Food has been on my mind a LOT lately.
For the first time in my life I am feeling an almost immediate reaction physically to the types of foods I eat.
Sadly this hasn't stopped me from binging on cookies.
But my mind has been having a constant debate and when I mentioned my thoughts to a health foods store owner last week I got more than I bargained for in advice. So, I want to hear from you.
There seems to be two polarizing opinions when it comes to the most healthful diet.
There are the
"anti - meat" eaters,
and the
"anti - grain" eaters.
For years and years I (and the rest of the world) was of the opinion that going "vegan" is the ultimate healthy lifestyle.
Lately, with the advice from my psycho naturopath doctor, I've been testing with the idea that grains may be digestive system's enemy. I've also been following Dr. Mercola and his newsletters who supports the idea that limiting grains in the diet is the optimal way to a healthy digestive system.
If you like, you can do this experiment at home.
Take any grain; bread, pasta, oatmeal, etc., and put it in a blender with some water.
It turns into glue. Literally.
That consistency is exactly what it does in your gut. It clogs you up.
The government (USDA) has been telling us for years that grains should be the majority of our daily food consumption.
I feel good when I eat grains.
I'm addicted to grains.
The scriptures say that grains are the "staff of life".
Yet, when I think about it my "gut" tells me that I should be avoiding grains.
The very fact that I'm so addicted to grains that I can't stop eating them gives me a bad feeling.
I've never been a steak eating kind of girl. Though I've been trying to add more meat to my families menu. We had steak and vegetables for dinner last night and this morning I felt good.
What does your "gut" tell you?
(If I ever get control of my grain addiction I'll let you know how it goes. )
10 comments:
I think the more natural the food- the better. Of course most "grains" are not good for us because they're so processed. Although I'm sure you used a very natural grain for your test. So I don't know what to say about that. Meat I think is a great thing- in moderation, just like the scriptures say.
Blending grains in water may produce "glue" that will clog a drain or coat a glass, but remember that when you eat grain, you have enzymes in your saliva and acids in your stomach that break the "glue" down so it can be digested and used by your body. That said, processed grains in the form of white flours are broken down in the body quickly and turned into glucose. Too much, too fast, can overwhelm your pancreas as it produces the insulin necessary to make that glucose useful. Whole grains are still turned into glucose in the body, but because they still have their fiber component, they are broken down much more slowly. The body has time to use the sugar, and you avoid the kind of overload that causes illness.
A vegan diet is healthy as long as you're prepared to do it properly and be careful about the balance of nutrients. Personally, I've found a diet consisting of lots of veggies, some protein in the form of nuts, beans, chicken, fish and eggs, and minimal carbs in the form of whole grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal and no potatoes.
Best of luck on your journey toward health.
so I have done a lot of dieting to see what is best for my body and of course chase is totally into that also. Just recently we have tried paleo. Not all the way cause they eat not grains at all. We do it about 80%. It's totally awesome! It's amazing how much I was feeling better and now that we just move and i have none of my stuff to cook with we have been eating not the greatest and I feel like crap! I know that kent and randy know a lot about it and of course chase so if you need info call me and i'll have chase talk to ya!
I have the same problem, my gut has a hard time digesting some grains. That being said, I still think eating grains is very important! I try to eat a well balanced diet. We try to eat grains, fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish and red meat sparingly. I think that if something is making you feel sick to your stomach, don't eat it. I get very sick if I eat nuts, and any grains that have seeds in them. My dr. said I can't easily digest these things. But I still eat plain whole wheat bread. There are so many different ideas out there of what is healthy, but I still think eating a low fat, low sugar, well balanced diet is the most healthy.
I guess it's a good thing that I like junk food so much! I think that I've replaced grains with hot tamales! J/K...in a way! But that steak looks really good! Everyone is so different in what their "gut" tells them. My gut doesn't love dairy as much as it loves fruits and veggies. But if you are feeling better eating or not eating a certain category on the food pyramid then I'd go with it. Obviously, any meat that is not full of steroids and lot's of fresh veggies are going to be so good for you. But I sure do love Great Harvest! Good luck and I hope you figure life's mystery out :)
This is so interesting! I think the thing about nuts,seeds and grains is that we sometimes don't utilise them properly. For instance, any seeds you eat should be ground down so that the nutrients are allowed to be absorbed by your body properly. I know this isn't on the topic of grains exactly, but I do agree with you about following your gut. Your body just KNOWS and it's often difficult to explain that to others. As for meat, I'm a wannbe vegetarian, but I just feel healthier and stronger when I've actually eaten the meat and not replaced it with vitamin suppliments. xx
I'm with Gentri, I think the more natural the food the better :) But that being said, everyone is different... so I like the idea that you are trying to find out what works for you!
Kiwi has been doing the Crossfit workouts at his local gym and they recommend the "Paleo" style diet which is just meat, veggies, nuts and fruit. They cut out grains and dairy... So far it's been going well but dang it do I miss cheese! Ha ha :)
I attempted to become a vegetarian, but I have no will power, so that lasted about a day haha how embarrassing. I simply just can't do without bread or meat! I'm such a food addict.
:)
xx
We were just having a huge discussion about this. Ken seems to have the same gut that you do and he wants the whole family to jump aboard- this will be difficult for my carb loving self!!
i've been thinking a lot about this lately too! a lot to think about, but it would be a huge effort too!
-Heather from lifeofapasseri.blogspot.com
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