Editor’s Note: Dr. Jill Tieman is a fellow Chapter Leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation. I got to know Jill last year at the Wise Traditions Conference in Dallas and look forward to reconnecting with her again at Wise Traditions 2012 in Santa Clara, November 9-11, 2012.
Dr. Jill is a recognized expert in how to implement a grain free traditional diet to rectify a number of maladies that simply going gluten free do not fully address or resolve. She is currently accepting enrollments for her online class Go Grain Free that is a primer for anyone who needs to implement this traditional food strategy to regain vitality and health.
By Guest Author Dr. Jill Tieman of Real Food Forager
My journey into grain-free eating emerged from years of dealing with chronic sinus problems and headaches. As a chiropractor I get adjusted all the time, but it still was not helping my headaches. Even though my neck would need the adjustment, the real source of the problem was my sinuses getting inflamed – sinusitis. If you have this, you know it can be debilitating.
As far back as I could remember, I had headaches. I would cry to my mother about them and have to lay down on the couch to get relief. She would mash up an aspirin tablet on a spoon with a little water and I had to take that nasty stuff to feel better.
After years of taking aspirin for my headaches as a child, I realized that it had caused damage to my stomach. As I went through high school and college I became passionate about not taking medications and finding natural ways to address health problems.
I’ve been a nutritionist and chiropractor for over 20 years. In that time I’ve tried many dietary approaches with the goal of improving health conditions. The conclusion I’ve drawn from this, is that some will work for some people but not every diet will work for everyone. One size does not fit all. That being said, I have found the grain-free diet to work much of the time for many people.
For my sinus problems and headaches it worked a miracle. The only time I get sinus congestion and the resulting headache is when I go off the grain-free diet for a few days in a row. Generally, I am on the diet 100%.
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was the first grain-free diet I started. I found SCD for a patient’s young daughter who had ulcerative colitis. I started the diet with them because I thought it may help my own problems with leaky gut (as a result of taking aspirin for headaches) and sinus problems. I also never recommend something to a patient that I haven’t tried myself. So we all started together.
Other grain-free diets such as GAPS, Paleo or Primal are also great. At this point I combine all of these diets along with the principles of the Weston Price Foundation as my eating guide.
Go Grain Free is an online class that is the result of years of developing recipes that are grain, dairy, soy, additive and refined sugar free. How’s that for a mouthful! I hope you decide to join us! Use the coupon code NOGRAINS and get an additional $20 off!
Here is a recipe and sample video from the class, for preparing red peppers to make them more digestible and really delicious!
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
what if you soak all your grains though ?
Wow 500 Degrees what vitamin’s are left at that high heat
Loved reading about this. I am grain free MOST of the time now and feel wonderful. Also sugar free MOST of the time…..
I love Jill’s blog! Always well researched, well written, and completely faithful to real food and the teachings of Dr Price.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: Good Meat Comes from Nature, Not a Test Tube
What about grain free versus starch free? Could I still experience healing effects if I kept potatoes?
Well which is it Healthy Home Economist? Sarah, you have many articles advocating eating grains. I personally have ditched them from my diet & never felt bettter!
Yes, & I asked specifically about Wheat Belly (which is grain-free, etc., & was told “Double Fail” by Sarah, who said grains are not the problem…
Grains are not the problem but sometimes folks need to go off of them for awhile to heal. And a few need to stay off them forever. Does the fact that some people can’t eat peanuts make peanuts unhealthy or bad? Of course not! Same logic with grains.
Yes, Wheat Belly is a complete fail. I don’t agree with it at all.
I eat grains and do better on them. But my gut is healed and in great shape.
Some folks have gut issues so severe that they have to go off them and may find they can never come back on them.
There is no black and white answer. This blog is about thinking and applying the correct approach for an individual situation not being strident one way or the other.
The reason Wheat Belly is a fail is because it is strident. It doesn’t allow for the fact that some folks have a nice flat belly and guess what. They eat WHEAT.
And just how did their gut “issues” get so severe in the first place? Why does “going off” grains heal the gut?
Hmmm… quit grains until your gut heals? Then you can eat them safely again? That sounds ironic to me, but to each their own.
All I can say is I function much better without grains. For me that means no bloating, no gas & no roller coaster blood sugar levels that leave me crashed and burned hours after a meal. Again this is just what works for me.
Some people have to quit not only grains to heal in some cases. Some folks also have to go completely off all starches and dairy as well ( this includes starchy beans). The gut gets whacked from antibiotics, other meds and years of processed foods in some cases.
Everyone’s gut is in a different state of disarray when they realize they want to heal. Trying to argue the point that grains are bad in all situations is foolhardy, shortsighted and clearly defies logic and common sense when one examines history and sees that plenty of ancestral cultures ate grains with no problems.
Any breastfeeding woman who eats a wise traditional diet knows that eating a bowl of soaked oatmeal will explode her milk supply and no other food does this the same way .. a baked potato won’t do it and neither will a steak or a salad. Ancestral cultures knew this from observation which is why lactating women in some cultures ate soaked gruels.
I’m glad you are doing better off grains. That is awesome. But what is working for you is not necessarily the right approach for all.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Go Grain Free! Gluten Free Alone Will Not Heal You
One thing I should add … my husband had digestive issues as you describe and healed them by going on the GAPS Diet (which excludes all grains) for 6 months.
He has since transitioned back onto traditionally prepared grains and has been eating them for the past 2 years with no trouble at all!
You may find that you can eventually eat them again too!
As the WAPF chapter leader in Southern Middle TN, I get the updates from the national WAPF offices. A recent one stressed the importance of not pushing the grain-free agenda, since that’s not the message of the Foundation. However, I was inspired to do so for myself b/c of hearing Nora Gedgaudas of Primal Mind Primal Body fame speak at the 2010 WAPF national conference! Three of my children are grain-free b/c they’re on the GAPS diet. Grain-free helps us greatly! But my husband and other five children want me to reintroduce properly prepared grains soon. Besides their preference, our bank account may soon dictate grains going back into our diet again, too. Eating grain, bean, and potato-free is expensive, especially for a large family.
Excellent observations. I think the key is not to be strident about the issue.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Go Grain Free! Gluten Free Alone Will Not Heal You
Remember people this is Jill’s post and how going grain free has helped her.
I’ve definitely experienced noticeable healing since cutting out grains from my diet. I’ve been mostly grain-free for the last 6 years now, in fact, and I’ve never felt better.
I found your way of roasting peppers was much easier than mine. I always would roast them whole turning them over to roast the other side. Then would have to remove the seeds and ribs and then peel after. Thanks so much for sharing your method. You are very informative and enjoyed your demonstration. Only one suggestion. Because time is something we all need more of, shortening by editing it by demonstrating one or two peppers for each step would be better for me because of time restraints. Thanks again!
I have had great success with going grain-free and using GAPS for my health issues. I’ve been mostly grain-free for 7 years, with the exception of properly prepared sourdough sometimes.
I think we have to be very careful about grains, and in particular, wheat. Although properly prepared grains are one of the foods used in the WAP diet and was something Dr. Price observed populations consuming that were healthy, there are a variety of factors present in today’s food supply and our collective health condition that weren’t present during that time. People’s DNAs have changed substantially due to the massive influx of chemicals and toxins from the food we eat and the environment. Most people as well do not have good gut health for these reasons. Wheat has also been altered substantially and hybridized to contain a much higher gluten content (from gliadin, the protein that comprises gluten). Gluten makes bread elastic, and this trait has been highly sought after for better breads, pastries, and other foods that people love to eat. Our bodies cannot recognize these substances properly because they aren’t natural.
Then there’s the GMO component. Although there have been no official approvals of GM wheat crops in the U. S., Monsanto and other seed companies have test plots all over the nation, and those simply cannot be contained – even though Monsanto claims co-existence is not only just fine but possible. Because we’ve certainly got contamination issues to deal with, this is a big problem. Already with alfalfa, there is widespread contamination. A group I work with here in ID called GMO-Free Idaho works with a farmer who has performed independent tests on feral alfalfa here in our state, and found that 9 out of 10 samples were contaminated. So the idea that our grains and in particular, wheat, is going to process the same in our bodies when everything is so different now is simply not valid.
I’ve read testimonials of people who have eliminated GMOs from their diets and realized vast improvement in different health issues from digestive problems such as colitis, IBS, Crohn’s, to skin problems, auto-immune issues, food allergies, and fertility disorders.
My ND believes that many chronic health issues that have been on the rise such as auto-immune disorders including diabetes, obesity, cancer, and many digestive problems are definitely affected by GMOs. And it’s no wonder – there was a sharp increase in these problems just after the inception of GMOs in our food supply, during the late 90s.
I’m glad there are people like Jill offering an online grain-free course for those who are unfamiliar and who may be long-time sufferers of chronic health issues. My hope is that these types of educational tools will help many people who haven’t had success trying to discover why they are sick, and who have sought conventional medical treatments with no avail.
Raine\’s last post: Homemade Mayo and Tartar Sauce Recipes
Well said, Raine! Not everyone can eat modern grains, and none of the peoples studied by Dr Price ever ate the modern, modified grains that are sold in the US today.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: Good Meat Comes from Nature, Not a Test Tube
This is the next step for me. I feel so much better but still sluggish.
Well, I still want to know if PROPERLY prepared grains are okay in moderation. I do not have (known) gut issues and I seem to be able to eat grains moderately without adverse effects. I am trying gluten free for my family’s sake and I want to begin preparing grains properly, but, most importantly, I want to KNOW what is really best. I appreciate any help in understanding all about this issue. Thanks!
Of course .. grains are fine. I eat them myself as do my children and husband.
The point of Jill’s story is to say that some folks need to go grain free to heal and some of those find they are unable to transition back even after a period of healing.
There is no one right answer here. There are grain free traditional diets and traditional diets that included grains. Our challenge is to determine through observation what is the best route for us.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Go Grain Free! Gluten Free Alone Will Not Heal You
My questions is for my daughter she is gluten intolerant but also allergic, touch sensitive to all nuts. How can she incorporate grain free and still be nut free. Many recipes use nut flour. I am sure this would help her myriad of issues.
It sounds like you need to just be vigilant about giving her good meat, organic veggies and fruit, and good dairy products like whole raw milk and pastured eggs. If your daughter is that sensitive, there isn’t much else you can do. Is she ok with coconut? There are some good GAPS recipes that use coconut flour. Search real food and grain-free blogs on the web. If she can handle starches, rice flour and potato starch might be options for you. But don’t despair; MANY people are ditching grains altogether. Its hard at first but you get used to it. Then when she improves you may not want to go back! My celiac son went to school this year and found his teacher is also celiac. He was relieved to know someone at school knows what he is going through. She said to him, “I eat lots of meat and veggies! Is that what you eat?” He exclaimed, “YEP!!”
This is very tough but it does work wonderfully to eliminate unwanted bloating, gas and excess stomach fat while healing your gut really quickly!
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