Breaking Down Grains

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If I had to pick what causes some of the most confusion when it comes to discussing nutrition, I think I would have to go with carbohydrates. When people hear the word, most immediately think of bread, and I would even say grains for that matter. Many don't even realize that all vegetables are considered carbohydrates, as well as, all fruits. So let's answer some common questions.

What is a carbohydrate? 

• Carbohydrates are essentially sugar molecules. These sugar molecules can be on their own (sugar or simple carbohydrates) or in long chains (starches or complex carbohydrates). All you need is 3 or more sugars to consider something a complex carbohydrate.

Are Complex carbs really better?

• The truth here is that the body handles simple and complex carbs the same way- they get broken down into single sugar molecules and then cross into the blood stream. The one exception being fibre. Fibre can't be broken down by the body and therefore, can't be absorbed. (I touched on the importance of fibre in the diet and blood sugar regulation in my last blog post: Smoothie vs Juicing).

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I thought whole grains were better? How can that be if it's absorbed the same?

• True, unprocessed whole grains are a better option. But I want to stress the 'unprocessed'. Unprocessed is the key here, as soon as something is made into a flour it is no longer a whole grain. Let's take 'whole grain' bread as an example. If you were to eat an unprocessed grain, your body would have to break down the hard
  outer part of the grain, the bran, to reach the starchy/sugary inside of the grain, the endosperm. This takes time and slows the release of sugar, tempering how quickly sugar can enter the blood stream. When you break down the grain into flour, you break down that outer layer of bran and allow the body easy access to the sugar which means it can be absorbed much faster and raise blood sugar much faster. Whole grain flour is made by breaking down the grain and separating the bran from the starch. The starch alone would be white flour, but by adding the broken down bran back into the sugar part, it now becomes a whole grain, technically. The added fibre (bran) in whole flour will slow absorption compared to white flour but it will still be much faster than eating the whole, unaltered grain. It's kind of like saying having one piece of cake is better than having two pieces of cake- yes, technically it is, but just because it's better doesn't make it healthy.
  
  

What about these no grain or paleo diets?

• Like any diet or style of eating you can follow it in a healthy way or a not so healthy way. I remember being in high school and knowing a few girls who got into Weight Watchers. And I remember one lunch, one of the girls figuring out what she was going to eat at a fast food restaurant, adding up her points and deciding she just wouldn't eat the rest of the day. Not exactly healthy. The same can be said for a paleo style diet. If done in the right way, paleo-style diets can be very healthy ways of eating! Consider two meals:
  • Meal 1: Mixed greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.), chopped boiled egg, grilled chicken breast, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, sunflower seeds, nuts, avocado with olive oil, lemon juice and mixed herbs.
  • Meal 2: Steak with bacon and sweet potato fries.
• Technically both of these meals would be considered paleo, though one is clearly healthier than the other. Paleo doesn't necessarily mean meat. Vegetables (aside from potatoes) are all 'paleo' foods. Fruits are all paleo foods. Nuts and seeds are all paleo foods. You will never go wrong by increasing vegetables and (moderate amounts) of fruits in your diet no matter what 'style' of eating you subscribe to.

And what about gluten?

• Oh, gluten. It's like the hot button word of our time and has become almost polarizing. Many people have become staunchly anti-gluten, whether or not they really understand what gluten is...[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJFE1sp4Fw[/embed]
• Gluten is a protein found in certain grains such as wheat, rye and barley. It's what gives baked foods that elasticity so they aren't crumbly. Oats do not contain gluten, however, oats are often processed in a facility that also deals with gluten containing grains and therefore tend to be 'contaminated' with gluten.

Gluten Sensitivity? Celia? What's the Deal?

• Celiac disease occurs when your body produces antibodies (immune cells) against gluten in your small intestine. These antibodies cause inflammation and damage to the small intestine decreasing the ability to properly absorb nutrients. This can lead to an array of symptoms throughout the body. Digestive issues are what most think of but it can also cause other symptoms such as joint pain, headaches, rash, nerve damage and more.
• Gluten sensitivity occurs when you have a negative reaction to eating gluten. The standard testing for Celiac will be negative, but the symptoms are still there.

It seems everyone is gluten sensitive these days, why?

• There are many theories as to why gluten issues seems to be on the rise:
• Modern Wheat- modern day wheat is vastly different from ancient wheat of the past. There used to be hundreds of varieties of wheat, while the vast majority of today's wheat crop is of only a few varieties, most being a high-yield dwarf wheat.
• Processing- modern wheat is highly processed and prepared very differently than in the past, usually leading to fewer nutrients.
• Over Consumption- wheat and gluten are in everything these days. Pretty much every single processed food will contain gluten/wheat. The modern North American Diet is laden with grain consumption.
• This is a great article discussing more on the pitfalls of modern wheat here.

But I've heart Gluten-Free is often worse than the 'regular' stuff?

• I have seen these articles floating around essentially stating gluten free diets aren't as healthy as you think, often they are worse for you. These articles base this on comparing regular processed items to the gluten free version. Often times they find that the gluten free version contains more calories, processed flours, sugar or other additives such as careegnan (a thickener). However, the foods they usually compare are processed/pre-made foods- waffles, pancakes, cookies, granola bars, breads, muffins, etc.- none of which are really healthy foods. When someone wants to eat healthier, whether that diet will contain gluten or not, most of these foods should be avoided and eaten only on occasion as a treat. When I recommend to patients to try going gluten free for a week or two, my hope is not that they simply replace junk food with gluten-free junk food but that they adopt a whole food diet- increasing fruits and vegetables and lean proteins- and decrease all processed foods whether gluten free or not. Are gluten free junk foods worse than the regular non-gluten free junk food? Who really cares, they are both junk foods!

So what to do?

• For the vast majority of people who don't have serious health concerns, eating some grains are perfectly fine. However, making sure grains that are chosen are actual whole grains are your best options. If there is Celiac, digestive issues or even an auto-immune condition, avoiding all gluten can be very beneficial, some respond even better to avoiding all grains.
• Avoid processed foods. If it's pre-packaged or has an ingredient list- it's processed. If you remove all processed foods from your diet, the quality of your diet increases exponentially.
• Be mindful of your grain consumption. No one needs to eat heaps of grains at every meal. If you told someone you had eggs for breakfast, frittata and salad for lunch and an omelette for dinner, their immediate response would likely be asking if you don't think that's too many eggs. However, how many people eat bagels or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner and no one bats an eye.
• Load up on your vegetables and fruits- these are like your nutrient power houses; Eat lean proteins; Don't be afraid of fat; Avoid added sugar and processed foods. Follow these guidelines and your diet and health will more than likely improve!

 


Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.

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