Grain Foods, Friend or Foe?
After a few years of ever increasing difficulty digesting grains, I began my journey to find out the truth about our need for these foods. What I have discovered is an interesting collection of myths and old traditions.
Myth No 1. The whole Grains Myth.
Whole grain bread, whole grain rice, eat whole grains for health that’s what we’ve been told for as long as I can remember. So is this fact or fiction? From what I have discovered this may well be fiction……………Nuts, seeds and grains are the storage units for future crops. Inside their tiny body is a new plant just waiting to happen. All the nutrients they need to grow are contained within a protective husk called bran in the instance of grains. Once a seed has passed through the digestive tract of a passing animal it can begin its transformation into the new seasons crop. Have you ever wondered how it is they can survive the journey through the digestive tract? It comes down to their protective bran covering which softens and breaks down via the action of digestive juices. Whole grains are difficult for humans to digest too as we do not have the enzymes available to digest the husk. So, does cracking grains make them any better? This is a complex issue and some of the problems will be discussed below.
Myth No 2. The bran Myth.
Now we’ve been told to eat bran to aid effective elimination. In fact, many breakfast cereals promote this so called ‘super nutrient’ as the way to solve constipation. Is bran actually healthy? Here is another myth busted! From my research I think not! Why you may be asking? The bran on grains contains Phytic Acid. Phytic acid is an anti nutrient, i.e. it prevents the absorption of zinc and other minerals. Bran alone is not a good substance to consume in quantities as it contains high levels of phytic acid and as such can lead to mineral deficiency. Does this mean we shouldn’t eat grains? From what I can gather it just means that grains containing high levels of phytic acid need to be prepared correctly in order to be digestible. The good news is that when grains are soaked and sprouted or fermented as in sourdough, phytic acid is neutralized, the grains become more digestible and the nutrients more available to the body. Fermentation is lost to most of us but we’d do our health a favour by learning this old tradition.
Myth No 3. Heath food in a box Myth.
Now that we recognise the need to sprout grains, what do we think of all the health food grain based products out there on the market? Most breakfast cereals, museli bars, biscuits etc are made from un-sprouted grains which are also cooked at super high temperatures. Not only do the whole grains contain phytic acid, the cooking process kills almost all of the nutrients the grains did once contain. Many breakfast cereals are fortified because they would be very low in nutrition if they weren’t. Maybe not such healthy foods then?
Many people such as myself are developing intolerance to grain foods. Even when I changed to gluten free grains I found that many of the issues remained. I did notice I was able to tolerate breads made with sprouted grains but not breads made without. My next experiment is to test out sourdough breads as I’ve come to learn that when the dough is fermented for up to 8 hours, many of the nasty components in grains are neutralised leaving behind the healthy, wholesome nutrients that grains provide.
The moral of the story is, sprouted grains and fermented grains are the way to go. Bran is neither nutritious or useful on its own. Even nuts and seeds need to be soaked overnight then slow roasted to reduce the phytic acid levels making the nutrients more available to the body. When grains and nuts are soaked we need to eat less of them as the nutrients are easier for the body to access.
See how you get on and send me a message if you want to know more about my continuing journey to better health.
About the Author
I am a fitness instructor with a passion for good health and nutrition. I enjoy helping my clients to identify their strengths and weaknesses on their journey to a better, healthier happier life. I believe self empowerment is the way to achieving your goals and education is the key.
melsfit.tips@gmail.com
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