Grains such as wheat, corn, barley and rye – to name just a few – are making us FAT!
Grains are very high in carbohydrates (high glycemic) and so are many gluten-free substitutes. Eating grains and these type substitutes creates high insulin levels in your body, which can cause weight gain and many other health problems.
The United States Department of Agriculture has been pushing whole grains in the food guide pyramid for the past 20 years, all the while our nation has continued to get fatter and sicker. And it’s not just the adults. According to statistics and recently published studies, 50% of our children today are also overweight. Hey! Even our cows are fed grains to make them fat – they beef up 4-5 times quicker than grass fed cows.
Why do grains make us fat?
The bottom line is grains cause excessive insulin response which leads to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Insulin has many effects on the body, but the one we’re talking about here deals with insulin’s job of storing excess nutrients that you take in.
Glucose, or sugar, comes from the foods we eat. And foods made from grains (often simply called “carbs”) elevate blood sugars which are managed by insulin production. Some of the carbs we eat are burned as energy, but as we age and as we continue to eat more grains and carbs (excessive consumption), the insulin ends up storing much of the energy as fat.
Increased fat storage and decreased fat burning
The bad news is that insulin released by excessive carb consumption also can prevent the stored fat in fat cells from releasing fat for energy.
When this happens, the fat builds while needed energy to fuel our bodies comes from muscle and our liver, not from stored fat. This is how grains make us fat.
What can help?
A balanced diet low in grains and rich in favorable foods can change this cycle and help you burn fat, lose weight and feel better today! Learn more in my Eating For Vitality Diet program. You’ll discover how easy it is to eat a balanced diet low in carbohydrates that, oh-by-the-way, tastes good and doesn’t leave you starving.
