296 Going Grain–Free [1 Dec 2014]

Have you considered going on a gluten-free diet or the more comprehensive grain-free diet? Should you consider it?

Dana James in her November 12, 2014, article in MindBodyGreen “So, Should You Eat Gluten or Not?” argues that practically everyone should avoid gluten. After describing how gluten has changed in some modern grains; how it causes gut permeability which is aggravated by stress; how gluten leads to food cravings; and knocks gut bacteria “out-of-whack”, James lists who, in her opinion, should and who should not eat gluten. Her “no” list is so comprehensive and her “yes” list is so strict that no one I know would qualify.

Here is my list for who should consider trying a gluten or grain free diet:
• diagnosed with Celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS)
• crave carbs, especially breads & baking (eg doughnuts!)
• digestive problems – gas, bloating, abdominal pain
• joint pain, numbness in extremities
• want to lose or at least stop gaining weight
• feel depressed or experience “fuzzy brain”.

Notice I said “try”. I recommend going grain-free for a month and see what happens. You might be surprised, as was Carrie Vitt when her family went grain-free (MindBodyGreen November 18, 2014, “10 Things I didn’t Expect When Our Family Went Grain-Free”): the cravings left in only 3 days; appetites were reduced and they could go longer between meals; cooking and even baking was easier; no one complained and even the kids loved it; her mind was more alert with no low blood sugar crashes; she lost unwanted pounds; and most importantly her autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s) went into full remission.

So don’t go grain-free just because it’s trendy. Give it a try if you wish, and then after a month or so decide if you have noticed enough positive changes that you want to make it a permanent part of your lifestyle. If not then you can continue to make whole grains part of your healthy diet.

I previously wrote on this topic in April 2012 (Wheat - Beyond Gluten); October 2013 (Grain and Our Brain); and September 2014 (Maybe It's Not Gluten).

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

202 Obesity & Food Cravings [4 February 2013]

A recent study shows that the brains of overweight people react differently to the sight of food than those of their normal weight friends.

Researchers from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine used functional MRI to observe brain activity in 5 obese and 7 normal weight adults at different blood sugar levels. The subjects were shown pictures of high calorie foods, low calorie foods, and non-food items at different glucose levels and asked to rate their hunger and desire for the food.

As would be expected, both obese and normal weight subjects reported more hunger and desire for high calorie foods at hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) than at euglycemic (normal blood sugar) levels. Correspondingly, while hypoglycemic, both groups showed higher brain activity in the hypothalamus and limbic brain (which initiates cravings for food to replenish blood sugar). When the blood sugar levels were returned to normal, the normal weight group had higher activity in the prefrontal cortex (which controls rational decision making), and the desire for food fell. This didn’t happen in the obese group – the activity remained high in the hypothalamus and hind brain and the cravings for food was not alleviated. This explains why it is harder for obese individuals to eat appropriately to lose or even maintain weight, something their normal weight friends often fail to comprehend.

Here is what I think this study means to someone who is overweight:
• there is a physiological explanation for your cravings – it’s not just a character weakness;
• eat more frequent small meals to keep your blood sugar levels even and to reduce cravings and subsequent overeating;
• avoid visual cues of food between meals (hide the cookie jar);
• once you have lost your excess fat weight it will be easier to keep it off.

Source: “Circulating glucose levels modulate neural control of desire for high caloric foods in humans”, J Clin Invest 121(10), October 2011.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.