Avoiding Grains Part 2

 

And there’s more! And there’s more! Something which a lot of people don’t realise is that the sugars (carbohydrates) in grains feed the bad bacteria in our gut. Un-fortunately, most people are walking around with more bad bacteria than good, and this is solely because of dietary choices. Our bodies should always have more good bacteria than bad and eating foods which contain lots of sugars i.e. Grains, sweets and dairy, will damage your digestive system and feed bad bacteria and yeast.

The good bacteria in our gut are essential for good health as they keep our intestinal function healthy, they assist in the digestion of necessary nutrients making them more absorbable, they keep the immune system strong and help prevent disease causing bacteria which if build up, leads to a large number of autoimmune diseases. Too much bad bacteria can lead to a lot of problems; including candidiasis (a systemic fungal infection) which can be left un-noticed (until later in life) or treated through wrong diagnosis.

There are some forms of grains which don’t feed bad bacteria and don’t have as many health related problems as most grains, these include; Quinoa, Buckwheat, Millet and Amaranth.

And last, but not least, I’ll quickly touch on the high Glycemic Index (GI) factor of grains. The Glycemic Index is a scale used to determine the speed that sugar (from foods) breaks down into glucose in the body, creating an insulin release. Foods which are of Low GI status, such as broccoli and spinach, will slowly release sugar into the body over a period of time. Foods which are of High GI will release sugar extremely fast and cause blood sugars to rise to high levels within a short amount of time. When consuming high GI carbohydrates at the wrong times, it can not only be harmful in promoting fat gain quite easily, but it is also the easiest way to put yourself in the firing line for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

When blood sugar is raised constantly (think breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and maybe even dinner), your body gets confused and after time can’t control sugar levels; hence diabetes. If grains are a food source you consume often, chances are your blood sugar is being raised often as well, especially if your diet is combined with diary, starchy foods such as potatoes and sugars. Foods which spike our blood sugar should be consumed on a considered basis, not a consistent one.

Insulin spikes do have benefits though, as mentioned before, if insulin is released during the wrong times, negative results can occur, however an insulin spike provided at the correct times for your body can be beneficial in creating certain performance and body composition goals. An insulin spike for an endurance athlete during an event or training is extremely beneficial to bring up sugar levels for energy and to prevent hypoglycemia. Insulin spikes can also be beneficial in helping build muscle mass as insulin is an anabolic hormone which helps send proteins and carbohydrates into the muscle cells to promote growth.

Unfortunately in society we will always be hearing that grains are good for us, but doing your own solid research can provide you with balanced nutritional information. Prevention is always the best cure; eat nutritious foods and less non-nutritious foods (i.e. grains). Consume lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, meat and water and you’ll be so much better off, in health, performance and longevity.

Below is a table of comparison of the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, and that of grains. As you can see, grains provide next to no nutritional value.

Vitamin and Mineral Content of Approximately 10 Calories of Typical Carbohydrates

Vegetables (cooked and drained)

Carb	Amount	Vit. A	Vit. C	Folic Acid	Magnesium	Calcium	Fibre
Asparagus	1 cup	940	19.5	262	18	36	3
Broccoli	3 cups	6,492	348	234	114	210	13.2
Cauliflower	4 cups	88	216	216	48	80	12.8
Green beans	1 cup	832	12	41	31	57	4
Kale	2 cups	16,000	34	36	46	556	5.2
Red pepper	2 cups	10,224	464	48	28	26	3.2
Spinach	3.5 cups	51,600	62	917	546	854	15
Swiss chard	2.5 cups	10,986	63	30	300	203	7.4
Zucchini	2 cups	864	16	60	80	46	5

 

Fruits

Carb	Amount	Vit. A	Vit. C	Folic Acid	Magnesium	Calcium	Fibre
Cantaloupe	3/4 cup	3,771	49	19.5	12.8	13.2	1.0
Grapes	1/2 cup	46	3.3	1.8	2.3	6.4	0.5
Orange	1/2	12	40	23	7	28	1.8
Nectarine	1/2	500	3.7	2.5	5.4	3.8	1.1
Orange	1/2	12	40	23	7	28	1.8
Peach	1	53	6.5	3.3	6.8	4.9	2
Pear	1/2	17	3.3	6	4.9	9.1	2
Strawberries	1 cup	45	94	29	17	23	3.8
Raspberries	1 cup	159	31	33	22	27	8.3
Blueberries	1/2 cup	72	9.4	4.5	3.5	4.4	1.8

 

Grains (cooked and drained)

Carb	Amount	Vit. A	Vit. C	Folic Acid	Magnesium	Calcium	Fibre
Rice, brown	1/5 cup	0	0	1.6	21	3.9	0.7
Rice, white	1/5 cup	0	0	1.2	3.8	0
Spaghetti, whole wheat	1/4 cup	0	0	2.5	6.3	2.0	0.6
Bread, white	1 slice	0	0	3	6	27	0.6
Bagel, small	1/4	0	0	3.9	5	13	0.4

 

Avoiding Grains Part 1