My Transformational Detox Cleanse Warriors finished their 30-day journey a couple of weeks ago. They were an amazing and mighty group in every way possible! They were curious and open, and willing to eat differently. They eliminated inflammatory foods and drinks, including sugar, bread, coffee, and alcohol. Many of them found these much easier to give up than they’d anticipated. They also incorporated yoga and tried getting to bed earlier. All of these changes resulted in weight loss, much clearer thinking, and fewer aches and pains.
We eliminated gluten for three weeks, and this year I pushed the envelope a bit further by asking them to eliminate all grains for one week and try out either a 12-hour or 16-hour intermittent fast.
In this edition, I’ll be talking about eliminating grains. Next newsletter, I’ll address the benefits of intermittent fasting as it’s quite a fascinating topic.
So why did I push for grain-free this year? The average American eats way too many grains, spiking blood sugar and increasing insulin output,which is our fat- storing hormone. Just look around to see how well the USDA’s daily recommendation of eating 6-8 servings of whole grains has worked. It obviously hasn’t.
All grains affect blood sugar and some of us have reactions to the proteins found in non-gluten grains similar to that of the gluten found in wheat and rye. These reactions can cause increased joint and muscle inflammation and pain, brain fog, and digestive distress.
Whenever I suggest taking all grains out as part of an eating protocol, my clients will often ask, “Then what do I eat?!?” Oh, how I love that question! There are so many wonderful things to fill your plate and belly with that are grain-free.
We get to add in more veggies and good fats, two things the majority of Americans lack. What do veggies do? They give us fiber to help regulate blood sugar and increase elimination, essential vitamins and minerals to boost detoxification and help with energy and moods, and bulk to fill our bellies up, not out.
Why do we need more good fats? They keep our blood sugar even, reduce inflammation, calm and feed our brains, and are the building blocks of hormones.
So, how do we add more veggies and fats in a painless and enjoyable way? Here are two of my favorite grain-free dishes you can find on my website:
Sweet Potato Crust Quiche Read more
Grain-Free Spaghetti Read more
Another fun recipe I stumbled across just this last weekend is for walnut croutons. They are a delicious grain-free substitute and chock full of good fats and fiber. They’re great as a snack or in a Caesar salad. The recipe for these croutons is right here.Read more
BTW, a Caesar salad is a wonderful complement to the grain-free spaghetti mentioned above.
I hope you’ll give one of these dishes a try! If you don’t have much time and want to begin with something really simple and easy, start with the walnut croutons.
Remember to have fun in the kitchen. It’s a time to explore, create, make mistakes, laugh, love, and learn.
Check this website for more great recipe ideas. www.alivingbalance.net. Also look at thepaleomom.com and enjoy the sproutedkitchen.com with Sarah Forte. Sarah is not Paleo but she has a beautiful blog with great recipes that often fit in the grain-free genre.
Love,
Cindy D