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Ask the Expert
May 24, 2003
Question:
What is your opinion about organic, sprouted breads and other grains like amaranth, spelt and quinoa? Are these acceptable or should they be excluded from one's diet?
Answer:
Many people are confused about so-called "healthy grains" like amaranth, spelt and quinoa. Often these grains are labeled as organic to further promote them as a "health food."
However, just because something is labeled organic, it doesn't necessarily make it healthy, and this logically extends to grains.
Grains, unlike vegetables, are rapidly metabolized to simple sugars and disrupt insulin levels. If you suffer from signs of insulin overload that include:
- High blood pressure
- Being overweight
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
Then you will want to avoid most all grains, including organic, sprouted grains. This applies to over 75 percent of the country. An additional one-third of the remaining 25 percent will need to avoid grains because they are protein Metabolic Types.
So even if you are purchasing whole-grain, organic sprouted bread, more than likely it will not move your body toward health, and you are better off avoiding it.
Yes, even sprouted, whole-grain bread can cause high blood pressure.
The higher your insulin levels and the more prominent your signs of insulin overload are, the more ambitious your grain elimination should be.
Grains to eliminate include:
- Wheat
- Spelt
- Barley
- Amaranth
- Millet
- Oats
- Rice " Rye
- Quinoa
- Teff
- Potatoes (This is actually a vegetable, but it digests more like a grain.)
- Corn (This is considered a vegetable, but it is technically a grain.)
Highly processed food products are not recommended, regardless of insulin level. These include:
- Breads
- Pasta
- Cereal
- Bagels
- French fries
- Chips
- Pretzels
- Waffles
- Pancakes
- Baked goods
But, take note: Avoiding grains frequently causes weight loss. If you don't want to lose weight you can increase grains in your diet, but I strongly recommend that you contact a knowledgeable health care professional who understands insulin and fat biochemistry to help fine-tune your individual program.
Generally, if you need to gain weight and aren't sensitive to wheat, then limited amounts of sprouted-grain bread could be included in your diet.
