Since I’m feeling much better now that I’m in the middle of this pregnancy (thank You Lord!), I’ve been in the kitchen more, trying to make healthy food from scratch. My friend Claire recommended a while ago that I listen to Dr. Axe, a Nashville wellness doctor and radio host, and I’ve been working my way through his old podcasts. He tells his listeners to load up on fruits and veggies, and eat lots of healthy fats like organic, grass-fed meat, wild salmon, eggs, and raw, fermented dairy. He says Americans should cut out anything fake or synthetic and avoid grains, which he believes often lead to obesity and other health problems.
It seems lately that every time I turn around, someone else I know has decided to go “gluten-free” or avoid grains altogether. I’ve been hearing an awful lot recently about how our current version of wheat has been genetically altered to the point that it’s completely different from the wheat our grandmas used fifty years ago. And because I find the topic of nutrition endlessly fascinating (have I mentioned recently I’m a nerd?), I just ordered Wheat Belly from Amazon, which appears to place most of the blame for our nation’s obesity and diabetes crisis directly onto our amber waves of grain.
I’m a bit nervous to read it though. I don’t want to be convinced that wheat is bad for me. I mean, seriously? Life without PB&J’s? No late-at-night bowls of Shredded Wheat? NO PIZZA?! Maybe I should just cancel that Amazon order. But it’s not just that I’m a wheat addict (though I probably am). It’s that I want to avoid fad diets of any kind.
Another friend of mine, Catherine, recommended several months ago that I check out the book Feeding the Whole Family: Recipes for Babies, Young Children, and Their Parents. On the very first page the author says this: “We Americans (me too!) are very susceptible to the latest whatever. We are willing to drop whole nutrient groups for decades at a time (no butter? no bread?) because of a newly released study or fad diet. This shunning of staple foods (eggs, meat, butter, sugar, dairy, wheat, potatoes, you name it) does a lot to sell new products and little to improve overall health.” There’s something so logical about her statement that it makes me sigh in relief. It also makes me want to get myself a freshly baked wheat roll, slather it in butter, and enjoy it with a hot cup of tea and a good friend. Want to come over?
I don’t want to be a person who’s constantly changing my opinion of what’s healthy based on the latest trend. At the same time, I realize that for some people avoiding gluten is medically necessary. And maybe it would benefit the rest of us too. I’m not sure. I don’t think it would hurt us to at least cut back on the amount of grains we consume. But for now, I don’t have any plans to remove all the wheat from our house. Instead we’ll keep moving slowly toward two simple goals: less processed food and more fruits and veggies.
Have you tried going gluten-free? Has it helped you? If not, what’s your version of a healthy diet?
We have tried to eat 90% gluten free and feel it has helped with our digestive problems. I’ve also noticed that gluten free items have more calories than the regular whole grain stuff. So, I am also trying to stay away from processed (gluten free even) foods and stick with the whole grains which seem to fill us up longer. The “cook yourself thin” website and show teach us how to replace the unhealthy ingredients with more vegetables (pureed or shredded). They still tastes good. There are alot of “gluten-free” recipies to be found just by the google tool.
I think I agree with the author of the second book you mentioned, that cutting out whole food groups has not led to a healthier population. It’s one thing, like you said, to do it when medically necessary, but not just because “everyone is doing it.” So many of the health issues we face as a country could be reduced or even eliminated if people were simply more mindful of their eating patterns and willing to avoid processed stuff. I think you are taking a healthy approach to your family’s nutrition by enjoying all the food groups God made in healthy proportion to one another.
Aron, we need to have coffee soon!
As with most areas of life on this earth we’ve been given, it’s all about balance. Modern life is too full of processed foods, for sure. Fresh fruits and vegetables are so costly that it makes it hard for families to eat like they should. Balance in all we do (and eat) is important. And balance is not the same for everyone. We all must determine stasis for ourselves.