TO GRAIN OR NOT TO GRAIN
As a fitness and nutrition coach, I am constantly researching and educating myself on anything that will help my clients on their journey toward success and reaching their goals. How many calories to eat, how much to exercise, what foods are ok..and list goes on. But one of the most common… “Can I eat grain?”. Though this is a tough question to answer, as I know grain is a staple in almost every Americans diet today, I am here to give you the facts on why I myself steer clear of them, and let you decide for yourself.
6 REASONS TO END OR LIMIT YOUR GRAIN CONSUMPTION
1. Brown rice contains more arsenic than almost all other food. This is because of the arsenic we put in our soil and the rice absorbs this poisonous chemical easily.
2. White rice no longer contains beneficial nutrients because its husk, bran, and germ were removed. Essentially, the grains are made up sugar and are just empty calories.
3. Gluten (in most grains) is a protein which is very hard for our bodies to digest and causes gut inflammation in 80% of the population . This damages our guts leading to malabsorption of nutrients.
4. Grains are very simple carbohydrates. That means they break down into sugar quickly. This causes a spike in your blood sugar levels, which in turn causes a spike in your insulin levels. High insulin levels prevent your body from burning fat because they cause your body to focus on converting the excess glucose in your bloodstream into energy and storing the rest as fat.
5. Grains contain Anti-Nutrients:
A. Phytic Acid is an anti-nutrient found in plant-based foods. While its ok in smaller dosages…grains have the highest phytic acid content. It’s problematic because it binds to minerals we consume, preventing their absorption. These deficiencies are linked to osteoporosis, skin issues, muscle cramping, PMS, fatigue, anemia, reproduction, poor immunity and so on.
B. Lectins are another anti-nutrient found in grains. These too would be ok in small amounts except we eat far too much of them, leaving us “micro-poisoned”, and with illnesses such as auto immune disorders & inflammation.
6. Grains lack vital nutrition. Compared to meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits...grains are a poor source of bio available nutrients.
So’s there’s the scoop. If you’re a huge grain lover but want to take these facts into consideration, you might ant to try these Gluten-Free Lectin-Light alternatives!
Sorghum
Millet
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Here’s the wellness!! Xoxox