My (mostly) Sugar & Grain Free Life (aka #lowcraplifestyle)

Most people understand and accept that a sugar-free life means a healthy life. But there are usually some questions around a “grain free” life. What?! Even “whole grains”?? is usually the way it goes….. well, one thing I can tell you, it’s NOT about deprivation! Sure, there was a “hump” to get over during detox, and that part was not fun, but now that I’m on the other side, I love my new life and I rarely even want sugar or grains. Keep in mind, I eat this way about 90% of the time, and I specifically mean “white-sugar free”, because I do occasionally have honey, and other natural sweeteners. I am not celiac, nor do I have any food allergies, so I can treat myself to some things that others have to completely remove from their diet. See my Good, Better, Best list for more specifics on rice being OK, wheat being the main culprit. It has been an amazing and wonderful transformation that I still cannot believe sometimes. Sugar does not rule me or my food choices any more. I have learned to “tune in” to my reactions to stress. I have noticed (now that I am paying attention and out of the brain fog), that my first response to stress is to want carbs or sugar. I can literally feel it happening, but since I’m aware of it now, I can get or do something else, because I know it will pass. It has been a fascinating revelation to tune in to how my body is responding and reacting.

Here is a post that explains how I got here and why I’m never going back! The “Advanced Plan” diet or Healing Diet, is what got me started on sugar and (mostly) grain free. Read that highlighted post that will list all the ways sugar & grain free eating have helped & cured me. It’s a pretty long list, you may be surprised at how MUCH has improved! This page on my blog explains why it took a while to “get over” my sugar & grain addiction, and start enjoying unprocessed real whole food.

Here is an extensive post from Mercola, on exactly what grains can do to your body. Not pretty.

Here is a another article from Dr. Mark Hyman on why wheat is so bad for us. And this article explains the “even whole grains?” question I get so often.

Preventdisease.com has the most shocking article on the dangers of wheat I’ve ever read!

UPDATE 12/7/12: Here is a link to Dr. Oz’s interview of Dr. Davis, who wrote Wheat Belly. The video is in 3 sections, and is super easy to understand, and very interesting information. Again, I am convinced I did the right thing by cutting wheat!

I don’t think many people need to see articles on why white sugar is bad for us, but I will list some just in case you want the documentation: NY Times article by Gary Taubes, and here are videos from Dr. Mercola on the dangers of sugar. The Cooking God’s Way blog has a brief comparison between sugar and HFCS.

So there you have it. Sugar and grains can do a lot of damage. Some can tolerate small amounts better than others. I tend to be on the low tolerance end of the spectrum, so the s&gf life works well for me! I realize I did not explain a lot here. The links are the documentation to my choices, but if you still have questions after reading those articles, let me know if I can explain something further. I’ll be happy to try to help!

I know some of you will have a very difficult time accepting the idea that whole grains might cause more damage than good. It is completely ingrained in our society (sorry, you know I had to used that!) that grains are a part of a healthy diet (you may want to research WHY grains are a big part of our diet/culture and consider subsidies). The Dr. Oz video above explains the “whole grains” concept in section 1 of the 3 videos. “Better” does not necessarily indicate “good for you”. And remember, I’ve already said rice is probably fine. Oats are generally gluten free, so I don’t have a problem with them either, just not for myself because of blood sugars.  Quinoa is technically a seed and it has lots of protein, so I can eat it occasionally. It’s American wheat and GMO corn that I am most concerned about. Even with all the links from well known doctors I trust, and from advice from my very own Doctor, it boils down to who I choose to believe. My daddy taught me a LONG time ago, not to believe everything I read and to always research for myself to make decisions.  All I know for certain (since I am not a grain scientist) is how this choice has affected ME. All I can be sure of, is how much better I feel without grains (hardly any, anyway). I choose to believe the research I have linked and my own personal experience. You do your own research and decide for yourself, and thank God you live in a country where you are free to do it!!!!