Against the grain

This post is for all of us who are staying away from grains, by choice or necessity, for a while longer. Mostly, I hope to reassure the ones who are worried, or are tired of responding to the concerns of those around them, about “cutting out an entire food group from the diet.”

Food groups are a gathering of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Nutritional guides such as Canada’s Food Guide and the US Food Pyramid are pictorial representations of food groups that are used to guide people with recommended daily servings and choices within each food group. They vary from country to country and may or may not be sponsored by special interest groups that support the consumption of a particular food group, such as the dairy board or the wheat council.

Rather than trying to determine how many servings of whatever group we need, or being concerned if we have to or choose to avoid an entire food group, perhaps we need to look at food on a more basic level by concentrating on the three macronutrients needed for energy, growth and metabolism. Macronutrients, fat, protein and carbohydrates, are the three big nutrient groups needed in large amounts for bodily functions and neither of them is tied to any one food group. Micronutrients, in contrast, refer to the vitamins and minerals that are needed in small quantities for health, development and growth. The best way to get all the micro- and macronutrients we need on a daily basis, is to eat as WIDE of a variety of food as we can. Let’s examine the three macronutrients more closely:

Proteins are long biological molecules made up of chains of some 20 different amino acids. Protein is manufactured by the body using the dietary protein that you eat. Its many functions include repair and maintenance of tissues, growth, energy production when carbohydrates are not available, transportation and storage of certain molecules and the creation of certain hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Complete proteins are found in meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs while incomplete proteins are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts. Depending on sources, between 10% – 35% of our caloric intake should be from protein.

Carbohydrates refer to the sugars, starches and fibers that we eat. Carbohydrates are used to provide energy for working muscles, fuel for the brain, energy for metabolism and prevent protein from being used for energy when possible. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products. Depending on sources, between 45% – 65% of our caloric intake should be from carbohydrates.

Fat has several vital functions including providing the largest energy reserve in the body as well as insulation and protection for the organs. Humans depend on fat for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Every cell membrane of the body is composed of fat, especially in the brain and nervous system. Fat is also highly involved in the production of hormones and vitamin D. As we saw in the 3-part “Bringing Back Fat” series, fats can be found in meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, plants, nuts and seeds. Depending on sources, between 25% – 40% of our caloric intake should be from fat.

Regarding grain products, it is recommended by Canada’s Food Guide to eat 6-8 servings as they provide dietary fiber, B-vitamins, selenium, zinc, magnesium and phytochemicals. I took the time to look up each of these nutrients and they can all be found by eating various sources of vegetables and proteins. So for those of you who will continue to avoid grains for a while, you can rest assured that your avoidance of the grain products group is not hindering your health by depleting you of the nutrients they contain. By dipping into the other food groups and eating a wide selection of colorful foods, you can easily meet all of your macronutrient and micronutrient needs.

Be bold enough to live life on your terms and go against the grain               —Unknown

Food Plan Guidelines

Let me begin by pointing out how privileged we are to be able to take this much care of ourselves. I am going into this cleanse with the mindset of abundance rather than deprivation, all the things I CAN have rather than what I cannot have. Send a positive message to your subconscious! Plant good seeds in the soil of your mind!

All vegetables are fair game except regular potatoes and corn (sorry Eric, I know how you love corn). Fresh/frozen peas are accepted but not split peas. Vegetables may be cooked by any method, sautéed, steamed, roasted or simmered into a soup! You can use bone broth as your soup base or water. If possible and feasible, use local organic vegetables for obvious reasons. I realize this is not the best time of the year to find local organic produce when you live where we live. You can flavor your vegetables with herbs, spices, garlic, onions, ginger, fennel, olive oil or small amounts of lemon juice.

My preferred and recommended cooking mediums are avocado oil, coconut oil, or real butter…extra virgin olive oil may be used if you are not heating it too much (like to swirl on top of a dish for flavor). As much as possible, please do your best to not use margarine or any other oils such as canola, sunflower, peanut, safflower, grape seed, etc. Due to the way these oils are processed, they are pro-inflammatory. More about them later.

For the first few days or so, you may be hungry as your body adjusts. Plan on having your protein/veggie meals at regular mealtime, then plan on having a cooked veggie or protein snack in between, as needed. Do not wait until you are starving because you will turn on a whole cascade of events in your body that will put a strain on your pancreas not to mention starve your brain of necessary fuel it depends on. Get into the habit of listening to your body. You can eat as many vegetables as you want so have them readily available. If you like soup, plan to have some on hand all the time. Then you can just heat it up and eat it.

Speaking of heating things up…it is better to heat food on the stovetop in a stainless steel or cast iron pan…avoiding the microwave if at all possible. You may also use enameled cookware such as Le Creuset. If you will be heating food at work or school, you will likely only have access to a microwave. Just do what you can. No guilt. At home you have a choice so make the changes there. And when the cooking or heating practices are less than optimal, just take a second to bless the food. It’s all good. We are being taken care of 🙂

The recommended proteins that will accompany our veggies in the first few weeks are chicken, beef, turkey or fish. If you have access to other meats such as game meat, that is great as well. If possible, get organic and/or grass-fed beef…organic and/or pastured chicken/turkey…and wild-caught fish. I know this is a challenge but it is not impossible and just do your best. After the first couple of days of eating those protein sources, you may add lamb, duck, seafood, pastured pork or other proteins as you see fit, as clean and close to nature as possible. Remember the protein sources need to be in their original form so no processed meats such as ham or bacon, etc. Eggs may be introduced during week 3 only IF you are not sensitive to them.

For your beverages, you may add pure herbal tea, green tea and white tea to your water repertoire. You can also try hot water with lemon and hot water with grated fresh ginger. Both of those choices help with digestion. Coffee can also be negotiated if you are not able to kick the habit but limit it to 1-2 cups per day please. But remember, dairy is not part of our eating plan just yet, or sugar. Fresh vegetable juice may be added in week 5.

Remember to smile and breathe. This is going to go really well and I’m right here doing it with you, hand in hand.

Ing XOXO