The Whole Grain Conspiracy

I think there is a bit of a conspiracy in this country by food manufactures when it comes to flour. We've all seen the headlines and by now know that breads cereals and pastas made with white "refined" flour is unhealthy, the topic has been beaten to death by Nutritionists and Health experts alike. Instead, we're told to look for those made from "whole grains" due to the nutritional value of whole wheat flour.

It's true, whole wheat flour is indeed healthier than refined white flour due to the loss of nutrients (essential vitamins and minerals) during the refining process, but does that alone make it "healthy"?

We in this country consume far too much processed food on a daily basis, and breads pastas and cereals no doubt top the list. Due to the lack of knowledge when it comes to truly healthy foods, too many Americans have taken the phrase "whole grains" as some sort of free pass to eat all of the fast digesting carbs they want... "but the pizza is made with whole grain crust", or "it's a whole wheat roll" , never mind the fact that it takes up 3/4 of the plate.

The fact is, whole grain or not, you're still consuming processed foods, and that means much of its nutritional value is lost during processing. Whole grains are indeed important, and they should be a BIG part of your diet, but the majority of it should be in its whole unprocessed (or minimally) processed form.

I'm not saying you should cut all processed grains out of your diet, just be smart and consume them in moderation. Don't let the phrase "whole grains" on that bread pasta or cereal fool you into thinking it's a truly healthy food your eating.

*Based on what I have recently learned (over the past 6mo or so) regarding grain consumption within modern day factory or industrial farming societies, and its adverse effects on human health ultimately leading to many of the illnesses and diseases affecting Americans in epic proportions, I have changed my stance on the importance of such monocrops (grains and legumes) within a healthy human diet. The human digestive system was not designed nor has it evolved to a point to effectively digest such foods like grains and legumes without the body suffering from its harmful side effects; inflammation and damage to the gut. Since evidence shows inefficient digestion and inflammation are the root cause for nearly all human diseases be it heart disease, diabetes, cancer, crohn's disease, autoimmune diseases, and chronic inflammatory disorders in all its forms, a healthy diet should promote a healthy gut (fermented foods) and be anti-inflammatory based (grass-fed meats and eggs, wild caught fish, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds) instead of high in foods promoting inflammation such as grains, legumes, and factory farmed meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.