Misconceptions About Living Grain Free

Reasons for Being Grain Free

When someone states that they are cutting out grains from their diet, the main reaction they get is, “What will you eat then? Why would you do that to yourself?” The fact is, wheat allergies are among the most common food allergies, with many other grains trailing not far behind. A wheat or gluten allergy can be the first sign that there is a bigger problem with all grains. Though this may not always be true for everyone, in many cases this seems to be the problem. But a grain allergy may not be the only reason why someone wants to quit eating grains. Medical studies involving weight loss methods have shown that grains inhibit weight loss. People may want to avoid grains for this reason alone. At any rate, while it may seem that there is nothing to eat on a grain free diet, there is actually a very wide variety of foods to eat.

What Grains Are

Grains include wheat, corn, barley, rice, buckwheat (though some people say this is not a grain), quinoa, spelt, and millet. They are the starchy seeds of cereal grasses, and have been grown since the beginning of the agricultural period. They are used in many dishes around the world today, making it hard to avoid them. Hard, but not impossible, as there are some very delicious alternatives to replace grains in many dishes.

Pastas Need Not Apply

Many people use pasta in their cooking on a daily basis…so much so that, if they are diagnosed with a gluten allergy, they usually look for a gluten free pasta to use instead of avoiding pasta altogether. The problem with this is that if you have a gluten allergy, there could be a chance that you are sensitive to other grains as well. Gluten free pasta is still grain based, meaning that you may still be doing some damage to your body. Getting away from pasta altogether may be difficult, but not impossible. Using a different thought process, you can come up with a lot of amazing pasta free dishes, including spaghetti and meatballs, using spaghetti squash for the pasta; or using sliced zucchini (lengthwise) for a good lasagna.

“Grain Free Eating is Boring”

The common myth about eating without grains is that it is boring and unappetizing. This diet is seen to only include fruits and vegetables, with a minimal amount of meat and dairy products. However, this is only the beginning to eating without grains. In fact, there is a wide world of exciting foods that are available without needing to use grains in your diet. Nuts, seeds and tapioca make for some really great grain free dishes, including banana muffins, double chocolate brownies, and even bread. Even getting away from grain free replicas can give you an exciting variety of foods, such as fruit salad with a bit of whipped cream, along with other fruits, vegetables, and many types of meat. Only your imagination can limit you in what you can eat without eating grains.

“Whole Grains are Healthy”

There is a popular movement today towards eating “whole grains” over refined grains. While this is a slight improvement, there are many things wrong with grains in general, no matter how they are processed. According to Dr. Barry Groves, who has illustrated this point very thoroughly on his website, Second Opinions, grains lack many vitamins and minerals that we need to boost our immune system. Even though grains contain several vitamins, the amount our bodies absorb is minimal. This leads to a deficiency of vitamin B6, A, niacin, thiamin, biotin, and of course, B12. Grains also contain the chemical, phytic acid, which binds together with any vitamins that they contain, making the food you eat indigestible. By eating grains, you are really taking out the minerals and vitamins already in your system.

In The End

There are many reasons why people want or need to go grain free. This is not a death sentence, nor is it a bad thing. If you must go grain free, you do not have to have boring or dull food, as you can still have things like pizza, delicious baked goods and even pasta dishes without the pasta. It just requires a little bit of creativity and a lot of imagination!