1. Whole Grains do not contain vitamin C. Vitamin C is a very good source for important antioxidants for the immune system, which protect against:
   • Asthma
   • Allergies
   • Skin health
   • Cancer
   • Cardiovascular disease
   • The prevention of cataracts
2. Whole Grains do not contain vitamin A & vitamin A precursor or beta-carotene (with yellow corn the exception).
   • Beta-carotene strengthens our immune system, playing a vital role in the prevention of cancer & heath disease.
   • Vitamin A is an anti-infection vitamin, very important to the health of mucous membranes, including your skin.
3. Whole grains do not provide a great source of B vitamins in comparison to the calories provided.
   • Whole grains are regularly listed as great sources of B vitamins; however the majority of charts are calculated by weight.
   • When comparing equal quantities of calories & B vitamins within a serving of food the results show that whole grain actually ranks mediocre
4. Whole grains contain anti-nutrients also known as pyridoxine glycosides. Pyridoxine glycosides decrease the vitamin B6 status. Vitamin B6 is significant to:
   • Building strong immune systems
   • Female hormonal balance
   • Psychological well-being
   • Prevention of elevated homocysteine
   • A key heart disease risk factor
5. Whole Grains contain no vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is vital for:
   • The health of our brain & nerves
   • The protection against pernicious anaemia
   • The prevention of increased levels of homocysteine
6. Whole grains contain low levels of bio-available biotin. In addition, wheat and sorghum also contain anti-nutrient elements that decrease biotin metabolism. Previously referred to as vitamin H, Biotin is needed for the metabolism of essential fatty acids that are significant to your:
   • Skin
   • Hair
   • Nails
7. Whole grains indirectly alter the metabolism of vitamin D. Vitamin D functions as a hormone & is very important for:
   • Bone health
   • Strong immunity
8. Whole grains contain low levels of calcium & other factors that contribute to poor calcium metabolism. Calcium is one of the body’s essential nutrients. Calcium is essential for:
   • Bones
   • Dental health
9. Whole grains contain copious amounts of elements that diminish iron absorption.
   • The body requires iron to prevent iron-deficiency anaemia including the fatigue that is associated with it.
10. Whole grains contain phytate & other factors that can harm the body’s zinc absorption. Zinc is vital for:
    • A strong immune system
    • The development & growth
    • The reproductive health.
11. Whole grains do not provide a lot of protein. Whole grains are also consistently lower in essential amino acids such as lysine (which has antiviral effects) compared to animal proteins. Protein is essential for:
    • Maintaining a lean body mass
    • Repairing the body
    • A strong immune system.
12. Whole grains do not contain carnitine or taurine.
    • Carnitine is a vitamin-like nutrient vital for energy metabolism.
    • Taurine is a essential amino acid that has anti-arrhythmic & other cardiovascular effects.
13. Whole grains are significantly lower in fat; however contain a very high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.  This typically is not a problem by itself, however when grains are eaten with Omega-6-rich oils, it results in an increase of the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Poor omega-6 to omega-3 ratio supports insulin resistance & has pro-inflammatory effects. Examples of Omega-6-rich oils include;
    • Corn oil
    • Margarines

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Gluten is a collection of proteins found in:

• Wheat
• Wheat Cousins (Spelt & Kumut)
• Rye
• Triticale (a wheat-rye hybrid)
• Barley
• Oats
• An endless variety of processed foods

Of all these grains, wheat is the most challenging, largely because it contains the most gluten.

Food manufacturers, especially bakers, love gluten and have a high regard for the types of wheat that contain the most gluten, since it causes bread to rise and puff up magnificently.

What you may not realise, however, is that gluten can cause many people’s health to nose-dive – often in particularly dangerous ways.

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Serve them different portions of food

Have you noticed that when we serve different portions of food to kids they most often manage to finish the meal (assuming they like the food) regardless of the size of the portion, large or small?

Yet, if we had asked whether they were ‘full’ after the smaller sized meals, they would say yes.

Why then do children still finish the bigger sized meals if they are already fully satiated based on the smaller portioned meal size?

The answer is simply because kids, no matter how much food they are given, will most often still finish everything to the last bit if their taste buds are telling them to.

Therefore, to maintain a healthy diet for kids, we need to pay attention to how much food we put on their plate before serving them to our children.

Managing your kids meal portion

How much we eat is a result of our habits.

If, for instance, children are regularly given large sized meals instead of smaller portions they become conditioned to eating much more than they need.

One way to limit them asking for bigger meals is to reduce their meal portion to a minimum, and then if they say they want more you can give them some time or you can call it a ‘break’ before they have their second helping.  By spacing out the time between helpings it will make the children less keen on insisting that they want more.

Another useful way is to monitor the child’s leisure activities, which is often when they are likely to get snacks. Watching TV is one example. During this time kids usually snack on foods and/or drinks that contain high levels of calories, fat, salt and sugar.

So to reduce their habit of getting snacks, ask your kids to spend more of their time outdoors playing in the park, riding bikes, playing sports or any other activities they love. However, if they insist they want a snack while watching TV or when they are playing on the computer, give them healthier options such as fruits, vegetable sticks and plain pop corn.

Finally, do not serve children as much as adults’ serving at meal times. They do not need to eat as much and it’s best to avoid extra sized foods to keep the kids meal to a minimum.

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There are some health problems associated with refined grains.

Eating refined grains can result in the body producing adverse metabolic consequences very similar to what the body experiences when we consume refined sugar.

The majority of refined grain products provoke our glucose levels (blood sugar levels) to increase significantly causing the body to produce insulin to counteract the high glucose levels & return them to normal levels.

Sometimes, however, in the early stages of impaired glucose tolerance, the body will react to the increase of glucose levels by producing too much insulin, which results in the glucose levels dropping well below the normal level.

This condition is known as reactive hypoglycaemia.

This is a clear indication that the body is unable to cope with refined sugars & grains and is heading for more severe glucose tolerance problems in the future.

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Gluten grains may be the most problematic of the grains but a high intake of non-gluten grains has caused plenty of health problems around the world too.

An example of this is corn. Corn is a non-gluten grain but it’s interesting to note that it is particularly low in niacin (vitamin B3) and tryptophan, an amino acid the body can use to make niacin. As a result of a high intake of corn, pellagra (niacin deficiency disease) can develop.

Imbalances & nutrient deficiencies in refined grains

You may not be aware of it, but refined grains are nutrient-deprived foods.

The process of refining wheat involves the removal of the starchy endosperm away from the bran and germ, which also strips away the portions of vitamins & minerals essential for health.

The vitamins & minerals stripped away include:

• 60% of the calcium
• 85 % of the magnesium
• 77% of the potassium
• 78% of the zinc
• 68% of the copper
• 76% of the iron
• 86 % of the manganese
• 40% of the chromium
• 48 % of the molybdenum

Nutrients including chromium, magnesium & zinc are vital in assisting the body to properly use carbohydrates including grains for fuel.

Other nutrients including potassium & calcium are required to perform vital functions such as building & strengthening bones & relaxing muscles.

Unfortunately, eating plenty of white flour products doesn’t provide many of these nutrients. As a result of this it can lead, over time, to subtle pre-clinical nutrient deficiencies. The more refined grains & sugars we eat, the less balance we have of nutritious foods that provide the essential nutrients absent in refined foods.

Eating too many refined grains and sugars instead of nutritious foods leaves our body lacking the vital nutrients from nutritious foods. We are more likely to develop sub-optimal intakes, or worse, nutrient deficiencies, preventing our body from performing at its best.

Keep in mind that whole grains – which refined grains are derived from – also contain no vitamin B12 & none of the important antioxidants including vitamin A, vitamin C & beta carotene.

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Following on from last week’s article “What’s wrong with a high intake of grains?” we continue to explore the misconceptions of high intake of grains.

So, if a high intake of grains is not good for us, the question that pops to mind is;

Why do most of us believe they are actually good for us?

Why have grains become such a focal point of our day to day diet?

There are many pieces to the puzzle. We will begin with the obvious first:

• Advertising
• Social programming & pressures
• The availability of grains
• Promotions

Now looking in more depth:

Grains are everywhere in our society & are saturated through all cultures and in all places.

Grains have been embraced by society & have become the foundation for our meals.  This is why they can be seen through a range of shapes & forms in all food outlets including;

• Supermarkets
• Restaurants
• Café’s
• Food Courts

Essentially, all places that are licensed to sell food will have something  that contains grains.

Just for a moment, consider:

• You walk down the first aisle in the supermarket and you notice cereal or perhaps its muesli bars or maybe pizza bases.
• Every time you go to a restaurant the waiter brings complementary bread or rolls.
• You’re at home and you decide you make a super healthy ham and salad sandwich
• Or how about enjoying a refreshing ice cold beer at the football or other sporting event

Everywhere you go you are presented with the opportunity to consume grains & because of this growing availability of grains the majority of us will give in to temptation, eating them even when we don’t realise it or want to but through pure convenience if nothing else.

This grain domination has happened because society has been socialised to believe that grains are good for us. We have grown up with the notion that we need to have a balanced diet consisting of the four major good groups including:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meat
• Grains

As a result of these beliefs few of us have had the opportunity to hear any negatives about grains, which has resulted in few questions challenging the idea that grains are a good for you.

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There is a common misconception that lots of grains are good for us. Unfortunately grain, like everything else, is good for us but only in moderation.

But why you say?

Grains are rich in carbohydrates as well as calories, which is why they are used to fatten up livestock & subsequently also fatten us up when we eat excessive amounts.

Grain is a great way to ‘bulk up’ & more importantly is high in nutrients, which keeps drawing us back to them.

An increasing amount of people are intolerant to common grains with millions of people developing allergic reactions & symptoms including:

• Malabsorption of nutrients
• Bloating
• Gas
• Aches & pains
• Other digestive problems

Further to these symptoms, high grain diets are also being linked to some modern day health problems. The latest studies have found problems relating to high grain diets can include:

• Bone diseases; such as osteoporosis
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroid disease
• In extreme cases, some cancers

So remember, eat in moderation and if you are experiencing any of the symptoms after eating common grains don’t be afraid to see your doctor for more information.

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If you’ve recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease such as gluten sensitivity, these are the basic treatments that are most likely to occur.

The first step doctors will take is to identify targeted nutritional needs.
All doctors will perform check-ups, using various methods but they’ll all achieve the end result of gaining a comprehensive understanding of your nutritional deficiencies.   

The Gluten Free Diet:

Many doctors will prescribe a gluten free diet to you even if you haven’t had a blood test confirming you have a gluten sensitivity, if you’ve been unsuccessful with other treatments. Doctors will usually keep you on a gluten free diet for at least three months, so they are able to see the results effectively.

The Casein Free Diet:

Doctors will often prescribe a casein free diet for patients suffering from gastrointestinal disorders like Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

The Paleolithic Diet:

If a doctor puts a patient on a gluten free diet, they’ll also often put the patient on a Paleolithic diet as it will also help treat an autoimmune disease. The Paleolithic diet consists of replacing grains from the diet with fresh, natural foods. The foundations of this diet are that our ancestors had a diet that was close to a Paleolithic diet rather than the high carbohydrate, processed foods many people consume today.

Dietary Supplementation:

Most doctors will prescribe dietary supplements either orally or intravenously to you, in order to help you restore your health a lot faster.

Detoxification:

On top of prescribing dietary supplements to you, doctors will also usually prescribe you supplements that are specifically designed to help remove toxins from the body.

The treatments may sound difficult as you might see it as a severe change, but the results will far outweigh the food sacrifices you’ll make as you’ll feel healthy, happy and energetic.

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In my last two blogs I have written about the importance of establishing good eating habits in children and I will now finish this topic by writing about my own experiences with my child.

I recall a few experiences from my own son’s upbringing. Adam was a large, robust, placid and jovial child, with an almost insatiable appetite and curiosity – a real boy. At about nine months, he began to cry which was unusual for him. Previously, he had smiled, laughed and chuckled his way through life, even teething. After a couple of days we realised that he was hungry and that his mother’s breast milk could no longer keep up with his requirements. We began to introduce a variety of solid foods and within a month he had weaned himself.

One incident that particularly comes to mind is that of a fruit salad that I made on a Sunday afternoon during this period. The fruit salad contained passion fruit, banana, mango, pineapple, orange, pawpaw, kiwi fruit and water melon: things he had not previously tried. There was a fair amount of associated juice which we put in his bottle and handed to him. It was an interesting experience to watch the various pleasurable expressions flit across his face as he tried and decided he liked this new, tangy drink. He very quickly downed the whole bottle and very eloquently presented the bottle for an immediate refill. Even though he couldn’t yet speak there was no mistaking his meaning.

At 11 months he walked the length of a motel room in Sydney and very soon after that we had him sitting up in his high chair adjacent to the table and between us eating a small well sliced up version of whatever it was we were having: he slid naturally and painlessly into eating a wide variety of foods and it was OK because he was eating with Mum and Dad and eating what they were eating. He quickly accepted that that was the way it was.

We had to adjust our mealtimes a little to suit him and his bedtime routines: the warm bath, the toilet and story reading to have him asleep by 7.30 P.M.: “before they switched the dark on” as he termed it. A little later he was to take great pride in joining me for a “bubble beer”. I would have a beer and he would have a small ginger ale and later a small quantity of beer heavily diluted with lemonade. It was fun and he liked doing and sharing things with his Dad.

Sadly, many Dads are not there to share their meals with their kids and I feel that both the absent parents and the kids miss out on the bonding and other important aspects of this process. It also takes a lot of the pressure off the mother.

There are some children who are born sensitive, delicate and timid who may be picky eaters with a range of food intolerance issues but in the vast majority of cases such children are created by poor parenting and role models. Unfortunately, most people are poorly prepared and trained to assume the role of parents: one of the most important and influential roles in our lives.

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In my last blog I introduced the need to establish good eating habits in the young. This week I will continue to write about importance of this and methods parents should be using to feed their children.

Young children should be actively discouraged from eating just white bread, yoghourt, jelly, ice cream and the like with very little fruit and vegetables. A diet comprised of these processed, sugary foods does not allow their muscles to develop properly, causing them to be prone to deficiency issues and perhaps to premature gout and arthritic problems.

This is also the time to start gently and patiently teaching young children to use their cutlery and eating utensils properly. It is also important to make this whole eating process as enjoyable and leisurely as possible and to avoid bad experiences. Above all, young children should never be bribed with lollies to get them to eat and should never be given lollies, dessert or any other alternatives if they have declined to eat the main meal provided. It is a fundamental mistake to enable a child to consistently reject the food provided and teaches the child bad and demanding habits, which once established can be difficult to break.

It is better and kinder all round, to be firm and insistent than to let a tyrant child rule the roost. No child is going to starve itself and most quickly run out of puff when faced by a resolute parent. A slightly hungry child is more likely to eat what s/he is given and it is always better if the child knows the limits and boundaries.

Sometimes – even though it might seem unsightly and messy to us as adults – it may be important to let children touch, play with, smell and kiss their food as part of the process of getting used to it. However, allowing a child to spit or throw food and smear walls and furniture etc with food should never be tolerated as this is just plain bad and unacceptable behaviour.

In my next blog I will continue to write about the importance of establishing good eating habits in the young through my own personal experiences with my son.

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