We should always question our assumptions and be open to change. I’m about to experiment with going 30 days without grains.
At 16, my daily breakfast was half a box of grape nuts with honey and skim milk (and I was supposedly the healthy guy). There was a time that I ate grains with every meal, whether bread, pasta, cereal or rice. Over the last two years, I’ve slowly reduced the amount of grains I consume as part of my nutritional repertoire.
Plenty of folks are trumpeting support for this position. One doesn’t have to look very hard to find anti-grain discussions. From marksdailyapple.com:
The cereal grain family prides itself on its powerful, expansive arsenal of lectins, phytates, gluten, and other antinutrients. A single seed of its patriarch, wheat, can punch holes in gut linings with ease, and cousin oat has managed to obtain official recognition as being good for the heart even as it doses you with gluten. As healthy whole grains, they hide their armaments in plain sight; they cloak their puny bodies in the very poisons for which they are lauded and applauded.
That’s a pretty strong take. I’m not sure I buy it, particularly given my personal experience. When I eat grains, I feel more alert. Of course, there’s a response to that, too.
You may not have an obvious problem now, but that’s only because you’ve grown accustomed to your body and it to your diet. The signals of discomfort are dulled, and the intensity of the pain has reduced.
In fairness, I have never experimented with cutting grains out entirely. It’s possible that I’m used to the response after years of conditioning. My grain consumption now is two slices of sprouted grain toast in the mornings. For a long time, I’d add a cup of quinoa to my greens thinking I needed some fuel for my brain. I may have been wrong.
We now know that the oft-repeated “your brain only runs on glucose!” is wrong. I’ve mentioned it before, and anyone who’s taken the time to get fat-adapted on a low-carb Primal eating plan intuitively knows that your brain doesn’t need piles of glucose to work, because, well, they’re using their brain to read this sentence. Obviously, you eventually adapt and find you have sufficient (if not much improved) cognition without all those carbs.
You know that I reject diet labels. You may have also noticed that none of these arguments are providing any proof to back up their claims. I’m not entirely convinced of either side’s position, so it seems there is only one thing left to do. I’m taking the leap starting tomorrow morning. Breakfast will be 5 whole eggs, a Japanese yam and organic black coffee. I’ll go grain free for a month and see how I function. Perhaps I’ll have a response like Mark suggests:
I felt the same way until I tried ditching them for 30 days. All those little niggling aches and pains and complaints that I figured were just an inevitable aspect of life have disappeared. I feel better than ever.
Damn. I feel pretty good before even starting. This should be fun. I’ll keep you posted.
Kap
slappythefishman says
Kap,
Made the jump to grain free about two years ago and it has made a difference. I breathe and sleep better since dropping grain. I also have more energy.
If you think you are feeling a little sluggish and achey…increase your intake of nuts, particularly Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans and Brazil Nuts.
One disclaimer on this all…the fishlady (who for some reason has a problem with that name) was visiting over the weekend and we had a similar conversation. She is a physician and the intelligent one in the relationship, pointed out that in no way i can prove direct causality and though dropping grain does not pose any real threat to one’s health it does not imply a benefit either.
So I hope it works out for you for your own wellbeing and to serve as further proof of my point to the fishlady (did I mention she hates that name)…even though your success will be dismissed as anecdotal and unsubstantiated
Keep on experimenting!!!!!
Gabe Kapler says
I love the Fishlady’s name. Love it.
Chris Galli says
Don’t eat dairy or legumes for the same 30 days. Cheese will make you sick afterward.
Gabe Kapler says
Interesting, Chris.
Chris Galli says
My wife and I have been eating a whole food diet for about a year and in the last two months have gone almost fully paleo. I say almost because we purposely eat off-diet on the weekends to keep ourselves accustomed to dairy and grain so that we can eat it in a pinch without being food snobs or making ourselves sick.
Curtis Ippolito says
I’m interested to see if you’ll notice any difference, Gabe. You’re pretty close to grain free now as it is if you’re just eating a slice of sprouted bread or a bowl of oatmeal once or twice a week. You might notice a perk that you never even thought about.
I’ve been grain free (with a few decided cheats with my bday cake, a few tortilla chips here or there, pizza) since February. I’ve noticed two major differences. First, I feel sluggish and heavy after eating a grain product now (could also be the rush of carbs). The other difference is I have always had seasonal allergies in April and again in September since I was 4 years old. But I have not had seasonal allergies at all this year. The first year allergy free in my known memory and it’s been amazing.
And I had a third, I lied. By cutting out all the grains, it has made me rely on finding better, whole food sources for food/fuel. Instead of whipping up a boring bowl of oatmeal, I get up an hour before I need to be to work, fry some bacon or organic sausage for me and my wife, whip up four eggs, add a little cream, spinach, veggies and make an omelet or scrambled eggs. I feel way more fueled for the morning and don’t get hungry as quickly on meat, eggs and veggies than I ever did with oatmeal or a bowl of cereal.
Gabe Kapler says
Nice work, Curtis.
Ed H says
Quinoa is a seed. Does it behave like a grain placing it on your 30 day hiatus?
Gabe Kapler says
I’m going no quinoa on this mission, Ed.
Richie Ernst says
I went Gluten free 7 years ago and stayed on the diet for 2 years. I felt great, except for my Crohns Disease issues. I have remained dairy free for the 7 years, except for some occasional mozzarella cheese. I have limited my gluten and / or grain intake on and off over the past 5 years, especially since I came across your page. I have taken on more of a paleo, GFCF, asian, blood type diet combo. I definitely feel the difference if I ingest too many grain products. Good luck!
Gabe Kapler says
Appreciate you, Richie.
M.squared says
From what I’ve read, Gluten is ok as long as you are not one who is allergic to it- no?
Read an article recently talking about “grain brain” and came away not really believing it.
About a month ago, I stopped eating bread at breakfast and supplemented my eggs with baked potatoes (sliced up like home fries)….
I def have noticed some sluggishness. I do however still eat Ezekiel and Rips Big Bowl (mixed) at night with some organic fruit and almond milk (helps me sleep)……
Curious to see how this experiment goes for you as I have thought of cutting out my cereal intake also.
Would love to see what an average day of meals looks like for you.
Read you mañana.
Gabe Kapler says
See you today, brother.
cracker jack says
Good luck Kap. I tried to go grain free one time and I lasted until 8 PM the first day when I gorged on half a box of cereal. I was irritable and could barely function. Perhaps it’s an addiction but I wouldn’t even know where to begin to break it.
Gabe Kapler says
What kind of cereal? Hoping to hear Lucky Charms.
Chris says
The fact that it turns into sugar and is highly inflamatory are the two main reasons I avoid grains. I’m very interested to hear Kap’s observations after the 30 days.
Gabe Kapler says
Dig, Chris.
bill says
I have a suspicion that our bodies tend to adapt to pretty much whatever we consume. We run into trouble when we over-consume, or neglect an important building block. Since our cells are constantly being replaced, it makes sense that we need the proper materials to build the new ones, so that they can perform the jobs they’re supposed to. I also suspect that it may not be the same for every person, because of both genetics and circumstances. Two interesting cultures come to mind-the Eskimos (sorry if that’s not PC) and the Massai Warriors in Tanzania. Eskimos eat tons of fat, almost no grains, and have great heart health. The Massai eat almost nothing but protein-meat, blood, and a kind of cow’s mil/yogurt. Tall, slender, legendary fitness. Both just adapting to their environment. Seeing that we tend to mess just about everything else up, guess I’ll try to eliminate man-made food for awhile!
Gabe Kapler says
Adaptation is amazing, Bill.
Bryan says
I went grain, dairy, and legume free for about 3-4 months last fall. I immediately lost weight I had carried for years and found my life filled with more energy. I had also been struggling with Acid Reflux and was told to go on a low-fat diet. My fat intake only increased on this diet and I believe the removal of those grains was what was triggering my pH imbalance. One of the biggest changes I saw was my ability to look at menus differently. You start to see all the grain that is embedded in the food products all around us; even though we, as KL readers, know when to shy away from food products and stick with real foods, this was still more apparent as everything had a bun or was wrapped in a whole-wheat something or another.
Also the stigma against the word diet is unfortunate. When we talk about animals and their diets, we aren’t talking about the 21-day fast the rabbits are on or the juice cleanse the cows took last week. We need to take it back. Diet shouldn’t be a restrictive word, it should be a promotion of the quality foods we wish to eat to improve our lives; in other words, our fuel.
Peter Summerville says
Bryan, very educated and thoughtful response. Thank you for sharing that.
-Peter
Gabe Kapler says
Thanks, Peter and Bryan.
Chester says
For what it’s worth, a coupla years ago a buddy of mine began CrossFit and cut grains completely (vodka instead of beer). Within about 8 months, he lost 25+ pounds and got muscular. It worked for him. Then he ripped his shoulder (I am not sold on CrossFit — I have noticed some instructors focusing on speed rather than form). Like I said — For what it’s worth.
Peter Summerville says
Chester, that is a great story. Thank you for sharing that with us today.
-Peter
Gabe Kapler says
Seconding Peter here.
Allen Goldman says
Whole grains have gotten a lot of bad rap and this is quite unfortunate as whole grains as part of a healthy diet are very beneficial loaded with amino acids fibers soluble and insoluble vitamins and minerals.Complex carbohydrates which include whole grains are healthy healing foods fare superior to processed simple carbohydrates and whole grains such as brown rice are power foods that strengthen and renew….
Curtis Ippolito says
Guess what else has those amino acids, fiber and vitamins? Fruit and vegetables! Our ancestors before the agricultural age did just fine without whole grains.
Peter Summerville says
Nice, Curtis. I can tell this isn’t your first time stopping by!
-Peter
Gabe Kapler says
Appreciate every share.
Kevin McNeil says
Don’t mess with a man’s pumpkin pie and stuffing.
My grain free 30 days is gonna have to wait.
Gabe Kapler says
Make sure you get a nice dollop of whipped cream.
Curtis Ippolito says
I’m using this grain-free, no refined sugar recipe for pumpkin pie this year: http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-pumpkin-pie/ And the grain-free crust recipe: http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-pie-crust/
AvengingJackMurphy says
Aside from the occasional slice of Ezekiel bread (discovered here at KL) and the times I feel like eating pizza I kicked grains at the start of 2014. I replaced those calories with fruits, vegetables, meat, and healthy fats. I’ve lost 25 lbs and I feel awesome. Screw bread!
Peter Summerville says
That is awesome to hear AJM! Keep us posted on your progress.
-Peter
Gabe Kapler says
AJM, appreciate your support.
iain says
I gave up grains (for the most part, I’ve had the odd cheat meal here and there) at the start of this year and stuck mostly to a whole foods diet. I initially dropped dairy too but found when I reintroduced it in small doses I feel no adverse affects. The same can’t be said with grains: they play havoc with my digestion and leave me feeling sluggish. Over the course of the year I have dropped nearly 19 kgs (40 pounds) while increasing my strength numbers across the board and my fitness is higher than ever (for anyone that does CrossFit I’ve taken my Fran time from nearly 10 minutes to just over 5). While its next to impossible to be 100% grain free, 100% of the time I will definitely be keeping it to a minimum from now on.
Good luck on your experiment Kap: looking forward to hearing your thoughts
Natalie says
I’m having a bit of a hard time following the grain free vs gluten free vs carbohydrate debate in this article. As I read the quotes in this article, they seem to be specifically targeting gluten/grains as the sole source of carbohydrates in a diet. Yams still deliver a large amount of carbohydrates which in turn provides fuel to the brain, in addition to all vegetables and legumes having carbohydrates. And you’ve spoken about eating fruit and many times, which is also heavily carbohydrate based. Certainly a diet does not require grains to get enough carbohydrates. I’d love to hear more thoughts on why going grain free and not just gluten free is advantageous.
Terry says
I need some help from the knowledge on this board. I tried to go grain free and felt extremely sluggish. It’s very probable that I wasn’t eating enough carbs from other sources to make up the difference. Also, I’ve tried to mimic the nutrition habits of the fine folks of the board with eggs and toast with almond butter at breakfast, salmon salad with spinach, avocado and seeds (chia, hemp, pumpkin) for lunch and chicken, sweet potatoes and veggies for dinner. I snack on fruit and cashews. I have made great strides in body composition, but my allergies are going nuts. I’m not sure if it’s from daily consumption of eggs, nuts or something unrelated. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.