Grain of Salt

OK, here's a little debate on MetaFilter about the veracity of the anti-nutrient claims made by Sally Fallon (via Weston Price) and paleo advocates. My contention is still that whether or not phytic acid and anti-nutrients really pose a threat (actually, not enough studies have been done to prove or disprove this theory conclusively), other foods are much more dense in bioavailable nutrients. Grains, in general, are just filler. Additionally, it's proven that an increasing number of people are developing sensitivity to certain grains, particularly wheat, corn, and their industrially refined products. Whether it's something innately in grains or the fact that grains are more subject to industrial tampering, I still conclude that I should avoid them. I also believe that management of blood glucose is important even if you don't have diabetes, and seeing as grains tend to be high-glycemic (they spike the blood sugar a lot), it would make sense to be careful with the amount of grains you eat. Again, anti-paleo people claim that the antinutrient thing is bunk, but no one that I've found has stated that grains are vital and indispensable. I think it's worth it to see how we feel without them.

Many people I've talked to about diet have said, "I just don't think I'll get diabetes. It doesn't run in my family." However, the number of people developing diabetes is exploding, and I'm certain a large portion of the people who develop it did not necessarily have a family history of the disease - and though I do think diabetes has a strong genetic component, I also think that certain environmental factors can trigger the disease. The nature of our food has changed drastically over the past 40 years, more so than in the 40 years before that (contrary to the changing diet myth perpetuated by the low-fat crowd), and I can't believe it hasn't impacted our health. Ultimately, I can see only benefit from focusing your diet on quality meats and vegetables, and eschewing industrial products as much as possible. In the end, not even Sally Fallon or Weston Price advocate for the total elimination of grain from the diet - indeed, we should utilize whatever can be grown sustainably and efficiently to optimize our nutritional intake. I just hope that in the course of this experiment, people have a heightened awareness of the things that we put into their bodies.