Millet is a greatly overlooked grain. I love using it as a substitute for rice pilaf. Here is a very interesting recipe where the millet is cooked with apple juice and formed in to a dessert cake. I've had this before and it is very yummy and could also stand in as a breakfast dish:

http://www.netplaces.com/macrobiotics/delicious-desserts/sea sonal-fruit-millet-cake.htm 

Given the growing evidence that grains of any form (processed or unprocessed) are contributing to the obesity & diabetes epidemic - would be nice to see some balanced commentary on that rather than what seems to be paid for infomercial for the grain industry

Original Post by: u1mpg

Given the growing evidence that grains of any form (processed or unprocessed) are contributing to the obesity & diabetes epidemic - would be nice to see some balanced commentary on that rather than what seems to be paid for infomercial for the grain industry

Here here!

Would be nice to see CC, even occasionally, step away from conventional american wisdom.  This article essentially supports high-sugar cereal as long is has a meaningless green tick and 'whole grains' written on the box.

Original Post by: u1mpg

Given the growing evidence that grains of any form (processed or unprocessed) are contributing to the obesity & diabetes epidemic - would be nice to see some balanced commentary on that rather than what seems to be paid for infomercial for the grain industry

Here here!

Would be nice to see CC, even occasionally, step away from conventional american wisdom.  This article essentially supports high-sugar cereal as long is has a meaningless green tick and 'whole grains' written on the box.

I have limited my process food intake while on my 100 lb weight loss journey.  I try to eat only 100% whole grain.  I am a fan of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Bread.  It is denser and more filling then regular wheat bread.

Yikes! Anyone who wishes to achieve optimum health and/or to lose excess weight would be very, very well advised to stay clear of grains altogether. To understand the impact on storage of body fat via insulin via carbs, read Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis and Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes.

 Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. Grains are part of our obesity/diabesity problem!

Read the book "Wheat Belly" and you, too, will know the awful truth of "heart-healthy grains" that are really NOT heart healthy!

Good posts!  I can't really read articles on CC any longer with some of the horrific information that is put out there!  Grains have no place, whole or otherwise, in our diet. 

Wow!   Getting healthy is NOT about eating only food or not eating another.  I am a firm believer in eating a healthy balanced menu which should include all foods groups.  As we all have read for years it is all about balance and portion size combined with daily exercise to lose weight, maintain weight and be healthy.   I've lost 60 lbs in 11 months with no pills, no surgery, nothing extreme.  JUST eating healthy and sensible exercise.  And yes I have reward meals once every two weeks when I eat what I want but eat sensible portions.   If I can do this anyone can because I love to cook and I love to eat.   If we would stop following all the fads and latest books (which I did for 10 years and my weight was up, down, up, down!) we could all get to a healthy weight and maintain it!   ~Janis

Original Post by: janissfletcher

Wow!   Getting healthy is NOT about eating only food or not eating another.  I am a firm believer in eating a healthy balanced menu which should include all foods groups.  As we all have read for years it is all about balance and portion size combined with daily exercise to lose weight, maintain weight and be healthy.   I've lost 60 lbs in 11 months with no pills, no surgery, nothing extreme.  JUST eating healthy and sensible exercise.  And yes I have reward meals once every two weeks when I eat what I want but eat sensible portions.   If I can do this anyone can because I love to cook and I love to eat.   If we would stop following all the fads and latest books (which I did for 10 years and my weight was up, down, up, down!) we could all get to a healthy weight and maintain it!   ~Janis

It is no fad that grains are bad for us, it is hard science. Before simply blowing off this information, why don't you look into it? Not only have grains and all other sugars - starches, fruits, sweeteners, low fat dairy - been proven to be the primary cause of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, natural fats and oils have been shown to NOT cause any health issues ... AT ALL.

The low fat diet rich in grains - whole or otherwise - is killing us.

Here are some articles to get you started:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all- been-a-big-fat-lie.html?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.htm l?_r=2&pagewanted=all

http://www.cas.usf.edu/news/s/176/

http://www.carbohydratescankill.com/2158/hyperglycemia-cause s-diseases

http://www.fitnessinanevolutionarydirection.com/2011/06/big- fat-lies.html

http://www.hulu.com/watch/196879/fat-head

I wish it were true but eating anything you want in moderation does NOT work for everyone.

 I was diagnosed with Type2 Diabetes 4 months ago. I found that I can tolerate sugar better than carbs (i.e. whole grains) which spike my blood glucose over 200 every time I "indulge" in them even a small portion.

A healthy balanced menu for me and millions of others does NOT include heart healthy grains, even though the  misinformed doctors, nurses and nutritionists push them to no end.

I have cut out all white flours, wheat flours, rices, sugars, starchy vegies like potatoes and high glycemic vegies, high  sugar fruits, milk and cottage cheese, oats (YES oats) and other cereals...

I eat well, just look at food differently now. Maybe a bowl of berries or an apple with cheese or egg or fish for breakfast. Maybe a spinach or mushroom omelet.

A bowl of homemade chicken soup for lunch, or a lettuce wrap with shrimp, salmon, steak or chicken or a salad with protein...

Then dinner is 2 low glycemic veg and/or salad with some form of protein.

I found that after 2 weeks my CARB CRAVINGS dissappeared! Yes, just like an addiction to cigarettes, booze, or drugs. Bread used to be my favorite food.

Forgot to say: I have lost 21 pounds in 4 months and have lowered my A1c from 7.5 to 6.3

I totally agree with Janis Fletcher.  Whole grains are not the problem.  How on earth can anyone claim that - civilization has been eating bread for eons.  The real problem with whole grains, at least here, in the US, is the way we grow it, and harvest it.  Of course it's the industrial food system that is the issue, not the food itself.  From this article:  http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener /Summer2010/WheatPartII/tabid/1637/Default.aspx

"Whether or not you companion another crop with wheat, you need to know when the grain is ready to harvest. Once the heads form, you must watch the development of the maturing seed, which goes through four stages: the “milk” stage (think corn-on-the-cob), when the kernel can be squished like a bug with your thumbnail; the “soft dough” stage, when the kernel can be squished but is not milky; the “hard dough” stage, when the thumbnail can dent the kernel with some pressure; and lastly the “flint” stage, when the kernel is brittle-hard, as you would grind it for flour.

Here’s the hitch: Even though the flint stage is how you store and use wheat, for best quality the crop should be reaped at the hard dough stage."

The industrial model means it has to be at the hard flint stage already - that maturation process creates enzymes that are not good for humans, mainly phytic acid.  Sprouting industrially produced grains helps to mitigate that acid.  This is what has lead to such an increase in issues like celiac disease.  Once again, the industrial food model is no good for anything but a corporate bottom line.

Read this and see what wheat (the ADUKTERATED wheat) we currently have in the USA and rest of world does to your body.

This is NOT the wheat our ancestors ate for "staff of life" breads. It is frankenwheat: guaranteed to make one fat, addicted and ill.

http://drhyman.com/three-hidden-ways-wheat-makes-you-fat-842 5/

Original Post by: nannam

 Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. Grains are part of our obesity/diabesity problem!

Read the book "Wheat Belly" and you, too, will know the awful truth of "heart-healthy grains" that are really NOT heart healthy!

100% agree

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure the root of the obesity problem is eating too much and moving too little.

Regarding grains and their safety, I cannot speak for everyone but I can say categorically that they have no place in my life.  When my SO and I started taking a hard look at our diets in December of last year, we decided at first to eliminate all processed starches, and then all grains, even our beloved rice.  

Once we had done so, our weights started dropping.  Our lean muscle mass started increasing.  Various aches and pains went totally away.  Here's the interesting part:  even though I am exercising every day and she is not, we are both seeing improvements.  We have also banned all high fructose corn syrup and nearly all processed food.  We have very few carb cravings.  I used to have a big problem with sugar cravings but that's mostly gone.  I can walk through a bakery and not have my nose lead me over to the doughnut counter.  Instead I head straight for the produce section and get some fruit and vegetables, which I still DO crave even though I get plenty of them.  I have more energy for exercise and don't feel tired all the time anymore.  Additionally, she finally managed to quit smoking after a 20 year habit.

The most interesting part is the religious fervor I notice when I mention I don't eat grain.  I have a very healthy balanced diet full of fiber and complex carbs and veggies and lean protein and nuts and seeds and fruit.  I don't miss my rice or my bread.  People act like that's some kind of crime, they don't believe it, they think I will fail or something horrible will happen to me.  It's NICE not having to be in the bathroom all the time and to have all this extra energy so I can get off my but and onto a weight bench, a walking trail, or an elliptical machine!  I didn't have that before when I ate grains, even when I ate gluten free grains.  It's been three months now and I've still had nothing but success.  

Nice to see some pro arguments here along with all the con arguments.

Original Post by: leysan

Don't blame the problem of obesity and diabetes on whole grains! Everything should be in moderation. Yes, if you already have this problem, you have to be carefully with any carbs... I'm currently a GD but I have zero desire to blame it on whole grain, it's wrong! The whole problem comes from what kind of food we got used to eat (highly prossesed, very sugary) and now trying to change our habits (when there is already problem).

I used to think that too, but for myself and my SO and many other people I know, we tried the whole balanced diet with little to no processed foods and whole grains with exercise thing, and had slow to no results.  Eliminated the grains (you get plenty of what you need with a variety of vegetables, seeds, nuts, etc) and suddenly we got results.  We started with the Primal Blueprint rather than Wheat Belly, but either way.  The biggest difference for me was the increase of energy and stamina I got with my new lifestyle.  Suddenly it was no struggle to go to the gym, I naturally wanted to be more active.  To each their own, but before discounting something it's helpful to research.  I did that and it led me here.

I don't blame my weight gain on grains I blame it on eating too much and not working out.  The couch called to me too many times.  I know when I was young I ate all kinds of grains and did not gain weight.  I had a job waking 5 hours a night (waitressing) or standing at a counters.  It wasn't the food I ate.  Now with loosing weight I follow the Canadian food guide for the foods I should eat.  I still have grains.  Just not processed foods.  I try and make everything I eat myself.   I know how my body reacts to the things I eat.  That is what you have to watch for to see if you can tolerate the foods you eat.

Because of my work I got to live in a few different
countries for periods of time and all of the people where in a lot better shape
than we are in America.  Example, the
Philippines I ate more times in one day then I did here in USA and I lost a lot
of weight and every meal was rice with little meat. I was healthy and had a lot
of energy.  I come back home and have to
be very careful what I eat and even eat less than I did in the Philippines.  Basically, American food sucks, is the best
way I can describe our food here. Think about this I was eating over 5 big
plates a day of rice there and I lost weight and got very thin.  I am not saying here we should eat rice or people should start eating whole grains again. I am saying if our food here is bad then you need to change to whatever system works for you.

Everybody is different and everybody needs different things... So in general I think everybody chooses what is the best for him/her. I come from a culture where grains are essential part of our life (and people are still mostly not obese, but started getting more due to increase of number fast food places) and it's difficult for me to imagene not eating them (and in opposite to rohvannyn i need carbs to be active;-) 

Original Post by: u1mpg

Given the growing evidence that grains of any form (processed or unprocessed) are contributing to the obesity & diabetes epidemic - would be nice to see some balanced commentary on that rather than what seems to be paid for infomercial for the grain industry

Well said!! I've been gluten free for almost two weeks. Can't describe the feeling but it's somewhere between Brigadoon and Shangrila.

Dr. Atkins is getting vindicated more and more as people question the food-pyramid scheme of big business. If you wanna look like the Pillsbury doughboy, eat all the grains your heart desires.

I just went off grains - that is, I eat all animal protein, eggs, dairy, veggies, leggumes and some fruit. just cut out grains. It's been 3 days and I feel AWESOME. I don't believe in hard core bc then you start missing foods, so I let myself a slice of bread with dinner tonight and one tomorrow (my friend's homemade bread is so yummy). So moderation I guess? I'm thinking I'll have a 5-day no grains at all and a bit more lax on the weekend. I don't know if I'll lose weight but so far my daily calorie intake is lower, my energy is higher, and I'm loving what I eat!!

I think the piece above works for only certain types of metabolisms - but I sure ain't one of them.

Original Post by: reinbeau

I totally agree with Janis Fletcher.  Whole grains are not the problem.  How on earth can anyone claim that - civilization has been eating bread for eons.  The real problem with whole grains, at least here, in the US, is the way we grow it, and harvest it.  Of course it's the industrial food system that is the issue, not the food itself.  From this article:  http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener /Summer2010/WheatPartII/tabid/1637/Default.aspx

"Whether or not you companion another crop with wheat, you need to know when the grain is ready to harvest. Once the heads form, you must watch the development of the maturing seed, which goes through four stages: the “milk” stage (think corn-on-the-cob), when the kernel can be squished like a bug with your thumbnail; the “soft dough” stage, when the kernel can be squished but is not milky; the “hard dough” stage, when the thumbnail can dent the kernel with some pressure; and lastly the “flint” stage, when the kernel is brittle-hard, as you would grind it for flour.

Here’s the hitch: Even though the flint stage is how you store and use wheat, for best quality the crop should be reaped at the hard dough stage."

The industrial model means it has to be at the hard flint stage already - that maturation process creates enzymes that are not good for humans, mainly phytic acid.  Sprouting industrially produced grains helps to mitigate that acid.  This is what has lead to such an increase in issues like celiac disease.  Once again, the industrial food model is no good for anything but a corporate bottom line.

Humans have only been eating grains for a miniscule portion of our existence ... Only since we've had the technology to process grains into flour. Then, in the last 50 years or so, our advances in technology led us to hybridize and mutate the wheat grains into something that is barely recognizable as wheat. You really should read Wheat Belly to learn about this so you won't sound like a stooge for the grain industry. 

No one needs carbs ... any more than the carbs that are in vegetables that grow above ground. The human body can easily convert back to the way we were made to utilize and burn energy ... primarily by using fat as our energy source. This fact has been well documented, as well as that carbs, aka sugar, by causing blood sugar spikes and insulin surges, makes the body store food energy as fat. Carb also cause the inflammation that leads to heart disease and many other ills.

Some people can get away with a diet high in sugar (carbs) but only for a while. Eventually, it will take its toll.

I gained 60 pounds and developed hypothyroidism and adrenal dysfunction because I followed the recommended USDA high carb, low fat diet. Their advice is not based on what's good for our health, but what is good for Big Agriculture, Big Medicine and Big Pharma.

Learn the truth, the life you improve or save will be yours.

As with any all-or-nothing diet, there are two sides to the story. For many people, cutting our grains is a must because of a disease or other dietary intolerance, whether genetically or environmentally originated. This is, however, not a lifestyle that a normal healthy person could realistically and safely maintain for any extended period of time. As an ex-10-year vegetarian, I tried cutting out red meat and other various meats from my diet, and followed many other fad practices that were 'no-brainers' at the times. For a long time I felt much better. I ate mostly organic foods, and an otherwise balanced diet. But, after a while, my vitamins and minerals began to suffer. When you totally obliterate any whole food group from your diet (unless a medical condition requires you to), you will have serious consequences. Taking vitamins was not enough because my body did not have the chemicals to digest and use them properly. I became depressed due to the lack of other vitamins. Diseases that I was genetically predisposed to were triggered (that otherwise probably would have stayed dormant without the shock to my system that continually depriving my diet of different nutrients had done) My skin even suffered. In short, a long chain reaction took place that resulted in permanent irreversible consequences. The more things I totally obliterated from my diet, the more problems I had. 

Sadly, sometimes we screw up our bodies early in life, and there is nothing that we can do to reverse those consequences. Also, with all the pesticides, preservatives, and other chemicals and pollutants in American and Chinese imported foods, we might have more diet-related problems than we used to. But, I fear that the carb diets are just another way to cater to 10% of the population while ignoring the needs of the other 90%. 

While my weight generally stayed low during my 10 years of 'Healthy Dieting',  I triggered auto-immune problems, fertility problems, emotional extremes, vision disturbance, dental problems, and many, many digestion problems. Sadly, there is no way around a lifelong, well-balanced healthy lifestyle. Now I do have to limit certain foods. And I still have the health problems. And the high insurance premiums. And the ridiculous grocery bills for the healthier foods. Take my advice, don't wait until it is too late. Stop trying every shortcut you can find. Just make up your mind to do the right thing for your body-and do it! 

Depriving oneself of necessary nutrients is indeed a bad thing to do to our bodies.

BUT ... grains do not have ANY necessary nutrients. They are empty calories. ALL modern wheat products are artificially fortified with vitamins and minerals because there is nothing there naturally.

Grains are not part of the natural diet of mammals. It's not a case of good for one person, bad for another. It is the basic physiology of the mammalian animal. Everyone finds better health when grains are eliminated from the diet.

Grains are for the birds ... literally.

I know no ONE PLAN fits everyone but I firmly believe that eating out of all food groups with portion control and exercise can provide weight loss.   If you want to lose weight or if you are diabetic of course you need to avoid sugars or any type of food that coverts to sugar in your bloodstream.  I do not "buy in" to avoid any food group 100%!   You can not avoid all sugars, grains, dairy, etc without cutting out entire food groups.  I feel sure this comment will start another round of comments.  All I can say is that my onocologist, allergist, and general MD agree totally with me and support my lifestyle change and are pleased with my progress without being on a severely restricted diet or excessive exercise. Once again, you must find what works for you and change your lifestyle accordingly for successful weight loss and weight stability.  I' not going for skinny or a certain weight.  I'm striving for great health!!!

I would like to point out that, ten years ago, the pure evil nature of fat was "hard science." Something might look like hard science without being hard science.

If you struggle with eating any kind of carb, then by all means, don't eat them. If you are diabetic, then follow a diabetic diet. However, it is rediculous to suggest that diets intended for those whose bodies are not funcitoning properly are the only diets that everybody should be on. Diets are not now and have never been one size fits all.

One more thought:

The rate of obesity has risen in direct proportion to the number of TVs/computers in the home and this connection has been reproduced as the technology has spread globally. Think about it. . .the real cause of obesity is backside on couch disease.

Original Post by: rohvannyn

Regarding grains and their safety, I cannot speak for everyone but I can say categorically that they have no place in my life.  When my SO and I started taking a hard look at our diets in December of last year, we decided at first to eliminate all processed starches, and then all grains, even our beloved rice.  

Once we had done so, our weights started dropping.  Our lean muscle mass started increasing.  Various aches and pains went totally away.  Here's the interesting part:  even though I am exercising every day and she is not, we are both seeing improvements.  We have also banned all high fructose corn syrup and nearly all processed food.  We have very few carb cravings.  I used to have a big problem with sugar cravings but that's mostly gone.  I can walk through a bakery and not have my nose lead me over to the doughnut counter.  Instead I head straight for the produce section and get some fruit and vegetables, which I still DO crave even though I get plenty of them.  I have more energy for exercise and don't feel tired all the time anymore.  Additionally, she finally managed to quit smoking after a 20 year habit.

The most interesting part is the religious fervor I notice when I mention I don't eat grain.  I have a very healthy balanced diet full of fiber and complex carbs and veggies and lean protein and nuts and seeds and fruit.  I don't miss my rice or my bread.  People act like that's some kind of crime, they don't believe it, they think I will fail or something horrible will happen to me.  It's NICE not having to be in the bathroom all the time and to have all this extra energy so I can get off my but and onto a weight bench, a walking trail, or an elliptical machine!  I didn't have that before when I ate grains, even when I ate gluten free grains.  It's been three months now and I've still had nothing but success.  

Nice to see some pro arguments here along with all the con arguments.

I am in the same boat. I always ate healthy, whole foods, home made and nutritious. However, I still managed to get to be obese. In my case, chocolate is the trigger for the cravings and overeating. I agree with the fact, that cravings come from artificial foods. Yes, we do get fat from eating too much, but WHY do we eat to much? Why we don't feel satisfied after wholesome meal? It's the cravings that come from artificial foods. Which are addictive, and cause fake hunger. It's a vicious circle really. We can practice strong will  all we want, but if we don's stay away from craving causing food altogether, we will eventually fail (at least most of us!) 

That being said, I have to admit I lost 25lbs and limiting grains helped a lot. However, I am not willing to stop eating wholesome grains all together, so I am just limiting my portions. Realistically speaking, I don't want to eat veggies, fruit and nuts for the rest of my life, and I don't tolerate meat and dairy very well. The grains I eat for weight loss are whole rye flour, whole organic wheat- make my own bread and quinoa. Occasionally a bit of rice. Homemade sourdough rye bread is the best thing that helps me to stay filled, one tiny slice keeps me from eating for few hours. Also, sourdough is naturally fermented product which has wonderful influence on the digestive track's bacterial flora. 

Everyone should do their research, and as there are contradictory research on the subject, you have to make those decisions by yourself. 

Original Post by: janissfletcher

I know no ONE PLAN fits everyone but I firmly believe that eating out of all food groups with portion control and exercise can provide weight loss.   If you want to lose weight or if you are diabetic of course you need to avoid sugars or any type of food that coverts to sugar in your bloodstream.  I do not "buy in" to avoid any food group 100%!   You can not avoid all sugars, grains, dairy, etc without cutting out entire food groups.  I feel sure this comment will start another round of comments.  All I can say is that my onocologist, allergist, and general MD agree totally with me and support my lifestyle change and are pleased with my progress without being on a severely restricted diet or excessive exercise. Once again, you must find what works for you and change your lifestyle accordingly for successful weight loss and weight stability.  I' not going for skinny or a certain weight.  I'm striving for great health!!!

Grains are NOT a natural part of the human (or mammalian) diet ... at ALL.

It is not a "fad" or cutting out a necessary food group at all. It is cutting out a harmful substance from our diet.

You are certainly welcome to continue ingesting grains, and believing that they are good for you, but it is highly irresponsible to publish such things on web sites such as this - where people come to find nutrition information - while ignoring the facts. What you "believe" as you have stated here, is WRONG.

If you would like a good primer in how to discern good scientific research, look into the movie "Fat Head" - available thru Netflix and Hulu. I posted many other links above, with good information about the myths of a low fat diet rich in carbs (sugar). Read some of it. Learn.

Look up and read the work of Gary Taubes and many others like him, who have found that grains (and all sugars) are bad for us and have no place in a healthy diet. Richard Feinman, Mark Eades, Robb Wolfe, Sean Croxton.

It is not a fad to eat a diet that humans were meant to eat.

The fad - and a devastatingly unhealthy one at that - is a diet heavy in carbs including grains.

Open your mind ... read the sources I and many others here have provided. If after doing so, you still wish to believe that grains can be a part of a healthy diet, do so ... just stop trying to convince others of that.

I tried the Atkins diet when my weight was rising for some unknown reason.  I was on it for over a year.  I was able to stop my weight gain but became borderline diabetic.

That eating style does NOT work for everyone.

Since going on a balanced diet, including a little of everything, I have lost 14 lbs in the last 4 weeks.

Bread made from grains dates back to 4000BC.  You people cannot tell me it is only a recent addition to our diet.

The difference?  Back then people ground their own grains, consuming myriads of energy to do so.

nanam was kind enough to link us to quite a few articles, all but one of them about sugar.  In a search for unhealthy wheat, I kept finding references to the same 3 doctors.

For those of you who believe the grain story is all in the benefit of an industry, I have news for you ... everything is about some industry ... the shoes and clothes you wear, the food you eat, the furnishing in your house, the food you feed your pets, the entertainment industry. 

When the grain industry is trying to hide or oppress information about how unhealthy modern wheat is in order to protect its profits, there's a problem there.

Go here and start reading and asking questions: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

Get an education about modern wheat - which is a mutation of the wheat humans started grinding 1000s of years ago ... which is still a tiny bit of our existence. Further, because of the labor intensive process of grinding wheat, it was a tiny part of the diet ... certainly not the USDA recommended 6 - 7 servings.

Oh ...and the Atkins diet did not give you diabetes, unless you were doing it wrong. (How many Atkins bars and shakes did you eat per day? Artificial sweeteners?) Sugar did, in its many forms. Unless you were consuming massive amounts of protein - which converts to glucose in the liver - there is simply NO WAY to get diabetes from a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. None.

More and more doctors, nutritionists and dieticians are learning the truth about grains and wheat. More and more researchers are looking at the data and coming to the same conclusions ... grains = sugar and sugar is killing us.

lissakay you and i agree 100% +

Most people will not even be open minded enough to read something contrary to their current mindset beliefs.

I to am appaled at the amount of mis-information on not only this website but many others, in many dieticiansand nutritionists and doctors minds, and the minds of the general public.

Unless people are willing to educate themselves there is no hope for unhealthy crap that is pawned off on us by the big corps like Monsanto and General Mills et al.

Original Post by: lissakay

Original Post by: janissfletcher

Wow!   Getting healthy is NOT about eating only food or not eating another.  I am a firm believer in eating a healthy balanced menu which should include all foods groups.  As we all have read for years it is all about balance and portion size combined with daily exercise to lose weight, maintain weight and be healthy.   I've lost 60 lbs in 11 months with no pills, no surgery, nothing extreme.  JUST eating healthy and sensible exercise.  And yes I have reward meals once every two weeks when I eat what I want but eat sensible portions.   If I can do this anyone can because I love to cook and I love to eat.   If we would stop following all the fads and latest books (which I did for 10 years and my weight was up, down, up, down!) we could all get to a healthy weight and maintain it!   ~Janis

It is no fad that grains are bad for us, it is hard science. Before simply blowing off this information, why don't you look into it? Not only have grains and all other sugars - starches, fruits, sweeteners, low fat dairy - been proven to be the primary cause of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, natural fats and oils have been shown to NOT cause any health issues ... AT ALL.

The low fat diet rich in grains - whole or otherwise - is killing us.

Here are some articles to get you started:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all- been-a-big-fat-lie.html?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.htm l?_r=2&pagewanted=all

http://www.cas.usf.edu/news/s/176/

http://www.carbohydratescankill.com/2158/hyperglycemia-cause s-diseases

http://www.fitnessinanevolutionarydirection.com/2011/06/big- fat-lies.html

http://www.hulu.com/watch/196879/fat-head

 

Wow! That last link is so enlightening!

Original Post by: freachi

As with any all-or-nothing diet, there are two sides to the story. For many people, cutting our grains is a must because of a disease or other dietary intolerance, whether genetically or environmentally originated. This is, however, not a lifestyle that a normal healthy person could realistically and safely maintain for any extended period of time. As an ex-10-year vegetarian, I tried cutting out red meat and other various meats from my diet, and followed many other fad practices that were 'no-brainers' at the times. For a long time I felt much better. I ate mostly organic foods, and an otherwise balanced diet. But, after a while, my vitamins and minerals began to suffer. When you totally obliterate any whole food group from your diet (unless a medical condition requires you to), you will have serious consequences. Taking vitamins was not enough because my body did not have the chemicals to digest and use them properly. I became depressed due to the lack of other vitamins. Diseases that I was genetically predisposed to were triggered (that otherwise probably would have stayed dormant without the shock to my system that continually depriving my diet of different nutrients had done) My skin even suffered. In short, a long chain reaction took place that resulted in permanent irreversible consequences. The more things I totally obliterated from my diet, the more problems I had. 

Sadly, sometimes we screw up our bodies early in life, and there is nothing that we can do to reverse those consequences. Also, with all the pesticides, preservatives, and other chemicals and pollutants in American and Chinese imported foods, we might have more diet-related problems than we used to. But, I fear that the carb diets are just another way to cater to 10% of the population while ignoring the needs of the other 90%. 

While my weight generally stayed low during my 10 years of 'Healthy Dieting',  I triggered auto-immune problems, fertility problems, emotional extremes, vision disturbance, dental problems, and many, many digestion problems. Sadly, there is no way around a lifelong, well-balanced healthy lifestyle. Now I do have to limit certain foods. And I still have the health problems. And the high insurance premiums. And the ridiculous grocery bills for the healthier foods. Take my advice, don't wait until it is too late. Stop trying every shortcut you can find. Just make up your mind to do the right thing for your body-and do it! 

I love your balanced view of these issues, however the info today highlighting the different processes of how our wheat is harvested and used could very well expain our various ailments and obesity concerns.  But I agree with an informed balanced diet is the best solution.

It's so amusing to see all the comments about how grains should be completely banned because they are so bad.  It's like saying stop drinking coffee in the mornings because it messes up your metabolism.  We all know it's probably true but can we do it?  Most people cannot imagine a diet without grains in it.  I for one, love my bread and rice dishes!  This article is meant for people like me who want to make a healthy choice but cannot take drastic steps.  It's as simple as that!  I have switched from processed to whole grains now and yes I probably will eat grains for the rest of my life...my entire family did that for generations now and we do not have any heart issues or diabetes realted problems in our family until the previous generation.  The only difference now is that the grains are more and more processed and people have become less and less active...

Portion control is my mantra and I am sticking with grains, coffee and chocolates.  No amount of coaxing and book reading is going to change that for me.

Banned? Are you kidding?

Of course not. You can eat all the grains you want. Knock yourself out. But do you have all the information you need in order to make that an informed choice? Most people, with open mind anyway, once they know the facts and if they want to be healthy, will make the choice to not eat a substance that is not a natural part of the human diet.

What we are protesting here is the misinformation being given to you and everyone else. Grains are NOT a part of a healthy diet. They are not necessary nor are they uniquely nutritious. I posted a bunch of links way back there. Read them, watch the video ... then you can make an INFORMED healthy choice about your food. Deal?

Original Post by: lissakay

Original Post by: reinbeau

I totally agree with Janis Fletcher.  Whole grains are not the problem.  How on earth can anyone claim that - civilization has been eating bread for eons.  The real problem with whole grains, at least here, in the US, is the way we grow it, and harvest it.  Of course it's the industrial food system that is the issue, not the food itself.  From this article:  http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener /Summer2010/WheatPartII/tabid/1637/Default.aspx

"Whether or not you companion another crop with wheat, you need to know when the grain is ready to harvest. Once the heads form, you must watch the development of the maturing seed, which goes through four stages: the “milk” stage (think corn-on-the-cob), when the kernel can be squished like a bug with your thumbnail; the “soft dough” stage, when the kernel can be squished but is not milky; the “hard dough” stage, when the thumbnail can dent the kernel with some pressure; and lastly the “flint” stage, when the kernel is brittle-hard, as you would grind it for flour.

Here’s the hitch: Even though the flint stage is how you store and use wheat, for best quality the crop should be reaped at the hard dough stage."

The industrial model means it has to be at the hard flint stage already - that maturation process creates enzymes that are not good for humans, mainly phytic acid.  Sprouting industrially produced grains helps to mitigate that acid.  This is what has lead to such an increase in issues like celiac disease.  Once again, the industrial food model is no good for anything but a corporate bottom line.

Humans have only been eating grains for a miniscule portion of our existence ... Only since we've had the technology to process grains into flour. Then, in the last 50 years or so, our advances in technology led us to hybridize and mutate the wheat grains into something that is barely recognizable as wheat. You really should read Wheat Belly to learn about this so you won't sound like a stooge for the grain industry. 

Wrong, even paleolithic civilizations have been found with the tools for grinding grains. Wish people would stop jumping on the latest fads and bad science.

I'm going to go out on a limb here.  All of the people saying wheat is wonderful and part of a healthy diet - I'm guessing you never gave it up and reintroduced it.  Ditch wheat (and gluten in any form, all grains if you have the nerve) for a month and then eat some.

Your body will tell you within an hour, maybe less, that you shouldn't be eating it.

Sure, it doesn't bother you now.  You've had it in your system ( and the low level inflammation that goes with it) pretty much since birth.  It's your normal.

Ditto lissakay's comments. If you wish to understand what happens when you swallow that slice of whole grain toast every morning -- and how/why grains might be sabotaging your health and/or your weight loss efforts -- read Wheat Belly and Why We Get Fat -- or start by checking any of the links listed above. If it makes sense to you, then consider trying out the advice and connecting with others who are also on this journey. 

Could not agree more.  It is all about control whether the problem be eating,  drinking, gambling, or in some of these posts their anger.   It is a constant learning experience for everyone to find out what your body needs to be healthy. 

To each his own.  

Original Post by: smogensen

Ditto lissakay's comments. If you wish to understand what happens when you swallow that slice of whole grain toast every morning -- and how/why grains might be sabotaging your health and/or your weight loss efforts -- read Wheat Belly and Why We Get Fat -- or start by checking any of the links listed above. If it makes sense to you, then consider trying out the advice and connecting with others who are also on this journey. 

the same things happens if you give up beef, or pork, or dairy, or too many calories.

Original Post by: goosejuggler

Original Post by: u1mpg

Given the growing evidence that grains of any form (processed or unprocessed) are contributing to the obesity & diabetes epidemic - would be nice to see some balanced commentary on that rather than what seems to be paid for infomercial for the grain industry

Here here!

Would be nice to see CC, even occasionally, step away from conventional american wisdom.  This article essentially supports high-sugar cereal as long is has a meaningless green tick and 'whole grains' written on the box.

I totally agree with goosejuggler and u1mpg!! I gave up wheat/ gluten, most grains (except occasional quinua/ millet gluten free oats combo hot cereal, unprocessed no sugar) and will never go back!! Everyhting from my skin, weight, energy inmproved since.

Original Post by: sundownlinda

Original Post by: smogensen

Ditto lissakay's comments. If you wish to understand what happens when you swallow that slice of whole grain toast every morning -- and how/why grains might be sabotaging your health and/or your weight loss efforts -- read Wheat Belly and Why We Get Fat -- or start by checking any of the links listed above. If it makes sense to you, then consider trying out the advice and connecting with others who are also on this journey. 

the same things happens if you give up beef, or pork, or dairy, or too many calories.

 

Original Post by: sundownlinda

I tried the Atkins diet when my weight was rising for some unknown reason.  I was on it for over a year.  I was able to stop my weight gain but became borderline diabetic.

That eating style does NOT work for everyone.

Since going on a balanced diet, including a little of everything, I have lost 14 lbs in the last 4 weeks.

Bread made from grains dates back to 4000BC.  You people cannot tell me it is only a recent addition to our diet.

The difference?  Back then people ground their own grains, consuming myriads of energy to do so.

nanam was kind enough to link us to quite a few articles, all but one of them about sugar.  In a search for unhealthy wheat, I kept finding references to the same 3 doctors.

For those of you who believe the grain story is all in the benefit of an industry, I have news for you ... everything is about some industry ... the shoes and clothes you wear, the food you eat, the furnishing in your house, the food you feed your pets, the entertainment industry. 

After reading what was posted by CC and reading all of the posts my statement is this: "Not everything works for everyone". As I was talking to my doctor about my weightloss journey and eliminating "white" from my diet and incorporating more "brown" he strongly suggested that I not ingest too much "brown" because it too wasn't all that great for me. He also exclaimed that "gluten-free" like evey other fad was simply that...a FAD! Now I respect the posts of everyone and even respect that you have posted sources to these "facts" but just as you have sources I'm sure that others have their own sources on what has been (or has not been) working for them. CC is just another avenue to gain sources and if you find that it does not work for you move on to something that does. I'm sure for every source you find against you will find another that is for.

Be blessed and much success to you all.

It's amazing how, for many people, nutrition fads seem to be some kind of religion or ideology. 

In these conditions, one would say that someone who has a "Dr." title and has not published a best-selling book with "revolutionary ideas about nutrition" is either too honest or too stupid.

Original Post by: wallsoflies

Original Post by: sundownlinda

Original Post by: smogensen

Ditto lissakay's comments. If you wish to understand what happens when you swallow that slice of whole grain toast every morning -- and how/why grains might be sabotaging your health and/or your weight loss efforts -- read Wheat Belly and Why We Get Fat -- or start by checking any of the links listed above. If it makes sense to you, then consider trying out the advice and connecting with others who are also on this journey. 

the same things happens if you give up beef, or pork, or dairy, or too many calories.

 

No. It doesn't. All of those things are nutritionally dense and have plenty of goodies your body can use. Wheat products have....?

100g wheat contains: 13.7 g protein, 71g carbs, 34mg calcium, 3.52mg iron, 144mg magnesium, 508mg phosphorus, 431mg potassium, 4.16mg zinc, 3mg manganese, 89.4mcg Selenium, 6.74mg niacin, and other trace vitamins and minerals