Loving Yourself to Great Health by Louise Hay

Author:Louise Hay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hay House
Published: 2014-08-10T16:00:00+00:00

7. Grains, Nuts, and Seeds

Currently, grains are on the firing line due to books like Wheat Belly and Grain Brain. Paleo and Primal diets, which essentially eliminate grains, are also receiving a great deal of attention. There is good reason for this: digestive diseases are on the rise, now affecting up to 70 million people in the United States alone.77

Grains are challenging for the small intestine to digest, so people working on gut health or insulin issues may want to remove them while they allow their digestive system to heal. Once healed, these folks can often reintroduce grains into their diet.

Whole grains (no part of the grain is removed in milling), as opposed to lower-quality processed grains, have many healing properties. Whole grains are a source of carbohydrates and protein; are rich in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals; can combat constipation; and boost serotonin, the body’s happiness hormone.

If you are working on any healing protocol and want to include grains, it can be helpful to eliminate all packaged breads, crackers, and cereals, and focus on cooking whole grains instead. (We have some options for breads, crackers, and hot cereals in the recipes section that you can use to replace these processed foods.)

When it comes to eating grains, we recommend that you listen to your body and work with a health practitioner if you’re uncertain about whether they are beneficial for where you are in your health journey. (Using the food-diary exercise at the end of this chapter will be helpful in identifying symptoms associated with eating grains and other foods, so you can learn the language of your body.)

If you do eat grains, we recommend organic whole grains that are gluten-free, such as: quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and white basmati rice. Be aware that rice is known to contain arsenic, and brown rice contains significantly more of it than white rice does, according to Consumer Reports.78 Soaking your grains before preparing them is a great way to boost their digestibility, and we will show you how to do this in Chapter 10.

Nuts and seeds are protein fats that can be a wonderful addition to your diet, making great desserts and on-the-go snacks. Full of antioxidants and fiber, nuts have been shown to reduce cholesterol, aid weight loss, and promote satiety, so you feel full longer.79 While there are many delicious options for nuts and seeds, be aware that cashews, peanuts, and pistachios have been known to accumulate mold more easily and cause symptoms in sensitive people.80

It is important to listen to your body when eating nuts and seeds because eating too many can cause digestive symptoms. Learn to find the right level for you by using the food diary at the end of this chapter or working with a knowledgeable practitioner. We recommend choosing organic, raw nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds that are already roasted upon purchase have a greater chance of being rancid; instead, you can roast them at home by placing them in the oven on the

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.