Grains the Holy Grail???
It seems the Present Monster may soon be the Past Monster…at least for a few weeks. I’ve been eating clean 100% the last two and a half days. Honestly it hasn’t been that blah. I’ve even been somewhat excited about my food even though it’s not pizza. Except I could have done without last night’s broccoli. I’m learning more and more about my body. Granted this is taking a looong time. I would have really appreciated a users manual with step-by-step instructions on how to get my unique body chemistry to operate at optimum levels (and not store fat). A button to switch off cravings would have been just splendid but once again God is letting me learn through trial and error. My grains have been very low the last two days and I’ve noticed an increase in energy. Not long ago I cut down on grains and I felt the same. Hmmm….am I seeing a pattern? Or is it a coincidence? We’ll see. From what I’ve read, some people handle grains just fine and others function better with low or zero grain intake. It has something to do with the enzymes and digestion. From my understanding their are different ways of preparation, soaking and sprouting, that make them easier to digest as well. I think. Anyway, I’m not convinced grains are the devil but I also question their current holy grail status. I’m still researching…mostly when I’m trying to talk myself out of devouring an entire package of tortillas. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your take on grains? Have you ever limited grains? If so how did you feel? Are you wanting to strangle me through the screen for daring to question their sanctity? 😉
xoxo
j
This is my (almost) sane quest for insane health. Let's 
I have found that certain grains make me feel good,others not so good. I really like oats & sprouted grains. I also like a good whole wheat pasta every now and then.
I’ve been playing around with the Anabolic diet for about three weeks now. Which limits carbs to under 30 grams on weekdays. When I carb up on the weekends, I find myself waiting impatiently for Monday so I can go back to feeling better. Eating carbs gives me mood swings, and I just feel blah.
As for energy, I wish it would increase. Low carb makes it really hard to do HIIT except a couple days following carb ups.
I guess it’s a personal thing. I’m not seeing many results with this diet (pretty much none) so I’m thinking of slowly weaning myself back on whole grains.
I have previously tried no carbs and had success with weightloss. However, that was before I started on the healthy path. I notice that when I have fewer grains, my body has a tough time running. Literally running, not figuratively. I’m training for a half marathon and at one point after 2 weeks of clean eating I could hardly run a mile. I have started incorporating more healthy, clean, grains into my diet and have since bounced back. I feel less bloated without them, but apparently my running needs the quick fuel they provide.
I went on an eating/exercise program about a year ago that allowed ZERO white carbs or sugar, and kind of on accident, I took out all grains. I felt AMAZING! About a month later, I realized I was neglecting an entire food group, so I started incorporating whole grains via steel cut oats, and barley and such, and I felt ok, but the amazing feeling was instantly gone. I have learned that my body can accept very little grains to keep that awesome feeling. The biggest problem I have now is that since I have pretty much cut out all refined sugar, is that when I go out to a restaurant and treat myself to a soda and some bread, I am in gastrointestinal hell for the next three days. God forbid I add pasta to the mix! My body just refuses to process these foods willingly. I don’t have Celiacs or IBS or anything medical. I just have to have bare minimum. It took me 34 years to figure that out. Brilliant.
I wish grains were the holy grail, because if they were then I would not be trying to lose those last 10! I notice a tremendous lift in my energy and waist size when I limit my grain intake. Problem is I love cereals, pastas, breads, pretzels, chips, potatoes, pizza…yummm! I am not at all a protein person. I have to literally force myself to eat chicken and eggs. I don’t eat any red meat. So when I cut out the carbs I feel so much better but it makes meal time a real chore! Point is, everyone is different and it takes time and trial and error to figure out what works best. I’m still looking at a long road ahead of me…
This is a little late but I just wanted to say THANK YOU for sharing your experience with grains. It’s fascinating to me that everyone body responds differently to grains. Very interesting about the anabolic diet. I’ve thought about trying that a few times because I’ve read so much about it. Right now things are going good my limiting but not eliminating my grains. Tracy I’m sticking with mostly sprouted grains and out for now. I’m like you Brandi I LOVE LOVE LOVE that stuff but it really triggers out of control cravings for me. Once again THANK YOU EVERYONE for sharing your experience and opinions.