Weight Loss And Grains

For several million years, humans survived on a diet of animals and plants. As hunter–
gatherers, they ate whatever they could find. With the introduction of new farming practices
10,000 years ago, humans began eating sugar and starch (in the form of grains and potatoes).
Although 10,000 years sounds like a long time, it’s really only a fraction of a second in
evolutionary terms, and the human body and digestive system have not evolved to process and
digest high amounts of carbohydrates from starch- and sugar-rich diets. Genetically speaking,
humans still have the bodies of cavemen.

Carbohydrates

Most Americans eat far too many carbohydrates—in the form of bread, cereal, pasta, corn
(a grain, not a vegetable), rice, potatoes, and processed cakes and snacks—with severe consequences
to their health. Making matters worse, most of these carbohydrates are consumed in
the form of processed foods. After 130 years of consuming highly processed grains in the form
of breads, pastries, and cereals, chronic diseases such as heart disease, elevated cholesterol, and
obesity are rampant among most industrialized nations.

I do not suggest that everyone should follow a low-carbohydrate diet; everyone needs a
certain amount of carbohydrates. What most people haven’t realized is that the body’s storage capacity
for carbohydrates is quite limited, and any excess is stored as fat. Therefore, it is important
to remember that vegetables and fruits also contain carbohydrates and to make the appropriate
carbohydrate choices for your metabolism type. For example, the ideal foods for a Protein Type
may include more above-ground vegetables and few fruits, whereas a Carb Type can tolerate
starchier root vegetables and grains.

Any meal or snack high in carbohydrates generates a rapid rise in blood glucose (sugar).
To compensate for this increase, the pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream, which lowers
the glucose. Insulin, though, is essentially a hormone that stores excess carbohydrate calories (as
fat in the thighs, abdomen, and buttocks) in case of famine. Even worse, high insulin levels suppress
two other important hormones: glucagon and human growth hormone, which regulate the
burning of fat and promote muscle development, respectively. So, the insulin from excess carbohydrates
promotes fat, then inhibits the body’s ability to lose that fat.

The goal to successful weight loss is to first find the right quantity of carbohydrates that
provide enough fuel and energy for the day (but not so many that we end up storing most of it as
fat), then consume the right kind of carbohydrates to feel good and satiated after a meal.

Bread

Probably the most consumed and most popular of all carbohydrates among Americans is

bread. Americans consume far too much bread, and the negative effects of its consumption are
manifest in poor health and excess weight. Americans also consume the wrong kinds of bread.
The only bread allowed on the Diet Solution Program is Food for Life brand’s Ezekiel
4:9 organic sprouted whole grain products. The process of sprouting changes a grain’s composition
in numerous ways to make it more beneficial as a food. It increases the content of vitamins
(e.g., C, B2, B5, and B6) and beta carotene dramatically, up to eightfold. Even more important—
especially considering how many people suffer from indigestion—it breaks down phytic acid (a
mineral blocker). Present in the bran of all grains and the coatings of nuts and seeds, phytic acid
inhibits the body’s absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc and can neutralize
digestive enzymes, resulting in digestive disorders. Sprouting breaks down the complex sugars
responsible for intestinal gas and transforms a portion of the starch into sugar. It also inactivates
aflatoxins, which are toxins produced by fungus and potent carcinogens often found in grains
(Chek 2004, 64).

The whole wheat bread that the American public has been led to believe is healthy contains
processed wheat, which is deficient in nutrients. Hence the extremely high prevalence
among Americans of digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.
Chronic constipation can lead to many potentially dangerous health disorders and also can make
losing weight quite difficult. Simply replacing bread with sprouted grain bread can radically improve
your digestion and your ability to lose weight.

Note that if you are intolerant of gluten or wheat, then you also will be intolerant of Ezekiel
4:9 organic sprouted whole grain bread. Even though sprouted grains are healthy foods for
most people, the Ezekiel 4:9 ingredients include wheat and other grains that contain gluten.

Glycemic Index

Because the body converts different types of carbohydrates into sugar at different rates,
the glycemic index (GI) was established to indicate how quickly a food affects blood sugar levels.
Foods that have a high GI cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels, thus a rapid release
of insulin, which is exactly what you don’t want when trying to lose weight and maintain good
health. Foods that have a low GI cause a slow increase in blood glucose levels and a slow and
controlled insulin release.

As explained in the Chapter on Grains insulin is a fat-storing hormone, so the more you
have coursing through your bloodstream, the more likely you are to gain weight. Also, high-GI
foods tend to leave you feeling hungry and craving more, whereas low-GI foods make you feel
satiated and free from cravings. Refer to the Glycemic Index chart to learn the GI of each carbohydrate.
Weight loss will be much easier if you choose low-GI carbohydrates: vegetables and
some (not all) fruits. Certain types of grains and beans also have a low GI. I highly recommend
that you stay away from high-GI foods when weight loss and overall health are your goals.

Gluten Intolerance

Many people cannot digest gluten—a protein found in wheat and some other grains that
forms the structure of bread dough—and suffer from a mild to severe gluten intolerance. Possible
symptoms of gluten intolerance include
abdominal pain and cramping
bloating and flatulence
bone and joint pain
chronic diarrhea
emotional disturbances such as anxiety and depression
fatigue (especially after eating gluten-containing foods)
infertility
painful skin rash
weight gain or the inability to lose weight
If you suspect that you may be intolerant to gluten, I encourage you to eliminate gluten
from your diet for at least 4–6 weeks to determine whether your symptoms are alleviated. Some
gluten-containing foods and ingredients to avoid include the following:
barley
beer
cold cereals (some—read ingredient lists)
couscous
hydrolyzed vegetable protein
oats
pasta
rye
semolina
soy sauce
spelt

starch and vegetable starch
wheat
wheat germ
Allowable gluten-free foods and ingredients include the following:
amaranth
arrowroot
bean flours (e.g., garbanzo, sorghum)
buckwheat
corn
millet
quinoa
rice

If you feel relief from any of the above-named symptoms after following a gluten-free
diet for 4–6 weeks, then you may be able to maintain a healthy weight more easily without
gluten. Because most individuals who are intolerant to gluten also are intolerant to dairy, lactose,
or both, I encourage you to also eliminate dairy and dairy-containing products while you’re on a
gluten-free diet.

Eliminating Grains

Many health experts recommend that people who suffer from chronic disease (e.g., diabetes,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease), have struggled with obesity their
whole lives, or are genetically predisposed to obesity or chronic disease completely eliminate
grains from their diet. Joseph Mercola, an internationally renowned natural health physician and
doctor of osteopathy, says that the major culprit behind various chronic diseases and the obesity
epidemic is the overconsumption of grains and sugar. His Total Health Program (Mercola 2005)
and The No-Grain Diet (Mercola with Levy 2003) teach optimal health and weight through grain
elimination.

Mercola’s No-Grain Diet (which also eliminates some other foods, such as dairy and
beans) has been referred to as the Paleolithic Diet or the Caveman Diet because the allowed
foods are those that were available to man before the discovery of grains. It is essentially how the
first humans ate 2 million years ago. Some dieticians believe the Paleolithic Diet is the only diet
coded in human genes—it allows only those foods that were available during our long evolution
and discards those that were not.

Foods eliminated on a grain-free diet include
all gluten and gluten-free grains (as well as bread, pasta, and noodles made from
grains)
corn and corn-based products
dairy products
legumes (e.g., string beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, snow peas, and green
peas)
potatoes (white and sweet) and yams
sugar
Foods allowed on a grain-free diet include
eggs
fruits and berries
meat, chicken, and fish
tree nuts (except cashews)
vegetables (especially green vegetables)
I prescribe this way of eating to clients who have a history of diabetes, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and heart disease or who have a long history of weight gain and difficulty
losing weight. The results are truly amazing. Clients have told me that within the first week, their
aches and pains went away and that they felt so much lighter and more energetic throughout the
day. People suffering from digestive difficulties often feel relief in just a few days.

Action Steps

• For all of your bread needs, consume only Food for Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 organic sprouted
whole grain products (e.g., original, sesame, and cinnamon raisin loaves; rolls; English
muffins; and tortillas). Use this bread to make bread crumbs for meatloaf and meatball
recipes.

• Accept that breakfast and lunch do not have to include toast and sandwiches. Depending
on your metabolism type, eggs, fruits, and nut butters may be great options for
breakfast. Salads or vegetables with poultry, fish, or other meats may be great options
for lunch.

• If you experience gastrointestinal distress (gas or bloating) while following the Diet
Solution Program, you may be gluten-intolerant. Try eliminating all gluten grains for
4–6 weeks to see whether the condition improves.

• If you continue to suffer from gastrointestinal distress after eliminating gluten grains
for 4–6 weeks or if you do not lose weight after 4 weeks on the Diet Solution Program,
eliminate all grains from your diet.