A lot has been written lately about wheat and gluten. We have been told since we were young that whole grains are good for us and should be included in any healthy diet.
Unfortunately, this is untrue.
Not long ago a client came to me with a complaint. She trained very hard; putting 100% effort into all her boot camp workouts. She was relatively young and therefore still had an active metabolism working for her. She avoided dairy products – another well-known culprit causing weight gain. In short, she had all the right pieces in place, but her physique was not where she – or I – would expect.
Why then, she asked, could she NOT get rid of the last few pounds which appeared to be permanently stuck to her abdominal area?
We tracked her body fat over the course of her membership and could clearly see her progress, along with the obvious improvements in her muscular definition. But the abdominal fat problem persisted. She was clearly frustrated.
I asked her about her intake of grains. Like many of us, we had been taught our entire lives that grains were necessary for optimum health; “Whole Grain Goodness” as one food company puts it. She indicated she eat whole grains regularly.
I recommended she not change anything else in her diet, but only remove all forms of grain and wheat products. This means no bread, rice, cereal, pasta and crackers; even the rolls from Bertucci’s had to go! By leaving everything else in place, we could test ONLY the removal of the grains.
Do I have to tell you what happened? The abdominal fat deposit that had troubled her for so long was gone within two weeks! Her abs were flat and she looked visibly healthier.
Lesson learned. This one case is hardly the only proof.
As humans we do NOT need grains as part of a ‘healthy’ diet. Ever.
In fact my colleague Scot Colby (look for a great interview with him coming shortly) has some very specific rules for clients using his “Fit For Photos” and “6 Pack Abs in 6 Weeks” programs. No dairy and no grains. It simply works.
Why? For that answer we need only go back in time a few centuries – not very long ago as evolution is concerned. As humans, we spent millennia hunting and gathering food. If we could not pick it off a tree, dig it out of the ground or hunt it down, we did not eat it.
Then came the process of agriculture and with it the ability to feed large numbers of people seeking calorie-dense foods. These calories were vital during a period where lives were labor intensive and brief. In these modern times, calorie dense food is NOT a requirement. Our lives are considerably more comfortable and the energy demands far less.
Keep in mind, you do not have to have Celiac disease or even a known gluten allergy to have a poor reaction to wheat products.
Bread is now obsolete; eaten purely for taste, not necessity.
Are you looking to jump start your weight loss? Drop the bread and pass on the cheese and crackers. Your health and your scale with show their appreciation. My client saw a rapid change combining challenging exercise coupled with the removal of grains. I am certain you will see a positive change as well if you give this a try.
For some, this may be hard to accept, but the science and in this case, the physical proof is hard to deny.
Committed to your health,
Art