Basically, my friend criticized my shunning of grains. She denied any of the science behind how the proteins in grains damage our guts and how massive grain consumptions is slowly killing us. She didn't want to hear the studies or findings I've researched. She said she doesn't suffer from any of the many ills and issues linked to excess grain consumption, so therefore grains must be good. But I ask the question: how do you know? How do you know what grains are doing to you if you have always had them since you were born? How do you know how you would feel after eliminating them for say, a month?
Forget the science and the studies. Do your own study and see for yourself. If you notice no difference, then by all means, make a pasta filled bagel sprinkled with corn flakes. But what if you do notice a subtle difference? Maybe you will experience new feeling of health - one you didn't know existed. Maybe you will have lost weight, slept better, stopped suffering from allergies, improved your immune system, had more focus, increased your energy, or even lost a few wrinkles. And maybe if you experience one of these immediate benefits, you can have faith that long term avoidance of grains may actually improve your health in ways you can't predict (avoiding a deadly cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, etc.)
My point is: I don't have the answers, but I'm not claiming I do. What I am claiming is that this no-grain experiment is probably worthwhile. If anything, it will give you a definitive answer as to how your body (and the bodies of your loved ones) handle grains. So I say to my friend who says she will not like non-grain foods, "Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may I say."
But didn't you in your last post call gluten "evil"? So how can you get upset at somebody else who feels strongly about the food they choose to nourish their bodies with? It seems like you have already made up your mind, and are dismissing any arguments that contriadict what you want to believe with this experiment.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteYou're right - I absolutely called gluten evil, because, well, it is! There is really no way to "nourish" your body with gluten. Gluten does 3 things - whether you are sensitive to it or not: 1. it attacks the lining of your intestines creating "holes" that allow undigested foods and waste (gross) directly into your blood stream. This causes an immune reaction to attack the invaders. This is the root of food allergies for many people. 2. It binds essential nutrients so that they are unable to be absorbed into your body. So the pasta you are eating along with your spinach salad is negating the spinach salad. 3. In addition to binding the nutrients, it also prohibits digestion of other nutrients creating deficiencies. So despite what the package screaming HEALTHY!!, that slice of dark whole-grain specialty bread is actually harming you – even more so if it is made with American wheat which has the highest gluten content.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have Celiac disease to have gluten-caused reactions. We now know that gluten sensitivity is affecting as many as 20 MILLION Americans! It's not just little kids. You may have it and not even know it...yet. It manifests itself in frightening ways - not just diarrhea and cramping like we typically think of when we think of Celiac. Fatigue, infertility, bloating, ADD, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and even depression can all CLINICALLY be linked to our body's prolonged immune reaction to gluten. Now of course not all of these diseases are solely caused by gluten, but even if they are not, gluten can certainly be a cause for many, many people - and gluten containing foods can exacerbate diseases from other causes and even feed them (like cancer).
I apologize if I wasn’t clear in my post, but I wasn't getting upset with my friend for feeling strongly about her foods. I was upset that she was stubborn and wouldn't consider the fact she is missing out on a healthier way of living. Like I said, if you go grain-free and feel no difference, go back! But how can you know how you feel if you've had grains and gluten your whole life? You can't! You've got to give it a try before completely dismissing it.
And you are also right....I have completely made up my mind about gluten. It is not a fuzzy gray area at all. We will never go back to gluten. We may experiment with non-gluten grains after our 60 days, but never gluten. Like I said, it's evil.
I totally encourage you to do your own research and make your own choices. I've learned you can't bolster you're own point of view until you can try to discredit it. I just can't find anything to discredit gluten-free living except convenience and habit.
Thanks for reading!