“The food we eat goes beyond its macronutrients of carbohydrates, fat and protein. It’s information. It interacts with and instructs our genome with every mouthful, changing genetic expression.” David Perlmutter, M.D.

Self Discovery

During the 28 Day Transformation, we focus on lowering inflammation through an elimination period. This has two purposes: to develop a habit, and to see what life feels like without the extra inflammation. Inflammation is often caused by excessive consumption of inflammatory foods that builds up over time. Grains happen to be at the top of the list, so they’re one of the food groups that we specifically focus on. This doesn’t mean that grains have to be gone from your way of eating forever, though.

More Freedom, Less Rules

We’re not about rules and restriction in everyday life. What we are about is seeing our bodies operate at their best when inflammation is low and manageable. Removing inflammatory foods like grains may allow us to feel better, sleep better, and manage life better. To us, that’s freedom! A short trial period is eye opening when it comes to the way foods affect us. If they’re causing us harm, are they essential? 

The biggest argument that we hear often is that grains are a necessary part of our life. We beg to differ. There isn’t much in grains that we can’t get elsewhere, and with better quality. Fiber, vitamins, and minerals that grains contain can be found in vegetables, fruit, and starchy tubers, without phytates, lectins, and other inflammatory properties. 

What if we really love them?

We have a question for you. Is it the grain or what we put on our grains that makes them taste so great? Could you boil one cup of pasta in plain water, sit down, and truly enjoy the whole thing? Or do we need oils, sauces, and cheese? How about plain oatmeal? I think that most of us would choose something naturally sweeter or more savory than a bland bowl of noodles.

Another draw to inflammatory foods is comfort. That bowl of oatmeal, on a chilly winter day. A hot latte on a Sunday afternoon, or ice cream with the kids. Going out for drinks with coworkers, or celebrations that seem to be happening constantly. Holiday meals, especially, are often times where grains and other inflammatory foods are easily available.

Decisions and Nostalgia

We often look forward to comfort foods that are part of our family traditions and childhood nostalgia. We don’t want you to give up on these things, or give up on them forever. We want you to feel great, and enjoy them when you are ready. We also want you to have the freedom to say no to them whenever you want, too, and to not feel pressured by family or traditions.

Don’t just take our word for it, though. There is a lot of science out there, along with personal experimentation, that supports a diet lower in grains than the outdated food pyramid would suggest. 

Dive Deeper

Here’s a three part explanation from researcher Dr Sarah Ballantyne that lays out the nitty gritty when it comes to grains and inflammation. In Part 1, she discusses research behind grains, lectins and the gut. In Part 2, she shows how eating grains can skew our ratios of omega-3’s to omega-6’s and cause inflammation. In Part 3, we learn all about how grains are high in acidity but low in nutrient density, making them a poor choice for health. And finally, as a bonus, you can read up on Sarah’s top 3 tips for going grain-free – realistic, simple suggestions to help make this experiment easier on you.

Like anything, we want you to experience this for yourself. Could you remove inflammatory foods like grains for three weeks to see how you feel? We’ll work on that together in the 28 Day Transformation, and we won’t leave you hanging with bland food suggestions and a diet that’ll leave you hungry.