Reduce Your Grain Intake

The Food Pyramid recommends eating 5 - 11 servings of grains daily. But did you know that consuming this amount of grains on a regular basis can actually be harmful to your health? Here's why:

The consumption of grains in modern society is vastly different from how people in the historical past have eaten. Grains are not the same as they once were; grains have been bio-engineered to contain higher levels of gluten, and thus contain less protein. Gluten causes health reactions in many people, and because grains and grain products are so ubiquitous in our food supply stores and our culture as a whole, we are finding these intolerances to be more and more pervasive. The lower ratios of protein to carbs and the frequency with which we eat these substances has caused a fundamental shift in what our bodies are getting out of this food. Grains -- and in particular, the processed varieties that most of us eat on a daily basis -- are chock full of Omega 6 essential fatty acids - so much that we are overloaded on this EFA and the result has been heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and an array of other health issues. We are not getting enough of the the balancing Omega 3s in our diets because we are eating more grains, and less grass-fed meats which contain proper amounts of this EFA.

Another important health consideration is that grains are high on the glycemic index, which causes the digestive system and especially the pancreas to work harder. The more this continual strain is placed on the pancreas and liver to process these high amounts of carbohydrates, the greater the risk of developing insulin resistance and eventually Diabetes. Diets rich in complex carbohydrates such as fresh, organic produce, healthy, grass-fed meats and poultry, and small amounts of healthy, whole, sprouted grains are most beneficial to health.

To learn more about why eating grains can harm health, visit: Your Hub, Denver and Dr. Mercola.