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RE: Grains/Legumes/Fiber
I absolutely need clarification. I've been heavily researching a startling and unbelievable fact that grains and legumes are very unhealthy for many various reasons. To quote: "Grains are in fact a large supply of starch, surrounded by a kernel. Starch decomposes (digests) into maltose and isomaltose in the intestines, which then decompose into glucose." This causes the bloodsugar levels to elevate causing the pancreas to produce lots of insulin to metabolise it, which the pancreas is not designed to do. This, in turn, leads to many long-term health problems. Another startling fact was that "there is a void of vitamins and minerals in refined grains, which are needed to properly digest and metabolise the huge amount of starch." The most surprising statement that I read was that "the most important reason why grains are bad is because they are very hard to digest properly." The reason I find this hard to believe is because I've been under the impression that legumes are great sources of fiber. Fiber is what your body needs to keep healthy and process food, right? So, then, I was blown away when I read that fiber is NOT needed because "a few years back, scientists found that high-fiber foods “bang up against the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, rupturing their outer covering” which “increases the level of lubricating mucus.” The writer lists many reasons why fiber, grains, and legumes are not needed and, in fact, are unhealthy. Side note: There are many websites making the same claims. So, I am very confused. Like I wrote earlier, all my life I've honored the idea that fiber is essential, and that legumes and grains are the best sources of it. Being vegan, I heavily rely on these types of foods. I tend to constantly search for a more basic, simple, and healthier way of eating, and each time that I think I've found the perfect eating lifestyle, I get knocked down by a provocative and conflicting theory. I feel like I'm always being stripped of yet another "unnecessary" layer of food from my ever-decreasing food catalogue. I'm practically being limited to kale, almonds, and apples. So, please, advise on what you think about this topic. Your feedback will be immensely appreciated. Thanks!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on -
This is what the Paleo diet is based on, grains and legumes are toxic and one must eat only meat and vegetables for health. I find a lot of the information out there about grains somewhat convincing and am trying to limit them in my diet but I have not problem eating a lot of legumes and pseudo-grains (wild rice, quinoa, amaranth).
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Permalink Reply by Zak Echev on
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Absolutely. Here are 3 links.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/
http://www.newtreatments.org/why%20are%20grains%20and%20legumes%20s...
http://beyondveg.com/cat/paleodiet/index.shtml
Thanks for the links.
Erin Gionet said:Hi Zak,
Do you mind telling us where you found this infomation and these quotes? I think we have to be so careful about the sources of this info as may claims lack proper research and scientific evidence. Some of the best resources I've found are a couple of books by qualified nutrition professors Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, "Becoming Vegan" and "Becoming Raw." Here are the links:
http://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Vegan-Complete-Adopting-Plant-Based/d...
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1570672385/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf...
Hope this helps!
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Permalink Reply by Nat Davies on
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Thanks for this Pam! It's sooo easy to get obsessed with all the conflicting info out there that it can take over your life and actually make yourself really ill and worry anything you eat is bad for you! Balance in all things and just cos something works for one person doesn't mean that it will for someone else. Put things in perspective, there's lots of people out there living happy, fulfilling lives and achieving great things who don't have the luxuary of choice or the information we do in the western world or access to what would be classed as "quality food/nutrition".
Please don't take this as dismissing or belittling you concerns, I have and do share many of them and still often get caught up in a turmoil of confusion of what is actually "right", what to believe/follow, etc., just beware it's not becoming an obsession and ruling your life and ironically, in your pursuit of perfect health, becoming damaging to your overall health (mental, physical, emotional, etc). I think Pam's advice is best on listening to YOUR body and finding what works for YOU personally...........and most of all "don't worry and be happy!"
Pam said:Hi Zak,
Your post caught my eye a few days ago and I took the time to read up on the links you provided, and additionally researched background information I could find about Mark Sisson.
In response to your post, I have to say that many of us (particularly health-conscious people) simply worry much too much, quite frankly. We read a lot of articles and books, feeling the need to get the latest information and sometimes we go through phases (myself included) where we think "oh gosh... is what I'm consuming not good for me (based on what I read) after all??" We become concerned because, well, we have such good intentions... it bugs us that we don't know 100% for certain if what we are consuming is the right choice. This is when we need to remind ourselves, that we need to relax a bit and go with the flow of what feels good for us (in terms of our digestion; mental clarity, sleep quality... etc) We need to pay attention to when we get headaches or stomach cramps, for instance. Essentially the best thing we can do for ourselves is become "in-tune" with our bodies and see how we respond to food, exercise, artistic pursuits...
At the risk of oversimplifying, may I suggest that if we feel fulfilled and physically great; we just know we are doing ourselves good?? Can we rest assured... not worry and enjoy life knowing we (according to OURSELVES) are taking good care of our bodies??
Listen, I don't mean to "make light" of any of your (grain consumption) concerns... I read everything that comes out about nutrition too, and I scrutinize it. I keep in mind that I need to assess the quality of the studies and their purported outcomes. Are they double-blind, clinical, peer-reviewed? I also learned in school, to check how many respondents are in the studies. Are we talking thousands or could this be just one person's personal experience?
Some people are so eloquent, so convincing, write a book that just grabs the attention... more often than not, though, the information they are sharing are just theories. JUST theories. They can be interesting reads, no doubt about it, but in the end we owe it to ourselves to take everything we read with some scrutiny and figure out how our own bodies are responding to what we are doing. Mark, himself, writes that he believes "...in critically assessing everything we come across, particularly if it has an impact on our health – including anything I say." From everything I read of his, I believe he really believes that grains are NOT good for any of us, based on his personal experience with IBS. So, I disagree with him. I'm glad he feels so healthy and what he is doing works for him, but I'm disappointed in his approach of sharing personal (not clinical) information; because he does it in a way that, I feel, is biased and spreads "fear." I feel that the good, information-based nutritional articles are NOT emotional...
Anyway, this is just the long way of saying what I really mean too:
Don't worry be happy! :)
Cheers!
Pam
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Permalink Reply by Jason K on
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I've started getting paleo books from the library to assess their case against antinutrients. Some claim there are clinically significant outcomes associated with consuming too many. I haven't got it sorted out yet. If somebody else comes across an argument that includes citations, I would much appreciate it.
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Permalink Reply by Charlene Tomlinson on -
Check out Chris Kendall at The Raw Advantage (I would post a link, but I'm on my phone). He is a nutritionist & raw fruitarian, consuming a diet of only fruits & veggies, with minimal nuts & seeds. He is a wealth of information, & is great at answering questions like this :)
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