staying healthy in the fast laneI have read and heard through interviews the arguments on the
adverse health consequences of cereal grains from such respected
researchers as Dr. Loren Cordain (The Paleo Diet, 2011),^24 I still
feel strongly that whole grains have to and can be part of a healthy
human diet for most of humanity. We need cereal grains as an en-
ergy and protein source for the expanding world population. If we
eat grains in their whole state only, we will eliminate the refined
grains and confectionary foods that bring along with them extra
added calories from fats, oils, and sugars, as well as a poor gly-
cemic response that increase our risk to chronic diseases. If we
are aware of the potential for grain intolerance (especially from
glutinous grains) as educated health consumers and as intelligent
health practitioners, the adverse effects of grain intolerance can be
kept to a minimum. Lastly, if we consume whole grains as part of
a whole unprocessed, predominantly plant foods diet with a wide
variety of protective phytochemicals from vegetables, fruit, beans,
nuts and seeds, we will do fine. As I have mentioned previously, if
the most functional and healthy aging Blue Zone cultures with low
incidences of chronic diseases have grains as part of their diets,
then we can to. In addition the modern era allows us immediate
and easy access to so many more nutrient-dense foods of plant ori-
gin than in the Neolithic era, where man may have been limited to
certain staple grains and a small variety of root crops for his daily
subsistence. We should take advantage of this and create dietary
choices that bring us the greatest amount of micronutrients per
calorie of food intake and subsequent optimal health.