Grains Are Not Healthy

"...but I buy whole-grain bread."

Grains are not healthy, period.

1. They are inflammatory, they have a poor Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio. This ratio promotes inflammatory eicosanoid production which leads to disease.

2. They contain lectins which are a type of sugar protein called a glycoprotein, this can cause leaky gut syndrome and chronic irritation to the gut leading to auto-immune problems. Cooking doesn't deactivate lectins, which many people claim, the only way to break them down is to soak them and then pressure cook them.

3. They contain gluten. Most people think that gluten only causes digestive problems but it's involved in many other negative reactions in the body as well. It's reactions are simular to lectins. One example is that when it binds to cells inside the digestive tract it creates a substance called zonulin, this disrupts the tight junctions between the lining leading to leaky gut syndrome, which leads to auto immune reactions.

4. Grains are very acidic for their overall composition. Typically foods that have a high protein content are acidic because of the metabolic breakdown of protein which gets balanced out by fruits and vegetables, but grains are very low in protein comparatively which makes them one of the only foods with this makeup.

5. Calorie for calorie grains lack nutrient density. If you keep calories equal the same amount of broccoli has 36 grams of fiber and 2748 mg of potassium while whole grains have 4 grams of fiber and 144 mg of potassium, romaine lettuce has 39 grams of fiber and 4638 mg of potassium. Potassium is used because typically things that have potassium also have an excellent all around nutrient value.

6. They are loaded with carbohydrates and are broken down into sugar within seconds of eating them. Only a few pieces of bread or bowls of cereal is typically going to be more carbs than someone should be eating for a whole day. This leads to weight gain and dis regulation of insulin and glucose levels internally.

To you grain-free or grain-avoidant eaters - what do you substitute for grains?