36 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.

COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

By Alissa Carpio VITALNUTRITION

If youve been reading tness articles for the

last couple of years, youre probably aware of the
controversy surrounding grains. On one hand, the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) adhere to their long-
standing argument that whole grains should be the major
staple in a healthy diet. On the other hand, you have
the Paleo diet, arguing against all grains, as well as the
gluten-free diet, which aims to keep some grains in while
avoiding wheat and its primary protein, gluten.
There are strong arguments in favor of both extremes,
but can there be a happy middle ground? For healthy
individuals, would there be a health benet to removing
or minimizing grains in the diet? Or posed differently,
would a lack of grains cause a deciency of necessary
nutrients?
This topic may be viewed from a perspective similar
to a vegetarian versus carnivorous diet. You can choose,
for reasons of personal preference, health or ethics, not
to eat animal products and still get protein and most
nutrients. This article aims to present the information and
let you make a realistic, healthy choice that ts you and
your familys health and lifestyle.
What Nutrients Do Grains Provide?
First, let's look at the benehts of eating whole
grains. At ChooseNyPlate.gov, it states that grains
provide many nutrients that are vital for the health
and maintenance of our bodies." What nutrients do
grains provide? Let's take a look. The site mentions
dietary hber and four B vitamins including thiamin,
ribohavin, niacin and folate (folic acid). Also included
are three minerals: iron, magnesium and selenium.
!n addition to the above vitamins and minerals,
grains are a quick, convenient energy source,
densely packed with carbohydrates. This makes it an
Making
SENSE of
GRAINS
When it comes to grains, should you go gluten
free, try Paleo or follow FDA recommendations?
We aim to simplify it all for you here.
37 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM
easy choice for athletes wishing to fuel
workouts and aid in recovery through
glycogen replenishment.
Now that we know what nutrients
are provided by consuming whole
grains, along with the function of these
nutrients, we can hnd out whether
there are other food sources that
contain these nutrients. The answer to
that is, yes! Just as one who chooses
to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, if you
decide to limit or eliminate grains from
your diet, measures must be taken
to ensure you dont develop nutrient
dehciencies.
Amy Burkhart, MD, RD, also known
as The Celiac MD, advises, Grains
are a signihcant source of calories,
carbohydrate, hber, B vitamins and
minerals such as iron, magnesium
and selenium. Eliminating grains may
put a person at risk for dehciencies in
these nutrients. Supplementing with
foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds
and vegetables will help avoid these
dehciencies. Working with a registered
dietitian is recommended if these
changes will be long term in order to
assure optimal nutritional health.
Dietary hber is found in many whole,
natural foods such as fruit, vegetables,
nuts and seeds. Liver, red meat,
salmon, yellow hn tuna and chickpeas,
along with eggs, hsh and dairy, are the
richest sources of the B vitamin group.
Leafy greens, beans, lentils, peas and
some nuts are the best vegetarian
sources of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and
folate.
There are two types of iron: heme
and non-heme. Heme iron is derived
from meat sources including hsh,
poultry and red meat. Non-heme iron
comes from plant sources and is added
to enriched and fortihed foods, such
as breads and cereals, and is much
less absorbable than heme iron. Good
sources include lentils, beans, broccoli,
tofu and enriched cereals.
Black beans, kidney beans, hgs
and almonds are excellent sources of
magnesium, while selenium can be
obtained by eating Brazil nuts, halibut,
pork tenderloin, salmon and couscous.
How Grains Help You Exercise
But what about quality complex
carbohydrates to fuel workouts and aid
in recovery? A complex carbohydrate,
by dehnition, simply means a
carbohydrate that consists of two or
more monosaccharide units. Complex
carbohydrates are present in fruit,
vegetables, starches and nuts.
The biggest concern an athlete will
have in reducing or omitting grains
will be macronutrient displacement if
measures arent taken to ensure other
energy-dense carb sources are part of
the diet.
For example, if youre a recreational
bodybuilder typically consuming
200g carbs daily, nixing grains will
drastically reduce that amount unless
you exchange the grains for an
equal amount of carbs from a starch,
vegetable, fruit or nuts.
An exchange of carbohydrate-rich
foods looks like this, with each item
listed containing 15g of carbohydrates.
Rice (white or brown), 1/3 cup
Sweet Potato, 1/2 cup
Corn, 1/2 cup
Green Peas, 1/2 cup
Baked Potato, 3 oz.
Black Beans, 1/2 cup
Max Muscle Petaluma owner and
NESTA Certihed Sports Nutritionist
James Burchell knows a thing or
two about the need to fuel workouts
and recover properly. A former rock
climber and martial artist, James now
focuses on weight lifting as his primary
form of exercise, divided among 4-6
sessions per week lasting 1-1 hours.
He offered some tips on including
carbohydrate-dense foods in a diet
with little to no grains. Great sources
of carbs that are grain and gluten free
are starchy roots including sweet
potatoes, taro, beets, carrots, parsnips,
turnips and potatoes, says James. He
also lists fruit, peas and beans among
his top choices.
The Great Grain Problem
Why might someone wish to
cut grains from their diet? While
screenings for Celiac Disease are
pretty straightforward, only about
1 percent of Americans are Celiac
positive. Others might experience Non-
Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or digestive
problems when consuming grains. If
you suspect an issue with grains, Dr.
Burkhart offers this recommendation:
First and foremost, if someone thinks
they are experiencing symptoms when
ingesting gluten they must be screened
for celiac disease and wheat allergy
with appropriate medical tests. This
must be done on a gluten-containing
diet for the results to be accurate. If
those tests are negative, an evaluation
for other causes of gluten sensitivity,
such as fructose malabsorption, should
Quinoa is considered an ancient grain and it is
packed with tons of great nutrients including
magnesium, ber, folate, zinc, whole protein,
iron, manganese and phosphorus. There are
more than 100 types of quinoa.
Did You Know?
38 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
be undertaken. There is no specihc validated lab test for
non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity appears to be
caused by several different factors - all of which are being
vigorously researched. At this time, there is not one single
test to determine whether or not someone has non-celiac
gluten sensitivity."
!ngredients in grains that may present problems include
the well-known protein gluten, which can be marked as an
invader in up to 29 percent of non-celiac individuals. Grains
also contain anti-nutrients lectin and phytic acid. Potential
issues include poor digestion, nutrient malabsorption, allergy
symptoms and more. The controversies surrounding these
ingredients have led to the great debates proposed today,
and the rise in popularity of the gluten-free diet and anti-
grain books such as "Grain Brain" and "Wheat Belly."
Making Grains Great
!f you like the idea of grains but can't seem to stomach
them, you can try keeping a few grains in your diet that will
give the most bang for your buck.
The best" grains are dehned here as those with the most
nutrient content and the easiest to digest. Harvard Family
Health Guide contributor Belinda Dennis states the super
six" grains as amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, teff and
sorghum. These six are particularly high in vitamins and
hber.
While it's true that some people have difhculty digesting
grains, there are ways to make them easier to digest while
enhancing nutrient bioavailability. Soaking, fermenting and
sprouting are three ways to accomplish this. Overnight
soaked oats is probably the most common example of this.
The result is a soft, quick-cooking grain ready to eat in hve
minutes!
Bottom line if you suspect intolerance to wheat or grains
is to check with a healthcare provider about getting tested
to determine what, if any, sensitivities or allergies may be
present. Then you can work with a specialist or Registered
Dietitian to develop a well-rounded nutrition plan that
ensures you are getting all the necessary nutrients.
Replacing grains with carbohydrate-dense starches, fruits
and vegetables is an easy way to evade potential grain
issues. Preparing grains for easier digestion and maximum
nutrient bioavailability is a great way to get the most out
of your food for both performance and health benehts.
MS&F
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID COMPLEX
RICH IN OMEGA 3, 6 AND 9

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT: