When it comes to grains, people will argue until the cows come home. The biggest argument against them is usually two things: 1. They aren’t ancestral 2. They aren't digestible I respect a lot of aspects of ancestral living and think we have a lot of wisdom to glean from it. And my life is a very different reality with completely different stressors, microbiota and health goals. Our food quality, environment and accessibility is very different now. And in all fairness, I don't think they would have restricted something if it was available to them and it didn't cause them disease.
Before we continue let’s clarify Microbiota. The microbiome refers to the collection of genomes from all the microorganisms in the environment. Microbiota, on the other hand, usually refers to microorganisms that are found within a specific environment. Microbiota can refer to all the microorganisms found in an environment, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
The body and microbiota, when resilient and supported, is incredible at adapting (and thriving) to many different foods and environments. And not only that. The more variety in the diet (as long as its tolerated), the BETTER. It creates a resilient microbiome and ensures we're getting a wide variety of nutrients.
Regarding digestibility: Grains were grown and prepared completely different a couple hundred years ago than they are today. These days they are genetically modified grains, grown in depleted soils with chemicals and pesticides and they are stored for long periods of time and shipped across oceans. Each month they sit, they lose nutritional value.
There's a reason why traditional cultures, whether it be African, European, Russian, Asian, South American, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Eastern European and many more have VERY SPECIFIC traditional dishes prepared a VERY SPECIFIC way.
Most commonly grains are soaked, sprouted, fermented, broken down with acids or long cooked, or a mixture of all of these. Traditional cuisine shows us that grains have been a part of the human experience for a long time. In a lot of cultures (not every, but most) we see some type of traditional grain dish, whether it be a bread, a grain mush, flat bread, tortilla, etc. So why do people seem to have a harder time digesting them or why do some food trends demonize them altogether?
Many grains have been hybridized away from their heirloom roots, creating heartier crops that contain much more gluten than their heirloom ancestors. This means their innate genetic structure is not the same anymore and their nutritional profile has shifted a lot.
Many grains are heavily sprayed in pesticides and herbicides.
Many of them need to be sprayed with herbicides to preserve them.
Grains are no longer prepared in a way that allows proper pre-digestion for the sake of modern convenience.
People's gut microbiota is out of balance due to the above and also the over-sanitization of the insides and outsides of our bodies.
Stressful lives and an absence of happy family gatherings or spiritual/religious practices and rituals.
My personal opinion when it comes to food: the more variety the merrier. If its traditional, high quality and PREPARED properly and you feel good having it a part of your diet, there is no reason (and i mean absolutely none) to restrict just to restrict. Even if a functional doctor or keto/carnivore coach told you so ;-)
Parting Words for the Twentieth-First Century, Men and Woman.
Modern food products come in large variations, and they are presented with convenience and glitz, almost with seduction, to say “please buy me”. Most people prefer not to worry about their processed foods or what they contain. We certainly prefer not to spend time on food preparation the way our ancestors did. ("90% of Americans eat breakfast cereals!", Fighting the Food Giants by Paul A Stitt).
But we must understand that knowledge is the key to regain health and vitality. Knowledge of the fruits of honest scientific inquiries as well as exploring and experiencing culinary customs of the past. We can all no longer afford to be misled by what passes for nutritional wisdom in popular media articles and trends. Especially as so much orthodox advice publicizing processed foods is magnified, simplified and twisted to the degree that it is partly or totally wrong.
Exciting Nutritional Facts:
When you sprout your grains, they naturally create Vitamin C. But that is not all. Sprouting changes grains in beneficial ways that increase Vitamin B content, especially B2, B5 and B6. These are all needed to make your hormones.
But most importantly sprouting grains reduces Phytic Acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains. Phytic acid inhibits absorption of Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper and Zinc. (Yikes you need all these to make hormones, energy and enzymes so your body can run smoothly). Sprouting also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in ALL seeds and grains. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract. Meaning you won’t extract and digest all the goodies out of your food so that you and your children can thrive. Also, a portion of the starch during sprouting is transformed into simple sugar for easier digestion and readily available energy.
And best of all, sprouting inactivates aflatoxins which are a potent carcinogen found in grain! Very quickly you can see why it’s easy to say grains and seeds are bad for you, which they are in a sense, but there are long standing traditions that knew how to deal with them.
Almost all grains can be sprouted.
Here Is How:
Get a mason jar with a screen lid.
Add grains half way (they will expand a lot during sprouting)
Add purified water to the top
Soak over night
Drain the water in the morning
Now rinse twice a day until your medium has sprouted
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Do not consume sprouted seeds or grains raw! They contain substance that are very irritating and will be neutralized during light cooking.
Alfalfa sprouts are the only exception as they inhibit the immune system and can contribute to inflammatory arthritis and lupus. The substance Canavanines are only found in the seeds not in the leaf or plant.
For many more details and for pages and pages of unbiased references please consider checking out the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig PH.D.
So if you insist on having grains here is your Grains Checklist:
Is it prepared for digestibility?
Is it organic? (which reduces pesticide contamination greatly)
Is it an heirloom variety?
Do I feel good eating it?
Do I enjoy eating it?
Here are some of my favorite grains and grain products to include in your diet for a great source of carbohydrates:
Sprouted Organic Oats
Oats are a wonderful carbohydrate rich food containing a special prebiotic fiber called inulin. Inulin feeds many beneficial strains of gut bacteria that helps us digest food and absorb more nutrients. It can also be ground into a versatile flour.
Organic Masa Harina
This is special type of corn flour. Nixtamalized corn is broken down using calcium lime. It is usually easily digested and great for porridges, polenta, cornbread and baked goods. Traditionally; the corn would have been soaked and ground in calcium lime grindstones which would have broken the corn down in a special way.
Organic White Rice
Rice with the bran removed. The bran, although rich in nutrients, can be difficult to break down and digest due to the anti-nutrients. White rice is pure starch which is digested easily and quickly provides a lot of energy.
Sweet Rice Flour
Not to be confused with rice flour! Sweet rice flour, also sometimes called ‘glutinous rice flour’ can be a versatile pantry item. Most frequently used to create the sticky texture in mochi. It is a great binder to create a chewy texture. It’s an easily digestible form of carbohydrate.
Sprouted Buckwheat Groats
Buckwheat groats can be an excellent replacement for rice and/or quinoa. It can be made both savory and sweet. Great for sides, salads, and porridges. It can also be ground into a hearty, versatile flour.
Durum Semolina Flour (contains gluten)
Another one of the only heirloom forms of wheat left. Famously knows as Italian or European flour. Many people with a wide range of gluten issues report that they have no problem digesting pasta and bread in Italy. An excellent flour for making pasta (some Costcos sell pasta made from this flour). Fermentation can be used to further increase digestibility.
Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour (contains gluten)
Spelt is also an heirloom grain. Although gluten containing, it contains very little (hence the dense baked goods it creates). It's rich in nutrients and can sometimes be easier to digest than wheat just like rye. Fermentation can be used to further increase digestibility.