Are low-carb or Paleo diets just a fad diet? Are they safe long-term?
Yes, many go on these diets (or the GAPS Diet) for healing various health issues, and they're definitely helpful in the short term, that's not being disputed, but is it something that should be done long-term? Or could that cause a whole set of other problems? Are the questionable components of today's wheat worth avoiding all together, or is a person with a healthy gut/immune system quite able to handle them just fine? (Note that I'm not talking about those who have Celiac disease!)
I covered this a little in my post, Grains or no grains, what I know and what I don't know, but today I'll share a little more after doing some additional research.
The more I read, the more it makes sense that low-carb can be taken too far, just like anything can be taken too far.
Do I still believe that the amount of carbs suggested by the USDA in their food guidelines is messed up? Absolutely. We surely don't need as many grains as they recommend (and we all know sugary treats should be rare), but can some grains, if properly prepared, be part of a healthy diet?
Read the following quotes and see what you think.
First from Dr. Weston A. Price's book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: “The nutrition of the people of the Loetschental Valley (Switzerland), particularly that of the growing boys and girls, consists largely of a slice of whole rye bread and a piece of the summer-made cheese (about as large as the slice of bread), which are eaten with fresh milk of goats or cows. Meat is eaten about once a week. In the light of our newer knowledge of activating substances, including vitamins, and the relative values of food for supplying minerals for body building, it is clear why they have healthy bodies and sound teeth. The average total fat-soluble activator and mineral intake of calcium and phosphorus of these children would far exceed that of the daily intake of the average American child. The sturdiness of the child life permits children to play and frolic bareheaded and barefooted even in water running down from the glacier in the late evening's chilly breezes, in weather that made us wear our overcoats and gloves and button our collars. Of all the children in the valley still using the primitive diet of whole rye bread and dairy products the average number of cavities per person was 0.3.
First from Dr. Weston A. Price's book, About another Switzerland community: I was told by a former resident of this upper Engadin country that in one of the isolated valleys only a few decades ago the children were still carrying their luncheons to school in the form of roasted rye carried dry in their pockets. Their ancestors had eaten cereal in this dry form for centuries.
In other words, eat your grains with plenty of pastured butter or cheese, something that goes along well with this post: How to eat carbs safely and lower the glycemic index of the foods you love.
- Just the other day, Chris Kresser did an interview with Chris Masterjohn on his podcast. You can go here to listen or read the transcript. In the podcast, Chris Masterjohn said:
“I think that if you find that T3 or reverse T3 are out of whack, probably the best way to address that is to try increasing the carbohydrate intake — not necessarily meaning you have to go on a high-carbohydrate diet, but, you know, like, Paul Jaminet had sort of concluded at the end of that series that he still advocates a low-carbohydrate diet, but it’s possible to go too low for some people, and that’s when you might get deficiency in thyroid signaling.”
Chris Kresser responded:
“And I definitely see this, Chris, in my practice, and this is purely anecdotal, but I often get people who come to me who have been on a low-carb Paleo Diet, not for any particular reason, just because that was their understanding of the Paleo Diet, you know, as a low-carb approach. And then they’re suffering from the classic hypothyroid symptoms: Their hair is falling out, and their hands and feet are cold, outer third of the eyebrows thinning, you know, low metabolic symptoms. And then they start eating some more starch and starchy tubers and fruit and increase their carbohydrate intake; and in almost all cases, their symptoms improve significantly.“
- From Dr. Mercola:
“When I eliminated all my grains and starchy vegetables, I actually experienced some negative effects. My energy levels declined considerably, and my cholesterol, which is normally about 150, rose to over 200. It appears I was suffering a glucose deficiency and this can trigger lipoprotein abnormalities. It also seemed to worsen my kidney function. So, while carbohydrate restriction is a miracle move for most people, like most good things in life, you can overdo it.
This information really underscores how important glucose is as a nutrient, and some people can't manufacture glucose from protein as well as others, so they need SOME starches in their diet or else they will suffer from metabolic stress.
About half of your proteins have glucose attached to them, and if they don't have glucose, they simply don't work well, if at all. Your body needs glucose both as a substrate and as a fuel in order for these proteins to work well. If you drop below 200 calories of glucose per day, you might notice some negative consequences in the way you feel and even in some of your blood work, as I did.
My experience now shows me that I need to have some source of non-vegetable carbs. I still seek to avoid nearly all grains, except for rice and potatoes. I typically limit my total carbohydrate calories to about 25 percent of total daily intake, and my protein to about 15 percent, with the additional 60 percent coming from healthful fats like butter, egg yolks, avocados, coconut oil, nuts and animal fat.
However, that is what works for me. You must listen to YOUR body and perform your own experiment. The bottom line is how your body responds, and you're the ONLY one who can determine that.”
I'll re-post another quote from Dr. Mercola, who asks his guest about how properly preparing (‘fermenting') grains can make them safe and more digestible…
- Dr. Mercola: “In the case of wheat there’s the Gluten or gliadin molecule that are particularly pernicious for many people, are you aware of an influence of fermenting on those aspects?
–Caroline Barringer (his podcast guest): “Well, I can use my own health, I don’t respond to grains well at all, but when I ferment them I’m fine, it makes them almost like a cultured vegetable would be more digestible. It does help to neutralize many of the preservatives on grains, nuts and seeds, and all you have to do to make a grain more digestible is to soak it. It’s a hydrophylic process that draws water into the grain and when you add something like whey or cultured vegetable juice or coconut kefir, a spoonful of yogurt, etc., those probiotic organisms take action on the grain, just like the organisms in the soil would to make this little dormant grain sprout or germinate, and when it’s in that state it’s much more digestible and bio-available. Now some people still can’t handle grains like this, they just have to keep them out, especially on the GAPS Diet, there are people that will never be able to incorporate grains after stage 6 on the diet, it’s just the nature of the beast and who you are and what you can and can’t handle. But when you soak, sprout and germinate a nut, seed or grain, it will neutralize the phytic acid and helps the glutens predigest so YOU don’t have to do the work, and you or immune system doesn’t have to recognize something that it finds unfamiliar which can cause an allergic reaction. Again, grains are not a central part of my diet, but if you are going to be able to incorporate them into your diet, you’ll need to prepare them properly.“
–Dr.: “There’s a whole community who follow the paleo approach, I’m fond of it too and I think there’s lots of truth to it. Two important components to avoid are grains and legumes, but if you choose to eat them for whatever reason, it’s would seem very useful to ferment them.”
–Caroline: “I also believe mostly in the paleo diet as well, but if you look at our ancestors, they knew how to prepare these properly, and they consumed them in smaller portions, so I believe there are people out there who do OK having some grains in their diet, prepared properly of course. I don’t like to broad-brush, because I believe in complete bio-individuality. But if you look at where we came from, agriculture didn’t come into play until 12-14,000 years ago, and in evolutionary terms, that’s a blink, so there’s some merit to that, too.” Source
So if you agree that properly prepared grains can be part of a healthy diet for most people, do you want to know how to prepare your grains so they are safe and more digestible?!
Rachel Taylor Hedges says
For those suffering from PCOS, it is pretty much a “have to”, if you want to avoid diabetes, heart disease, infertility, etc. And it is still difficult.
Peggy Lippold Gates says
All grains are a no go with my celiac body no matter how they are prepared. Digestive troubles and body wide joint pain. However, 8 months on low starch GAPS tanked my energy badly. Starchy tubers, winter squash and a bit of beans are necessary for me.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Yes, finding that balance for each individual is so important, especially while on a restrictive healing diet. Those tweaks make all the difference!
olivia says
I heard Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride say that she eats according to the GAPS diet. The only exceptions are when she travels, then she eats the best she can but returns to the GAPS diet when at home. Apparently she has said that GAPS is not low carb. Has anyone else heard this? It was in one of her interviews/talks available online.
Nicole says
Hoping it’s ok to post this here but I don’t know who esle to ask. Just got my thyroid checked and these are the results;
Free T4 : 13
TSH : 1.56
Free T3: 4.6
According to the doc these are normal, but I know that they may not be necessarily true. Hope you don’t mind me posting this here Kelly!
Mandy says
Amen.
melissa daams says
I’ve been doing the Primal thing for a couple weeks. I noticed a bit of weight loss and more energy but now I am down with the worst case of influenza of my life and salads are just not interesting to me right now. Also, I’m sick of eating meat. I miss tofu 🙁
And I definitely miss bread. I was never really a big bread fan until now. I’m also Christian – well Mormon and I got this thing with not eating too much meat…
so I told my husband, let’s eat Primal Monday – Friday and just take it easy on the weekends. That doesn’t mean that we are going to pig out on junk food, it does mean that we will have sprouted wheat pancakes and pizza – yes, pizza! Hallelujah!
I have noticed though, that since we cut out potatoes and rice… that they are totally bland to me now. Like we had visitors for dinner and made some rice and my husband was like: what’s that terrible smell? And it was the rice! He actually does not like the smell of rice anymore.
After switching to cauliflower “rice” and “potatoes” – we don’t wanna go back… it’s just bread that we miss.
Marta says
Kelly, this is the first time I see someone saying that low carb is not good for hypothyrodism. If you know anything else on this or what the perfect diet with that condition should be, it would be great!
Becky D says
Gary Taubes in his book “Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It” addresses this matter too, and says that those with hypothyroidism are the exception with a low-carb diet. BUT he also says to get those carbs from good carb sources such as sweet potatoes, other starchy vegetables, fruit, etc…
D. says
Well, I like bread and I’m going to continue to eat bread. Sometimes I go for days without eating anything grain related, but when I want a piece of bread I’m damn well going to eat one. I really don’t think it’s something that I need to eliminate since I have no particular problems with it. I don’t like the idea of all the hybridizing going on – not any more than anyone else, but until our gubment stops letting BigChemical use us their guinea pigs, we are all doomed to eat heaven knows what from any food group.
As an aside, I bought a box of apples last fall from a LOCAL supplier who doesn’t spray with anything. Not one single apple in the box had a seed. He was as baffled as I was and still we have no answers about what would make this happen. I wasn’t the only one to purchase a box like this, of course, and he is now trying to find answers through the place where he originally purchased the trees. However, he purchased them about 7 years ago, and the company people are evidently being less than helpful.
So. Is it the trees themselves? Is it the soil? Is it the water? Is it the groundwater? Is it airborne chemical pollution? Is it something in the pollenization process?
He is going to try to pay attention this year when the trees bloom out and see if the blooms/buds/flowers appear any different. It’s a puzzle.
Nothing is as it was. People are too curious for their own good, and so nothing stays the same. Always gotta try to make things “better”, “bigger”, “blonder” . . . whatever. We are just never satisfied and it’s getting us into big trouble in some areas of life. ;-\
mina says
Modern grains (especially wheat) have been hybridized, backcrossed, and hybridized with non-wheat plants (to introduce entirely unique genes). There are also chemical-, gamma-, and x-ray mutagenesis and mutagenesis by exposing the seeds and embryos to the industrial chemical, sodium azide, that is highly toxic to humans.
Soaking, fermenting or sprouting cannot change that.
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/02/wheat-is-not-genetically-modified/
KitchenKop says
I’m getting ready to go to the funeral home for our friends teenage son, so I asked Ann Marie to respond to this, and here’s what she said:
“Here’s the whole quote from that link (on the Wheat Belly blog):
“Modern wheat has been hybridized (crossing different strains to generate new characteristics; 5% of proteins generated in the offspring, for instance, are not present in either parent), backcrossed (repeated crossing to winnow out a specific trait, e.g., short stature), and hybridized with non-wheat plants (to introduce entirely unique genes). There are also chemical-, gamma-, and x-ray mutagenesis, i.e., the use of obnoxious stimuli to induce mutations that can then be propagated in offpspring. This is how BASF’s Clearfield wheat was created, for example, by exposing the seeds and embryos to the industrial chemical, sodium azide, that is highly toxic to humans.
By definition, hybridization, backcrossing, and mutation-inducing techniques are difficult to control, unpredictable, and generate plenty of unexpected results. In short, they are worse than genetic-modification. Imagine we were to apply similar techniques of hybridization and mutagenesis to mammals–we’d have all manner of bizarre creatures and genetic freaks on our hands. I am no defender of genetic-modification, but it is pure craziness that Agribusiness apologists defend modern wheat because it is not yet the recipient of “genetic modification.”
Just as Agribusiness is lobbying to prevent truth in labeling that proposes to require food manufacturers to include a “genetically-modified” declaration on foods since they feel it is none of your business, they are likewise muddying the water by defending modern high-yield, semi-dwarf strains of wheat, created through extensive genetics manipulations, as not the product of “genetic modification.””
MY RESPONSE:
First of all, we don’t eat wheat like that. I buy organic wheat berries and I sprout and grind them at home.
Sure, I might eat that wheat when I eat out occasionally but I’m also occasionally eating foods with pesticides, water with fluoride, etc. Can’t live in a plastic bubble.
Just because a food is adulterated (such as pasteurized milk, factory farm meat and fish, etc) does not mean that food is inherently bad and we should stop eating it.
Secondly he is trying to link hybridized plants with GMO foods. THis is a stretch, and this is why he is being criticized.”
mina says
You can put (organic) lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig.
Heather W. says
Mina, my body totally agrees with you. I bought the principles in Nourishing Traditions lock, stock, and barrel; completely embracing them and going cold turkey off of the SAD (for 8 years). After properly preparing every single grain, seed, nut, and legume we ate (all organic and wheat was ancestral too), I had steadily gained nearly 30 pounds and looked about 6 months pregnant. Within two WEEKS of cutting out all grain and legumes, I had a flat stomach with no PAIN (yes I had had significant abdominal pain). I am not a celiac person either.
Meagan says
FYI you CAN be Primal and still eat plenty of carbs. Tubers, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, raw honey.
DJ says
Grains aren’t an absolute necessity anyway… there are much better, more nutrient dense foods available. I’d rather avoid potential damage and blood sugar spikes that grains cause. If you’re able to tolerate them and they don’t send your blood sugar skyrocketing, have at it.
However, if lower carb isn’t working for you, there are a lot of ways to add some without resorting to grains. Fresh fruits and starchy vegetables are great sources of carbs without risking potential damage from grain consumption.
Heather Anderson says
I did a whole series on Real Food and the Bible. I believe that God made the whole variety of foods for a reason. When we try to cut them out totally, long term, there are problems. Studies are being done all the time that prove this thing or that, and they all seem to contradict one another. There are certainly times to avoid certain foods for healing reasons, and the quality and preparation of foods makes a huge difference. But as long as we are running from this diet to that diet, we’re going to be off balance.
Brianna says
There is no need to eat grains to get carbs. I get plenty from eating vegetables and some fruit. And I am doing fantastic without all of the starchy foods. I feel great, I look great, and my fat layer is getting smaller and smaller in spite of the fact that I am not cutting calories at all..
Meagan says
YES! VERY true.
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
Diane, yeah, I give up. If 150-plus years of evolutionary science haven’t gotten to your neck of the woods, I can’t help you.
My last comment on this post.
Diane says
Oh you’re such a hoot Jimbo 😉
Don in Arkansas says
I think that no matter what you call your ‘diet’, it should be based on real food, not some company’s science project gone wrong. If it comes in a box, bag, can, or through your car window, don’t eat it. If it’s a plant, you can eat it. If it’s made in a plant, don’t. Simple huh?
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
Diane, if it makes you feel good to attack reality, go ahead. In fact, if that makes you feel good, maybe attacking reality is a placebo for you.
Which is all that religion is — a feel-good placebo with no science behind it.
But what the heck, placebos sometimes work. Give me a 10-percent tithe, tax-free, and I’ll be happy to offer you all kinds of feel-good religious mumbo-jumbo, just like all the tell-a-lie-evangelists.
Diane says
As I said “you”, and “science”, do not have all the answers. If that’s your feel-good placebo, then carry on 🙂
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
D, I guess I’m not being clear. If you don’t like the word “science,” how about “reality” or “facts?”
Science is based on facts. Religion is based on … well … not on facts. And therefore religion is not a theory (and BTW, it definitely has no place in public school science classes, even if it’s called “creation science”).
And I don’t extol science to support “my” theory of evolution. That would be a great accomplishment, but Darwin and many other scientists get the credit for pointing out the evidence for that long ago. Evolution is reality, and attacking me won’t change reality.
As I keep saying, people are free to ignore science in their health decisions, but they can’t escape the eventual health consequences of their fairy tale thinking.
That’s not to say that some religious teachings don’t have healthy results. Seventh Day Adventists (by being largely vegetarian) and Christian Scientists (be staying away from BigMedicine and BigPharma) are two groups that practice very healthy living.
Don’t get me started on Vioxx, or on medicine as a whole. Vioxx was an outright crime — dare I say “murder”? — in the way it was developed and marketed. And medicine is not a science, and never will be, until medical schools start to seriously teach doctors about evolution. When doctors start to really understand evolution, they will stop fighting against all the body’s powerful evolved defenses, like coughing, diarrhea, fever, sneezing, and vomiting. Suppressing those defenses against bacteria just makes things works.
D. says
@Jim Purdy: Well, as I said before, I’m not going to argue that kind of stuff here, because we’re talking about food. Somewhere in your post above there’s a oxymoron-ish type feel. Nevertheless, science doesn’t have all the answers. You can argue Darwin or whatever – til the cows come home – but not here. There are other forums where they discuss that stuff 24/7. No one wins those arguments, they’re just ongoing endlessly.
pegheinemancihocki says
Actually, I have to point out that, since this is a discussion of the Paleo diet (among other things) and the Paleo diet is based on evolution, a discussion of evolution is indeed appropriate. As JimPurdy pointed out, religion is religion, but it has nothing to do with facts. Anyone is free to choose to ignore facts and believe what he/she wants. But facts are facts and what you choose to believe doesn’t change them. Evolution is a fact, not a theory. It happened and is still happening. And if the Paleo diet is a fad, it is one that has been around for millions of years. There is a lot of anthropological evidence to support that.
This isn’t an argument to be won. It’s a discussion of facts. And the only reason these arguments go on endlessly, as you put it, is because there are still too many people who are willing to pit beliefs against facts, especially in the US. I grew up in a very religious household that, luckily, did not pit beliefs against the facts revealed by science. My father, a scientist, taught me that if there is a conflict between scientific fact and taking the Bible literally, one has to go with the science. The Bible was, after all, written by people. Didn’t mean that the Bible doesn’t have valid things to teach us–just not about science.
And no, science doesn’t have all the answers and people have used science to make some deadly mistakes. (It’s not the science that is at fault, but how people used it.) Science, done right, looks only at the evidence and doesn’t allow personal beliefs to enter into it. If you want to ignore a healthy way of eating (Paleo) because it conflicts with your beliefs, that is your right. But it doesn’t make the Paleo diet unhealthy–or a fad. And grains aren’t healthy just because the Bible mentions them. (Not to mention that grains today are far different than the ones eaten in Biblical times.) If you are not diabetic, don’t have a deranged metabolism, and aren’t sensitive to gluten, you can eat them, especially if properly prepared. But they are not necessary to health. One can get all the nutrients in grains and then some from vegetables and fruit.
Diane says
Oh my goodness, Jim, if you want people to take your scientific fervor seriously you might want to lose the condescending attitude about religion. Personally I don’t “worship” science, look where science has gotten us in regards to health in this country!! All the poor folks out there following the standard scientific wisdom and just getting sicker and sicker, it’s tragic. I don’t have all the answers (not even most of them), and sorry to inform you, but neither do you.
D. says
@Jim Purdy: Well, to tell you the truth I have little faith in “science”. You, on the one hand extoll its virtues because you want it to support your theory of evolution, and yet this is the same “science” which allowed Vioxx to be marketed and continually sold until a few years ago, despite the 86,000 deaths it caused.
I wasn’t there “at the beginning” and neither were you. I don’t like to talk religion because that’s a very personal thing to most people, and it has also been my experience that people believe whatever they believe whether you think it’s a fairy tale or whether you think it’s proven “science” to believe in evolution. The fact is, they are both theories – and people don’t like to hear that, either.
As far as eating is concerned, I prefer to go back in history, leaving out the religious aspect.
D. says
Actually, I should rephrase that to say leaving out the biblical aspect.
There were many cultures who practiced “religious” things before there was a bible. Or at least today’s journalists call it religious, for example, that the Native American Tribes worshipped the sun or the moon, or had a certain entity to which they gave thanks before a meal.
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
D., examples of magical (non-scientific) thinking would be these quotes from previous comments:
1. “Also, I have a problem with Paleo just because it is anti-biblical — based on evolutionary theory.”
2. “I totally agree with what you say about paleo being based on the evolutionary theory. I believe the Bible is an accurate historical as well as religious account”
Obviously religious folks are free to choose to ignore science, just as smokers and substance abusers also choose to ignore science. I have had very close relatives and friends die because of their fantasies. All I can do is encourage people to look at the science and be aware of the consequences of magical (non-scientific) thinking.
Heather@Food Ponderings says
Thank you, Jim! I’m glad I’m not the only one who cringes at this line of thinking.
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
Heather, yes, and it is a very destructive line of thinking that goes way beyond all the magical thinking trolls babbling on sites about science and nutrition. The real damage comes from the magical thinking folks who try to keep science (and its core principle, evolution) out of public education. Faux News and the Republican presidential candidates are really dumbing down America.
Rose says
Trolls? Really? I don’t understand why you have to be so ugly! Faith is required regardless of which line of thinking you choose to ascribe to. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion without forcing anyone else to believe the same thing, and without ridicule. As far as I am aware there has never been a movement to try to keep Darwin’s Theory of Evolution out of public education, but rather to INCLUDE another viewpoint. Regardless of your belief you can be respectful of others.
Magda says
Great post and awesome comments (as always).
I would also like to point out that Primal, Paleo, GAPS, low carb can vary vastly – and I mean VASTLY. I’m on GAPS right now and even within that one ‘diet’ there are so many iterations!! You can do no dairy, no nuts, low-oxalate, low-phenol, be on intro or full GAPS, etc. Like everyone says, you should listen to your body first. I’ve been without grains or starches for a year now (GF for about 5 years before that, WAPF for 5-6 years before that) and I feel better than ever. I do eventually hope to go back to some starches (mainly potatoes which I love and are my ‘natural’ food as an Eastern European) and grains (GF sourdough and maybe regular sourdough some day) but for now I’m sticking with GAPS.
D. says
@ Jim Purdy: What magical thinking are you speaking about?
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
I take my personal health very seriously, so I try to base my health decisions on the best available evidence from science, as well as my own personal experience.
Evolution is the most solidly proven concept in all of science, and it is the key to understanding the entire history of the universe. As such, it is the appropriate starting point for all health discussions. The details, like paleo, primal, low-carb, and GAPS, should all be looked at in that evolutionary context.
Obviously, other folks can base their decisions on ancient superstitions and fairy tales. Good luck with that magical thinking.
D. says
Everyone is different, and that is the key point. If someone wants to eat paleo or whatever, I call it a fad because that’s generally what it is. Even if our ancestors ate that way, it doesn’t make it right for today’s world or today’s people. We don’t have the same work burdens as our ancestors, or even the same survival burdens.
JMR says
Thank you for this thought provoking information.
For those who say there’s nothing in grains that we can’t get from other sources, what makes you all think we know absolutely everything there is to know about food and the nutrients they contain? It is possible we get something from grains that we get from no other food, but it is just as likely that we don’t. We don’t know everything, and some of what we “know” is probably incorrect.
Kelsey says
Thank you!! I think it is important to keep in mind that we don’t know everything, and that theories (including those involving what we should and shouldn’t eat) are constantly changing and being proven wrong by new evidence – so to think that we know all there is to know about what nutrients are best absorbed from which foods is just silly. I appreciate blogs like this that are constantly looking at new information and re-thinking what we thought we knew.
Diane says
Having dabbled briefly with the low carb approach to eating about 10 years ago (ala Atkins and Protein Power), I see a clear distinction between low carb and paleo, or in my case the Primal Blueprint diet I’ve been following for the past 6 months. Following PB has done some absolutely MIRACULOUS things for my health problems, whereas with low carb, not so much. The big difference I see is that this time around I’ve eliminated gluten (on low carb I ate a tortilla every day that was low carb but loaded with gluten), and I’ve eliminated processed foods from my diet (on low carb I was still eating things like low carb protein bars and drinks, etc.) I’m not sure how many carbs I’m getting each day now (I’d estimate somewhere between 50 and 75?), because I don’t count them (what a RELIEF!) I eat starchy vegetables as often as I like, occasionally a little rice, and “some” fruit (simply because of the time of year it is, I’m sure my fruit consumption will increase come summer). I have no problem with the “idea” of consuming properly prepared grains, although I haven’t tried it since embarking on PB, partly because I feel so great the way I’m currently eating, and partly because this way of eating with whole foods has already doubled my time in the kitchen, I don’t care to open another whole can of worms at the moment (soaking, sprouting, fermenting). I also agree with what others have said, it’s a very individual thing, and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for someone else. And finally, I DO NOT think that paleo/primal is a fad, I think it’s an excellent way to live ones life, far superior to the SAD!
Amy says
It’s worth noting that Weston A. Price healed children with a diet that included grains (rolls from freshly-milled whole wheat flour that wasn’t even fermented). I feel great when I eat plenty of carbs. I think a moderate diet like what our great grandparents would have eaten is king. Glad you’re doing this post, Kelly.
Dani says
Yes, Amy! Every time I read a post about the evils of grain, I am reminded of how the enamel of teeth improved on a non-fermented grain when accompanied by the proper fats and other nutrients–so glad to see that I’m not the only one that thinks of this.
That being said, I do have to say that many of my own problems cleared up when I went to soaked, sprouted, or fermented grains. Of course, this coincided with a vast improvement of supplements and intake of healthy fats, but in the last three years (when I started my real food journey), I continue to pay more mind to my grains even when I run out of FCLO or get too busy to keep up with the rest of it. For some reason, soaking rice/beans/muffin batter is all so simple to me, and helps me with my meal planning, even if that “plan” only goes a day in advance.
Kathy (aka Mrs Dull) says
I agree … Quality and proper prep is first priority. It’s the nutrient density that is most important.
Cathy F. says
Nice post! It’s important to continue to revisit our assumptions on a regular basis. Your posts make me do exactly that. While being packed with info, they are always open-minded. In the big picture, I’m beginning to think that good health is less about the carb/fat ratio and more about the QUALITY of what we eat– avoiding sugar, processed foods and factory meats and produce, and learning how to prepare them properly –and BALANCE (not overloading on one thing).
Kathy (aka Mrs Dull) says
Just reviewing Nutrition and Physical Degeneration it looks like most cultures mentioned eat some form of fermented grain. So if you are using traditional diets as your personal dietary yardstick this means grains should be included. Most of us have health issues however from years of SAD that may make it necessary to make short term adjustments in the name of healing. I think it’s important though to keep firmly in mind that they are adjustments.
Naomi Williams says
I’ve seen lots of confusion lately between two statements:
1. You SHOULD eat grains.
2. You CAN GET AWAY WITH eating grains.
They are NOT the same at all, and I’m a firm believer in statement #2. If people are going to eat grains because they like them, I think it’s fantastic that we’ve got the knowledge to minimize the bad effects through sprouting, fermentation, etc. But I still think it’s a disservice to tell people that they SHOULD eat grains, when there’s absolutely nothing in them that we can’t easily get from other sources. If the lack of carbs is a problem, up your fruit, nut and potato/sweet potato consumption, it’s as simple as that.
Don’t forget the amazing effects of coconut oil, which provides glucose to the brain without carbohydrate consumption. (Google coconut health benefits and you’ll get more info than you ever wanted.)
Meagan says
VERY interesting and well said. I will look into this.
Jen says
No, I don’t agree that Paleo is a fad. It’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I’ve met people who have been doing it for years and years and years. Again, let’s not confuse low-carb and grain-free. Paleo is a framework of eating that is not necessarily low-carb. Because I’m trying to lose weight I eat low-carb, not extremely low carb but relatively low carb. When I get to the body fat percentage I desire (notice that I didn’t say weight that I desire because the scale is deceiving) then I’ll increase my carbs through starchy vegetables and additional fruit.
There is NOTHING in grains that I can’t get from nutrient dense proteins and fats along with lots of vegetables. Grains these days are not the grains our ancestors ate and they just simply take too much time to fuss with.
Eating Paleo has been the simpliest thing I’ve ever done and the easiest sustainable way I’ve ever lost weight. The funny thing is that the pounds I lose when I eat 100% paleo stay off even if I have times when I don’t like when I travel. It just doesn’t come back on. My thyroid has healed as well. No more thyroid meds for me!
Read the Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf for more details on how ancestreal eating has been around for thousands of years. No fad diet here.
Elizabeth says
Thanks for this post! It is funny because I just had a conversation with a friend last night about the fact that Extremely Low Carb, Paleo, Gluten Free, GAPS, etc. are something of a FAD right now. Not saying that they are not helpful for SOME People. However, because some people with certain health issues saw remarkable results with these diets, then suddenly everyone is jumping on the same bandwagon! It can be hard to find what works for us when everyone is shouting the same message — GAPS! 🙂 Also, I have a problem with Paleo just because it is anti-biblical — based on evolutionary theory. Anyway, thank you for always seeking to be BALANCED and to bring us the very best nutrition information you can find.
Andrea says
I totally agree with what you say about paleo being based on the evolutionary theory. I believe the Bible is an accurate historical as well as religious account and “pottage” and “bread” are talked about from Genesis on. I am sure grains have changed since then, but so have animals, plants, and the soil we farm. I am adding more healthy carbs back after low carb and feel great!
Meagan says
Andrea – well said. I disagree with the whole Primal notion but love it’s approach to foods and nutrition. Because of this, I am trying to bring together WAPF, the Maker’s Diet and Primal wisdom together to see what works for me. It’s a constant experiment and journey!
Musings of a Housewife says
Interesting. Right now my body cannot tolerate gluten AT ALL. I get horrible heartburn and it backs up into my throat when I sleep and wakes me up. But I do eat non-gluten grains just fine. I wonder if those glutenny grains were fermented if I would handle them differently.
Kelsey says
I can tell you from my own experience, that I have no trouble eating real sourdough, even though I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. It makes a huge difference in how well I digest the gluten. I was so happy to discover that, because life with bread is just better! 🙂 (I took Wardeh’s sourdough e-course over at gnowfglins.com, if you’re interested in learning about it – or I’m sure Cheeseslave’s new grains class is going to be awesome too)
Amber J says
I agree that listening to your own body is of vital importance. I recently decided to do some experimenting with grains and I cut out almost all flour products for approximately three weeks. I found that my energy level increased, my feet were less swollen feeling in the morning upopn waking, my joints and bones were less achy and overal I felt great. After this period of time I started having cravings for bread, tortillas, etc. I decided it was time to try eating flour again for a while to see how I feel. This is where I am at now.
JimPurdy.blogspot.com says
I like this Mercola quote:
“However, that is what works for me. You must listen to YOUR body and perform your own experiment. The bottom line is how your body responds, and you’re the ONLY one who can determine that.”
That’s the crucial test for me. I don’t care what everybody else says, if my own body tells me otherwise. And my body does seem to be clearly telling me that it does not like milk, yogurt, or bread.
Jim Purdy