A grain free diet is one without any rice, corn, wheat, barley, rye or oats. This diet is also a gluten free diet. The grain free diet is a return to a diet that existed before the advent of agriculture and the cultivation of rice and wheat, when humans consumed simply meat, fruit and vegetables. Since then, we have increasingly consumed larger and larger quantities of grains, especially the cheap-to-produce wheat and corn, which are now found in almost all prepared foods.

Is a Grain Free Diet Low Carb?

Grain free should not be confused with low carb because there are no restrictions on carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and alternate flours or psuedo-grains. However, you can make it low carb if you wish by eating only meat, low carb dairy, vegetables, some fruit, nuts and seeds.

Is a Grain Free Diet Difficult?

A grain free diet need not be difficult if you take the time to plan in advance exactly what you are going to eat.

Wheat is difficult if not impossible to avoid unless you cook from scratch because it is found in bread, cereal, pasta, flour, sauces, biscuits, and most desserts – pastries and cakes.

Corn is also prevalent, most often in the form of corn syrup, which is used as a sweetener in sauces and many foods – even salad dressings and ketchup. You have to read your labels!

Most prepared foods, restaurant fare and take-out meals contain wheat, corn or rice and are therefore off limits. You can make pizza and pancakes, bread and muffins, but you have to learn to use new ingredients like quinoa and amaranth, almond flour and flaxseed meal.

You can find many free, grain free recipes on this site. Breakfast can be difficult on a grain free diet, so I wrote Fun & Fabulous Grain Free Breakfast Recipes – How to Enjoy Your Old Favorites in a Brand New Way! It is available as an e-book or in paperback on Amazon.com.

Benefits of a Grain Free Diet

The main benefits from a diet free of grain are weight loss, reduced allergies and an increase in general wellness.

You also get a much greater variety of foods in your daily intake instead of just wheat at every meal, which makes up the bulk of most diets in the developed world. This heavy concentration of a single food source is the cause of many dietary problems because the body is very likely to develop an allergy.

Wheat allergies and gluten sensitivity are growing problems, attributable to the over dependence of wheat in the modern diet. In fact, wheat and corn are two of the most common foods allergens.

Many people don’t realize that they have a sensitivity to grains – they just know they are tired and don’t feel well. A grain free diet may allow you to feel an improvement in health and an increase in energy in as soon as four to five days.

The grain free diet forces variety and creativity. It is an exciting challenge if you enjoy cooking and trying new recipes and the rewards are priceless – an improved quality of life.

Many of us today are finding we just do not feel well and food allergies may be to blame. Whether we are simply experiencing fatigue that does not seem to go away, GERDS, headaches or more serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, it may be grains that are the culprit.

The number of people that are experiencing symptoms from food allergies associated with grain is growing each day. Many scientists believe that the Agricultural Revolution, which occurred about 10,000 years ago when farmers started planting and sowing grains, brought the first signs of grain intolerance and food allergies.

The Industrial Revolution

With the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s, came the refining of grains and sugars and we began to see more prominent symptoms such as a rise in degenerative diseases and nutrient deficiencies.

Now, we find ourselves in the mist of a Fast Food Revolution that has taken these refined grains and combined them with unhealthy fats, refined sugars, salt and chemical additives and we are now seeing unnerving increases in obesity, in adults and children, and Type 2 Diabetes.

Don’t Feel Well?

If we are lucky enough to find a doctor that understands the impact a high grain diet can have on our overall health, we may now be facing the challenge of trying to lead a grain free and gluten free lifestyle.

While, at first, this may seem like a daunting task, we can easily educate ourselves and become our own healthcare advocates and reverse almost every symptom we are experiencing as a result of food allergies.