Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Sisson. I’m 63 years young. I live and work in Malibu, California. In a past life I was a professional marathoner and triathlete. Now my life goal is to help 100 million people get healthy. I started this blog in 2006 to empower people to take full responsibility for their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we’ve assumed to be true about health and wellness...
I find that grain bashing makes for a tasty, but ultimately unsatisfying meal.
You all know how much I love doing it, though. But no matter how often I sit down to dine on the stuff (and I’ve done it with great gusto in the past), I always leave the table feeling like I left something behind. Like maybe I wasn’t harsh enough about the danger of gluten, or I failed to really convey just how much I hated lectins. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the mere mention of grains was eliciting a crazy insulin-esque response and throwing my satiety hormones all out of whack. I was filling up on anti-grain talk, but I just couldn’t fill that void for long.
Well, I’ve got the hunger today, and this time I aim to stuff myself to the point of perpetual sickness. I don’t ever want to have to look at another anti-grain argument again (yeah, right). If things get a little disjointed, or if I descend into bullet points and sentence fragments, it’s only because the hunger has taken over and I’ve decided to dispense with the pleasantries in order to lay it all out at once.
So please, bear with me.
Apart from maintaining social conventions in certain situations and obtaining cheap sugar calories, there is absolutely no reason to eat grains. Believe me – I’ve searched far and wide and asked everyone I can for just one good reason to eat cereal grains, but no one can do it. They may have answers, but they just aren’t good enough. For fun, though, let’s see take a look at some of the assertions:
“You need the fiber!”
Okay, for one: no, I don’t. If you’re referring to its oft-touted ability to move things along in the inner sanctum, fiber has some unintended consequences. 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.” Err, that sounds positively awful. Banging and tearing? Rupturing? These are not the words I like to hear. But wait! The study’s authors say, “It’s a good thing.” Fantastic! So when all those sticks and twigs rub up against my fleshy interior and literally rupture my intestinal lining, I’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s all part of the plan, right?
Somehow, I’m not convinced that a massive daily infusion of insoluble grain fiber is all that essential. And that “lubricating mucus” sounds an awful like the mucus people with irritable bowel syndrome complain about. From personal experience I can tell you that once I completed my exodus from grains, the IBS completely stopped. If you’re not yet convinced on the fiber issue I’ll refer you to Konstantin Monastyrsky’s Fiber Menace. Anyway, there’s plenty of fiber in the vegetables and fruit I eat. Which takes me to the next claim:
“You need the vitamins and minerals!”
You got me. I do need vitamins and minerals, like B1 and B2, magnesium and iron, zinc and potassium. But do I need to obtain them by eating a carb-heavy, bulky grain? No, no I don’t. You show me a serving of “healthy whole grains” that can compete – nutrient, vitamin, and mineral-wise – with a Big Ass Salad. What’s that? Can’t do it? Thought so.
“But it forms the foundation of the governmental food pyramid!”
You know, I should have just started the entire post with this one. I could have saved my fingers the trouble of typing and your eyes the trouble of reading. Governmental endorsements are not points in your favor, grain-eater; they are strikes against you. An appeal to authority (unless that “authority” is actually a preponderance of scientific evidence, of course) does not an effective argument make. Conventional Wisdom requires consistent, steady dissection and criticism if it is to be of any value.
There’s a reason grains are first and foremost on the list of foods to avoid when following the Primal Blueprint: they are completely and utterly pointless in the context of a healthy diet. In fact, if your average unhealthy person were to ask for the top three things to avoid in order to get healthy, I would tell them to stop smoking, to stop drinking their calories (as soda or juice), and to stop eating grains. Period. Full stop. They really are that bad.
I’ve mentioned this time and again, but the fundamental problem with grains is that they are a distinctly Neolithic food that the human animal has yet to adapt to consuming. In fact, cereal grains figured prominently in the commencement of the New Stone Age; grains were right there on the forefront of the agricultural revolution. Hell, they were the agricultural revolution – einkorn wheat, emmer, millet, and spelt formed the backbone of Neolithic farming. They could be stored for months at a time, they were easy enough to grow in massive enough quantities to support a burgeoning population, and they promoted the construction of permanent settlements. Oh, and they were easily hoarded, meaning they were probably an early form of currency (and, by extension, a potential source of income inequality). And here’s the kicker: they were harsh, tough things that probably didn’t even taste very good. It also took a ton of work just to make them edible, thanks to their toxic anti-nutrients.
Toxic anti-nutrients? Do tell.
Living things generally do not want to be consumed by other living things. Being digested, for the most part, tends to interrupt survival, procreation, propagation of the species – you know, standard stuff that fauna and flora consider pretty important. To avoid said consumption, living things employ various self defense mechanisms. Rabbits, for example, with their massive ears, considerable fast-twitch muscle fibers, and nasty claws, can usually hear a predator coming, outrun (out-hop?) nearly anything, and (in a pinch) slash a tender belly to shreds. Blue whales are too big to fit into your mouth, while porcupines are walking reverse pincushions. Point is, animals have active defense mechanisms. They run, fight, jump, climb, fly, sting, bite, and even appeal to our emotions (if you’ve ever seen a puppy beg for a treat with sad eyes, you know that isn’t just accidental cuteness) in order to survive. All the while, predators are constantly evolving and generating adaptations.
Plants, though, are passive organisms without the ability to move, think, and react (for the most part). They must employ different tactics to ensure propagation, and they generally have to rely on outside forces to spread their seed. And so various methods are “devised” to dissuade consumption long enough for the seed to get to where it’s going. Nuts have those tough shells, and grains have the toxic anti-nutrients, lectins, gluten, and phytates. (Of course there are some obvious exceptions. Fruits are tasty, nutritious, and delicious so that animals will eat them whole and poop out the seeds, preferably into some fertile soil. The seed stays intact throughout the digestive process; it is indigestible by design. No seed “wants” to be digested, because this would defeat the purpose. They “want” to be swallowed, or borne by the wind, or carried by a bee to the next flower, but they do not want to be digested.)
Some animals are clearly adapted to grain consumption. Birds, rodents, and some insects can deal with the anti-nutrients. Humans, however, cannot. Perhaps if grains represented a significant portion of our ancestral dietary history, things might be a bit different. Some of us can digest dairy, and we’ve got the amylase enzyme present in our saliva to break down starches if need be, but we simply do not have the wiring necessary to mitigate the harmful effects of lectins, gluten, and phytate.
Gluten might be even worse. Gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley, is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. Around 1% of the population are celiacs, people who are completely and utterly intolerant of any gluten. In celiacs, any gluten in the diet can be disastrous. We’re talking compromised calcium and vitamin D3 levels, hyperparathyroidism, bone defects. Really terrible stuff. And it gets worse: just because you’re not celiac doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the ravages of gluten. As Stephan highlights, one study showed that 29% of asymptomatic (read: not celiac) people nonetheless tested positive for anti-gliadin IgA in their stool. Anti-gliadin IgA is an antibody produced by the gut, and it remains there until it’s dispatched to ward off gliadin – a primary component of gluten. Basically, the only reason anti-gliadin IgA ends up in your stool is because your body sensed an impending threat – gluten. If gluten poses no threat, the anti-gliadin IgA stays in your gut. And to think, most Americans eat this stuff on a daily basis.
Phytates are a problem, too, because they make minerals bio-unavailable (so much for all those healthy vitamins and minerals we need from whole grains!), thus rendering null and void the last, remaining argument for cereal grain consumption.
What, then, is the point to all this grain madness? Is there a good reason for anyone (with access to meat, fruit, and vegetables, that is) to rely on cereal grains for a significant portion of their caloric intake?
The answer is unequivocally, undeniably no. We do not need grains to survive, let alone thrive. In fact, they are naturally selected to ward off pests, whether they be insects or hominids. I suggest we take the hint and stop eating them.
And with that, I’m done. I don’t think I could eat another bite.
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Sounds like a wonderful idea! There is nothing like a good ole primal salad 🙂
I can’t believe I just read this article…
It is a MUST READ for anyone who thinks grains are good for them! I will be passing this around the web like crazy 🙂
R
4 years 9 months ago
While I feel it’s probably right, it surely isn’t a must read. That is, unless your must read criteria favors feelings and cute parenthetical usage over evidence and citations.
Iqra
4 years 20 days ago
Thank you Mark Sisson for this article and everyone who commented. The Paleo diet is amazing and giving up grains was one of the best decisions I have made for my life and health.
@R: Actually if you look through the article Mark links to a bunch of studies to back up his key points. Personally I am very much against gluten grains, although I do eat healthier grains like rice once or twice a week. For pleasure, not for health. At the end of the day, grains are a food group that contains absolutely NO essential nutrients that you can’t get in MUCH greater amounts from animals and vegetables. Therefore, making them the foundation of the food pyramid (or food plate) just doesn’t make any sense at all. I think the evidence is… Read more »
Zac
3 years 9 months ago
Agreed. These are some interesting assertions, and probably worth investigating, but where is the evidence? What sources can you cite? Are there any peer-reviewed studies that support your claims?
It takes more than vitriol and big words to make me change my daily habits.
J
3 years 8 months ago
Research paleo diet and you will see that it is greatly considered a bad idea based off inaccurate theory. Red meat and eggs high in cholesterol good cancer preventing grain bad? This is essentially a dairy free Atkins fad diet. It’s actually listed as one of the worst diets out of a list of 25 and is generally considered a fad diet. It’s based on a diet of people that didn’t live long and had horrible health. By the way fiber does a lot more than give you a solid shit. Oh we’ll have fun with your colon cancer dumb… Read more »
J
3 years 8 months ago
Also the key is moderation. There is no need to cut anything completely out of your diet. Why punish yourself. Health is based on person to person. No one has the right answer. One person say eat it or prepare it like this and the next says dont. The key is to get the nutrients you need I’m a moderate and common sense diet.
Emma
3 years 6 months ago
Of the links that he gives in the article, several of them lead to dud 404 error pages. One of them was done 40 years ago, and the one from 2006 that he linked to hadn’t even been published when he got the info from it. The only legit article I could see that he linked to had a p value of 0.036 for the variable he was interested in which, while statistically significant in some studies, is not an overwhelmingly positive result, and I couldn’t find any other articles to back this result up. Meanwhile, I look this up… Read more »
I agree with Kris’s comment that the article is full of studies to back up most of the salient points. And I’m no fan of grains at all. However, I think the article could use a bit of updating based on what we know now, specifically in terms of fiber and lectins. Lectins are bad, but they’re almost always broken down by heat and digestion, so the harmful effects are mostly limited to folks with a compromised gut flora or pre-existing digestive issues. More importantly, while we don’t need the fiber that grains contain (predominantly non-fermentable), our guts do thrive… Read more »
Arejaye
4 years 3 months ago
The thing here though is….is if you believe everything you read, there’s nothin’ left on the menu, so to speak. Most, if not all foods have some benefit, BUT….all things in moderation. And I don’t find this article a “must read”. Interesting yes. Must read, no way. The only foods I can think of off the top of my head to DEF stay away from, from bite one, is stuff like McDonalds, etc., but we’d be comparing oranges to apples. I’d hardly call McDonalds “food”…it just fills your gut and your arteries with crap you don’t want EVER! Trust me….I… Read more »
Have you tried eliminating grains? I did and saw some amazing results. I lost forty lbs, saw my allergies almost disappear, and my asthma completely resolved. My allergist still refuses to believe that it has anything to do with grains, even though every time I have beer or some pizza I will wheeze for a day or more. To her, like you, it is simply too unlikely. There must be some other explanation. I.e. ‘That Tim guy is a crazy nut.’ (I won’t dispute that part.) I tried the conventional wisdom of eating ‘heart healthy whole grains’, bags of veggies… Read more »
Do not eat grains
4 years 2 months ago
For the sake of your health I would suggest you reconsider your position on this subject. Besides corn there are no grain foods that we eat today that are unprocessed. I challenge you to find a grain (other than corn) and try to eat it in its natural state. you’ll either swallow it whole in which case it will go straight through you like fiber or you’ll be booking yourself into the dentist to get your chipped teeth fixed after trying to chew it. even if you did get to the contents within the grains shell you would not enjoy… Read more »
Arejay, Congratulations on making it through what sounds like an awfully scary and traumatic experience! I’m happy you’ve chosen to pay attention to your diet. It’s definitely smart to avoid McDonald’s. However, it sounds like you’re informed by old recommendations. Saturated fat has not been proven unequivocally to raise cholesterol and clog arteries. Your body produces almost all the cholesterol it needs, and you actually absorb <10% cholesterol from foods. Chronic inflammation promotes arterial plaques, and this is something you must address with a good diet. The only true "bad fats" out there are hydrogentated oils. Stress and healthy social… Read more »
A popular book “wheat belly”, refers to evidence the wheat plant has been re-engineered in order to produce more in a shorter time in short in the name of profits. This may partially explain why for centuries we did not have issues eating grains and now we do.
Oh dear! Whose bible have you been reading? Even my doctor is telling his patients to ditch the bread. But if you ARE intent on having bread, perhaps read ‘Nourishing Traditions’ by Sally Fallon.
Bob
3 years 9 months ago
You might be ok with a few oats now and again. Be sure to by the organic gluten free ones. You can actually pick oat and eat it raw, so it would qualify in the sphere of “what we used to eat.” I think you really need to find a good “health” practitioner where you live. I don’t mean a “sickness” practitioner. Sickness practitioners (otherwise known as doctors) make their money when your sick. They have no financial incentive to keep you well. I beg you to take more responsibility for your health and become informed.
ROBERT
3 years 8 months ago
I eliminated grains about 6 weeks ago after reading Wheat Belly. All my cravings are gone and this is the best i have felt in years!
J
3 years 8 months ago
I say your asthma is a result of you believing from the get go the grains would help. In other words placebo. Just listened to an asthma study were placebo and medicated patients felt same exact results. In other words I don’t believe you either.
Tina
3 years 5 months ago
To the comment posted by “J” (Feb. 6, 2012) in response to “Tim’s” comment about his allergy disappearing and that being the placebo effect – that’s untrue. I went off gluten last year because I had been tested years earlier only to discover, after an 8-week detox/reintroduction of nearly everything, that I am wheat sensitive, but had, sadly, fallen back off the wagon with my pregnancies. Within a few years I was diagnosed with asthma, experienced itchy, flaking ears, was chronically bloated, and felt an overall lethargy, not to mention the severe mood swings and bouts of depression. Thus, I… Read more »
Sandra
3 years 4 months ago
Give us this day our DAILY bread? Like you said, you can’t believe everything you read.
Do Not Eat Grains…knows what he/she is talking about; sounds like Dr. Jason Fung, an internist in Toronto, Canada who has done an extensive review of most of the published scientific evidence in the last 50+ years. See his 6-part YouTube Video Lecture series “Aetiology of Obesity.” He is having great success treating his Type 2 Diabetes patients with a combination of intermittent fasting and the paleo diet principles of cutting out processed carbohydrates and vegetable oils.
M
2 years 3 months ago
Without those grains, and other glutenous high GI starchy carbs, cholesterol would be burned for energy, along with fat and protein… Then there would be no need for oatmeal to lower the bad cholesterol. Just sayin’.
SwampSoldier
1 year 11 months ago
“daily bread”= Word of God (in the context you’re referring to)
Xin
2 years 1 month ago
“…so the harmful effects are mostly limited to folks with a compromised gut flora or pre-existing digestive issues.” The issue here is that, given the plethora of intestinal-barrier-loosening substances in foods like wheat (its proteins demonstrably act on zonulin, which loosens tight junctions), and the contributions to this damage by dairy, and processed foods. (via, to give one out of tens of examples, indigestible large molecules)… it is very likely that many people have compromised guts to some noticeable degree. The issue is that statements like this cause folks who have not officially been told or “diagnosed” as having damaged… Read more »
Xin
2 years 1 month ago
Also, while I did not really touch on it all, the gut is a very complex system. Hormones, immune barrier, an entire microbiome… and constantly processing our energy and nutrients. There are many other effects on the health of the digestive system than just intestinal barrier loosening and gut flora problems, although both are HUGE in and of themselves. Inflamed intestinal lining, overgrowth of undesirable microbes.. all such things are very likely quite common. Not knowing about a health problem does not equal not having it. Since most health issues are a continuum (and do not just become significant when… Read more »
Alex
1 year 20 days ago
you really need to go watch vegan gains on youtube. low carb diets are not healthy or sustainable. this data is cherry picked.
Rob
5 years 5 months ago
Hello all,
I recently discovered this blog and have found it very interesting. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests a link between grain consumption and chronic degenerative diseases. I’m interested in the link between lectins from grains (specifically legumes) and neurodegenrative diseases such as dystonia and other movement disorders. Does anyone out there have information about this or know of anyone who has successfully treated their dystonia by adopting a Paleo-diet? Thanks….
Lynda
4 years 10 months ago
Ah, grains, ie. cereal grains, are not legumes. Peas, beans, alfalfa, carob, soy, peanuts. They are plants in the Fabaceae family. Cereal grains are grasses in the monocat family Poaceae.
Lindsey
4 years 8 months ago
My husband and I recently embarked on a “healthier” alternative lifestyle just over a month ago…and when I say alternative, it’s due to the fact that it is not your average American diet including cereal, pasta, bread and “whole grains.” In fact, we eliminated grains completely and have been enjoying lean protein, vegetables and some fruits. In this past month, I have lost 11 lbs. (that I have been trying to lose the past two years) and my husband has lost 18 lbs. Now, I’m not promoting this as a “diet plan” because while that certainly was a nice side… Read more »
Mike C
4 years 7 months ago
It really is amazing to me that our government pushes everyone to eat something so bad for you just so they can make billions of dollars a year. They know its bad for us, they just dont care. I am a veteran and after 1 particular tour in Iraq i all of a sudden had asthma. I was sent for tons of tests that came up inconclusive and they ended up giving me an inhaler an advair neither of which helped. After 2 years of using meds that didnt work and all types of tests nothing worked and i felt… Read more »
Shake
4 years 5 months ago
Gave up gluten because daughter gets rashes and who knows what else internally and have noticed improvements in my health as well. For instance, with my last pregnancy i didn’t gain as much weight or get swollen ankles and stuff. But i also don’t eat meat, except wildcaught seafood and eggs. and i don’t eat dairy. also don’t eat HFCS. so i’m questioning if it’s the gluten free that is responsible for me being healthy. Also i eat a lot of rice and corn because it doesn’t have gluten. Is rice and corn restricted in this diet? what about beans?… Read more »
piedade
4 years 1 month ago
What if you are a vegetarian? How do you fill up? On vegetables? I read an article on how soy has been transformed and we should not eat it?
Ashwin
4 years 2 months ago
Hi Rob, I have dystonia. I read on one dystonia forum of a forum member adopting this diet and seeing significant changes.
You are right, I discovered it couple of days ago and Mark changed my life!
About paleo diet treatment and proof that it can cure is myself! It changed me, I feel more energized a lot better since I started it.
Arrepentios!!!!
5 years 25 days ago
Arrepientanse hippies, todo lo que comen les hace da~o porque viven en una vida llena de pecado y por eso tienen miedo de comer lo que Dios creo para nuestro bien….ustedes le dicen malo a lo que Dios dice bueno. Estan enfermos por pecadores NO por comer gluten o granos. Arrepientanse!
god didn’t create modern grains, people did by taking entirely inedible grasses and turning them into edible, albeit indigestible grains like wheat etc.
I have been learning more about the paleo diet from a friend of mine. My experience is in veganism and macrobiotics, and as I am learning more about our excess grain consumption as a society, what you say Marion really makes sense to me. You can pick an apple or pluck a lettuce leaf and it is ready to eat, but wheat or rice pulled from the ground are certainly not!
Joy
4 years 8 months ago
while I am on the fence about the whole grain issue I have to say Jesus Christ did eat bread did he not? I mean cavemen didn’t eat “salads” they didn’t eat fruit salads either. They didn’t eat nearly many of the things we eat today. They just weren’t available. So should we assume eating chinese, italian are bad too? I think the problem with the whole grains is that they are “bulking” up too much of most peoples meals. too many carbs and fiber. Instead of a bowl of cereal maybe some eggs and a piece of toast? Or… Read more »
frenzy
4 years 5 months ago
god didnt make the computer you’re sitting at.
or the polyester your wearing.
oh, and if it’s cotton you’re wearing, well remember, just like grains, cotton plants were harvested too.
this article is bogus.
Sam Scott
2 years 1 month ago
Some thoughts on Jesus and bread: He was penniless, itinerant, and spent much time preaching among the poor — saying “daily steak” would have been unrealistic and cruel. The Roman Empire was known for its free public bread, so He might have been using a common turn of phrase for “sustenance”. He was either the Son of God, and could have eaten uranium if He wanted to… or an ordinary man who grew up poor and couldn’t have known anything about nutrition. Either way, He had no reason to avoid bread. His theme was all about getting into Heaven, not… Read more »
and honestly, calling us hippy sinners? and that we’re only sick because we’re sinners? i can only presume you’re joking, otherwise take your zeal and stuff it where the sun don’t shine!
Erik
4 years 6 months ago
I think you have missed the fact that humans has been around for more than 100 000 years. Jesus christ was born 2012 years ago.
Anyone who believes in the christian god please explain why god was slacking at least 98000 of those years before he decided to sacrifice his son?
Tee Dee
1 year 5 months ago
I’d like to see one theist show any historical proof that “Jesus” even existed. Careful records were kept of everything back then, yet not a single shred of evidence exists; and you can’t count the bible as it was clearly written by men and shows many inconsistencies and outright contradictions. Not to mention that the “Jesus Story” was told for hundreds of years before his supposed arrival. They just changed the names of those born of a virgin, having 12 followers, performing healings and ‘miracles’, being killed and rising again in 3 days. Those stories were told about Horus, Mithra,… Read more »
Pancho
4 years 4 months ago
Quién dice que dios existe? Edúcate, por favor.
Rich
4 years 3 months ago
Jesus Christ never existed.
Twicenow
3 years 2 months ago
@rich You’re wrong, there’s evidence that He did, in fact exist.
Marck
4 years 2 months ago
hahahaha your comment is hilarius.
diogenes
4 years 1 month ago
He seems to have had an impact, nonetheless. “AD” and all that…
Digo
4 years 7 months ago
Ok. Grains are bad, too much sugar is bad, a bit of sugar is bad, salt is bad, milk is bad, gluten is bad, egg is bad, meat is bad (acoording to some people), being vegetarian is bad (according to other people), everything you like is bad and what you don’t like, but got used to them, became bad. The problem is not what we eat but how we eat. How we mentally accept food as a good thing – or not. How we don’t feel guilty when we eat some things, how we start creating all kind of illness… Read more »
ediddy
4 years 6 months ago
I think we were meant to eat meat, veggies, and fruit, and even some dairy. I don’t think there is anything wrong with eating eggs (mainly because I don’t believe modern science is on our side, and anything approved by the government is a sham and a lie and a way to put more money in their pockets). Life IS enjoyable without grains. My life is a living HELL with grains. If you have never felt the feeling of a thousand hot burning sharp razor blades traveling slowly through your intestines, and the sudden diarrhea at the worst possible times,… Read more »
Erik
4 years 6 months ago
I don’t think we were MEANT for eating anything specific. We have evolved and so our bodies has had more time to adapt to eating meat, veggies and fruit.
mick
4 years 5 months ago
What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
John
4 years 5 months ago
Very good points;
JW
4 years 4 months ago
“ediddy”, there were better, less flamey ways of putting that. Really, though, the fact that the debate is so vitriolic is ridiculous to begin with. Different people have different dietary tolerances for different things. For instance, I’m apparently one of those 70% or more of people who can tolerate at least small amounts of cereal grain. (Remember: only 1% have celiac and 29% of that study were non-celiac with the signs of resistance showing up; that sounds soooo scary, doesn’t it? Until you realize this means 70% of people don’t have any problem at least passing gluten!) This doesn’t mean… Read more »
Joe Cushing
3 years 5 months ago
Actually, when it comes to eggs, modern science is on our side. It’s been nearly 3 decades since eggs were shown to at least not be harmful to us. Unfortunately they have not been able to break through the propaganda against them, even though the propaganda has long since stopped. I see eggs as beneficial because when people eat eggs for breakfast, they are not eating a bowl of cereal. Now if we could get them to not have toast with those eggs.
anon
3 years 2 months ago
How you feel when you eat grains is the way some people, myself included, feel when they eat meat.
Without meat it’s pretty difficult to eat a reasonable amount of calories unless you also consume grains and/or legumes.
Also, last I heard modern science was saying that eggs -are- healthy.
I see this differently. I don’t care how bad you BELIEVE something is for your body. If the substance in question isn’t bad for the human body, it won’t hurt you. The power of your MIND is hurting you in such a case. PLACEBO effect! The proof to all this is in the results. I am going to give up grains and see what the results are. I will see how my body changes in it’s appearance. I will see if I feel better. I know my father ate tons of candy and tons of bread. He also smoked and… Read more »
Lisa P
3 years 8 months ago
I do have to say that the toxic ingredients that are in our processed foods here in the US are not allowed in Europe. The same companies that make our everyday American processed crap foods, make a less processed, non toxic version in Europe. I suspect the cigarette industry does something similar. Why would they do this? They are socialist and their government is responsible for their healthcare. Prevent illness, save money. Here in the “land of the free”, our government and their agencies approved those very same ingredients that are banned in Europe. Everyone gets sick, big corporations such… Read more »
Yes, we live a stressful life but folks in Japan aren’t exactly stress free and according to the article you linked to they live a lot longer than we do. I have to believe the difference is in what we’re eating. Many people think European and Mediterranean diets are pastry, pasta and pizza, but those things form a very small part of their meals. With fish, meat and vegetables forming the largest part and grains composing a much smaller part. In the US, thanks to the USDA, for most people, grains compose the major part of their diet. Scientists have… Read more »
What are we going to do, which most of the people we know and love would probably throw stones as if we tell them not only should they not eat grains, but no nuts and no seeds. I, fortunately, met Wil Spencer of Body Electrician and I learned from him most of what you share here. I was having unbelievable digestion problems, IBS etc. Spent $1,000s on all manner of probiotics, but when I eliminated the grains etc., with days I saw immediate improvement. Now I a working on repopulating my gut and restoring it after all the damage I… Read more »
matthew gibb
4 years 4 months ago
I can see where the real problem is.We have very limited choices in an industrial society.Everyone is time starved and grains like corn,rice,potatoes and noodles give us the necessary boost.I still eat fruit,but that is usually for breakfast.I would think expanding the variety of what you’re eating would lead to a healthier life.Problem is most everything is refined and put in bright packages for long life.Real food seems harder to come by everyday.
Genghis
3 years 9 months ago
“Apart from maintaining social conventions in certain situations and obtaining cheap sugar calories, there is absolutely no reason to eat grains.” This is a presumption based upon the authors (limited) knowledge in relation to all of the effects, energetic and in terms of process that eating a grain has on the body. He just doesnt know all of the reasons TO eat grain. This doesnt mean that he is correct in his presumptions. I will look at each though. “You need the fiber!” his retort amounts to because I feel like it and because I said so. One study cited… Read more »
Is there reason why you would recommend eating grains?
Albert
3 years 6 months ago
The evidence is right here on this board. People are giving their testimonies and yes grains are not good for us.
I have just been on this plan for the last four days and I can feel the difference (not eating at night, sleeping well, lost 1lb and just feel good).
It works and they only way to know is to try it with:
• No grain
• No sugary drinks
• No smoke
All equal healthy weight loss.
Jennifer
3 years 4 months ago
I have been doing this as well for about 4 days now. However, I can not say I feel good! I’ve had a dull headache the day after I started, sweaty and very tired. I suspect that it’s just my body rebelling from the lack of sugar, starch, wheat and grains, and that eventually I will start to feel better. I will say on a positive note though, I am not always hungry. Generally when I’d eat before I’d be hungry again in an hour. Now however, I eat and am satisfied for hours, sometimes I don’t even need to… Read more »
thixotropic
2 years 10 months ago
Those phytates and lectins DO have a purpose in grains. To keep them from being eaten or digested! Phytates: to make that grain INdigestible, so that when the grains are eaten by birds, they will be pooped out intact. We’d poop them out intact too, if we didn’t grind and cook them, but they will still bind to the minerals in our food and shut down production of pepsin, amylase, and trypsin, 3 different digestive enzymes. These things really don’t want to be digested! Lectins: Insecticides; they’re poisonous to everything except birds and rodents. While soaking and rinsing does remove… Read more »
Julia
2 years 2 days ago
Wheat was originally domesticated for beer making. Bread was an afterthought and a byproduct of that endeavour. In the form of beer, the wheat was much more digestible and nutritious because of the fermentation process than the way it is typically eaten now.
Sandra
2 years 7 months ago
I don’t follow blogs directed at vegans and try to convince them that they are all demented. I find it odd that so many people who are against the Primal or Paleo diet are skulking around on a blog that is written for those of us who are, or who are interested in living the Primal/Paleo lifestyle. For most of us, we eat this way because we benefit from it. It’s not a fad diet for us. From the comments I’m reading here, it seems like a lot of people must get all their information from blogs and then when… Read more »
Wenona
2 years 7 months ago
great comments, Sandra 🙂
Walter Bushell
10 hours 52 minutes ago
Most people with a religion feel the need to prosthelytize and many believe that eating meat is morally wrong, just like some religions believe that certain forms of birth control are morally wrong to the point of using deadly force against them.
For example, in my youth in Maryland, condoms could only be sold in restrooms in bars, due I was told to influence from the Roman Catholic Church.
shrimp4me
3 years 5 months ago
Human adaptibility is why we as a species have been so successful. There seems to be a very wide genetic variation in what foods we can tolerate/thrive on so unfortunately the only way to find out what foods work best for a given individual is trial and error. I do best on proteins/veggies/moderate fat with some fruit (mostly berries) and Greek yogurt–makes sense given my northern European ancestry. As my ancestors moved north they would have found fewer plants and more animals to eat; adjusting to a higher-protein diet while their skin and eyes faded to adjust to the decreasing… Read more »
Jeremie
2 years 10 months ago
I think the best diet is to eat as many foods that are not processed at all. If they could not eat 20 000 years ago than we shouldn’t eat it. That in my opinion is the best diet.
I am rolling on the floor as I read this, I love it!
Roooo
1 year 8 months ago
Vegetables contain anti nutrients too -.- .. and if you soak rice/legumes you remove most of them.. fermentation over 24 hours can remove over 95%
Ca
1 year 4 months ago
As I read the comments below I find the talk & different believes void of the fact that we ourselves create sick bodies through our diets and lack of physical activities. Then we try to undo what we created through what seems to be extreme diet measures to us. See at birth the average ( key word) person is breast feed (the intended) or feed a fortified substitute ( uh ohh). As toddlers we began consuming cows milk (not intended for human consumption) to accompany cereal, cookies etc and were given fruits and veggies to consume in between meals in… Read more »
dave, RN
6 years 11 months ago
Very well said. When I spoke to one of fellow nurses about my dietary habits and explained that i don’t eat grains or potatoes legumes etc, she said “but how do you get your starches” like it was some sort of required food group. And this from a NURSE. She should know better, but many don’t because they just spit out what they are taught. And therein lies our problem…
JulieD
6 years 11 months ago
That’s because she’s learned it from the doctor. 😉
Melissa
4 years 9 months ago
Well-we are subject to the media, government and big pharma(which has our gvt in its pocket)..I instruct nurses and med students..they are not physiologists. They are not given enough information on what is dietarily necessary. They are preprogramed before entering study to have the same adulterated view of what is “good” and “necessary” for existance. This includes some cancer meds and many medicines overall. Big pharma, plus government control of the FDA and media..hmm..what makes the world go around? Could it be money? Come on-
James
4 years 8 months ago
Thank you, Melissa!! You, for one, are a very aware of what’s going on around you and not hypnotized by our media, government and big industries that capitalize off of the bad health of the public. You also realize the the Federal Reserve is a private banking corporation, not part of the government at all? The Federal Reserve is the puppet master; all of the big industries and the government are far below them. I wonder what their agenda is??? Hmmm, you and I and a few others are well aware but most others are blind to their own demise.
1st world problems
4 years 5 months ago
Hmm, like the “alternative” health industry isn’t worth billions of dollars also? Like that whole area isn’t full of quacks and scam artists trying to part the desperate and ignorant from their hard earned money? C’mon yourself. To be honest you sound a lot like my mum, who didn’t believe in getting pap smears because it’s all about “big pharma” playing on our fears. Hey, she eats all organic, is fit and meditates- what could possibly go wrong? Now she has stage 3 cervical cancer and wont do the chemo- apparently peroxide and mega vitamin C injections do the same… Read more »
Neil
4 years 7 months ago
You are aware that a doctoral degrees require a compulsory 25hrs of nutrition in between 7-10 years of study. Surveys of American instutions found the majority manage less than 20hrs. Is the suggestion is that Doctors are some sort of authority on nutrition??
Rich
4 years 3 months ago
Most doctors are non-thinking fools, who only know what they were told in medical school.
Their teachers in medical school, in many cases, were non-thinking fools as well.
Very, very FEW doctors are involved in research.
Some doctors simply look at symptoms and prescribe what they see in a book somewhere.
Doctors have killed more people than you care to count.
Whoa, hold up there. Do you even know how hard it is to get into medical school to begin with? You can’t get in by memorizing things (although it helps) as they place heavy emphasis on critical thinking. Very few doctors are involved in research because a researchers rarely get above 6 figures while doctors get way more usually. Well how else would they know what disorder/disease you have if you don’t look at the symptoms? Those are the only available sources of information and the so called “books” are thoroughly researched to give the best possible guess with the… Read more »
Rachel
6 years 10 months ago
Realize that a lot of these nurses are taking this from actual classes, real professionals and researchers, not reading it online where anybody can post anything quite obviously.
Esther Anders
6 years 9 months ago
Ummm…well Doctors take about a days worth of nutritional classes in the 4-8 years of medical school. That really isn’t good. Look it up. My husband works at a hospital (security) and has been told how much nutrition classes they’ve had, and they’ve said about 8 hours while they were in medical school. Anything over and above that(for them personally has been little to none), they had to learn on their own. But let me ask you, if you’re not taught to learn about nutrition in school to be a doctor or nurse, then why would you think that’s important… Read more »
Stent
6 years 5 months ago
Dr’s may only get about 8 hours of nutrition training but nurses get an entire semester, we know better.
LittleOne
6 years 3 months ago
oh well said! I always trust the advice of security guards over a medical professional.
Everyone! Relieve the global strain on health systems while solving the overpopulation issue, see security guards and herbal charlatans for all your ailments!
Tyler
6 years 29 days ago
Cancer and ‘herbal remedies’ should *never* be used in the same sentence. Anybody recommending such tripe should be exorcised, for they surely have a demon living inside their noggin.
sarabear
5 years 9 months ago
this isn’t so much a response to esther as it is to ‘littleone’ and ‘tyler’. it’s so disappointing to see such unenlightenment from people that have managed to stray so radically from the diet ‘prescribed’ by the government and health ‘authorities’ – the same people that want to prescribe you a drug for every ailment, needless to say those which include the ‘conventional’ cancer treatments. if you’ve got enough stomach to make it to the end, i think you’ll be Very surprised with what you find and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be the ones telling all Your family, friends, colleagues,… Read more »
sarabear
5 years 9 months ago
lol, with all my ranting, i forgot to post the link [that i hope Everyone will have the stomach, and the patience, to watch to the end – i.e. part 6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DW-twcOQcE
of course, same applies here. don’t believe everything you read/hear/see. do the research yourself.
Niki
5 years 5 months ago
Stent: 8 hrs means 8 credit hours which is usually two semesters. One semester is 3 to 4 credit hrs.
Aaron
5 years 5 months ago
Chiropractors take an entire year of nutrition courses… Not all Dr’s are created equal…
Courtney
5 years 1 month ago
Just so you know, speaking from experience, doctors aren’t stupid. There are definitely some bad ones, but most of them really are trying to help. I’ve been lucky enough to get a couple of true professionals. Yes, they have stuck me with needles, and yes they prescribe medicine, but it all has a legitimate purpose. I’m diabetic, and without my doctor I’d be dead. I wouldn’t trust anyone else (outside myself and my family) more with my life. I know you are probably coming from a valid history of bad experience with doctors, but I just wanted to defend them… Read more »
I agree. Dr.’s are scaling their patients so they have to return, its all about the money now..
nicole
4 years 10 months ago
your so stupid
Terin
4 years 8 months ago
I agree with what you share about food. I am eating a paleo diet and feel great. Please don’t direct people to “herbal doctors” stating they will “take care of it” for serious medical and health issues. Sometimes they can, my friend died foregoing traditional western medicine treatments for herbs. Sometimes herbs work; great! You can’t deny that chemo has saved thousands of lives. It’s a delicate choice; herbal doctors are a great source toward recovery from treatments such as chemo.
Stacey
4 years 7 months ago
My dad died just over a year ago from cancer ALL THANKS to the “dr’s” for killing him. We found out to late he could have naturally been cured. I am 32 and both parents are dead from cancer. I have learned a great lesson though, and I know my parents are happy about that. But to know the could have been saved is such a sad thing and I try to tell as many as I can that not all doctors are there to “help” you, and to do your research first. Anything you want is right here online… Read more »
MISS
4 years 4 months ago
WELL SAID SARABEAR!
Rich
4 years 3 months ago
You are correct. In many cases, doctors treat SYMPTOMS, not the cause.
You’d be surprised that in Cuba, there is more emphasis on the causes of things than just treating a sympton. Being they are a 3rd world country, we here in the U.S. could do much better if politics and PROFIT$ weren’t an issue!
Sarah
3 years 7 months ago
Haha… 🙂 Research? From what!?! Websites like this? Written from the biased and close-minded view of one person. Research is going out into the field and finding your OWN results, with logical and scientific backgrounds, not copying it off cheap crappy websites like this.
“training” or “indoctrination by the meat and dairy industry”
We’ve done the studies, we’ve seen the evidence.
toniolio
6 years 4 months ago
Perhaps it was an older nurse? or doctor? do you really think that once they graduated 20-30 years ago they kept up on the research?
I have a B.Sc. Neuroscience, and M.Sc. Physical Therapy… yes, I’m a health professional. And I did LOTS of study on nutrition, biochemistry, exercise physiology. And this post makes sense.
So…. I guess I didn’t pay attention to those “real” professionals and researchers, right?
Loren
5 years 1 month ago
The YouTube video above has been removed by the user. Why is that?
Adam
4 years 1 month ago
Dear Melissa, miss registered dietitian, I am also one of those who have read tons of studies/books on the subject of nutrition, though I am not as fancy as a “registered dietitian”. Despite that, I will now do my best to obliterate your naive comments about paleo and grains. You say there’s no evidence that those without gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Dr. Fasano says you’re wrong. http://chriskresser.com/pioneering-researcher-alessio-fasano-m-d-on-gluten-autoimmunity-leaky-gut Now, this is an interview, however Dr. Fasano is the one who discovered that no matter who you are, 100% of human beings release zonulin in response to gluten, specifically the gliadin component… Read more »
sara
6 years 3 months ago
I am new so be gentle but I read some of this stuff and wonder why you people instantly buy into what is said. A lot of crap is out on the market. You can not believe everything you read. You should do your own research and find 3 reliable trusted sources to back up anything that Mark or anyone else says before you but into it. Just my opinion. How do you know what he says is true? Just because he read or conducted a study you do not know the confines of the study etc… spend some time… Read more »
Griff
6 years 3 months ago
I’ve done the research. I’ve also applied it. You can’t deny the evidence I have – a more than 90 pound weight loss with no effort, cravings, or hunger; cessation of migraines, IBS and arthritis; normalization of blood sugars and cholesterol levels; increased energy; better sleep – the list goes on and on. I didn’t “instantly buy into” anything. 3 reliable trusted sources? Let me introduce you to the shelf of about thirty books on diet and nutrition that I’ve read (and I know there’s thirty or so, because I just unpacked them from moving boxes in my new place).… Read more »
empty
5 years 11 months ago
Completely unwarranted attack, Griff. Your anecdote isn’t a counterargument to what sara suggested. You don’t represent the people she’s talking about; you’ve done your research. Are you everyone that has read, is reading, and will read this article? No. “We’re the smart ones, and we’ll live longer and healthier than anyone else on the planet.” Congratulations. “My statements are founded in science and my own experience over the last eleven months.” As Erin writes below, a lot of the science on nutrition takes a long time to pan out. I bet a lot of your 30 books were based one… Read more »
Griff
5 years 11 months ago
*shrug* Whatever, “empty”. In addition to the science, I’ve also got the proof of my own experience – so if you choose to eat things that will poison you, that is so beyond “not my problem” that it’s not even in this solar system. The scientific experiment of the last sixty years – of low-fat high-carb eating and health – has FAILED. The science of the last sixty years shows this conclusively. Our grandparents and their parents and their grandparents, all the way back to Grok, ate the way that Primal people do now, and they all lived into their… Read more »
Griff
5 years 11 months ago
And if you want non-epidemiological studies, start with the Eades’ Protein Power, Anthony Colpo’s The Great Cholesterol Con, and Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories. All of them are chock-full of peer-reviewed, non-epidemiological studies. That should cheer you up.
empty
5 years 11 months ago
Woah, Mark, sorry; did I catch you on the wrong day?
I’m not sure what you’re arguing here. I never criticized what was written above, nor did sara. She just said this: be a little critical before you just accept it as truth.
Despite your inability to properly read my posts, I’ll bite.
-“Primal” people? Can you define what this means?
– 3 books, out of 30, that’s 10% of your books.
gwen
5 years 10 months ago
“Our grandparents and their parents and their grandparents, all the way back to Grok, ate the way that Primal people do now, and they all lived into their 80s and 90s, usually in at least decent health. Our parents, on the other hand, ate the low-fat high-carb way, and started dropping like flies in their 40s and 50s from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. Hmmm. I see a connection there.”
You think the life expectancy of our parents was 40 YEARS LOWER than that of our grandparents? lol wut? Crazy much?
Dotcom
4 years 10 months ago
“Our grandparents and their parents and their grandparents, all the way back to Grok, ate the way that Primal people do now, and they all lived into their 80s and 90s, usually in at least decent health. Our parents, on the other hand, ate the low-fat high-carb way, and started dropping like flies in their 40s and 50s from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. Hmmm. I see a connection there.” Primal, schmimal. The primal diets may have been great for people who were active on the farm or the factory all day, but these days most people are anything… Read more »
Thank you! The internet is a good place to get random ideas to make you think. HOwever, it should not be a source of hard and fast rules for anything. Go to the sources, whether diet, history, religion or politics~ick, for your information. And by the by, doctors, nurses & all people in general are characterized both by the diligent and the slackers. It’s our~sick~ so called ‘health’care reimbursement system that waits until people get ill in order to recieve funding to treat. See: Congress subcommittees. The system need to change to a true HEALTHcare system that promotes health~not just… Read more »
Melissa
4 years 7 months ago
Listen to this person – do your own research before buying into what anyone else tells you. I am a dietitian and there is absolutely NO research out there from any real source that supports or can even give you a reason not to eat gluten or grains unless you have a gluten intolerance or allergy. Yes, of course a salad full of veggies will have more vitamins, minerals, and even fiber (though it will have different vitamins and minerals), but that just proves this guy couldn’t find a better argument so he wrote something that is obviously true. Also,… Read more »
Rich
4 years 3 months ago
Well, one of the things I think about is how sick we are today. We’ve got all these government recommendations that are supposed to keep a person healthy and they don’t work.
Don’t even mention FDA, which is a throughly corrupt organization.
I will see what benefit I get from avoiding grains. That will be proof or no proof to me.
I follow a food plan free of grains and other “conventional” starches. I’m a nurse practitioner and have a dietician friend that eats the same way. My husband is a physician and sees no need for grains in the diet either. NOTHING I was taught in “actual classes” said that grains were needed for good health; it was just part of the goverment generated food pyramid. Many things we were taught in school were based on tradition, not hard science.
Barbara Byers
4 years 3 months ago
I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject lately. So far, I think the Gary Taubes books are the best for presenting the actual science and a great discussion of the history and the evolution politically of the “low-fat, high carb” diet being supposedly healthy. It is quite eye-opening of an indictment of public health policies being controlled by a few powerful researchers, supported by pharma and big food industries. Biologically humans should be eating meat and vegetables, and perhaps a few fruits. The biochemical reactions that digest food and produce energy and fat in our bodies… Read more »
Yeppers
5 years 3 months ago
I had the exact same thought.
thixotropic
2 years 9 months ago
Because anything taught in “actual classes” is automatically true? And anything online is inherently untrustworthy? That’s a facile presumption. Are my free online classes from MIT educationally worthless because they’re free and online? As was pointed out elsewhere — medical professionals do get some nutritional information, but it (clearly!) isn’t good information. So much for the vaunted supremacy of the classroom. The internet is chock-full of scientific, medical, and educational goodness. You don’t have to go into horrible debt to educate yourself — any halfway decent autodidact will get twice the education of someone just sitting in a class, uncritically… Read more »
Well – did you see this article? – Most medical schools do not meet the min. 25 hrs of rec. nutrition training. http://bit.ly/9b9DLn
Erin
6 years 13 days ago
So, as a 2nd year medical student, I’d just like to say I had 2 months of clinical nutrition. And if you’re appalled at that, you should also be appalled by the fact that we covered immunology in 2 weeks, microbiology in a month and a half, and genetics in a month. (Although I’d also like to impress upon you the intensity and amount of material that is covered in every hour of class time. Undergrad this ain’t.) There is so much to learn in medical school that it’s impossible to sit in a classroom and absorb it all in… Read more »
Deirdre Knobeloch
5 years 6 months ago
Erin,
Hi, I’m also a medical student and was wondering your thoughts on Primal Blueprint, if you’re doing it, and if so how it’s fit into the crazy schedules we have?
Hope you don’t mind me contacting you. I just found this site yesterday and I wanted some input from someone who understands the demands of med school. Thanks! 🙂 dhknobe@gmail.com
Raven
4 years 6 months ago
I’m not an RN or a doctor. Having the letters MD, RN, etc after your name or being a nutritionist, or even being a doctor who is well-versed in nutrition is all fine and dandy. In order to truly understand nutrition, you have to be well versed in the digestive processes as well. Scenario: You have a plant-based diet, that is low/no fat and high carb, largely based around grains. This diet has been shown to reverse heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, yada, yada, yada. You have grain free diets (there are several versions, not just the one mentioned in… Read more »
TotalTripe
4 years 3 months ago
Raven, are you implying that your digestive tract can somehow figure out what it’s digesting, and change its chemistry accordingly? By what mechanism does it accomplish such a feat? Where did you hear all this business about gastrointestinal confusion? I’d like to hear what these different “digestive processes” are. Does your stomach have different acids that it secretes if it somehow knows it’s eating a vegetable, as opposed to a fruit? Does your intestinal lining change the way it absorbs nutrients based on what you’ve just eaten? I see many wild claims in your post without a shred of explanation… Read more »
Barbara Byers
4 years 3 months ago
It is well established that carbohydrates push up insulin levels, some more than others, but they all do it, to a level where it is chronically high. This is not good for anyone. But because of genetic variation in people, some handle it better than others, so some appear not to have any issues with it. But over the course of a lifetime, it is cumulative damage and it is NEVER beneficial.
Hi Mark! My family has been on paleo for some time now and I can’t begin to tell you how many amazing turnarounds in health we have all experienced, you know, those little irritating ‘things’ that you just tend to put up with! We turned to paleo after several years of research on my daughter’s health issue, an issue that was not addressed by any of the health professionals we visited here in Australia. We tried all sorts of dietary changes, but paleo was the one that effected the quickest and most amazing results. Just recently my husband had his… Read more »
Adam
4 years 1 month ago
LOL Raven. You’re close, so close, but yet so so far. Grain and animal proteins all contain amino acids, of which there are 20 essentials, which are all the same. The only difference is the order, which control protein folding/morphology. You can eat grain/meat/fruit in the same meal, and digest them all. Well, by digest them all, I mean digest the meat and fruit because it’s hard to digest proline-rich amines and fiber in grains, so you won’t really be digesting much of that… But good try. Vegetables are one of the hardest food groups to digest, for all mammals.… Read more »
JL
5 years 3 months ago
You said it buddy. You’re a lobbyist.
G
5 years 3 months ago
I’m an RN. Here’s a little info for you. Take care.
“Phytic acid, aka phytate, aka IP-6, is one of the most powerful antioxidants found in foods. Some nutritionally-oriented cancer researchers think that IP-6 is probably the most powerful natural anti-cancer sustances. IP-6 is found in grains, beans, nuts & seeds. Wheat is especially high in this cancer fighter.”
“Phytic acid works differently than other antioxidants. Most antioxidants circulate in the bloood, stopping free radicals there. Phytate has the unique ability to work inside your cells, stopping free radicals that are formed duringthe normal process of cell metabolism.”
mehitabel
5 years 3 months ago
I’m not an RN. I think ingested antioxidants don’t hold a candle to our endogenous antioxidants, and in fact researchers have shown shoveling in the plant stuff down-regulates production of the home-grown gold. Catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase are local antioxidant enzymes produced where they are needed, when they are needed by a cell which needs them to run its power plants safely. Additionally, I think it’s folly to broadly paint anti-oxidants as “good” and free radicals as “bad.” When mitochrondia get hit by enough free radicals it’s a signal to increase production of our own antioxidants. When poster… Read more »
Adam
4 years 1 month ago
Mehitabel is right, and House you’re usually so smart on your show… Free radicals are made every single time you consume food and process it. Carbohydrate metabolism actually increases free radical proliferation due to the ratio of NADH:FADH2 required for the electron transport chain. And yet the Okinawans of Japan have a high-carb diet and live quite awhile, without much free-radical induced aging, so it is possible that natural free-radical production from organic-style starchy vegetables is NOT an evil thing. That being said, I don’t think that it’s an issue if phytate works as an antioxidant against natural free radicals… Read more »
David
4 years 10 months ago
Yeah. We wouldn’t need to fight cancer if we didn’t digest grains.
Mark
2 years 24 days ago
I am a metabolic biochemist and as you will be aware, there are many potent antioxidants stored within foods, the most potent being polyphenols found in cocoa and green tea. These have been proven in many medical journals to be of the most potent. I even personally conducted a studeny which found they were effective against glioblastoma brain tumour cells. So, the point of my reply?! We definitely shouldn’t be pointing to grains where cancer prevention is concerned. As discussed by Mark Sisson and by myself later on this feed, grains cuasing chronically high insulin levels indirectly leads to a… Read more »
Paul
5 years 2 months ago
Todd, perhaps you should do a little research yourself. Start with Good Calories-Bad Calories by Gary Taubes…investigate the entire bibliography and substantiate your stand on grains point-by-point; a tip… you will NOT be able to do it. Historical scientific evidence supports that agricultural societies have steadily declined in health and increased in obesity and diseases of Western Culture. You, like so many other absolutely refuse to admit you have been hoodwinked by the government, Ancel Keyes….must I continue? I think not.
Loren
5 years 1 month ago
People in Asia/Japan (where I live) eat rice/carbs at almost every meal, live the longest of anyone everywhere (Japan has the highest longevity rates) and seem to have very few health problems. Of course, lung and colon cancer are high, but generally, carbs/starches are a large part of their daily diet. So…..I’m just saying: this is all a bit confusing. How does anyone explain the discrepancy of an Asian diet with carbs still produce such long lifespans?
Adam
4 years 1 month ago
Japan eats a lot of fish (omega-3), and eats many more natural forms of carbohydrates such as rice and sweet potatoes, which are starchy vegetables and are not toxic grains chock-full of antinutrients and gluten (which is an issue even if you’re not gluten sensitive due to zonulin increasing intestinal permeability). High carb diets inherently cause more free radical production during cellular metabolism which may explain the higher rates of lung/colon cancer (or maybe it’s smoking/pollution? I haven’t looked at that data or other factors). Asians therefore may eat similarly in terms of carbohydrate intake to Americans at the moment,… Read more »
David
3 years 5 months ago
Japanese and Chinese also eat stripped rice and usually not brown rice. So in the context of phytic acid, it’s not the same as whole grains and brown rice which are pushed here in the US as the preferred types. Well, this is what I have heard- that the anti-nutrients are mostly found n the casing of the whole grains and brown rice. Funny I have a chart from a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and although brown rice produces less of an insulin spike, it’s really not much lower than white rice. So we have… Read more »
Lauren
5 years 2 months ago
Hmmm whell it seems that all the no-grainers are a bit sarcastic and cold. I knew guy who ate just like this and he was a pure Power Trip 24/7; he was a big and lean healthy-looking guy, but not mentally!! VERY anxious and Bipolar. I just want to say that grains actually increase and maintain seratoninn levels (the happy chemical) while meat will actually lower it somewhat. And everyone will die one day. I TRULY believe that eating bread will NOT poison you, trust me. 😉 I have tried this no-grain diet and it made me VERY bipolar. But… Read more »
moosen
4 years 10 months ago
Bipolarism isn’t caused by not eating grains, it’s a genetic disorder…
Joe
4 years 8 months ago
Bipolar disorder isn’t caused by genetics. It’s a MENTAL disorder and technically ANYONE is a risk to be diagnosed with it. Genetics do SUPPOSEDLY create a higher risk to develop in those whose families have known cases of mental illnesses. Results linking it to purely genetics have never been completely conclusive due to never being able to replicate results. It’s just one of the few items that can affect and cause the development in individuals. Others causes are psychological being from chemical imbalances to structural imperfections of the brain and could even include damage caused from drug use. The other… Read more »
Barbara Byers
4 years 3 months ago
Drugs like opium also make you feel good. gluten and some of the other proteins in wheat and grans can actually fit into the receptors in the brain for this. Perhaps not such a good “high” after all. There actually have been a few studies where schizophrenia symptoms were reduced by a gluten free diet. You should really look and understand the biochemistry of what happens when carbs are eaten at a high rate, and what chronically high insulin levels do to your body over a lifetime. It isn’t pretty and sometimes it is subtle so you don’t see it… Read more »
Rich
4 years 3 months ago
You bring up a very good point that is outside of the general discussion here. That’s ok, I will comment on it. We are ALL going to die one day. Whether you believe that is good or bad makes no difference. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. I see that as a good thing, because I know there is a spirit inside us that lives forever. Death is the end of our Earthly existence, but not our endless existence. We are just so distracted by this modern sick society. We are taught to FEAR DEATH. The point is: Living healthy in… Read more »
Adam
4 years 1 month ago
Sigh.. will these people ever stop with these posts? I’ll try to be nice just for you Lauren… Carbohydrates do increase serotonin synthesis. This is fairly benign, ala Thanksgiving dinner sleepyness/contentment. Yet you forgot to mention that serotonin and dopamine are antagonistic, and that upping serotonin will lower your dopamine, which can cause depression and mobility issues. Sounds like a catch-22 of depression with low serotonin or dopamine, eh? But how about balancing the see-saw so that both are in moderate amounts so that you aren’t depressed? Bread WILL poison you, it’s just a matter of dose. A little bit… Read more »
Josi
5 years 1 month ago
“BTW, paleolithic tribes did not live past 35 years of age and did not live long enough to develop heart disease and colon cancer.”
Maybe because of the paleolithic tribes diet their bones appear to be 35 years old being compared to modern mans bones. Perhaps they lived much longer and healthier then we do today.
noxpass
5 years 21 days ago
lol, That’s not how carbon-dating works.
JW
4 years 4 months ago
Not even just carbon-dating; more like tree rings, IIRC. Your bones’ internal structure is something that changes over time, no? But you have a record of your whole life in there. For instance, calcium absorption gets more difficult as you age, leading to more brittle bones, and your inner bone structure is also impacted by early environment, leaving clues to it. Likewise, a rough guide is teeth; while there is some variance (both my 12yr molars and wisdom teeth were 3 years “late”), on average, certain teeth come in at certain ages. If some corpse still has baby teeth, or… Read more »
Longevity data tend to be distorted by factoring in infant mortality rates (and likely other things affecting these rates). Prehistoric people lived longer than 30-35 years, on average. They foraged and ate a wide variety of things, with little competition for resources. Agriculture was probably one of the worst things to happen to humans, especially women. Diet and life span took a nose dive after that.
Cheryl
4 years 11 months ago
This is untrue. there was fierce competition among human ancestors, and if you read up on evolution, you can see that humans indeed had shorter life spans years ago.
JW
4 years 4 months ago
Little competition? Maybe during the population bottleneck period, but I assure you, there is PLENTY of evidence of prehistoric warfare; wounded bones tell no lies, particularly when they show markings suspiciously similar to the tool marks of the tribe next door… Old-school agriculture IS bad for women, though, but only because high calorie intake from grains lets their bodies fatten up and thus trigger more frequent estrus and less frequent miscarriages… they have more babies, in fewer years, than those leading hunter-gatherer or modern “western” lifestyles. In undeveloped regions (including prehistoric times), this led to a lot of deaths from… Read more »
Barbara Byers
4 years 3 months ago
Yes, the anthropological studies look at the remains and can analyse things like height and weight, relative health of the bones, etc. Once agriculture was introduced, which was still thousands of years before medical advances, the stature of the people became much shorter, the bones are more lifely to have malnutritional deformities, the teeth to have cavities, and signs of heart disease start appearing, and these are in populations with similar lifespans.
Cate
5 years 23 days ago
There’s plenty of nice data out there to support this stuff. In no particular order, here’s some nice data I just pulled off PubMed. UCSF – short term paleo intervention improving blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and lipid profiles. http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v63/n8/abs/ejcn20094a.html and another on glucose tolerance: http://www.springerlink.com/content/h7628r66r0552222/ particularly important for type 2 diabetes: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002822307019281 http://www.ajcn.org/content/82/1/242S.short (Harvard School of Public Health) high protein diets reducing risk of heart disease: http://www.ajcn.org/content/87/5/1571S.short no improvement, but no damage in terms of heart disease and risk markers for high protein: http://www.ajcn.org/content/87/1/23.short a bit of that ‘I’m fuller longer and don’t get energy dips’… Read more »
whoanelly
4 years 11 months ago
Hope you like colon cancer.
Alex
6 years 11 months ago
Thanks Mark – I have been slipping lately and this was the article that I needed to read.
Hey Mark, new to you, but like what you are saying about no grains, they have never made me feel good. What else to eat besides fruits a veggies, Maybe this brocitis will go away. see ya.
Griff
6 years 11 months ago
Dan: Try a steak.
Karen
6 years 4 months ago
TRY A STEAK?
Steak has never and will never be good for you and is NOT nutrient dense. Just like the dairy that Mark bashes, it also is full of chemicals and comes from the same factories. In addition, steak is high in saturated fats.
Saturated fats = clogged arteries = heart attacks. That doesn’t change, but actually increases, from cutting out whole grains.
How did that Atkins guy die?
There’s a clue.
mm
6 years 3 months ago
Karen: Fail. I guess you never got to those parts of the blog explaining that grain-fed chemical-laden non-organic meat with unbalanced Omega 3:6 ratios and man-made trans fats wasn’t part of Grok’s meal plan, or the guides on Fats and Saturated Fats debunking your concerns – Paleolithic humans ate a lot of saturated fats since animal fats in their internal organs and fat reserves are mostly made of it. (our fat reserves are also made out of saturated fats – so… whener you force your body to take out and burn fat… OMG! that would mean weight loss causes heart… Read more »
mm
6 years 3 months ago
Wait a minute…. a simple search reveals that Dr. Atkins did not even die of a heart attack like you say – he died in a similar way our healthy high-fat eating ancestors might have : slipped and fell on ice, got head trauma and died.
@mm: There has been debate as to whether Atkins actually had some heart problems, but even if he did, who says it had to be because of his diet? He may have cut carbs, but who’s also to say that the meat he ate was healthy? (I don’t think sausages and bacon, for example, or good with all their chemicals and salt. It’s just not natural meat as one would find in nature). Also, ‘average’ lifespan statistics are misleading. I think our modern lifespan is so high due to low birth mortality rates.. Grok’s babies may have died early, skewing… Read more »
pixel
5 years 9 months ago
some people do fine with just fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. look up 80 / 10 / 10
from reading up on it, it seems really healthy except for two things.
1. they tend to report a reduced libido.that makes me wonder what else is going on hormonally.
2. theyre all really skinny! i dont know if its hormonal, lack of protein or what, but ive never seen a skinnier bunch. Its great if thats what you want or if you dont care. they dont seem to suffer for it either, but it does make me wonder whats going on there.
For my Sustainability class my group is supposed to brainstorms ways we can cut back on food consumption on campus (ASU). One proposition will be to cut outs grains and sugars from campus. consuming only nutrient-dense food will derive undistorted satiation, and ultimately require less calories.
“if your average unhealthy person were to ask for the top three things to avoid in order to get healthy, I would tell them to stop smoking, to stop drinking their calories (as soda or juice), and to stop eating grains.”
You wouldn’t have no added or processed sugar as a top 3?
Kristin J
6 years 11 months ago
Which of Mark’s Top 3 would you have replaced with your suggestion?
Well the more I think about it, my suggestion, no sugar, pretty much covers the no soda suggestion, so I guess that one.
You?
Kristin J
6 years 11 months ago
I like the way Mark presented his Top 3 because many people think they’re eating healthy even while they’re drinking juice. While some foods with added sugars may at least provide a tiny bit of nutrition, sugary drinks are really at the bottom of that list.
While the avid readers of MDA already know this, I think it would be more helpful to newbies who still follow CW.
JulieD
6 years 11 months ago
There are plenty of unhealthy people who don’t smoke.
agreed but the statement was if I had to tell people three things to a healthier lifestyle. No one was suggesting that just because you don’t smoke it means your healthy.
Mick C
6 years 11 months ago
“If you’re not a smoker, don’t start” — how’s that — {:~)
Any number of things could make it into the top 3 on any given day. Of course it depends on the audience, too. As Kristin J touched on above, for your average guy or gal on the street just cutting out soda would be a major step in the right direction. But, yes, of course, processed sugar is right up there (and soda sort of covers or implies that).
Sheila
6 years 11 months ago
Sugar is a grain! Right? So no grains covers it.
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
Well, no, it depends on where the sugar comes from. If it’s from corn syrup or sorghum, then OK. Sugarcane’s a whole different critter.
I think it’d have to be a top four suggestions. Because sugar, no matter where it comes from, is more and more implicated in metabolic syndrome and diabetes due to its fructose content. It also operates as an antinutrient.
Dan Mahoney
4 years 9 months ago
lmao no sugar is NOT a grain..
John
6 years 11 months ago
I only drink diet (but a lot of it). Am I going to die for different reasons?
joris
6 years 3 months ago
probably from a brain tumor or a neurological disease. Look up sweet misery
JW
4 years 4 months ago
The artificial sweetners in “diet” sodas are just as bad or worse: they actually have been indicated in increasing your DESIRE for sugars and sweets, meaning you’ll consume more overall. Additionally, some of them have been correlated with higher cancer risk, though as with anything else relating to cancer, it’s difficult to pin it all on one thing, as environment as a whole plays into it, as does genetics.
If you have to have something sweet and liquidy, I recommend a juicy piece of fruit. Lower fructose content, and no potential carcinogens. 🙂
sara
6 years 3 months ago
You can not change your genetic makeup. Plain and simple. Show me the SCIENCE to back it up, I’ll show you the SCIENCE that you can not! If you could we would not have any health problems.
Griff
6 years 3 months ago
Where did Mark ever say that you could change your genetic makeup? He’s talking about OPTIMIZING what you have – which means not eating things that we weren’t meant to eat, such as grains.
Context, dear. Read for context.
J
4 years 10 months ago
You can change your genetic makeup. It’s called epigenetics. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952313,00.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics The human metabolism changes all the time. Or more specifically, what your body does with food is much more variable than the ancient signals and cravings that drive eating patterns before you put anything in your mouth. It’s too simplistic to say we would have no health problems if we could change things. The body changes its own makeup with epigenetics, but we can take it even a step further with current genetic engineering. One example is the glow in the dark bunny with fluorescent jellyfish genes: http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor Some… Read more »
Hey Mark – quick question. What’s worse in your opinion, grains or sugar? Can one rely compare?
nezzy
5 years 10 months ago
Grains cause a much higher insulin spike than sugar would. Grains like sugar are carbs. Grains such as wheat, trump sugar.
Sarah
5 years 10 months ago
I’m not sure if Primal Blueprint dieters believe in the glycemic index, because it is something produced by contemporary science, but it ranks all carbohydrate foods based on how fast they digest and absorb, which relates to how much insulin will be produced. I believe Nezzy is way off base; sugar will spike blood sugar and insulin quite quickly because it is a simple carbohydrate (high on the glycemic index) while whole grains will cause a slower rise in insulin. There’s more about it here: http://www.glycemicindex.com/ . I’d be interested to hear what a PBer has to say about this,… Read more »
As for sugar vs. grains – in the long run, there’s no difference. Carbs are carbs – ALL carbs turn into sugar when your body processes them. Carbs are NOT GOOD for you. Grains and sugar – there’s no difference. They’re both bad. They both spike insulin and blood sugar levels. Avoid them both.
Sarah
5 years 10 months ago
Griff, If what you say, that “all carbs are carbs and are bad for you,” then you wouldn’t be able to eat the salad and fruits that the PB is so full of – they are mostly carbohydrate, but high in fiber and so digest more slowly and are easier on the pancreas as it produces insulin. The glycemic index is based in science – there are almost 4,000 articles that mention it in pubmed alone (and yes, I know some of them are probably swayed by funding from certain sources, but strongly doubt that every single one is). It… Read more »
Griff
5 years 10 months ago
Sarah, I only eat leafy greens and other non-starchy carb vegetables. That means I rarely (if ever) eat fruit – it’s too high in sugar and it spikes me the same as candy does. I’m a type II diabetic, and my sugars remain under control only when I avoid starchy and sugary foods – including fruit and grains. I rarely ingest more than 50 grams of carbs (total, including fiber grams) per day. The glycemic index is nonsense. Try using the glycemic index test with ten different people, and you’ll get ten wildly different responses to the same food. If… Read more »
Sarah
5 years 10 months ago
Thanks for your thoughtful and open response – I can tell you’re really passionate about this stuff, and have read a lot. The website you sent almost leaves me with more questions than before… I think we agree on several points (you, I and the article): -Americans eat too many carbs, especially refined ones and added sugars -Americans don’t think of their diet as the first place to look to address health concerns – I wish more would follow in your steps and look at what they eat before popping pills -Insulin has two purposes – to help us use,… Read more »
Griff
5 years 10 months ago
Sarah, here’s as much of a response as I can give to you at this point: First, when they can test the “glycemic index” on a range of people in variable levels of age, gender, health, and fitness and show that it still predicts blood sugar responses consistently and accurately (within a small range), then I’ll believe that it’s scientific. Until then, it’s just babble and not even worth looking at twice. This is a fundamental scientific flaw in the hypothesis, and those 4,000 articles you mention probably ALL overlook it. The raw number of articles published doesn’t mean the… Read more »
Sarah
5 years 10 months ago
Well Griff, I think you lost me. 0 carbs? A meat-only diet? It sounds like your views are even more extreme than others on this site. Maybe you think you’re just being direct, but your tone borders on condescending at times – I only point that out because you seem to be trying to convince people that what you’re saying is right – you catch more flies with honey, you know? (But think of all the carbs!) I’m still going to try to check out those books, but a more easily offended person might just write off what you say.… Read more »
Danielle
5 years 2 months ago
Is no one going to raise the benefit of Stevia? I haven’t used sugar in about 20 years. While there is diabetes in my family, and some arthritis, I am 58 and have no health issues — somewhat high cholesterol, but high “good” cholesterol, but being post menopausal, my body changes and weight gains are from different sources. I eat organic, fruits and veg., minimal red meat (but “rare” when I do, chicken, fish, rarely eat pork in any form, and I am slightly lactose-intolerant. I use all-natural supplements almost daily, and I exercise (aerobic and anaerobic). I don’t fing… Read more »
dla
4 years 9 months ago
Mark. THANK YOU for your knowledge and time! I have read many paleolithic books. All of the info here is free! It astonishes me that the misinformed stumble here and judge without first reading or doing. Being a paleolithic advocate is sometimes a lonely place. I am among the ones seeking info, not debate.. I am a 47 year old women who is going through menopause and losing weight. I am told that I look 15 years younger than my age and asked what my secret is. Still when I try to explain paleo, I get the DEER IN THE… Read more »
Walter Bushell
10 hours 27 minutes ago
Dr. Lustig gets Type II kids of diabetic medicine, merely by having them cut out sugar sweetened beverages.
I can say from my own experience that cutting out soda alone can start rapid fat loss, particularly if you start out morbidly obese. Even while eating oatmeal routinely for breakfast.
marci
6 years 11 months ago
This is a perfect reminder- esp with the holidays fast approaching. While I might enjoy a wee bit of quinoa or hummus now and then, my consumption has dropped dramtically over the last 9 months since I’ve been on the PB. Grains really don’t appeal to me any more, thankfully. Excellent post!
Why cut out hummus? It’s not a grain as far as I know.
It would be nice to get a clarification on this since as an Israeli cutting hummus out of my diet would be very close to impossible.
-Rafi
marci
6 years 11 months ago
Beans are a no-no on the PB- I just threw them in there since some grains & beans are 20% for me!
Meena
6 years 11 months ago
There’s no reason to cut out legumes, but they are high in sugar (they’re carby). I’m a vegetarian so I eat legumes on days I don’t eat eggs to get my protein in. Also hummus is the sort of thing where a serving is a tablespoon, so you’re not even really eating that much hummus (or shouldn’t be).
Here is a good reason for eating grains, they taste good. Stop worrying about your diet and enjoy your life. Give vegetarianism a chance.
Scooter
6 years 11 months ago
Grain-based foods do taste and smell good, I agree. But hardly a good reason to eat them regularly. Gonna have to do better than that.
This post (Grain Relapse) is perfect timing, as I have been slipping into daily consumption again. Back on the wagon now!
Walter Bushell
4 years 3 months ago
Grain based foods taste great, mostly because they contain sucrose or HFCS and mostly are made from refined grains. Try getting the average American to eat *real* whole wheat bread without added sugar or even brown rice. Not gonna happen.
G=G (can’t even bring myself to spell it out), glad you brought this up. That was to be one of my other major points under “no good reasons to eat grains.” They taste terrible. The only way to make grains even reasonably palatable is by adding sugars, spices, salt, cream, yeast, jams, spreads or sauces. What’s the point to that, other than adding cheap calories that easily convert to glucose? Just eat real food. Name a grain that tastes anything other than bland when its eaten all by itself. Beige glop any way you cut it. BTW, I did give… Read more »
Madhu
6 years 11 months ago
Could you please let us all avid readers know the vegetarian experiment as a separate post? I’d love to hear it
I agree. One of the things I realized after switching to Primal was that those cookies, cakes, biscuits, whatever might taste good, but I could never take a pinch of flour and eat it. EW! Definitely a disconnect there.
Almond flour on the other hand…mmm.
jay
6 years 11 months ago
maybe you became sick and weak from vegetarianism because you are mentally sick and weak? And don’t you think that eating dead animal carcasses is bit cave-man like?
There are plenty of RAW protein sources that are far more digestible than dead meat. i.e.: hemp, chlorella, spirulina, organic cage-free eggs, etc.. etc.. etc..
I have been a veggie for years and am stronger than you will ever dream of being.
btw, what is so indigestible about spouted hulless oats?
Griff
6 years 11 months ago
The “cave-man like” thing is the whole POINT, Jay. Our genes didn’t evolve just because our minds did. They still expect the same things that Grok ate – meat, animal fat, and the occasional non-starchy vegetable. We did not evolve to eat grains and we are still not evolved to eat grains, regardless of what you think.
While you read “The Vegetarian Myth,” I’ll have a rare steak, thanks.
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
I wanted to go vegan. At one point I believed the health arguments because I didn’t know any better. It made me fatter and sicker. You can’t live on just green plants because they don’t contain enough calories and you’d have to do nothing but eat all day. You need an energy-dense source of food. If you’re vegan, that has to be grains. The tendency for type 2 diabetes runs in my family, and I was already showing outward signs of metabolic syndrome. I lasted maybe two or three months on a vegan diet because it was making me fatter… Read more »
Raaayyy
6 years 10 months ago
Wow, those posts before me are both pretty ridiculous. First, I’d like to address the gem of a statement that ‘our genes didn’t evolve just because our minds did,’ because it betrays some ignorance of how evolution works, and scientific illiteracy is a pet peeve of mine. Alright, then: genes changing and mutating is what causes evolution. So, if you are saying that something evolved or that some part of something evolved like you say that our minds did, it is only because we evolved because our genes have changed. Vegetarianism can only make you weak and sick if you… Read more »
Sorry to question your superiority there Jay-Jay but Im betting the kid’s college fund Mark would kick your veggie ass in any thing that required physical effort or ability. Why don’t you start your own blog buddy? I have learned you have to search out a matter to find the truth. If you depend on the media saturation and well known sources for your information you are up the river without a paddle or a canoe for that matter….by the way : Yes that is a waterfall up ahead.
WalterB
4 years 3 months ago
You say that like you think aping cave people is a *bad* thing.
dr.dune
6 years 9 months ago
i’m sure you get this all the time. but i think that your eating recommendations are silly. there are so many things wrong with the suggestion that cereal grains should be eliminated from the human diet altogether that its hard to know where to begin. first of all..human society as it is today could not possibly survive without grains. billions of people depend on them for survival BECAUSE they are high in calories. calories are what people require to do work. now granted, grains are not exquisitely high in nutrients, but they are not designed to be. but whatevs…attempt to… Read more »
Clearly your new here, dr. dune. Take a look around the site before you call my recommendations silly.
Griff
6 years 9 months ago
High in calories doesn’t mean good for you. When you start to look at the science behind the Primal diet (not as a weight-loss diet but as What You Eat), you will see that it’s much more beneficial for the human body than the Standard American Diet. My cholesterol has gone down, my blood sugar has gone down, my weight has gone down, my arthritis and migraines have disappeared – because I stopped eating grains. You can deny it all you like but there’s a huge wealth of information out there for people who aren’t blinded by the conventional beliefs… Read more »
toniolio
6 years 4 months ago
Mark isn’t trying to suggest a diet that billions of people can sustain… hes suggesting a diet that is ultimately healthy. This isn’t social studies class, this is nutrition.
Barbara Byers
4 years 3 months ago
Why do people think grains are “nutrient” dense? It is exactly the opposite, meat is dense in protein and fat. Fat is the most nutrient dense food if you are talking about calories. And both fat and protein contain essential components that are unable to be manufactured by the body. For fats it’s EFAs (essential fatty acids) and for protein it’s nitrogen and the related compounds that build muscle, and the whole spectrum of amino acids to create muscle. That is one fact that always bothered me about going veggie – why would it be so hard to get complete… Read more »
Winterberry
6 years 4 months ago
New to your site! Love it! Am a 45 year old female and spent the last two years recovering my multiple health issues: Systemic Candida, CFS, Fibromyalgia, weak heart, severe arrhythmias, seizures, mitral valve prolapse, endomitriosis, fibroids, NMH, low blood pressure, severe arthritis in my lower back and hips, CI, kidney stones and more. Through holistic health, I am now well!!! Been on a “caveman diet” since October 2008… no grains!!!! I’ve lost 54 pounds and look and feel better than I did in HS. Decided to “take my life back” when I collapsed two years ago and looked death… Read more »
GM
6 years 2 months ago
I don’t really see the counter-argument of ‘grains don’t taste good’ as valid, as its totally up to the taste of the person. I love plain rice, and don’t find it bland, though most people do.
Saying that, everything else you’ve said seems fine 🙂
JJ
4 years 11 months ago
I have been thinking lately that grains were to be avoided and wanted to know why and your website has been really helpful. I agree with your ideas about this and will continue learning about this–as I much on my popcorn. But then you have to go and advocate eating meat! Are you serious? I agree that nothing tastes better than a good steak or hamburger at the right time and I do feel better at times after I indulge, but to suggest it is healthy is just plain absurd Nutritionists who advocate eating meat will tell you that there… Read more »
Cat
3 years 2 months ago
Okay… So, first, you seem to be talking about commercialized animal products. That is NOT what is being promoted on this website. This website (and pretty much every other paleo/primal website) promotes eating humanely raised, pasteurized animals. They tend to have a better nutritional profile than ‘standard’ meat, and pasteurized beef has a better omega 3 : omega 6 ratio. For an animal to be pasteurized (or organic, which is a second best choice) the animal cannot have had any antibiotics/hormones during its lifetime. IF the animal NEEDED antibiotics to save its life, the owner usually sells it as a… Read more »
I am a vegan myself and there have been many nutritionists and doctors that say meat is not good for the body – or rather, we don’t need it with all of the amazing food we already have. Not only are you digesting the animal’s cholesterol but a lot of the nutrients can be found in plant based whole foods. And not to mention, meat absolutely has no fiber!
But I was intrigued with your comment and never looked it at that way. You made an interesting point and further validates my vegan diet.
How can you “enjoy your life” if your diet is plaguing your overall health and vitality? (By the way, this is coming from a vegetarian. A grainless vegetarian.)
While I’m sure Mark has plenty, I’ll give you my take. The obvious one is to emphasize vegetables and cut out grains. Cutting out grains is definitely the most important and often the most difficult for vegetarians. Refined grains should definitely go first, followed by wheat/bread products, and then whole grains (oats, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.) Mark’s “big ass salad” works for vegetarians, too. Omit the meat and replace with avocado or raw nuts and use an oil or nut based dressing (I make my own). Basically, center your meals around vegetables (not starchy vegetables), especially nutrient-dense leafy greens, and add… Read more »
As a vegetarian, I’m curious about what works for you, Emily, too. I agree with basing one’s diet around vegetables, but do you just accept a lower-protein diet than meat-eating primalists, or do you compensate otherwise?
Betina
6 years 6 months ago
My two cents, as a grain-free pescatarian, is that centering my meals around veggies, nuts, fruit, and fish, and throwing in legumes, other seafood, and organic eggs & dairy on occasion works great. I probably eat less protein than meat-eaters, but I do have hemp protein shakes for breakfast and don’t worry too much about it since I eat a lot of fish and nuts.
jay
6 years 11 months ago
what is indigestible about spouted hulless oats, and btw, quinoa is not a grain but a seed and is highly digestible if sprouted.
Good call. And cocaine addicts enjoy the drug-induced euphoria. Same with Heroin users. Addicts crave the junk their addicted to, just as I used to crave bread and pizza crust and breakfast cereal (made from whole grains and minimal added sugar no less) when I was addicted to them. Now that I’ve cured my addiction, I don’t find those “foods” appealing any more. AND I feel so much better than when they were a part of my diet that it is unthinkable to me to even imagining a return to those “foods.” I used to get such bad gas from… Read more »
Icarus
6 years 11 months ago
Ha, now that you mention it, I notice that I never have bad gas anymore, whereas it used to be bad enough that I’d have “exit strategies” for work or school because holding it in was so painful.
Alas, I still crave grains – specifically bread. But wheat makes me feel bloated and strangely sleepy when I gorge, so it’s not TOO hard to avoid anymore. Thank goodness I never liked rice or corn in the first place, though.
Anne KD
6 years 10 months ago
Icarus, I used to have that bloated and sleepy thing going on about 2 hrs after I ate anything with wheat. It got much worse before I figured out I have a sensitivity to gluten. Stop eating wheat, rye, barley (sorry, no beer anymore!) and you’ll feel a lot better.
Yeah you’re right! I don’t get bad gas anymore. At ALL. It used to be the worst part of a coast-to-coast flight was holding it in for 6 hours, but since I went primal, I rarely even have gas, and when I do it doesn’t clear a room.
Nara
6 years 4 months ago
What, you can’t go fart in the toilets on the plane?
Sonagi
6 years 11 months ago
Grains do not taste good. Save for piping hot bread out of the oven, most grains need flavor enhancement from sweeteners like sugar or sucralose or fats like butter or olive oil to be palatable. Does anybody eat just pasta without sauce or unsweetened cereal without milk? Nope. On the other hand, meat, fruit, and some vegetables can be enjoyed plain.
Scooter
6 years 11 months ago
I love the consistency, smell and taste of bread. And I do enjoy what it brings to a sandwich (grilled cheese!). However I also realize what that stuff is doing to my body, and I have striven to eliminate all grains from my diet. However I allow myself the occasional pizza or one piece of toast with my eggs. Usually rarely, but lately more and more. And I have felt the difference, and am even more resolved to kick the grain/carb habit. This site helps so much in this effort. Like an alcoholic, I know I am never immune from… Read more »
Kiore
6 years 10 months ago
I love eating pasta, oalmeal, quinoa, etc, plain. I find this article very interesting but let’s stick to actual facts; taste is an entirely subjective thing.
Kiore, somehow I can’t believe you like that crap plain when there are so many other healthy, tasty choices. Remind me never to eat at your house 😉
Magouch
6 years 7 months ago
Grains do not taste “good” per se, but my problem was that I could never just eat one bowl of rice (or whatever) to feel sated. I think this is partly because of the sensory deprivation of eating plain grain. I had to eat more of it to have a sustained sensory experience. Not so with meat. A while back I read some research on the connection between binge eating (which is a problem with me if I am eating a grain-based diet) and ADD (which I happen to have). Apparently one symptom of ADD in girls/women is binge eating.… Read more »
Dune
5 years 9 months ago
For the record, I am not the same guy as Dr. Dune. That said, I believe that insulin creates a feeling of “need” to consume more food when given a high carb meal. Based on what I have read about fruits and other carbs from eons past was they tasted like @#$%. They were very low in sugar and either very tart or slightly bitter depending on the food in question. I have no doubt if bad tasting fruits were the only thing around, someone would eat it if they had to to survive. If you needed it to survive… Read more »
Tom
6 years 4 months ago
I know several people who eat just pasta, or just rice. I don’t, just pointing that out.
A
6 years 1 month ago
I just stumbled upon this article but would like to mention that some of my favorite things to eat are pasta without sauce, oatmeal without sugar (well, I like to eat it dry, straight out of the container — goes great with water…I’m so weird), and unsweetened cereal without milk. And plain bread. And plain rice. (Not to say I don’t love fruits and vegetables and nuts and meat!) This stuff is really interesting though. Definitely worth considering, although unfortunately I’m so busy and my budget is so limited that I fear I’d have to wait to try anything like… Read more »
Rhea
6 years 1 month ago
So you cook your meat with just water or you eat it raw?
Icarus
6 years 11 months ago
Meat tastes good. Give omnivorism a chance!
Mick C
6 years 11 months ago
Hey, that’s great news — I think I’ll start drinking a gallon of scotch a week again, because I like the taste — thanks! :~)
Have you read the recently published book by Lierre Keith, “The Vegetarian Myth?”
She was a vegan for 20 years. Destroyed her health and the book makes a devastating case against vegetarianism, not only on health grounds, but environmental as well.
Yep, she’s both a radical environmentalist and feminist, and she shows vividly how destructive agriculture is to the planet, and how beneficial free-ranging animals are to the environment.
You might want to check it out.
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
It’s amazing that some of us wacky lefties actually do use our brains, huh? 🙂
Griff
6 years 11 months ago
I’m going to go have a nice medium-rare steak now, thanks.
Justin
6 years 3 months ago
I am surprised you did not have a coronary with the number of steaks you ate in this thread alone.
Griff
6 years 3 months ago
Maybe that should make you think about the fallacies you’ve been swallowing from the doctor and other people who don’t actually know what they’re talking about, then, shouldn’t it? Not only have I not had a coronary, I know I’m never going to.
However, I am going to go have another steak – and no coronary, thanks. You can have that with your all-grain bread and soy protein diet… or you could wake up and smell the bacon.
Barbara Byers
4 years 3 months ago
It has NEVER been proven that saturated fats or dietary cholesterol have any effect on heart disease. Notice I said DIETARY cholesterol. Yes, the small, dense form of LDL in the blood is strongly correlated with heart disease, but what raises it? Carbs.
Also, beef fat is only about 50% saturated, about 50% monounsaturated. Lard (prokfat) is about 70% monounsaturated, 30% saturated. I blieve poultry is similar. So the entire belief that animal fat is causes heart disease is unsubstantiated.
BOBSTOUFUS
6 years 2 months ago
A good point you made about how little traditional doctors know about the subject. I think the fact that the average MD is dead by 58 is plenty reason not to look to them as a well-spring of health related wisdom.
BTW Your free to have another steak now.
Jesse
6 years 8 months ago
Did you knowingly follow up “stop worrying about your diet and enjoy life” with, “Give Vegetarianism a chance”. You literally just said, don’t worry about your diet, instead change you diet. I personally just stumbled onto this site so if you have a similar post about why vegetarianism is unhealthy id love to know about it.
stephanie
6 years 7 months ago
i liked this post, i have tried paleo in the past and started losing weight and feeling better immediatley. i stopped however because i still wasn’t convinced i should eat meat( i was a vegetarian from 13-about18) you have to think about grains/beans/dairy..these foods can NOT be eaten in the wild! to eat grains one needs to build a fire step one, and as far as i know we are the only creature who has figured that one out…step two you need a vessel to boil water clay/stone/metal/glass i don’t know but you need to make something that will hold… Read more »
Ray
6 years 7 months ago
Do you really think there aren’t any animals that eat grains and/or beans? Just because they’re hard to get to doesn’t mean something won’t try; in fact, I’d probably assume the opposite of that. The harder something is to eat, the more animals are trying to eat it. That’s why it evolved to be so difficult to get to.
stephanie
6 years 7 months ago
i never said that actually..i think that animals including us take nutrition wherever we can get it! i was just making an observation that we are the only creatures that cook something into becoming edible which can make you wonder if we should eat it or not. now what you just said about something being harder to eat makes it evolve into becoming harder to eat is silly, seeds are very important to plants because they are the future of their species all seeds are difficult to eat because of this reason…i am still a vegetarian on most days but… Read more »
Magouch
6 years 7 months ago
Actually dairy can be eaten raw! There is a growing movement of folks who are demanding access to clean, safe, locally produced, organic raw milk and raw milk products. In many states it is legal to buy/sell raw milk. Some people who cannot tolerate store-bought milk can tolerate raw. There is, however, something to be said about the notion that cow milk was made for baby cows (and goat milk for kids, etc.). I must say that I feel immensely better after having eliminated dairy from my diet.
Pete
5 years 2 months ago
Beans and grains can be sprouted and eaten with water alone. I agree with what you are saying mostly, just wanted to add that.
Jesse
6 years 11 months ago
Great stuff Mark. Once again had to forward this great post to all my family members!
I have now heard all of the above from people – usually while they stuff their mouths with cake or cookies. I guess the irony of “what about fiber” and lack of vitamins and minerals was lost on them…
Cwilly
6 years 9 months ago
“humans arent meant to eat grains” which is why every known civilization bases their diet off of some type of grain or starch.You cant name one that doesnt. Grains arent unhealthy , taste is subjective, and “primal” cultures today eat grains, dairy ect. and none of them do hiit or lift weights.
Jack
6 years 6 months ago
The Maasai Tribe. There’s one 🙂
joris
6 years 3 months ago
and this proves that?
mm
6 years 3 months ago
Inuit didn’t until they were partially assimilated – and grain-eating Inuits are extremely unhealthy – obese, prone to diabetes and heart attacks which their hunted-meat-only eating counterparts don’t suffer from. The reason why non-nomadic civilizations base their diets in grains is because there came a point where humans became too overpopulated to live as nomadic hunters and growing grains thousands of years ago fed more people with less land. (the amount of land territory it takes from roaming hunter-gatherers is high compared to the land it takes to both grow grains and keep domesticated livestock) Another reason why they used… Read more »
Brendan
5 years 11 months ago
civilization evolved because grains allowed population to increase and allowed stratification of society… just because grains are needed to sustain a population doesn’t mean they’re healthy. after the adoption of agriculture, life expectancy DECREASED, along with average height, free time, and probably a whole bunch of other things i can’t think of right now. that’s the whole point, eating like a caveman, sans grains, is healthier
empty
5 years 11 months ago
You don’t know what cavemen ate. There’s even evidence that they ate grains as prior to the agricultural revolution.
Victor
5 years 9 months ago
Talking about primal cultures, I wondered what you guys think about the book of Weston A. Price, who studied a number of “primitive” cultures. Many of these groups did eat grains (rye, barley, etc.) or other carbohydrate rich vegetables. See his book:
Could it be that the health problem is mainly wheat and not all grains? And that only people that need to watch their weight may want to try the effect of eliminating more carbohydrates?
WalterB
4 years 2 months ago
Civilization is a late comer and very recent in evolutionary terms.
According to Jared Diamond agriculture is human’s worst mistake.
Tim
6 years 11 months ago
So if i eat a bowl of oatmeal, im basically going to die a slow horrible death. Got it.
I read the book and it makes a lot of sense but this is getting crazy. I’ve read people debating the carb count in TOMATOES?!?!?!
I didn’t get that message, the one about the slow horrible death. There’s ample proof that grains were not meant to be digested by humans. You can take it or leave it, but there are a lot of people that I know personally that were just as skeptical as you seem until they went without for a month. You should try it if you haven’t already. I mean what is 30 days in an avg. lifespan of 77 years? Not sure about the tomato thing. I haven’t known this site to ever be concerned with counting carbs, just eating healthier… Read more »
Cameron
6 years 11 months ago
Healthier carbs should be the first concern. Counting is secondary. Depending on your goals, you may need/want to reduce your carb input. I’ve used the Zone diet in the past to help me portion my macronutrient intake. Helpful, but I would suggest to anyone thinking about the Zone to only treat it as a guideline, and not as a full-on diet prescription. I found all the measuring and meal timing to be too burdensome. The general Primal rules are much better.
I’m with you, Tim, on how carb counting can get ridiculous. That is why, unless you are regimenting your diet for the sake of weight loss, I don’t recommend people do it (and even then not all the time).
Carb counting is a Low CARB thing, not a paleo thing. It is really only important for diabetics or people who are so carb sensitive that eating fruit makes them ravenously hungry for all carbs, grains, fruits, sugars and other starches. CARbs in a tomato… That is basically people who have ruined their metabolism with grains and sugars. Tomatoes are fruit, and they have to take those into account if they are trying to keep their carb intake below a safe (for them) level). This concern is not related to paleo eating except that the diets are similar and they… Read more »
Griff
6 years 11 months ago
As a diabetic, it is in my best interest to carb count EVERYTHING, including tomatoes, which are actually a fruit and quite high in sugar. I might have two tablespoons of chopped tomatoes with a salad, but no more than that because my blood sugar goes through the roof if I do.
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
Oatmeal’s got one of the highest amounts of phytates of any grain so, long story short, yes.
Now, I love oatmeal (at least, with sweetener in it). In fact it was one of my staple foods in my vegan phase. I was already short on essential minerals and I think the oats just made it worse.
Paul Worthington
6 years 11 months ago
Hi Mark –
Just finishing your book today.
In regards to grains, I’d appreciate your opinion on this product, which I have as part of a morning smoothy: http://www.ultimatelife.com/CatalogMealBenefits.htm
It is primarily greens, not grains — but it does have millet in it.
Thanks,
Paul
JulieD
6 years 11 months ago
What’s your opinion on soaking grains first, Weston A. Price Foundation style?
Shay
6 years 11 months ago
Or sprouted grains. I’m curious also.
Icarus
6 years 11 months ago
I tried sprouted bread this weekend, and as Mark pointed out above, it’s very tasty…when slathered with a generous helping of golden-yellow pastured butter. 😛 Taste aside, I think if you don’t have a sensitivity to gluten, then soaked/sprouted/fermented grains overcome some of the main health detriments associated with grains and listed above; that is, they preserve nutrients (unlike polished grains) while getting rid of *most* antinutrients (unlike those “healthy” whole grains.) But they’re still a bit carby – one slice of toast will run you 14g of carbs, and seriously, who eats one friggin’ slice of toast at a… Read more »
WalterB
4 years 2 months ago
You could you know, just eat the butter and avoid most of the carbs.
Besides who *cares* how healthy the grains are?
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
I’m not Mark, but I think WAPF guidelines for grains are extremely important for folks in poverty who can’t afford a lot of meat and/or don’t have the storage space for perishable whole foods. These folks are going to be heavily dependent on grain, and presoaking that grain in an acidic medium will render it a lot safer.
Gazelle
6 years 11 months ago
Very timely for me as well. Thank you. I’ve been struggling a bit lately in figuring out what’s good and bad for my individual system, and this is a great reminder of why I should never ever consider grains. Even if they taste good, they’re not worth it!
Cameron
6 years 11 months ago
I posted this on Twitter, but might as well just place it here… I think it’s a wise idea to avoid the grains, but when there are two people involved and only one of them is decidedly primal, sometimes the primal person has to make concessions. In my house, dinner is whatever my wife puts on the table when she cooks. I’m extremely blessed that she is fairly on-board with primal foods, but there are times where we will have pasta or home made pizza… maybe a couple times a month. I think it’s a small sacrifice for me to… Read more »
EL
6 years 11 months ago
That’s what the 80/20 rule is for 🙂
If eating the occasional pizza is all it takes for you both to eat healthy the rest of the time, you’re doing quite well.
Absolutley! I have a family of 5 including my mother at home. No one else is “on-board” It makes everything a little more complicated. And you have to weigh your relationships into the mix. I think fundmentalism in any form isn’t a good thing. I still kept grains in the morning for a few weeks, but cut them out completly. I feel better then I ever have in my life! I don’t have interest in making exceptions, except for rare occassions. Beleiveing i am a food addict..cutting out grains and refind sugar is essential! So glad to have found PB… Read more »
MariaNYC
6 years 11 months ago
Good point on the importance of making concessions. My fiance is very nonprimal, and sadly nothing I have been saying or doing has made a dent on his outlook (OK, so he switched from regular to diet coke, sigh). I do all of the cooking, and the primal way of cooking is further made difficult by the fact that he does not eat most veggies, nor many varieties of meat (oh and NO seafood of any kind). Anyway, we try the best we can — I’ll usually make him a potato side that I won’t eat, and buy low-carb tortillas… Read more »
Nelter
6 years 11 months ago
Thanks for the insight. I wish I could find myself a decidly primal/paleo-crossfittingesque-wonder-girl to avoid having to make those kinda sacrifices. Pretty damn rare amongst student life though… “ZOMG FREE DOMINOS AT FRESHERS!!” 😛
primal/paleo-crossfittingesque-wonder-girl
6 years 11 months ago
So where do you go to school? 😉
Nelter
6 years 11 months ago
Haha! very smart!
I almost answered that without even realising. 😛
Rusa
5 years 10 months ago
Make him cook his own darn food.
Tim
6 years 11 months ago
You’re right. I should give it an honest go for 30 days and see how i feel. Right now i only eat oats for the most part anyway-so hopefully it isn’t too hard.
Sorry for the vague post by the way, i was in a hurry.
SK1
6 years 11 months ago
Tim – I miss oatmeal, too. I was thinking I might try heating up some almond flour in heavy cream and throwing a few berries in. Who says hot cereal has to be oats?
aurelia
6 years 11 months ago
I miss oatmeal the most.
A couple times a winter I soak my cracked groats and cook them in a slow cooker.
Yummy. But I need a carbo-nap soon after.
Nelter
6 years 11 months ago
I read groats as goats… Funny image 😀
meat meat meeeeeeeeeeat
6 years 11 months ago
slow cooked cracked goats, mmmmmmmm….
Michael
6 years 11 months ago
Timely. I ordered a low-carb six dollar burger (per your recommendation) at lunch and they mistakenly gave me a regular six dollar burger. I was going to go ahead and eat the bun, then read this. It’s now sitting in the garbage.
keith
6 years 11 months ago
hey marc. could you post some of the great science papers you have written on paleo and grains. thanks man.
I’m confused though, what makes the fiber from fruits and veggies desirable?
Nate
6 years 11 months ago
While I agree with most of the post, Mark fails to include the reasoning behind the article about the benefits of fiber: “It’s a bit of a paradox, but what we are saying is an injury at the cell level can promote health of the GI tract as a whole.”
Only including the words “rupturing”, “banging”, and “tearing” is an emotional appeal that exploits the traditionally negative connotations of these words. I thought dispelling, not reinforcing, traditional conventions was the goal of this site.
Nate, I’m just quoting verbatim the article in Science Daily (and linking it directly so anyone can read it). And yes I AM dispelling CW in that paragraph, since I am clearly questioning the rationale of the those terms (dispelling) as they could possibly apply to good gut health.
Well isn’t banging and tearing muscle fibers through hard lifting what gets them (and us) to grow stronger?
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
Intestinal lining isn’t muscle fiber. You absorb a lot of substances through it and it interfaces with your immune system so this is not something to play around with.
mm
6 years 3 months ago
I have Crohn’s Disease and one of the things they told me is to avoid high-fiber (and high-G.I.) meals when I have Crohn’s inflammation – when I’d forget this, my intestinal immune system made sure to remind me, sometimes in not-so-subtle ways
Susan in Spokane
6 years 11 months ago
My husband and I quit eating ALL grains this past March to reduce my triglycerides and improve my husband blood sugar level, and I received the unexpected result of having huge amounts of inflammation leaving my body more flexible than it had been since I was a small child! I am still amazed and thankful each and every day! Unless there are unexpected circumstances, I seriously do not see myself EVER eating grains again, especially wheat. Thanks for the site Mark!
BlazeKING
6 years 11 months ago
That’s exactly my story. Quit grains, most especially wheat, and my inflammation dropped significantly. It dropped to the point where I don’t have to take meds anymore for IBS and I don’t have chronic foot pain. I now use my foot as a guide for inflammation levels. My body is functioning (and looking) SO MUCH BETTER without grains.
Forgive for writing this, but I must pose a question.
Mark mentions cereal grains, and other things like spelt, millet, etc. However, are things like brown rice “less bad” for you? I would say it cant be any worse for you than a processed grain like flour.
The term “cereal” means ALL grains, including rice and corn. It is a term used to describe the seed of any member of the grass family. That is, grains.
Kitty
6 years 11 months ago
if we’re avioding cereal grains, i.e. all seeds of the grass family are we avoiding Asparagus also?
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
You eat asparagus seeds? Weird. I didn’t know they were edible.
Forgot to mention that Corn and Rice are in the grass family.
Chuck Olson
6 years 11 months ago
Thanks for laying this all out. Keep preaching also it needs to be repeated. I’m coming around on this – have cut way back on them and I’m leaner and feel better generally. But it’s tough in this ADM-centric world of ours it’s tough 🙂
If I eat grains only one day, the next day is a digestive disaster.
Any young person who doesn’t yet have IBS, or the like, take heed now. Don’t wait till you develop these conditions.
Wish this site had been around 20 years ago!
ecl
6 years 11 months ago
Rachel Allen- I second this!! I ate grains most of my life with no symptoms (I’m now 38) and just recently developed IBS. After giving up grains (and beans, sugar & almost all dairy) 2 months ago, I have eliminated my symptoms!
I, too, wish this site had been around 20 years ago! :o)
BlazeKING
6 years 11 months ago
Excellent Post and VERY important. I developed Crohn’s at 23 and put on all kinds of drugs. I’ve since quit grains and the drugs and have had my inflammation levels drop significantly and I literally have no markings that would show that I have Crohn’s anymore.
Don’t wait to quit grains, quit them now especially if you are of European descent. GI will doctors will say diet has nothing to do with it. They are either liars or very misinformed. Diet is EVERYTHING.
Laurel
6 years 6 months ago
Yes, I love how GI docs will tell you that diet has nothing to do with diseases of the GI tract.
Heartburn too, is diet related. If it is true hyperacidity, eliminating grains can cure it.
Sadly, many people with heartburn are actually hypochloridic, meaning lacking stomach acid. They are put on PPIs which only exacerbate the problem.
mm
6 years 3 months ago
That is strange that your GI docs act this way – at the hospital when they realized I had crohn’s and not appendicitis (the large baseball-sized absessed fistula going from my guts to my kidney may have been a clue), they gave me a printout with a small table of high, moderate and low fiber/G.I. foods and suggested to eat low fiber/G.I. during flare-ups (G.I. being a euphemism for carbs). My GI doc emphasizes stress over diet but I’m pretty sure that’s becasue it’s much easier to detect which foods damage your intestines and which do not whereas stress is… Read more »
[…] I think this is my all-time favorite Mark Sisson post: Why grains are unhealthy. […]
Larry
6 years 11 months ago
Excellant article Mark. I have been turnded on to the Paleo way of eating since reading Neanderthin. I have never felt better after giving up my grains. Potatoes were harder to give up since I am Irish. LOL.
I love your website and your articles are very well written. Here is another site that give more of the bad effects of grains, potatoes, milk, etc.
I never was a big grain-eater or grain-lover, so scaling back consumption to zero was easy. Then again… by cutting them out, I discovered just how many grains I had actually been consuming via mindless noshing. A few crackers here, a few chips there… Once I made the decision to pass them by, I found I was regularly stopping myself from grabbing grain junk because “Oh yeah, I won’t eat that anymore”. Cutting out snacking by 90% and ditching those sugars/starches/grains made a huge difference in my weight and body composition, even with no change in exercise habits. I am… Read more »
Sarra
6 years 8 months ago
OMG! 115# at 5’5 …you’re my new motivator.
Been around 150# (height 5’5) since high school..I’m now 22.
danielle
6 years 4 months ago
I was max 130 prior to reducing grains – (5’4″ AND A HALF thankyouverymuch 😉 weighed in at 118 yesterday and am still losing weight. You can do it! I feel SO much better in general, now.
Joe
6 years 11 months ago
WHAT? Really? Ugh.. Im so ill informed on everything food-wise. I will never go veg or vegan but I can ditch grains no problem.. I need to start from square one. I guess this sites a good start..
I’m often amazed at how some people have been primal for so long, yet they fall off the wagon still.
I’m going to write about this on my site.
me!
6 years 11 months ago
Honestly I think that some of us are more “addicted” than others. Even though there is a huge burn-out and long-term effects there is pleasure involved initially in eating grains for many people.
It’s like being a drug addict in a society where it’s frowned upon if you’re NOT using it…
mikey jones
3 years 11 months ago
some good points also lots of conflicting points people say grains are bad to digest and cause weight gain maybe true but would you eat a dead cow in middle of road full of dirty poisonous toxins ?? that red meat takes up to 72 hours to leave body surely this cant be best for lifestyle. im a big believer in bread is worst culprit out there as its mixed with yeast,wheat,flour,all sorts but i feel a bowl of porridge oats is maybe the only exception for a grain as i feel this is a good food its a good… Read more »
Nice Post. I have been off grains for a while and always feel much better without them. No bread, pasta or processed food at all and I still manage to maintain a heavy muscle mass, a solid muscular foundation and very little in the way of cravings at all.
I have read a number of people who enliken no grains to counting carbs. The two are mutually exclusive. I still maintain at least 40% carbs through healthy whole food choices such as yams & potatoes plus a wealth of fruits and veggies. Carbs are not the enemy…processed food IS!
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
Carbs are the enemy if you’re already halfway to diabetic. It’s great for you if they don’t bother you. Honestly, when I’m low-carbing I find I can get away with some. But too much is too much. I’ll take Mark’s statements about grain one step farther and say there’s nothing in plant foods that you NEED that you can’t get from animal foods. Plant foods are relatively cheap, and some phytonutrients turn out to be useful to people who are already metabolically damaged, but aside from that… well, there are carnivorous traditional cultures, but no vegan ones. I’m sure there’s… Read more »
mm
6 years 3 months ago
Sounds liek you’re using the Zone diet of 40/30/30… I’m not sure if the Primal Blueprint/Eating Plan was meant to be used that way as you probably still burn sugar instead of ketones as a main fuel source and it’s the resulting toxic sugar damage and high overall insulin levels that can cause problems such as inflammation/inflammation-related heart disease, insulin/energy instability, insulin resistance and increased cancer/tumour cell growth.
Stone age humans were designed to run primarily on ketones, not sugars. So in my opinion you may be missing out on some stone age/primal diet benefits
WOW! Thanks for laying it all out there Sir Marcus!
OnTheBayou
6 years 11 months ago
After I ditched the grains last June I found out why I was experiencing chronic, low level pain. I even told my sister once that I was really concerned about it.
But the visual proof of not having grains – and lower carbs generally – was my toenail fungus stopped. As in a clear line across my nails that matched in time to my grain cessation. The fungus is still doing a bit of rear guard action, but pretty soon it should be all gone.
Dave, RN
6 years 11 months ago
On of my fellow nurses was a vegetarian. She told me she finally had to add meat to her diet because her body could
t stand it any more, she was sick and weak all the time.
I have a niece that’s a vegetarian. What’s interesting is that she’s a twin. Her sister is not a vegetarian. You can tell the difference. The veg looks pale and weak and has worse skin. Wish I could talk some sense into her.
It is certainly very easy to be an unhealthy vegetarian or “carbotarian” as I call it. However, we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility of a vegetarian who doesn’t eat grains, eats primarily nutrient-dense vegetables and fat, and plenty of organic eggs. I can say with confidence that I am the healthiest person I know (in person, anyway!) and that’s the diet I follow. I plan on doing a blog post sometime about the risks of vegetarianism and the way it can still be a healthy diet. While it’s sometimes challenging to maintain great health on a vegetarian diet, there’s a slew… Read more »
Nelter
6 years 11 months ago
The moral and environmental issues with the meat industry are huge yes. I believe that’s why we need a huge change in farming procedure. I don’t think people should stop eating meat as a result but rather stop supporting the companies that are causing these issues if they possibly can. The horrors of the meat industry are just one example of the consequences of the money-power-play running behind the scenes of governmental systems. So ultimately we gotta ask, how do we fix the system?
We gotta take the powa back! UUGH!! >:)
Icarus
6 years 11 months ago
The moral and environmental issues, as I’m sure you know, are almost entirely averted by eating pastured meat, eggs, and dairy – that is, by encouraging animal husbandry that truly deserves the name and farming practices that respect the animals that nourish us and give us life (and clothing, and fertilizer, and labor, and and and…) And of course, organic farming is basically impossible without the use of animal waste for fertilizer, and I don’t think egg-laying hens and milk-giving cows produce enough waste to sidestep that fact, which is why vegetarianism is impractical for an environmentally-friendly system of agriculture… Read more »
Nelter
6 years 11 months ago
Well said. If it’s at all affordable it’s absolutely worth it.
While, in theory, it’s true that, as you say, grass-fed meat is worth it on a moral and nutritional level, not everyone can actually afford to eat that way. The primal lifestyle is, in its ideal form, an expensive one as well. I hope to someday be able to buy food like that, but for now I avoid meat, because I wouldn’t want to eat the meat I can afford.
Dana
6 years 11 months ago
As opposed to the clear-cutting required in most plant agriculture which, of course, does absolutely nothing to the environment because deforestation isn’t the first step in desertification.
This is the elephant in the living room that no veg*n seems to want to acknowledge. Nobody has to raise an animal in a battery farm. Anybody wanting to raise cabbages has to clear land first.
I absolutely agree with this. Since cutting out all grains and grain derivatives, I have been IBS free. That’s 5 weeks with no IBS. I used to suffer at least once a week, with the most awful, debilitating pain which would leave me curled up on the floor in agony.
Now, meat, fish, veg, limited fruit and limited nuts are what I eat. I am healthy. I live my life deciding what and when to eat rather than food dictating to me.
Jo
6 years 11 months ago
Great post again Mark!
This post was great to remind me about why I am making these changes, and encouraging me to keep at it. Last night I made us our first real Primal evening meal. But I decided to include things that my husband normally loves – chips, rice and crisps. So I made a roast pork tenderloin, fried cauliflower rice, sweet potato chips and beetroot crisps. My husband was really impressed – even with the meal being grain free.
alex
6 years 11 months ago
So flaxseed (linseed), couscous and Quinoa are not grains? i usually use these in recipes instead of rice etc.
I don’t think that grains dissuade consumption, as we can easily digest them, and the whole world eats them every day. They just aren’t best for you.
Kitty
6 years 11 months ago
Alex, couscous is a wheat based food. I can’t remember if it is a form of pasta or a steamed and cracked form but it is wheat based.
LOL, that is one of the funniest things I have heard in a long time. It is so apt.
peter
6 years 11 months ago
Mark, do you think that nuts and seeds are indeed healthy to consume? You make the argument that fibre can be deleterious to health. Yet, nuts are very high in fibre and not easy to digest for many. As a fan of nuts, i am beginning to think they should be avoided. For instance, everytime i look at my fecal matter after having eaten nuts, i noticed numerous bits of nuts, even though i chewed the nuts as best as i could. I think that humans might absorb little nutrients from nuts, and that they may cause more harm than… Read more »
peter, I am a fan of eating nuts. Most people digest nuts (and nut butters) quite easily. Understand, I am not against fiber per se, I am simply saying that we get all the fiber we need from vegetables, fruits and nuts. We just don’t need to get added fiber in any way from grains.
Hillary
6 years 11 months ago
Peter – you might want to look into the Weston Price Foundation’s website (www.westonaprice.org) and read up on how to ‘process’ nuts so that they are more edible. WAPF recommends that nuts & seeds be soaked and dried before consumption. This will neutralize anti-nutrients in the raw nuts. If the nuts & seeds are soaked and dried correctly they become crispy and delicious. Several companies sell nuts like these but they are pricey. Some people I know do all this at home with a dehydrator. WAPF also recommends that all grains be soaked, fermented or sprouted before being used or… Read more »
lightcan
6 years 11 months ago
Alex,
Quinoa and flax are not grasses, they’re still seeds though, they might contain lectins and phytic acid, but couscous is cracked wheat!
Just because the others, who would be starving otherwise are eating them doesn’t mean they are good for you. You can easily digest them if they’re prepared and cooked properly. Not getting sick after the meal is not the sign that the food is beneficial, but that is tolerated by the digestive tract.
Bill
6 years 11 months ago
“The seed stays intact throughout the digestive process; it is indigestible by design.” – I think you meant to say ‘by chance’ here. Just sayin
Not to open a can of worms.
erika
6 years 11 months ago
If you read the article again you’ll understand that it isn’t by chance. It’s a defense mechanism that evolved through the process of natural selection.
But evolutionary mechanisms evolve by chance. There’s no brain in the seed going, “Hey, if I were indigestible, I’d be so much more successful!” and then making it so.
[…] Grain Relapse <<B.S. of the week People who follow the primal/paleo lifestyle adhere to a diet of only meat and vegetables, refraining entirely from grains and legumes in any form. Though it is hard to find health flaws in a diet like this, I have a lot of trouble understanding the purpose of this much dietary restriction–it eliminates virtually every cuisine on the planet. Mark Sisson argues there is no reason to eat grains at all, but does this much dogma really make your life better? In my experience, small amounts of grains (preferably intact) make existence a whole… Read more »
Benji
6 years 11 months ago
That was fun. Will you give us your best spiel on soy? I’ve heard good and bad things about soy for a long time. What do you have to say?
I get the argument against wheat, rye, and barley (especially for Celiac Disease sufferers). What about rice? From what I’ve read and from what my friend who has Celiac Disease, rice is safe and as long as it’s not enriched with a wheat-based additive and you’re sure to wash/polish the rice before cooking (something that all Asian’s do and from what I’ve read, it removes a great deal of the lectins as well), you’re good to go.
Hmm…sounds like Rice might be good for an endurance athlete for post-workout and/or possibly mid-workout replenishment when glucose stores are tapped out (although tubers would work too).
Jon, rice is a great source of cheap carbohydrate that readily converts to glucose. Full stop. Rice is not a good source of any other nutrient. On the spectrum of worst to “least worst” I suppose rice is less offensive than wheat, rye, corn, etc. but only because it is lower in the other antinutrients.
Benji
6 years 11 months ago
Oh yeah, back when I first gave up grains, I also gave up corn. Throughout my grain relapses, the only time I’ve relapsed on corn was while eating polenta because I didn’t realize that’s what it was I didn’t really have a reason for giving up corn. It just seemed starchy and unnecessary. What’s your opinion on corn?
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I find that grain bashing makes for a tasty, but ultimately unsatisfying meal.
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1710 Comments on "Why Grains Are Unhealthy"
Very timely, as I read this in my school’s buffet. I’m going to grab some more salad!
Sounds like a wonderful idea! There is nothing like a good ole primal salad 🙂
I can’t believe I just read this article…
It is a MUST READ for anyone who thinks grains are good for them! I will be passing this around the web like crazy 🙂
While I feel it’s probably right, it surely isn’t a must read. That is, unless your must read criteria favors feelings and cute parenthetical usage over evidence and citations.
Thank you Mark Sisson for this article and everyone who commented. The Paleo diet is amazing and giving up grains was one of the best decisions I have made for my life and health.
Agreed. These are some interesting assertions, and probably worth investigating, but where is the evidence? What sources can you cite? Are there any peer-reviewed studies that support your claims?
It takes more than vitriol and big words to make me change my daily habits.
Also the key is moderation. There is no need to cut anything completely out of your diet. Why punish yourself. Health is based on person to person. No one has the right answer. One person say eat it or prepare it like this and the next says dont. The key is to get the nutrients you need I’m a moderate and common sense diet.
HERE HERE!
Watch this 6 part video. About 45 minutes altogether. See if this new information changes your mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VklT8uL8yo&feature=player_embedded
A popular book “wheat belly”, refers to evidence the wheat plant has been re-engineered in order to produce more in a shorter time in short in the name of profits. This may partially explain why for centuries we did not have issues eating grains and now we do.
Oh dear! Whose bible have you been reading? Even my doctor is telling his patients to ditch the bread. But if you ARE intent on having bread, perhaps read ‘Nourishing Traditions’ by Sally Fallon.
I eliminated grains about 6 weeks ago after reading Wheat Belly. All my cravings are gone and this is the best i have felt in years!
I say your asthma is a result of you believing from the get go the grains would help. In other words placebo. Just listened to an asthma study were placebo and medicated patients felt same exact results. In other words I don’t believe you either.
Give us this day our DAILY bread? Like you said, you can’t believe everything you read.
We need cholesterol. It is neither good nor bad.
Read this article:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx
Do Not Eat Grains…knows what he/she is talking about; sounds like Dr. Jason Fung, an internist in Toronto, Canada who has done an extensive review of most of the published scientific evidence in the last 50+ years. See his 6-part YouTube Video Lecture series “Aetiology of Obesity.” He is having great success treating his Type 2 Diabetes patients with a combination of intermittent fasting and the paleo diet principles of cutting out processed carbohydrates and vegetable oils.
Without those grains, and other glutenous high GI starchy carbs, cholesterol would be burned for energy, along with fat and protein… Then there would be no need for oatmeal to lower the bad cholesterol. Just sayin’.
“daily bread”= Word of God (in the context you’re referring to)
you really need to go watch vegan gains on youtube. low carb diets are not healthy or sustainable. this data is cherry picked.
Hello all,
I recently discovered this blog and have found it very interesting. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests a link between grain consumption and chronic degenerative diseases. I’m interested in the link between lectins from grains (specifically legumes) and neurodegenrative diseases such as dystonia and other movement disorders. Does anyone out there have information about this or know of anyone who has successfully treated their dystonia by adopting a Paleo-diet? Thanks….
Ah, grains, ie. cereal grains, are not legumes. Peas, beans, alfalfa, carob, soy, peanuts. They are plants in the Fabaceae family. Cereal grains are grasses in the monocat family Poaceae.
What if you are a vegetarian? How do you fill up? On vegetables? I read an article on how soy has been transformed and we should not eat it?
Hi Rob, I have dystonia. I read on one dystonia forum of a forum member adopting this diet and seeing significant changes.
You are right, I discovered it couple of days ago and Mark changed my life!
About paleo diet treatment and proof that it can cure is myself! It changed me, I feel more energized a lot better since I started it.
Arrepientanse hippies, todo lo que comen les hace da~o porque viven en una vida llena de pecado y por eso tienen miedo de comer lo que Dios creo para nuestro bien….ustedes le dicen malo a lo que Dios dice bueno. Estan enfermos por pecadores NO por comer gluten o granos. Arrepientanse!
LOL
cálmate wey
Bien dicho Martine. Jaja!
god didn’t create modern grains, people did by taking entirely inedible grasses and turning them into edible, albeit indigestible grains like wheat etc.
I have been learning more about the paleo diet from a friend of mine. My experience is in veganism and macrobiotics, and as I am learning more about our excess grain consumption as a society, what you say Marion really makes sense to me. You can pick an apple or pluck a lettuce leaf and it is ready to eat, but wheat or rice pulled from the ground are certainly not!
god didnt make the computer you’re sitting at.
or the polyester your wearing.
oh, and if it’s cotton you’re wearing, well remember, just like grains, cotton plants were harvested too.
this article is bogus.
and honestly, calling us hippy sinners? and that we’re only sick because we’re sinners? i can only presume you’re joking, otherwise take your zeal and stuff it where the sun don’t shine!
I think you have missed the fact that humans has been around for more than 100 000 years. Jesus christ was born 2012 years ago.
Anyone who believes in the christian god please explain why god was slacking at least 98000 of those years before he decided to sacrifice his son?
Quién dice que dios existe? Edúcate, por favor.
Jesus Christ never existed.
@rich You’re wrong, there’s evidence that He did, in fact exist.
hahahaha your comment is hilarius.
He seems to have had an impact, nonetheless. “AD” and all that…
I don’t think we were MEANT for eating anything specific. We have evolved and so our bodies has had more time to adapt to eating meat, veggies and fruit.
What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Very good points;
Actually, when it comes to eggs, modern science is on our side. It’s been nearly 3 decades since eggs were shown to at least not be harmful to us. Unfortunately they have not been able to break through the propaganda against them, even though the propaganda has long since stopped. I see eggs as beneficial because when people eat eggs for breakfast, they are not eating a bowl of cereal. Now if we could get them to not have toast with those eggs.
How you feel when you eat grains is the way some people, myself included, feel when they eat meat.
Without meat it’s pretty difficult to eat a reasonable amount of calories unless you also consume grains and/or legumes.
Also, last I heard modern science was saying that eggs -are- healthy.
I love your comment
Great( and very valid) comment!
I love your comment!
Hey, if you have not tried jumping off a cliff from 300 feet without a parachute, “If you haven’t tried it, knocking it doesn’t mean a thing.”
I can see where the real problem is.We have very limited choices in an industrial society.Everyone is time starved and grains like corn,rice,potatoes and noodles give us the necessary boost.I still eat fruit,but that is usually for breakfast.I would think expanding the variety of what you’re eating would lead to a healthier life.Problem is most everything is refined and put in bright packages for long life.Real food seems harder to come by everyday.
Is there reason why you would recommend eating grains?
The evidence is right here on this board. People are giving their testimonies and yes grains are not good for us.
I have just been on this plan for the last four days and I can feel the difference (not eating at night, sleeping well, lost 1lb and just feel good).
It works and they only way to know is to try it with:
• No grain
• No sugary drinks
• No smoke
All equal healthy weight loss.
Wheat was originally domesticated for beer making. Bread was an afterthought and a byproduct of that endeavour. In the form of beer, the wheat was much more digestible and nutritious because of the fermentation process than the way it is typically eaten now.
great comments, Sandra 🙂
Most people with a religion feel the need to prosthelytize and many believe that eating meat is morally wrong, just like some religions believe that certain forms of birth control are morally wrong to the point of using deadly force against them.
For example, in my youth in Maryland, condoms could only be sold in restrooms in bars, due I was told to influence from the Roman Catholic Church.
I think the best diet is to eat as many foods that are not processed at all. If they could not eat 20 000 years ago than we shouldn’t eat it. That in my opinion is the best diet.
I am rolling on the floor as I read this, I love it!
Vegetables contain anti nutrients too -.- .. and if you soak rice/legumes you remove most of them.. fermentation over 24 hours can remove over 95%
Very well said. When I spoke to one of fellow nurses about my dietary habits and explained that i don’t eat grains or potatoes legumes etc, she said “but how do you get your starches” like it was some sort of required food group. And this from a NURSE. She should know better, but many don’t because they just spit out what they are taught. And therein lies our problem…
That’s because she’s learned it from the doctor. 😉
Well-we are subject to the media, government and big pharma(which has our gvt in its pocket)..I instruct nurses and med students..they are not physiologists. They are not given enough information on what is dietarily necessary. They are preprogramed before entering study to have the same adulterated view of what is “good” and “necessary” for existance. This includes some cancer meds and many medicines overall. Big pharma, plus government control of the FDA and media..hmm..what makes the world go around? Could it be money? Come on-
Thank you, Melissa!! You, for one, are a very aware of what’s going on around you and not hypnotized by our media, government and big industries that capitalize off of the bad health of the public. You also realize the the Federal Reserve is a private banking corporation, not part of the government at all? The Federal Reserve is the puppet master; all of the big industries and the government are far below them. I wonder what their agenda is??? Hmmm, you and I and a few others are well aware but most others are blind to their own demise.
You are aware that a doctoral degrees require a compulsory 25hrs of nutrition in between 7-10 years of study. Surveys of American instutions found the majority manage less than 20hrs. Is the suggestion is that Doctors are some sort of authority on nutrition??
Most doctors are non-thinking fools, who only know what they were told in medical school.
Their teachers in medical school, in many cases, were non-thinking fools as well.
Very, very FEW doctors are involved in research.
Some doctors simply look at symptoms and prescribe what they see in a book somewhere.
Doctors have killed more people than you care to count.
Realize that a lot of these nurses are taking this from actual classes, real professionals and researchers, not reading it online where anybody can post anything quite obviously.
Dr’s may only get about 8 hours of nutrition training but nurses get an entire semester, we know better.
oh well said! I always trust the advice of security guards over a medical professional.
Everyone! Relieve the global strain on health systems while solving the overpopulation issue, see security guards and herbal charlatans for all your ailments!
Cancer and ‘herbal remedies’ should *never* be used in the same sentence. Anybody recommending such tripe should be exorcised, for they surely have a demon living inside their noggin.
lol, with all my ranting, i forgot to post the link [that i hope Everyone will have the stomach, and the patience, to watch to the end – i.e. part 6]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DW-twcOQcE
of course, same applies here. don’t believe everything you read/hear/see. do the research yourself.
Stent: 8 hrs means 8 credit hours which is usually two semesters. One semester is 3 to 4 credit hrs.
Chiropractors take an entire year of nutrition courses… Not all Dr’s are created equal…
I agree. Dr.’s are scaling their patients so they have to return, its all about the money now..
your so stupid
I agree with what you share about food. I am eating a paleo diet and feel great. Please don’t direct people to “herbal doctors” stating they will “take care of it” for serious medical and health issues. Sometimes they can, my friend died foregoing traditional western medicine treatments for herbs. Sometimes herbs work; great! You can’t deny that chemo has saved thousands of lives. It’s a delicate choice; herbal doctors are a great source toward recovery from treatments such as chemo.
WELL SAID SARABEAR!
You are correct. In many cases, doctors treat SYMPTOMS, not the cause.
You’d be surprised that in Cuba, there is more emphasis on the causes of things than just treating a sympton. Being they are a 3rd world country, we here in the U.S. could do much better if politics and PROFIT$ weren’t an issue!
Haha… 🙂 Research? From what!?! Websites like this? Written from the biased and close-minded view of one person. Research is going out into the field and finding your OWN results, with logical and scientific backgrounds, not copying it off cheap crappy websites like this.
“training” or “indoctrination by the meat and dairy industry”
We’ve done the studies, we’ve seen the evidence.
Perhaps it was an older nurse? or doctor? do you really think that once they graduated 20-30 years ago they kept up on the research?
I have a B.Sc. Neuroscience, and M.Sc. Physical Therapy… yes, I’m a health professional. And I did LOTS of study on nutrition, biochemistry, exercise physiology. And this post makes sense.
So…. I guess I didn’t pay attention to those “real” professionals and researchers, right?
The YouTube video above has been removed by the user. Why is that?
And if you want non-epidemiological studies, start with the Eades’ Protein Power, Anthony Colpo’s The Great Cholesterol Con, and Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories. All of them are chock-full of peer-reviewed, non-epidemiological studies. That should cheer you up.
Woah, Mark, sorry; did I catch you on the wrong day?
I’m not sure what you’re arguing here. I never criticized what was written above, nor did sara. She just said this: be a little critical before you just accept it as truth.
Despite your inability to properly read my posts, I’ll bite.
-“Primal” people? Can you define what this means?
– 3 books, out of 30, that’s 10% of your books.
“Our grandparents and their parents and their grandparents, all the way back to Grok, ate the way that Primal people do now, and they all lived into their 80s and 90s, usually in at least decent health. Our parents, on the other hand, ate the low-fat high-carb way, and started dropping like flies in their 40s and 50s from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. Hmmm. I see a connection there.”
You think the life expectancy of our parents was 40 YEARS LOWER than that of our grandparents? lol wut? Crazy much?
Well, one of the things I think about is how sick we are today. We’ve got all these government recommendations that are supposed to keep a person healthy and they don’t work.
Don’t even mention FDA, which is a throughly corrupt organization.
I will see what benefit I get from avoiding grains. That will be proof or no proof to me.
I follow a food plan free of grains and other “conventional” starches. I’m a nurse practitioner and have a dietician friend that eats the same way. My husband is a physician and sees no need for grains in the diet either. NOTHING I was taught in “actual classes” said that grains were needed for good health; it was just part of the goverment generated food pyramid. Many things we were taught in school were based on tradition, not hard science.
I had the exact same thought.
Well – did you see this article? – Most medical schools do not meet the min. 25 hrs of rec. nutrition training. http://bit.ly/9b9DLn
Erin,
Hi, I’m also a medical student and was wondering your thoughts on Primal Blueprint, if you’re doing it, and if so how it’s fit into the crazy schedules we have?
Hope you don’t mind me contacting you. I just found this site yesterday and I wanted some input from someone who understands the demands of med school. Thanks! 🙂
dhknobe@gmail.com
It is well established that carbohydrates push up insulin levels, some more than others, but they all do it, to a level where it is chronically high. This is not good for anyone. But because of genetic variation in people, some handle it better than others, so some appear not to have any issues with it. But over the course of a lifetime, it is cumulative damage and it is NEVER beneficial.
You said it buddy. You’re a lobbyist.
I’m an RN. Here’s a little info for you. Take care.
“Phytic acid, aka phytate, aka IP-6, is one of the most powerful antioxidants found in foods. Some nutritionally-oriented cancer researchers think that IP-6 is probably the most powerful natural anti-cancer sustances. IP-6 is found in grains, beans, nuts & seeds. Wheat is especially high in this cancer fighter.”
“Phytic acid works differently than other antioxidants. Most antioxidants circulate in the bloood, stopping free radicals there. Phytate has the unique ability to work inside your cells, stopping free radicals that are formed duringthe normal process of cell metabolism.”
Yeah. We wouldn’t need to fight cancer if we didn’t digest grains.
Todd, perhaps you should do a little research yourself. Start with Good Calories-Bad Calories by Gary Taubes…investigate the entire bibliography and substantiate your stand on grains point-by-point; a tip… you will NOT be able to do it. Historical scientific evidence supports that agricultural societies have steadily declined in health and increased in obesity and diseases of Western Culture. You, like so many other absolutely refuse to admit you have been hoodwinked by the government, Ancel Keyes….must I continue? I think not.
People in Asia/Japan (where I live) eat rice/carbs at almost every meal, live the longest of anyone everywhere (Japan has the highest longevity rates) and seem to have very few health problems. Of course, lung and colon cancer are high, but generally, carbs/starches are a large part of their daily diet. So…..I’m just saying: this is all a bit confusing. How does anyone explain the discrepancy of an Asian diet with carbs still produce such long lifespans?
Bipolarism isn’t caused by not eating grains, it’s a genetic disorder…
“BTW, paleolithic tribes did not live past 35 years of age and did not live long enough to develop heart disease and colon cancer.”
Maybe because of the paleolithic tribes diet their bones appear to be 35 years old being compared to modern mans bones. Perhaps they lived much longer and healthier then we do today.
lol, That’s not how carbon-dating works.
Longevity data tend to be distorted by factoring in infant mortality rates (and likely other things affecting these rates). Prehistoric people lived longer than 30-35 years, on average. They foraged and ate a wide variety of things, with little competition for resources. Agriculture was probably one of the worst things to happen to humans, especially women. Diet and life span took a nose dive after that.
This is untrue. there was fierce competition among human ancestors, and if you read up on evolution, you can see that humans indeed had shorter life spans years ago.
Yes, the anthropological studies look at the remains and can analyse things like height and weight, relative health of the bones, etc. Once agriculture was introduced, which was still thousands of years before medical advances, the stature of the people became much shorter, the bones are more lifely to have malnutritional deformities, the teeth to have cavities, and signs of heart disease start appearing, and these are in populations with similar lifespans.
Hope you like colon cancer.
Thanks Mark – I have been slipping lately and this was the article that I needed to read.
Sometimes reminders like this and a little reinforcement are useful. Thanks for reading, Alex!
A reminder for me about how much I don’t miss them 🙂
Hey Mark, new to you, but like what you are saying about no grains, they have never made me feel good. What else to eat besides fruits a veggies, Maybe this brocitis will go away. see ya.
Dan: Try a steak.
TRY A STEAK?
Steak has never and will never be good for you and is NOT nutrient dense. Just like the dairy that Mark bashes, it also is full of chemicals and comes from the same factories. In addition, steak is high in saturated fats.
Saturated fats = clogged arteries = heart attacks. That doesn’t change, but actually increases, from cutting out whole grains.
How did that Atkins guy die?
There’s a clue.
Wait a minute…. a simple search reveals that Dr. Atkins did not even die of a heart attack like you say – he died in a similar way our healthy high-fat eating ancestors might have : slipped and fell on ice, got head trauma and died.
some people do fine with just fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. look up 80 / 10 / 10
from reading up on it, it seems really healthy except for two things.
1. they tend to report a reduced libido.that makes me wonder what else is going on hormonally.
2. theyre all really skinny! i dont know if its hormonal, lack of protein or what, but ive never seen a skinnier bunch. Its great if thats what you want or if you dont care. they dont seem to suffer for it either, but it does make me wonder whats going on there.
[…] […]
For my Sustainability class my group is supposed to brainstorms ways we can cut back on food consumption on campus (ASU). One proposition will be to cut outs grains and sugars from campus. consuming only nutrient-dense food will derive undistorted satiation, and ultimately require less calories.
“if your average unhealthy person were to ask for the top three things to avoid in order to get healthy, I would tell them to stop smoking, to stop drinking their calories (as soda or juice), and to stop eating grains.”
You wouldn’t have no added or processed sugar as a top 3?
Which of Mark’s Top 3 would you have replaced with your suggestion?
Well the more I think about it, my suggestion, no sugar, pretty much covers the no soda suggestion, so I guess that one.
You?
I like the way Mark presented his Top 3 because many people think they’re eating healthy even while they’re drinking juice. While some foods with added sugars may at least provide a tiny bit of nutrition, sugary drinks are really at the bottom of that list.
While the avid readers of MDA already know this, I think it would be more helpful to newbies who still follow CW.
There are plenty of unhealthy people who don’t smoke.
agreed but the statement was if I had to tell people three things to a healthier lifestyle. No one was suggesting that just because you don’t smoke it means your healthy.
“If you’re not a smoker, don’t start” — how’s that — {:~)
Any number of things could make it into the top 3 on any given day. Of course it depends on the audience, too. As Kristin J touched on above, for your average guy or gal on the street just cutting out soda would be a major step in the right direction. But, yes, of course, processed sugar is right up there (and soda sort of covers or implies that).
Sugar is a grain! Right? So no grains covers it.
Well, no, it depends on where the sugar comes from. If it’s from corn syrup or sorghum, then OK. Sugarcane’s a whole different critter.
I think it’d have to be a top four suggestions. Because sugar, no matter where it comes from, is more and more implicated in metabolic syndrome and diabetes due to its fructose content. It also operates as an antinutrient.
lmao no sugar is NOT a grain..
I only drink diet (but a lot of it). Am I going to die for different reasons?
probably from a brain tumor or a neurological disease. Look up sweet misery
The artificial sweetners in “diet” sodas are just as bad or worse: they actually have been indicated in increasing your DESIRE for sugars and sweets, meaning you’ll consume more overall. Additionally, some of them have been correlated with higher cancer risk, though as with anything else relating to cancer, it’s difficult to pin it all on one thing, as environment as a whole plays into it, as does genetics.
If you have to have something sweet and liquidy, I recommend a juicy piece of fruit. Lower fructose content, and no potential carcinogens. 🙂
You can not change your genetic makeup. Plain and simple. Show me the SCIENCE to back it up, I’ll show you the SCIENCE that you can not! If you could we would not have any health problems.
Where did Mark ever say that you could change your genetic makeup? He’s talking about OPTIMIZING what you have – which means not eating things that we weren’t meant to eat, such as grains.
Context, dear. Read for context.
Hey Mark – quick question. What’s worse in your opinion, grains or sugar? Can one rely compare?
Grains cause a much higher insulin spike than sugar would. Grains like sugar are carbs. Grains such as wheat, trump sugar.
The glycemic index is nonsense (see http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/22168291.php). There’s no scientific basis for it whatsoever.
As for sugar vs. grains – in the long run, there’s no difference. Carbs are carbs – ALL carbs turn into sugar when your body processes them. Carbs are NOT GOOD for you. Grains and sugar – there’s no difference. They’re both bad. They both spike insulin and blood sugar levels. Avoid them both.
Dr. Lustig gets Type II kids of diabetic medicine, merely by having them cut out sugar sweetened beverages.
I can say from my own experience that cutting out soda alone can start rapid fat loss, particularly if you start out morbidly obese. Even while eating oatmeal routinely for breakfast.
This is a perfect reminder- esp with the holidays fast approaching. While I might enjoy a wee bit of quinoa or hummus now and then, my consumption has dropped dramtically over the last 9 months since I’ve been on the PB. Grains really don’t appeal to me any more, thankfully. Excellent post!
Why cut out hummus? It’s not a grain as far as I know.
It would be nice to get a clarification on this since as an Israeli cutting hummus out of my diet would be very close to impossible.
-Rafi
Beans are a no-no on the PB- I just threw them in there since some grains & beans are 20% for me!
There’s no reason to cut out legumes, but they are high in sugar (they’re carby). I’m a vegetarian so I eat legumes on days I don’t eat eggs to get my protein in. Also hummus is the sort of thing where a serving is a tablespoon, so you’re not even really eating that much hummus (or shouldn’t be).
They are a bean…legume. Not allowed on PB dirt
Isn’t quinoa a seed?
Quinoa is a chenopod plant, commonly misrepresented as a grain. It has seeds, yes, but it also has leaves.
Cordain has a great lecture on how grains (and lectins, of course), are linked to multiple sclerosis. It’s scientific but rather easy to understand.
http://www.youtube.com/user/miladskaya#g/c/7227FC56E6473A9B
[…] Original post by Mark Sisson […]
Here is a good reason for eating grains, they taste good. Stop worrying about your diet and enjoy your life. Give vegetarianism a chance.
Grain-based foods do taste and smell good, I agree. But hardly a good reason to eat them regularly. Gonna have to do better than that.
This post (Grain Relapse) is perfect timing, as I have been slipping into daily consumption again. Back on the wagon now!
Grain based foods taste great, mostly because they contain sucrose or HFCS and mostly are made from refined grains. Try getting the average American to eat *real* whole wheat bread without added sugar or even brown rice. Not gonna happen.
Could you please let us all avid readers know the vegetarian experiment as a separate post? I’d love to hear it
I agree. One of the things I realized after switching to Primal was that those cookies, cakes, biscuits, whatever might taste good, but I could never take a pinch of flour and eat it. EW! Definitely a disconnect there.
Almond flour on the other hand…mmm.
maybe you became sick and weak from vegetarianism because you are mentally sick and weak? And don’t you think that eating dead animal carcasses is bit cave-man like?
There are plenty of RAW protein sources that are far more digestible than dead meat. i.e.: hemp, chlorella, spirulina, organic cage-free eggs, etc.. etc.. etc..
I have been a veggie for years and am stronger than you will ever dream of being.
btw, what is so indigestible about spouted hulless oats?
The “cave-man like” thing is the whole POINT, Jay. Our genes didn’t evolve just because our minds did. They still expect the same things that Grok ate – meat, animal fat, and the occasional non-starchy vegetable. We did not evolve to eat grains and we are still not evolved to eat grains, regardless of what you think.
While you read “The Vegetarian Myth,” I’ll have a rare steak, thanks.
Sorry to question your superiority there Jay-Jay but Im betting the kid’s college fund Mark would kick your veggie ass in any thing that required physical effort or ability. Why don’t you start your own blog buddy? I have learned you have to search out a matter to find the truth. If you depend on the media saturation and well known sources for your information you are up the river without a paddle or a canoe for that matter….by the way : Yes that is a waterfall up ahead.
You say that like you think aping cave people is a *bad* thing.
Clearly your new here, dr. dune. Take a look around the site before you call my recommendations silly.
Mark isn’t trying to suggest a diet that billions of people can sustain… hes suggesting a diet that is ultimately healthy. This isn’t social studies class, this is nutrition.
I don’t really see the counter-argument of ‘grains don’t taste good’ as valid, as its totally up to the taste of the person. I love plain rice, and don’t find it bland, though most people do.
Saying that, everything else you’ve said seems fine 🙂
I am a vegan myself and there have been many nutritionists and doctors that say meat is not good for the body – or rather, we don’t need it with all of the amazing food we already have. Not only are you digesting the animal’s cholesterol but a lot of the nutrients can be found in plant based whole foods. And not to mention, meat absolutely has no fiber!
But I was intrigued with your comment and never looked it at that way. You made an interesting point and further validates my vegan diet.
How can you “enjoy your life” if your diet is plaguing your overall health and vitality? (By the way, this is coming from a vegetarian. A grainless vegetarian.)
Hey Emily, I have a vegetarian friend who is curious about eating Primally but does NOT want to start eating meat. Any advice for her?
I thought quinoa and buckwheat were not considered grains. What is the reason they should not be eaten.
As a vegetarian, I’m curious about what works for you, Emily, too. I agree with basing one’s diet around vegetables, but do you just accept a lower-protein diet than meat-eating primalists, or do you compensate otherwise?
My two cents, as a grain-free pescatarian, is that centering my meals around veggies, nuts, fruit, and fish, and throwing in legumes, other seafood, and organic eggs & dairy on occasion works great. I probably eat less protein than meat-eaters, but I do have hemp protein shakes for breakfast and don’t worry too much about it since I eat a lot of fish and nuts.
what is indigestible about spouted hulless oats, and btw, quinoa is not a grain but a seed and is highly digestible if sprouted.
Ha, now that you mention it, I notice that I never have bad gas anymore, whereas it used to be bad enough that I’d have “exit strategies” for work or school because holding it in was so painful.
Alas, I still crave grains – specifically bread. But wheat makes me feel bloated and strangely sleepy when I gorge, so it’s not TOO hard to avoid anymore. Thank goodness I never liked rice or corn in the first place, though.
Icarus, I used to have that bloated and sleepy thing going on about 2 hrs after I ate anything with wheat. It got much worse before I figured out I have a sensitivity to gluten. Stop eating wheat, rye, barley (sorry, no beer anymore!) and you’ll feel a lot better.
Yeah you’re right! I don’t get bad gas anymore. At ALL. It used to be the worst part of a coast-to-coast flight was holding it in for 6 hours, but since I went primal, I rarely even have gas, and when I do it doesn’t clear a room.
What, you can’t go fart in the toilets on the plane?
Grains do not taste good. Save for piping hot bread out of the oven, most grains need flavor enhancement from sweeteners like sugar or sucralose or fats like butter or olive oil to be palatable. Does anybody eat just pasta without sauce or unsweetened cereal without milk? Nope. On the other hand, meat, fruit, and some vegetables can be enjoyed plain.
I love eating pasta, oalmeal, quinoa, etc, plain. I find this article very interesting but let’s stick to actual facts; taste is an entirely subjective thing.
Kiore, somehow I can’t believe you like that crap plain when there are so many other healthy, tasty choices. Remind me never to eat at your house 😉
I know several people who eat just pasta, or just rice. I don’t, just pointing that out.
So you cook your meat with just water or you eat it raw?
Meat tastes good. Give omnivorism a chance!
Hey, that’s great news — I think I’ll start drinking a gallon of scotch a week again, because I like the taste — thanks! :~)
Have you read the recently published book by Lierre Keith, “The Vegetarian Myth?”
She was a vegan for 20 years. Destroyed her health and the book makes a devastating case against vegetarianism, not only on health grounds, but environmental as well.
Yep, she’s both a radical environmentalist and feminist, and she shows vividly how destructive agriculture is to the planet, and how beneficial free-ranging animals are to the environment.
You might want to check it out.
It’s amazing that some of us wacky lefties actually do use our brains, huh? 🙂
I’m going to go have a nice medium-rare steak now, thanks.
I am surprised you did not have a coronary with the number of steaks you ate in this thread alone.
Maybe that should make you think about the fallacies you’ve been swallowing from the doctor and other people who don’t actually know what they’re talking about, then, shouldn’t it? Not only have I not had a coronary, I know I’m never going to.
However, I am going to go have another steak – and no coronary, thanks. You can have that with your all-grain bread and soy protein diet… or you could wake up and smell the bacon.
It has NEVER been proven that saturated fats or dietary cholesterol have any effect on heart disease. Notice I said DIETARY cholesterol. Yes, the small, dense form of LDL in the blood is strongly correlated with heart disease, but what raises it? Carbs.
Also, beef fat is only about 50% saturated, about 50% monounsaturated. Lard (prokfat) is about 70% monounsaturated, 30% saturated. I blieve poultry is similar. So the entire belief that animal fat is causes heart disease is unsubstantiated.
A good point you made about how little traditional doctors know about the subject. I think the fact that the average MD is dead by 58 is plenty reason not to look to them as a well-spring of health related wisdom.
BTW Your free to have another steak now.
Did you knowingly follow up “stop worrying about your diet and enjoy life” with, “Give Vegetarianism a chance”. You literally just said, don’t worry about your diet, instead change you diet. I personally just stumbled onto this site so if you have a similar post about why vegetarianism is unhealthy id love to know about it.
Do you really think there aren’t any animals that eat grains and/or beans? Just because they’re hard to get to doesn’t mean something won’t try; in fact, I’d probably assume the opposite of that. The harder something is to eat, the more animals are trying to eat it. That’s why it evolved to be so difficult to get to.
Actually dairy can be eaten raw! There is a growing movement of folks who are demanding access to clean, safe, locally produced, organic raw milk and raw milk products. In many states it is legal to buy/sell raw milk. Some people who cannot tolerate store-bought milk can tolerate raw. There is, however, something to be said about the notion that cow milk was made for baby cows (and goat milk for kids, etc.). I must say that I feel immensely better after having eliminated dairy from my diet.
Beans and grains can be sprouted and eaten with water alone. I agree with what you are saying mostly, just wanted to add that.
Great stuff Mark. Once again had to forward this great post to all my family members!
I have now heard all of the above from people – usually while they stuff their mouths with cake or cookies. I guess the irony of “what about fiber” and lack of vitamins and minerals was lost on them…
“humans arent meant to eat grains” which is why every known civilization bases their diet off of some type of grain or starch.You cant name one that doesnt. Grains arent unhealthy , taste is subjective, and “primal” cultures today eat grains, dairy ect. and none of them do hiit or lift weights.
The Maasai Tribe. There’s one 🙂
and this proves that?
civilization evolved because grains allowed population to increase and allowed stratification of society… just because grains are needed to sustain a population doesn’t mean they’re healthy. after the adoption of agriculture, life expectancy DECREASED, along with average height, free time, and probably a whole bunch of other things i can’t think of right now. that’s the whole point, eating like a caveman, sans grains, is healthier
You don’t know what cavemen ate. There’s even evidence that they ate grains as prior to the agricultural revolution.
Talking about primal cultures, I wondered what you guys think about the book of Weston A. Price, who studied a number of “primitive” cultures. Many of these groups did eat grains (rye, barley, etc.) or other carbohydrate rich vegetables. See his book:
http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/pricetoc.html
Could it be that the health problem is mainly wheat and not all grains? And that only people that need to watch their weight may want to try the effect of eliminating more carbohydrates?
Civilization is a late comer and very recent in evolutionary terms.
According to Jared Diamond agriculture is human’s worst mistake.
So if i eat a bowl of oatmeal, im basically going to die a slow horrible death. Got it.
I read the book and it makes a lot of sense but this is getting crazy. I’ve read people debating the carb count in TOMATOES?!?!?!
Healthier carbs should be the first concern. Counting is secondary. Depending on your goals, you may need/want to reduce your carb input. I’ve used the Zone diet in the past to help me portion my macronutrient intake. Helpful, but I would suggest to anyone thinking about the Zone to only treat it as a guideline, and not as a full-on diet prescription. I found all the measuring and meal timing to be too burdensome. The general Primal rules are much better.
I’m with you, Tim, on how carb counting can get ridiculous. That is why, unless you are regimenting your diet for the sake of weight loss, I don’t recommend people do it (and even then not all the time).
Glad you liked the book.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dont-let-the-perfect-be-the-enemy-of-the-good/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-8020-revisited/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/will-momentary-compromises-derail-your-efforts/
Uh, so what???? lol
Nice rebuttal.
As a diabetic, it is in my best interest to carb count EVERYTHING, including tomatoes, which are actually a fruit and quite high in sugar. I might have two tablespoons of chopped tomatoes with a salad, but no more than that because my blood sugar goes through the roof if I do.
Oatmeal’s got one of the highest amounts of phytates of any grain so, long story short, yes.
Now, I love oatmeal (at least, with sweetener in it). In fact it was one of my staple foods in my vegan phase. I was already short on essential minerals and I think the oats just made it worse.
Hi Mark –
Just finishing your book today.
In regards to grains, I’d appreciate your opinion on this product, which I have as part of a morning smoothy:
http://www.ultimatelife.com/CatalogMealBenefits.htm
It is primarily greens, not grains — but it does have millet in it.
Thanks,
Paul
What’s your opinion on soaking grains first, Weston A. Price Foundation style?
Or sprouted grains. I’m curious also.
You could you know, just eat the butter and avoid most of the carbs.
Besides who *cares* how healthy the grains are?
I’m not Mark, but I think WAPF guidelines for grains are extremely important for folks in poverty who can’t afford a lot of meat and/or don’t have the storage space for perishable whole foods. These folks are going to be heavily dependent on grain, and presoaking that grain in an acidic medium will render it a lot safer.
Very timely for me as well. Thank you. I’ve been struggling a bit lately in figuring out what’s good and bad for my individual system, and this is a great reminder of why I should never ever consider grains. Even if they taste good, they’re not worth it!
That’s what the 80/20 rule is for 🙂
If eating the occasional pizza is all it takes for you both to eat healthy the rest of the time, you’re doing quite well.
Thanks for the insight. I wish I could find myself a decidly primal/paleo-crossfittingesque-wonder-girl to avoid having to make those kinda sacrifices. Pretty damn rare amongst student life though… “ZOMG FREE DOMINOS AT FRESHERS!!” 😛
So where do you go to school? 😉
Haha! very smart!
I almost answered that without even realising. 😛
Make him cook his own darn food.
You’re right. I should give it an honest go for 30 days and see how i feel. Right now i only eat oats for the most part anyway-so hopefully it isn’t too hard.
Sorry for the vague post by the way, i was in a hurry.
Tim – I miss oatmeal, too. I was thinking I might try heating up some almond flour in heavy cream and throwing a few berries in. Who says hot cereal has to be oats?
I miss oatmeal the most.
A couple times a winter I soak my cracked groats and cook them in a slow cooker.
Yummy. But I need a carbo-nap soon after.
I read groats as goats… Funny image 😀
slow cooked cracked goats, mmmmmmmm….
Timely. I ordered a low-carb six dollar burger (per your recommendation) at lunch and they mistakenly gave me a regular six dollar burger. I was going to go ahead and eat the bun, then read this. It’s now sitting in the garbage.
hey marc. could you post some of the great science papers you have written on paleo and grains. thanks man.
Great article Mark,
I’m confused though, what makes the fiber from fruits and veggies desirable?
While I agree with most of the post, Mark fails to include the reasoning behind the article about the benefits of fiber: “It’s a bit of a paradox, but what we are saying is an injury at the cell level can promote health of the GI tract as a whole.”
Only including the words “rupturing”, “banging”, and “tearing” is an emotional appeal that exploits the traditionally negative connotations of these words. I thought dispelling, not reinforcing, traditional conventions was the goal of this site.
Nate, I’m just quoting verbatim the article in Science Daily (and linking it directly so anyone can read it). And yes I AM dispelling CW in that paragraph, since I am clearly questioning the rationale of the those terms (dispelling) as they could possibly apply to good gut health.
Well isn’t banging and tearing muscle fibers through hard lifting what gets them (and us) to grow stronger?
Intestinal lining isn’t muscle fiber. You absorb a lot of substances through it and it interfaces with your immune system so this is not something to play around with.
I have Crohn’s Disease and one of the things they told me is to avoid high-fiber (and high-G.I.) meals when I have Crohn’s inflammation – when I’d forget this, my intestinal immune system made sure to remind me, sometimes in not-so-subtle ways
My husband and I quit eating ALL grains this past March to reduce my triglycerides and improve my husband blood sugar level, and I received the unexpected result of having huge amounts of inflammation leaving my body more flexible than it had been since I was a small child! I am still amazed and thankful each and every day! Unless there are unexpected circumstances, I seriously do not see myself EVER eating grains again, especially wheat. Thanks for the site Mark!
That’s exactly my story. Quit grains, most especially wheat, and my inflammation dropped significantly. It dropped to the point where I don’t have to take meds anymore for IBS and I don’t have chronic foot pain. I now use my foot as a guide for inflammation levels. My body is functioning (and looking) SO MUCH BETTER without grains.
Mark et al.
Forgive for writing this, but I must pose a question.
Mark mentions cereal grains, and other things like spelt, millet, etc. However, are things like brown rice “less bad” for you? I would say it cant be any worse for you than a processed grain like flour.
Please divulge.
The term “cereal” means ALL grains, including rice and corn. It is a term used to describe the seed of any member of the grass family. That is, grains.
if we’re avioding cereal grains, i.e. all seeds of the grass family are we avoiding Asparagus also?
You eat asparagus seeds? Weird. I didn’t know they were edible.
Forgot to mention that Corn and Rice are in the grass family.
Thanks for laying this all out. Keep preaching also it needs to be repeated. I’m coming around on this – have cut way back on them and I’m leaner and feel better generally. But it’s tough in this ADM-centric world of ours it’s tough 🙂
If I eat grains only one day, the next day is a digestive disaster.
Any young person who doesn’t yet have IBS, or the like, take heed now. Don’t wait till you develop these conditions.
Wish this site had been around 20 years ago!
Rachel Allen- I second this!! I ate grains most of my life with no symptoms (I’m now 38) and just recently developed IBS. After giving up grains (and beans, sugar & almost all dairy) 2 months ago, I have eliminated my symptoms!
I, too, wish this site had been around 20 years ago! :o)
Excellent Post and VERY important. I developed Crohn’s at 23 and put on all kinds of drugs. I’ve since quit grains and the drugs and have had my inflammation levels drop significantly and I literally have no markings that would show that I have Crohn’s anymore.
Don’t wait to quit grains, quit them now especially if you are of European descent. GI will doctors will say diet has nothing to do with it. They are either liars or very misinformed. Diet is EVERYTHING.
Yes, I love how GI docs will tell you that diet has nothing to do with diseases of the GI tract.
Heartburn too, is diet related. If it is true hyperacidity, eliminating grains can cure it.
Sadly, many people with heartburn are actually hypochloridic, meaning lacking stomach acid. They are put on PPIs which only exacerbate the problem.
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Excellant article Mark. I have been turnded on to the Paleo way of eating since reading Neanderthin. I have never felt better after giving up my grains. Potatoes were harder to give up since I am Irish. LOL.
I love your website and your articles are very well written. Here is another site that give more of the bad effects of grains, potatoes, milk, etc.
http://www.earth360.com/diet_paleodiet_balzer.html
OMG! 115# at 5’5 …you’re my new motivator.
Been around 150# (height 5’5) since high school..I’m now 22.
I was max 130 prior to reducing grains – (5’4″ AND A HALF thankyouverymuch 😉 weighed in at 118 yesterday and am still losing weight. You can do it! I feel SO much better in general, now.
WHAT? Really? Ugh.. Im so ill informed on everything food-wise. I will never go veg or vegan but I can ditch grains no problem.. I need to start from square one. I guess this sites a good start..
I feel so guilty reading this over a bowl of pasta. Tomorrow, a salad is a must.
Don’t eat lettuce in your salad….lettuce “doesn’t want to be eaten”….
I’m often amazed at how some people have been primal for so long, yet they fall off the wagon still.
I’m going to write about this on my site.
Honestly I think that some of us are more “addicted” than others. Even though there is a huge burn-out and long-term effects there is pleasure involved initially in eating grains for many people.
It’s like being a drug addict in a society where it’s frowned upon if you’re NOT using it…
Does your period key not work?
Nice Post. I have been off grains for a while and always feel much better without them. No bread, pasta or processed food at all and I still manage to maintain a heavy muscle mass, a solid muscular foundation and very little in the way of cravings at all.
I have read a number of people who enliken no grains to counting carbs. The two are mutually exclusive. I still maintain at least 40% carbs through healthy whole food choices such as yams & potatoes plus a wealth of fruits and veggies. Carbs are not the enemy…processed food IS!
Sounds liek you’re using the Zone diet of 40/30/30… I’m not sure if the Primal Blueprint/Eating Plan was meant to be used that way as you probably still burn sugar instead of ketones as a main fuel source and it’s the resulting toxic sugar damage and high overall insulin levels that can cause problems such as inflammation/inflammation-related heart disease, insulin/energy instability, insulin resistance and increased cancer/tumour cell growth.
Stone age humans were designed to run primarily on ketones, not sugars. So in my opinion you may be missing out on some stone age/primal diet benefits
[…] eff you, grains! November 5, 2009, 7:15 PM Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: random Why Grains Are Unhealthy (via Mark’s Daily […]
WOW! Thanks for laying it all out there Sir Marcus!
After I ditched the grains last June I found out why I was experiencing chronic, low level pain. I even told my sister once that I was really concerned about it.
But the visual proof of not having grains – and lower carbs generally – was my toenail fungus stopped. As in a clear line across my nails that matched in time to my grain cessation. The fungus is still doing a bit of rear guard action, but pretty soon it should be all gone.
On of my fellow nurses was a vegetarian. She told me she finally had to add meat to her diet because her body could
t stand it any more, she was sick and weak all the time.
I have a niece that’s a vegetarian. What’s interesting is that she’s a twin. Her sister is not a vegetarian. You can tell the difference. The veg looks pale and weak and has worse skin. Wish I could talk some sense into her.
The moral and environmental issues with the meat industry are huge yes. I believe that’s why we need a huge change in farming procedure. I don’t think people should stop eating meat as a result but rather stop supporting the companies that are causing these issues if they possibly can. The horrors of the meat industry are just one example of the consequences of the money-power-play running behind the scenes of governmental systems. So ultimately we gotta ask, how do we fix the system?
We gotta take the powa back! UUGH!! >:)
Well said. If it’s at all affordable it’s absolutely worth it.
While, in theory, it’s true that, as you say, grass-fed meat is worth it on a moral and nutritional level, not everyone can actually afford to eat that way. The primal lifestyle is, in its ideal form, an expensive one as well. I hope to someday be able to buy food like that, but for now I avoid meat, because I wouldn’t want to eat the meat I can afford.
As opposed to the clear-cutting required in most plant agriculture which, of course, does absolutely nothing to the environment because deforestation isn’t the first step in desertification.
This is the elephant in the living room that no veg*n seems to want to acknowledge. Nobody has to raise an animal in a battery farm. Anybody wanting to raise cabbages has to clear land first.
I absolutely agree with this. Since cutting out all grains and grain derivatives, I have been IBS free. That’s 5 weeks with no IBS. I used to suffer at least once a week, with the most awful, debilitating pain which would leave me curled up on the floor in agony.
Now, meat, fish, veg, limited fruit and limited nuts are what I eat. I am healthy. I live my life deciding what and when to eat rather than food dictating to me.
Great post again Mark!
This post was great to remind me about why I am making these changes, and encouraging me to keep at it. Last night I made us our first real Primal evening meal. But I decided to include things that my husband normally loves – chips, rice and crisps. So I made a roast pork tenderloin, fried cauliflower rice, sweet potato chips and beetroot crisps. My husband was really impressed – even with the meal being grain free.
So flaxseed (linseed), couscous and Quinoa are not grains? i usually use these in recipes instead of rice etc.
I don’t think that grains dissuade consumption, as we can easily digest them, and the whole world eats them every day. They just aren’t best for you.
Alex, couscous is a wheat based food. I can’t remember if it is a form of pasta or a steamed and cracked form but it is wheat based.
Couscous is tiny pasta
LOL, that is one of the funniest things I have heard in a long time. It is so apt.
peter, I am a fan of eating nuts. Most people digest nuts (and nut butters) quite easily. Understand, I am not against fiber per se, I am simply saying that we get all the fiber we need from vegetables, fruits and nuts. We just don’t need to get added fiber in any way from grains.
Alex,
Quinoa and flax are not grasses, they’re still seeds though, they might contain lectins and phytic acid, but couscous is cracked wheat!
Just because the others, who would be starving otherwise are eating them doesn’t mean they are good for you. You can easily digest them if they’re prepared and cooked properly. Not getting sick after the meal is not the sign that the food is beneficial, but that is tolerated by the digestive tract.
“The seed stays intact throughout the digestive process; it is indigestible by design.” – I think you meant to say ‘by chance’ here. Just sayin
Not to open a can of worms.
If you read the article again you’ll understand that it isn’t by chance. It’s a defense mechanism that evolved through the process of natural selection.
But evolutionary mechanisms evolve by chance. There’s no brain in the seed going, “Hey, if I were indigestible, I’d be so much more successful!” and then making it so.
That was fun. Will you give us your best spiel on soy? I’ve heard good and bad things about soy for a long time. What do you have to say?
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/soy-scrutiny/
Hey Mark,
I get the argument against wheat, rye, and barley (especially for Celiac Disease sufferers). What about rice? From what I’ve read and from what my friend who has Celiac Disease, rice is safe and as long as it’s not enriched with a wheat-based additive and you’re sure to wash/polish the rice before cooking (something that all Asian’s do and from what I’ve read, it removes a great deal of the lectins as well), you’re good to go.
Hmm…sounds like Rice might be good for an endurance athlete for post-workout and/or possibly mid-workout replenishment when glucose stores are tapped out (although tubers would work too).
Jon, rice is a great source of cheap carbohydrate that readily converts to glucose. Full stop. Rice is not a good source of any other nutrient. On the spectrum of worst to “least worst” I suppose rice is less offensive than wheat, rye, corn, etc. but only because it is lower in the other antinutrients.
Oh yeah, back when I first gave up grains, I also gave up corn. Throughout my grain relapses, the only time I’ve relapsed on corn was while eating polenta because I didn’t realize that’s what it was I didn’t really have a reason for giving up corn. It just seemed starchy and unnecessary. What’s your opinion on corn?
Benji, corn is as bad or worse than any other grain. Iowa corn growers don’t even eat corn (as quoted in “king Corn” movie)