopausal symptoms. I was hungry ALL of the time, tired all of the time, a little moody, and for the first time in my life having a hard time falling asleep. Since dropping wheat from my diet (way of eating), I am now down 15 lbs without even trying, and down from a size 8 to a 6. My stomach is flatter than it has been in some time. I guess the last couple of years my tummy started getting a little pudgy though I exercised a lot; I ran two to 3 times a week and did Pilates 2 x a week. I now do Pilates 2 x a week and walk (no more running) 3 miles three times a week. I am not telling anyone what to do, but I’d highly recommend that you read this book. I am almost done with it. I eat a lot of veggies, a lot of meat, and some fruit, nuts, avocados, and olives. Here’s the blog if you are interested: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/
Well, let’s see,.. For decades I have had problems that I thought were just part of being human and/or getting old. Headaches, skin roughness, high BP, irregularity, bad blood numbers, joint pain, sleep problems, heartburn, staying a little too heavy, low energy. I thought I felt okay, I guess, but mostly because it was what I was used to.
Then a buddy told me about how a lot of his problems went away when he stopped all grains. I thought he was pulling my leg. He assured me he wasn’t and dared me to just try it for 30 days.
My life is different. I lost 10 pounds (6’3″ and 200 now). Lots of energy. A serene and tidy regularity. BP down. Blood numbers improved. Headaches completely gone. Joint pain gone. Easy sleep. Smoother skin. Mellow tummy. No more grains, especially wheat, for me again. Ever.
There is one disadvantage, though. Sometimes I accidentally ingest some wheat, and it makes me feel worse than it used to. I had some stew the other night that I found out later had wheat flour in it as a thickener. I had a headache, heartburn, and joint pain for two days.
It astounds me that anyone would ever recommend eating grains. Just from the blood sugar spikes alone, it is a very unhealthy proposition. If grains had some unique nutrient that could not be gotten anywhere else, there might be an argument for it,… but any nutrient the human body could ever need exists in plentiful quantities in meat/fish/poultry/veggies/fruits/nuts.
I wish you well. By that I mean that hopefully,.. soon you will become a little more enlightened, dietetically speaking.
Bob
Sarah,
Since you eat properly prepared wheat every day, would you mind saying about how much grains you eat a day? Do you eat grains at each meal. I think grains fill me up better than fat and protein but I should would love to lose a few pounds. Some say cut out your grains and others say just cut down on servings. I appreciate your opinion because you look so fit. (and you don’t do sit ups) lol
I don’t eat a lot. Maybe 1 slice of sourdough a day. I might also have a bowl of soaked oatmeal for breakfast. I don’t eat a lot and it’s definitely not the basis of my diet like the enormous amount of grains most Americans eat. The basis of my diet is traditional fats – about 50-60%. More fat in the winter, less in the summer (more fruit in the summer suits me but I eat hardly any in the winter except for seasonal citrus from my trees).
Let me add that protein is about 15% of my diet so along with the fat, that leaves only 25% of my diet for carbs and most of these carbs are veggies, seeds, nuts and a bit of fruit. Perhaps only 10% of my diet is grain based? I’m guessing but it is not much by any means. BUT, it is a big problem for me not eating grains. I’ve been grain free and on GAPS for a number of months and there came a point where I knew that it was time to reintroduce and it was definitely the right decision.
Hi Sarah,
It is really interesting for me to hear your macronutrients are the same as the Perfect Health Diet and what I’ve been similar to over the last year, or so. Probably part of why I’ve been really enjoying your website.
http://www.westonaprice.org/thumbs-up-reviews/the-perfect-health-diet-by-paul-and-shou-ching-jaminet
Thanks,
Mark
Interestingly, Jaminet says that if we want to have babies, be athletic or recover from hormonal or mood problems, we should eat MORE carbs:
Here’s a quote from his website:
So a 30-40% carb diet is a neutral diet, which probably places minimal stress on the body.
A 40-50% diet is a carb-overfed diet, which probably promotes fertility and athleticism.
A 20-30% diet is a mildly carb-restricted diet, which probably promotes longevity.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=5528
In the past few months, I’ve upped my carbs from a 20-25% carb diet to 35-40% carbs. Since I have done this, I’ve noticed that my body temperature has shot up from the low 97s to 98.2 on average (and it has greatly stabilized). Many of my other hypothyroid symptoms are improving markedly.
I actually think I need to increase my carbs by adding even more fruit and grains to get up to 40-50% because I’m trying to get pregnant and overcome hypothyroidsim and adrenal fatigue.
Many of Sarah’s readers (like mine) are women and a good number of us are trying to get pregnant or are recovering from having babies and nursing, I think it’s plausible that those of us in this group should be increasing our carbs, not decreasing them.
However, if you don’t plan to procreate, are done procreating, don’t have any hormone problems, and are not engaging in excessive exercise, a lower carb (25%) diet is great.
Ann Marie,
I was infertile for years, and it was a primal diet (that eliminated grains) and most starchy carbs were significantly reduced, that restored my fertility. I guess Jaminet can’t always be right.
I feel so much better on a no-grain diet that it’s hard to imagine going back. The only times I miss eating grains are in social situations, such as restaurants, or being a guest in someone’s home. But those are exactly the times when “properly prepared” grains are not an option . . .
I’m still not sure why I should eat grains. They don’t have that much nutrients when compared to other whole foods, and there seems to be a heck of a lot of work involved in preparing them.
I wrote another post about this called Why I Don’t Eat Paleo or Primal. The post discusses that the healthiest traditional cultures which had the most excellent physiques and were the strongest consumed a balanced diet that did not tend to either the extreme of vegetarianism or nearly all animal foods like the Eskimos or Masai.
Yeah, but having read some paleo/primal books, they don’t say you have to eat all one way or the other. Paleo/primal is not all meat or all veggie. It’s a mix. So though I haven’t read your post, I am thinking that you are basically stating the contrary…that paleo is all meat, meat, meat, and it’s not. It’s whole foods, healthy fat, and lots of veggies/fruit, some dairy (depending upon who’s speaking. A mix of it all.
I’m confused — what are the actual _benefits_ of eating grains? The only one that is really listed in the article is “fun”.
While I’m willing to accept the idea that properly prepared grains can be healthy, skipping them entirely sounds reasonable too.
Peter –
When we restrict our diets by cutting out too many things, it can be hard to eat a balanced diet. You can get enough carbs if you eat plenty of potatoes, squash, and other starches, but most people find that including whole grains is easier and not so limiting.
When I was off grains I found it hard to keep my carbs up enough. I ended up with these little red dots all over my skin, very heavy menstrual bleeding and cramps, low body temperature, and other signs of low thyroid function.
Since I’ve added more carbs (and grains) back into my diet, my temperature has come up from the low 97s to an average daily temperature of 98.2. My period is regulating (50% lighter flow and cramps this month) and those little red dots are fading to pink. This is in just the past few months — after doing low carb and less grains for the past few years.
I also think for people who eat a lot of dairy (like me) you need to keep your magnesium levels up to balance the high levels of calcium. Unless you eat a whole lot of leafy greens such as kelp and spinach and seweed such as kelp (I don’t), the best sources of magnesium are properly prepared whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans.
Sorry I meant leafy greens such as kale and spinach
I have Hashimoto’s and the idea that all people with Hashimoto’s should not eat gluten is becoming more widely known. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease and they are saying that a huge percentage of people with hypothyroidism have it because they have Hashimotos. A couple of new books on thyroid I am reading and many doctors up on this new information say that people with Hashimoto’s should not eat any gluten containing grains. That gluten is causing the autoimmune reaction that is causing the attack on their thyroid. I don’t fully understand this yet but have been told to be diligent about not eating any gluten. Many people have this problem and don’t even know it. So I’m surprised eating grains improved your thyroid function.
Can you restate your reply and distinguish between carbs and grains? You seem to be mixing them together, and they are far from being the same thing. (You also lump “grains, nuts, seeds and beans” together).
Someone elsewhere in this thread mentioned the Perfect Health Diet. I basically follow the PHD guidelines on this: only white rice for grains on a regular basis. Together with wild rice, starches like potatoes, sweet potatoes and other tubers, I’ve never had trouble obtaining enough carbs.
I don’t pretend to understand the Weston Price diet as well as Sarah does, but my understanding from reading Nourishing Traditions is more of a “not proven guilty” verdict. WP (and Sarah Fallon) do not say anywhere that you need grains, only that they CAN be part of a healthy diet — remember that many traditional cultures did NOT use them as well! When I read posts like this, about the elaborate and time-consuming preparations needed to avoid toxicity, I ask “Why do it at all?”
I have a question about the yeast in sprouted breads. I know in a sourdough, the fermentation process uses wild, naturally occurring yeasts, as opposed to the baker’s yeast you would find in a sprouted product. Is there any reason that baker’s yeast should be avoided? Like if there’s a candida issue? Are those two things related?
Baker’s yeast doesn’t break down the phytic acid and other antinutrietns like sourdough does.
That said, you can use baker’s yeast if you are using sprouted flour since the seeds have already germinated.
The very best of both worlds is sprouted flour AND sourdough.