Non-raw food vegetarians will tell you grains are great. Most raw food gurus advise avoiding them. Primal diet fans believe that grains are an unnecessary evil.
Who’s right?
All of them. To an extent. Grains do contain vital nutrients, such as some of the B vitamins and several trace minerals (which vary depending on the grain). Whole grains also provide fiber and protein.
Wheat growing in field
On the other hand, unsoaked grains contain phytic acid, which bind with minerals in your digestive tract and keep them from getting absorbed. (I go into some detail about that in my online wellness course, “Eat Well, Live Well.”)
As well, consuming grains–whole or not–will hinder your body from losing weight, if you are trying to do so. Unless you immediately burn off the calories from grains (or any starches) that you have just eaten, the sugars in the grains will get stored in your body as fat.
Perhaps the biggest problem with grains is that many to most people eat way too much of them. Contrary to what the US Food Pyramid recommends, the majority of Americans would be better off eating only one or two servings of grain per day, or none at all. Why? Nutrition experts estimate that about 2/3 of all Americans have a body type that requires animal products and fats, rather than grains, to maintain not only a healthy weight, but sustained energy and well-being.
May I be frank? Back in the days when I ate a lot of grains and starches, I got sick a lot, had low energy and was always bloated after a grain-based meal. Now that I hardly ever eat anything starchy, those conditions have reversed.
Do yourself a favor. Instead of listening to the government, your neighbor, or the latest Internet nutrition guru, listen to your body.
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