Common Diet Mistakes Part 2

This is the second part of my article about making some changes to our diets and lifestyles for the better. The first part was about simple swaps. This part is the all-important LIFESTYLE section that I think often gets left out of "easy diet tips for everybody" type articles.

If you haven't previously read part one of this post, click here.

The reality is that every one of us is an individual.

There is not one magic diet that is right for absolutely everyone. We all have different genetics, different routines, and different goals. 

Granted, there are things that are universally BAD for everyone and that is mainly what is the idea behind the first part of this article.

For example, trans fats are bad. Plain and simple. Avoid them and swap them out for something better. That is an easy diet hack.

But, when it comes to optimizing each individual's health and level of nutrition, the same things are not going to apply to all people. One of the main reasons that this is so is GENETICS. Can't change that, we have the genetic makeup that we have. Another huge reason is LIFESTYLE.

Part of the lifestyle component simply is about the nature of your interests. For example, if you enjoy competing in triathlons, then clearly your nutritional requirements are going to be different from someone who is not a competitive athlete. Being a triathlete is great, but certainly not a requirement of good health.

Yet, athletes and non-athletes alike do require adequate sleep. What is an adequate amount of sleep? Well, that depends slightly on the individual. Not everyone requires the same amount of sleep. Still, I guarantee you that if you are waking up tired everyday, dragging throughout the day, and requiring massive amounts of caffeine, something is amiss. Whatever you're currently doing is not working. It could be a sleep time issue. It could be a sleep quality issue. It could be a hormonal imbalance such as hypothyroidism. There could be a food component contributing to fluctuations in blood sugar or causing unpleasant immune reactions. Either way, the situation needs attention.

And that is my point.

We need to pay attention to what is going on in our lives and not always look for the quick fix. Take the given situation above, that tired person may be able to have a quick fix: if she is is able to rule out sleep and diet, goes to the doctor and her thyroid tests come back showing hypothyroidism, then perhaps thyroid medication is the answer. A seemingly quick fix. But if the reality is that this person has a very stressful job that has her eating convenience meals on the run and working into the wee hours of the morning, only to have to wake up at the crack of dawn, then the fix is less simple.

This person needs to prioritize her health and focus on how to shift her lifestyle, or else she will burn out and probably end up with some serious chronic illnesses. 

There are a lot of people who fall under this category of needing to make lifestyle changes in order to improve their health. These are not as easy as simple swaps, but they can be very powerful.

Below, I'm going to mention a few lifestyle components that I think are key to health and wellness. I will hopefully be presenting this information in way that inspires and motivates change. I want you all to feel as though you are in control of your own lives and despite how you may currently feel, you are capable of prioritizing your health and making lifestyle adjustments.

COOKING

The great Michael Pollan has tackled this one recently and I think he is right. We need to prepare our own food. Pollan argues that taking back control of the cooking process, meaning cooking our own food, is the most powerful thing we can do to improve our health and improve our food system. 

If you currently do not cook for yourself then that needs to be addressed. Why are you outsourcing the processing of your food?

Sometimes, the issue is simply that we do not feel as though we know how to cook. I guarantee you cooking is quite simple. It can get super fancy, no doubt, but unless you want to make intricate designs with your food or compete on Top Chef, then basic cooking is quite easy. 

Learn how to cook.

This can mean taking a class, asking a friend or family member who cooks to teach you, reading a book or articles on the internet, or watching a cooking show. I don't care how you like to learn, just that you gain the confidence you need to purchase whole foods and bring them back to your kitchen and transform them into a meal you will eat.

If it helps, know this: cooking is really just about paying attention.

As long as you are watching what you are doing, the classic "oven-on-fire" scenario is very unlikely. A delicious meal can require only basic steps such as chopping vegetables, boiling water or using a skillet. Demystify cooking and you will find yourself moving throughout your kitchen with confidence.

The second reason that people may not cook is that they simply don't like to cook. I'm sorry, but that is not a good enough reason to abandon cooking. Instead, find a way to make it more fun. Play music while you cook or have a TV show on in the background. (Just not a show that you are seriously trying to pay attention to. Something you can kind of listen to while you cook.) Maybe share cooking with your partner or with your children. Make it a family affair. Whatever makes it more enjoyable. And honestly, a lot of people who say they don't enjoy cooking really mean that they don't think they are a great cook or don't love the food they make. See the part above about learning to cook.

The third reason is timing. Not having time to cook. Which is an issue on its own so let's discuss this in its own section:

MEAL PLANNING

The second part of cooking for yourself is meal planning. If you feel as though you simply don't have time to cook, the issue is timing.

The solution is planning.

If your schedule is crazy, you may not have time to cook fresh meals each day. Instead, find a day in your schedule when you can make time to make large batches of food to have for the week. For example, make a big batch of oatmeal, my breakfast bake, or coconut muffins and then you have breakfast for the week. Roast a large pan of vegetables and then you can simply reheat some at a time. If you make a dinner, double or triple the amount you make so that you can have left overs for lunches. You can make a whole pan of chicken at a time and just reheat throughout the week. Make big pots of rice or quinoa and beans. Often it requires just as much time to make a meal as it does to make a double batch of that same meal. Make the double batch and save yourself the time tomorrow.

Set aside some time one day (or even less time on two days) a week and get yourself prepped for your busy days.

Snacks can be treated the same way. Chop up a large amount of easy to snack on veggies so that you can grab some each morning and take them with you. Create cute baggies of fruit and cheese that are ready to go. Make a homemade trail mix with raw nuts and seeds. 

These things don't actually take very much time, they just seem overwhelming when you are currently trying to be three places at once. Instead, make meal preparation part of your weekly agenda and then you will find yourself set for the week. When your diet improves, thanks to having healthy food ready to go, your overall health and wellbeing will improve. Your energy levels should be better and you might even feel more even-keeled, all which will help you tackle your busy life. 

FOOD SHOPPING

How you purchase your food is important.

One of the best things you can do for the food system and for your pocketbook, is shop local. Go to farmers markets. They are awesome. If you have the time, you can make an entire outing of it. Take the kids, the dog, go with a friend. It is a good time. Sometimes at the end of the day, farmers will even offer up deals on the produce they haven't sold. Also, the food quality is so much better. You want good quality food. It is more bang for your buck. The food is fresher because it was grown locally instead of shipped a great distance. Talk to your farmer and find out about their practices. Usually farmers markets are full of organic (or organic practicing without the certification) farms. 

If time is an issue, then you have a few things that can help. For those with the financial means, there are companies now that will home deliver fresh produce to your door. For the majority of people for whom that is not an option, get to know your store. Food shopping can be a very quick thing if you know your store and what you need. I fly through my local health food store because I know that place like the back of my hand. I have a list of what I need and I'm in and out in a flash. Unless I have spare time, in which case I linger and explore because I like food. But that's just me.

And yes, health food stores are your friend. You don't have to buy all their expensive products, but they tend to have the best produce (outside of farmers markets). You need access to good food if you are going to buy good food. Unfortunately, there are food deserts in this country, and that is a whole other conversation. But for most people, good food can be found if you take the effort to look. Farmers markets are becoming prolific and even mainstream stores are improving their produce selections. Shop the perimeters where the whole foods live and learn what days the produce is put out fresh. Usually, the best day is Wednesday.

And this has to be said: prioritize food in your budget. This country is known for spending the smallest percentage of their income on food. That would be an accomplishment if that meant we were eating super high quality food for that price, but we're not. Cultures with much lower rates of obesity and chronic diseases, such as France, spend a higher percentage of their budget on food. They value their food. 

And FYI: one of the easiest ways to reduce your cost is to eat less meat. I'm not even talking about being a vegetarian, just substituting a few animal protein meals a week with beans/legumes is a huge money saver. Dried beans and legumes are CHEAP.

SLEEP HYGIENE

Sleep is a big deal. I know that society can sometimes glorify the ability to function on little sleep, but that is not something we should be striving for. Sleep is vital to our health. We will die if we go too long without sleep. Sleep is essential to our immune system, hormone regulation and muscle/tissue repair; do not discredit it. And for the record: caffeine does not literally provide us with energy. It binds to receptors in our brains, thus preventing adenosine from binding to those receptors. When bound to its receptor, adenosine tells the body to slow down nerve cell activity, causing drowsiness. Therefore, the way to think of caffeine is that it blocks you from feeling drowsy; it does not provide your body with more ATP (your cell's energy source). I'm telling you this so that you understand why consuming infinite amounts of caffeine is not a good thing. I'm not against moderate caffeine consumption, as there are some benefits with coffee and tea, but high intakes of caffeine can be very disruptive to your neurotransmitters and should not be seen as a legitimate substitute for sleep.

If you are not getting adequate sleep, there are multiple things to consider. The first, of course, is how much time are you devoting to sleep. If you are only allowing a few hours each night for sleep, this is not enough. I realize that sometimes life circumstances mandate this, but you really will not be able to keep this up long term. I couldn't even begin to address how to do this for everyone because the situations that can lead to lack of sleep time are as varied as there are people on the planet. So I will just say this: I urge you to not accept getting no where near your required sleep as the way it must be. I don't know if this means having to ask for help, dialing back on responsibility, or a massive schedule overhaul, but the first step is identifying this as a need that deserves to be addressed. I'm sure it can feel insurmountable to some, but I think there are a lot of people who have simply accepted their situation as a normal byproduct of a busy life. It shouldn't have to be.

Then there is the issue of quality of sleep. If you are putting in the time, but either having trouble falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning etc. then there may be some things that can help. This is the sleep hygiene part. Sleep hygiene is getting more attention these days so you may have heard a bunch of these before, but they do bear repeating:

• Turn off electronics at least an hour before bed.
• Dim the lights with the sunset. You do not need your home to be lit up like an amusement park all evening. Dim the lights on your electronics with the sunset as well if you can. 
• Expose yourself to darkness. If you have a yard or a safe space to step outside at night in the dark, this can be very helpful.
• Make a routine at night before bedtime so that your body gets accustomed to it.
• Try to go to bed and wake up at similar hours throughout the week.
• Try teas, tinctures or other herbs that help the body relax for sleep.
• If your mind has trouble turning off, keep a journal at your bedside to write down any pressing ideas and remove them from your thoughts.
• Try nightly meditation. Even while you are in bed. You can purchase guided meditation CDs or find them on youtube to play at bedtime.
• Try healing modalities such as massage, acupuncture or Reiki.

BODY IMAGE

I felt that I had to at least mention this topic since we are talking about lifestyle. The relationship that you have with your body (and thus with your food and eating habits) is so important to your overall wellbeing. It is a little bit tangential to the previous topics, but still very relevant in my view. It is extremely hard to have a healthy relationship with your food if you have a poor relationship with yourself. Many people care about improving their diet and lifestyle because they want to change themselves in some way. But there is a vast difference between wanting to be healthier in order to feel better, and hating your body. Self-love is vital to overall wellbeing and it is also a key component to any lifestyle change. If you are not kind to yourself, it will be very hard to value yourself enough to make lifestyle shifts. It also won't make you happy. If you do not love yourself, then any external changes won't be enough. If you struggle with body image, as so many of us do, I encourage you to work on that first. If you feel as though the problem requires professional attention, I encourage you to seek the care you need.

If this topic is of interest to you, I wrote an article that talks about body image and our relationship to food for Elephant Journal that you can find HERE. 

Photo credit: theselfsufficientliving.com

Common Diet Mistakes Part 1

There are umpteen articles written about everyday eating habits that people regularly make that are sabotaging their health (or weight-loss efforts, or any other precise wellness goal).

Sometimes these articles include incredibly helpful information about easy swaps (or the new "it" term: diet HACKS. We seem to really love the work "hack" these days) that we can make to better ourselves without a lot of effort.

Lack of effort seems to be key.

While this makes perfect sense, with our busy schedules and complex lives, it sure does place our food and eating habits way down on the priority totem pole.

I'm all for easy and manageable, but I'm also for recognizing that a big part of how we got here was by turning what and how we eat into an afterthought or annoyance.

Food is a necessity of life. It is one of the things that connects all human beings. We have to eat. Therefore, I think it behooves us to concern ourselves with the quality of our food: how it is grown, prepared and the impact that it has on our health.

With that in mind, I'm writing this article in multiple parts. First, I will provide some easy steps/swaps that do make a difference without requiring much lifestyle change. Then I will talk about some actual lifestyle modifications that will really shape your relationship to your food.

---

PART 1: 5 Easy Diet Modifications

USE APPROPRIATE FATS

Perhaps one of the easiest changes to make is to swap out any crappy oils and fats that you are currently using and simply use healthy, high quality ones that are meant for what you are doing. This means ditching trans fats and using only high heat oils when you are cooking at high temperatures. If you need a lovely list of oils/fats and their temperature range click here. Essentially there are oils you cook with and oils you toss with. These are what I recommend:

• For heat: coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee or butter
• For low/no heat: olive oil, walnut oil, almond oil, sesame oil, truffle oil

Pitch all of your ambiguous "vegetable oils" as they are surely trans fats. Say NO to stupid butter replacements, they are often full of rancid oils and trans fats. You are much better off buying real butter. Grass-fed, ideally.

Fat is important to do right. Most fat bypasses the liver and goes directly into our lymph after we digest it, meaning that toxins in fat are potentially more dangerous than water-soluble toxins. Buy organic as much as possible. 

In addition to cooking properly with fat:

DON'T BE AFRAID OF FAT

Quit buying low-fat versions of things. Buy the full-fat version. If something is meant to contain fat and a company is trying to reduce the fat content, it will replace it with sugar. It then becomes a double whammy because now you are consuming twice the sugar without the fat present to slow down the absorption rate. Hello blood sugar spike! Your poor body's insulin will be in overdrive.

Yes, the full-fat versions will contain more calories. Adjust your portion sizes accordingly. But you should feel more satiated and your blood sugar won't spike. Plus, I mean, come on- it will taste better too.

In case this needs repeating: the fat-fearful age of the 1980's and 90's needs to go away now! We know that was a big mistake. It skyrocketed obesity in this country. Go back to eating food in it's original form, not some bastardized low-fat version. Eat real food.

DRINK WATER

Seriously people. Cool it with the sugary sodas, juices and "coffee" that is really a milk shake. A soda is not a thirst quenching beverage- it is a dessert. Let's be clear: soda is terrible for us and offers absolutely no nutritional value other than containing calories. Diet soda is worse. While it may be low in calories, the effect of the chemical cocktail on our bodies is worse than regular soda. If you occasionally want to consume a regular soda as a treat, fine. But recognize that it is a dessert item, not a beverage akin to water.

Juices are pretty terrible too. Unless you are drinking freshly squeezed juice (ideally of a vegetable variety) then you are essentially just drinking sugar. Yes, freshly pressed green juices have a lot of nutritional value, but store-bought apple juice does not. The vitamins degrade over time and store juices are pasteurized. In other words: the vitamin content is low while the sugar content is high. Lose the store-bought juice; instead, drink water and eat a piece of fruit.

Oh, and moderate amounts of coffee and tea are great, but a frappuccino and chai latte from Starbucks are, once again, dessert items. If you drink coffee and tea daily, ditch the sugar, or at least reduce it. If you don't like coffee without a massive amount of sugar and flavorings, you don't like coffee. Choose an alternate beverage. And if you don't like coffee, but "need" the caffeine, then there are a few options: fix your schedule and get more sleep (sorry, I realize that falls under the lifestyle section), try tea (there are lots of flavored teas that are flavored with fruit and spices, not sugar) try a B-complex in the morning (but not 5 Hour Energy- that thing is full of crap. Buy an actual B-complex vitamin), don't have a sugary breakfast- that will prevent the spike and crash.

GIVE UP THE NOTION OF A HEALTHY BAGGED SNACK

I'm really sorry to break it to you, but none of the snacks in the processed snack aisle are good for you. None of them. I don't care what claims a box or bag are making, but the chips, pretzels, popcorn, crackers etc. are NOT health food. The only possible exception are kale chips and other raw food snacks that are very expensive and only in health food stores. If you have the funds, then sure: buy containers of raw kale chips. But any classic processed-grain-based snack is not healthy for you. Act accordingly. 

Since we are not yet into the lifestyle section where I can talk about snack preparation at home, let's focus on what you can just buy that is a healthy snack:

Crunchy

• Vegetables and hummus
• Pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi
• Nuts and seeds
• Edamame
• WHOLE FOOD fruit and nut bars. (No crazy additives, just whole food ingredients.)
• Kale chips or other raw food snacks (generally pricey)
• Dark chocolate (in moderation and I'm talking 55+% cacao)

Creamy

• Fruit and nut butters (I guess this can be crunchy or creamy)
• Yogurt
• Cheese (REAL cheese only. No weird ingredients.)
• Applesauce (No sugar added)

I doubt many of those were particularly new, but tough poo. If you are looking for snacks without the prep, then you already know the deal: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are the main thing. Snacking can be a great opportunity to up your veggie and fruit intake, or to eat a bunch of crap. Either make the swap or consider limiting your snacking.

WHOLE GRAIN OVER WHITE

I'm guessing you've already heard about this, but plenty of people still buy the white stuff so here I go:

BUY WHOLE GRAINS INSTEAD OF THE WHITE STUFF.

In general, Americans eat too many grains, so if you can back off of the grains and swap them out for vegetables, even better. But, in the very least, if you are buying breads and pastas etc. buy the whole grain version. Even better, buy non-wheat whole grains to add variety to your diet and up your overall nutrition. Try millet, quinoa, buckwheat (it's not a wheat), farrow, barley, oats, rye, spelt, brown rice, red rice, black rice, wild rice, amaranth, teff....I could go on. Swap out your same-old white rice or pasta for something else and reap the fiber and vitamin rewards.

continuing on with grains:

SWAP OUT YOUR BREAKFAST CEREAL

Breakfast cereals, even ones without marshmallows, are highly processed. But let's use the good, better, best model. Below is a spectrum of breakfast cereals on a list from least desirable to best.  These are just examples to give you an idea. Insert your current breakfast cereal choice as best you can. Then, no matter where you are starting from, swap your current choice for something at least one rung down.

• Pure Sugar Cereal. (There are marshmallows, the theme is that it tastes like a chocolate candy, or everything is frosted.)
• Highly processed cereal, but less added sugar (maybe it boasts being "whole grain" or having a lot of fiber but ultimately still super processed)
• Quick Oatmeal (less processed than traditional cereals, but the quick version is still somewhat processed in order to cook so quickly.)
• Slow cooking oats (Old fashioned or Steel Cut)
• Chia seed "cereal" with choice of milk and other goodies (such as fruit, nuts/seeds, cinnamon etc.)

The last option is a great unprocessed breakfast that still has the classic "cereal" presentation. Of course, if you are also willing to think outside the bowl and work with eggs, smoothies, yogurt, my grain-free pancakes, fruit, vegetable scrambles, etc. EVEN BETTER.

I hope those swaps seem doable and helpful.

Although, to be fair, I think that lifestyle is very important. If you are always eating on the run, choosing a better option at the store is a good hack, but meal planning and prep are key too. Those are coming up in Part 2.

How to Cook with Oils/Fats

This is wonderful info about heating and storage of oils/fats extrapolated from a chart that was made by one of my professors:  Rebecca Snow, MS, CNS, RH (AHG)

via marthamontenegro.com

OILS/ FATS with COOKING TEMPERATURE & COMMENTS

Almond Oil

Low-heat cooking, no heat

Refrigerate. Use within 3 months of opening.

Black Current Oil

Nutritional supplement, no heat

Refrigerate

Borage Oil

Nutritional supplement, no heat

Contains very toxic long-chain fatty acids

Not recommended

Butter

High heat

Salted butter is much harder to digest than unsalted

Unsalted goes rancid more easily

Refrigerate or use crock.

Canola Oil

Medium heat

Not recommended unless certified as organic.

Coconut Oil

High heat

Does not need refrigeration but keep cool

Corn Oil

Medium heat

Often pesticide contaminated

Highly processed

Not recommended

Evening Primrose Oil

Nutritional supplement, no heat    

Refrigerate.

Fish Oils

Nutritional supplement, no heat

Refrigerate

Use within 2 months of opening.

Flaxseed Oil

Nutritional supplement, no heat

Refrigerate

Use within 3 months of opening

Ghee (clarified butter)

High heat

Does not need refrigeration but keep cool

Hemp Oil

Nutritional supplement, no heat

Almost always contaminated

Not recommended unless certified organic

Margarine

If partially-hydrogenated or trans fats, DO NOT INGEST 

If combination of soy and other oils, follow directions for those oils

Olive Oil

Medium heat

Does not need refrigeration but keep cool

Palm Kernel Oil

High heat

Does not need refrigeration but keep cool 

Peanut Oil

High heat

Almost always contaminated

Not recommended unless certified organic.

Safflower Oil

Medium to high heat

Does not need refrigeration but keep cool

Buy “high oleic” variety

Sesame Oil

Low heat cooking

Refrigeration recommended

Sunflower Oil

Low heat cooking

Refrigeration recommended

Buy “high oleic” variety

Wheat Germ Oil

Nutritional supplement, no heat    

Refrigerate

Additional Information

• Low heat defined as under 200° F, Medium heat defined as 200-350° F, and High heat above 350° F.
• When an oil smokes it is a sign that you are applying too much heat. Often the label will recommend a smoke point temperature.
• Ideally all oils should be refrigerated to extend shelf life.  If not stored in fridge, keep oils away from light and heat.  Do not buy oils in clear glass or plastic bottles (light destroys oils). No and low heat oils must be refrigerated.
• Oils that are used at low heat keep 6 months.  Oils used at medium heat keep for approximately 1 year.
• As much as possible, buy only fats and oils that are certified as organic. Buy only cold-pressed oils. 
• All fats and oils, including fish oils, should taste and smell “fresh”.  If they do not, dispose of them.  Rancid fats and oils are extremely toxic and severely interfere with normal fatty acid metabolism.

Make Your Own Ghee

Ghee, or clarified butter, is butter that has had the milk solids and water removed.  As a result, ghee is more easily tolerated by a lot of people's digestive system (for example people with dairy intolerances) and can also be used at high heat.  It is extremely important not to use oils at heats above their smoke point, or else you will be oxidizing the oil and thus creating toxic fumes and free radicals.  Not good.  Therefore, I always get excited when I find out about oils that can withstand fairly high heat, such as coconut oil and avocado oil. Ghee is a great alternative and can withstand even higher heat.  Ghee is great for sautéing, but if you are baking, stick with butter (or an alternative such as coconut oil).

As an interesting factoid: traditional Indian medicine considers ghee to be the most satvic (health promoting) fat available.

If you are sautéing, which I assume most of you are on a fairly regular basis, then embrace the ghee!

(Side note: vegans obviously will not embrace the ghee, and my suggestion is for all of you who eschew animal products: make friends with coconut oil if you haven't already.  It's also a great choice for sautéing, along with many other things.)

You can purchase ghee at health food stores, and maybe even some well stocked conventional grocery stores, which is perfectly legit. I've previously bought the brand pictured above and it will definitely work. If, however, you want the most fantastic ghee, make it at home. It's quite simple.

via http://blog.asmartmouth.com

1. Purchase some high quality unsalted butter.  (Think organic and grass-fed.) 1 pound of butter will make 1 1/2 cups of ghee.
2. Set up a glass container with cheese cloth secured across the opening
3. Heat butter in a pot on the stove at low-medium heat.
4. After 5-10 minutes you will notice the milk solids start to form on the bottom and sides of the pot if you move the butter around a bit.  When the milk solids just start to turn brown, pour off the ghee through a couple cheese cloths into a glass container.  Voila!

The ghee will solidify as it cools.  Presto!

Yes, I Think We Should Soak Our Whole Grains

Most of us are familiar with the idea of soaking beans before we cook them.  For tips on how I cook beans, see my previous post Don't Fear the Bean.  Grains, however, are a different story. There is some disagreement about whether or not soaking grains is necessary and many of us have never even heard about the need to soak whole grains before cooking.

via staceymakescents.com

Should we soak our whole grains?

I think we should.  I'm not overly meticulous about it, sometimes I forget and don't have time, but in general I think it is a good idea.  Here's why:

Whole grains have phytic acid.  For you chemistry nerds: phytic acid is a saturated cyclic acid and stores approximately 80% of the phosphorous in grains.  Unfortunately, when phosphorous is bound to the phytic acid our bodies cannot absorb it.  Phytic acid also binds to other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, preventing our bodies from absorbing these critical minerals.  In short, too much phytic acid consumption can result in mineral malnutrition.

This is not good.

Minerals are critical to our health.  Some common symptoms of mineral deficiency are:

• Slow wound healing
• Muscle cramps and/or twitches, restless legs
• White spots on nails, brittle nails, nails mis-shaped
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Skin and hair troubles
• Irritability, lethargy

On top of that, too much phytic acid can cause digestive upset.  Therefore, if you are suffering from digestive upset such as gas or bloating, and/or having symptoms of mineral deficiency, I suggest soaking your whole grains.

How to soak whole grains

It's actually quite easy.  Take your chosen whole grain (rice, millet, quinoa, wheat etc.) and place the amount that you want to cook into a pot or bowl.  Cover with warm water and add 1-2 tablespoons of acid (such as vinegar, lemon juice, whey, kefir or buttermilk.)  Then let the bowl/pot sit covered for ideally 12-24 hours.  

If you plan ahead, this is super easy.  Either set it up to soak overnight or during the day.  If you forget or don't know what you want to prepare tonight until you get home, I suggest still soaking for as much time as you can.  I tend to find that we can still get some benefit from minimal soaking times, so do what you can.  Don't stress yourself out if you forget!  The point is to make soaking grains a habit that is easy to do, not an added hassle.  Hopefully, setting up your grains (and beans if you are cooking them as well) to soak can just become part of your nightly/morning routine.  

Don't Fear the Bean

Beans are a really interesting topic.  

They hold many different associations for people: non-animal protein and fiber, mexican and southern cuisine, bloating and stomach discomfort....

Which of the the previous categories you most closely fall under probably goes hand in hand with how beans are incorporated in your diet.

Maybe you are a vegetarian or someone who likes to try meatless mondays.  Maybe you have beans with your meat.  Maybe you only eat beans when they are served near a tortilla or corn bread.  Either way, if you have ever experienced the potential negative consequences of bean consumption, you probably limit your intake and thus do not get all of the awesome benefits from eating beans.  

For example:

Bean consumption has been suggested to reduce cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and has been linked to lower rates of certain cancers.  They are rich in B vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants, as well as the classically known protein and fiber. 

A great article about the greatness of beans: 

Beans: Fabulous Health Benefits, Weight Management and Nutrition at Very Low Cost

So, first of all, how on Earth do we cook beans in a way that won't leave us bloated and cramping?

**The following is for dried beans.  I prefer them to canned for a couple reasons:

1. They are really cheap.  Seriously, anyone who says it's too expensive to eat healthy doesn't buy dried beans.  Even organic dried beans are super affordable.
2. Most cans have a chemical coating on the inside that I would rather not consume.  Not to mention the actual aluminum from the can and any other additives such as massive amounts of sodium that are common.  Of course, in a pinch, use canned beans. It happens.

This is how I cook beans.  My friends and family constantly tell me how they never have any trouble eating the beans that I cook as opposed to at other places, so I think it's a good process.

1. PRESOAK:  If you are cooking any beans that are not lentils or split peas they should be presoaked.  Personally I find that the quick soak method is actually far superior to the long "normal" way. The normal way means soaking them over night in cold water. The quick soak method means you put the beans in an appropriately sized pot with an inch or two of water above them (an inch for a 1/2 cup of beans, 2 inches for a cup is a good guideline).  Bring the water to a boil.  Let the beans boil for a couple minutes then turn the heat off. Let the beans sit with the lid on.  

How long to let them sit?  An hour is a good guide.  Longer can be better and I've gotten away with much shorter.  It can depend on the bean.  If the beans have gotten larger and the water has changed color to resemble a bit of the bean color, that's a good sign.  The biggest key I find is the next step.

2. DUMP THE WATER:  You need a strainer or colander that can withstand fairly high heat for this whole process.  Pour the beans into the strainer and dump all of the water.  Rinse the beans and the pot out.  Leave the strainer in the sink.

3. COOKING:  This is where my method really differs.

Put the beans back in the pot with a bit more water on top than you did in the soaking step.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.  Different beans take different lengths of time to cook. You can look up average cooking times HERE.

(Although, to be honest, the best thing is to test beans as you go because I have found that beans often take less time than they say.  When the beans are soft but not mushy they are done.)

Ok here is the IMPORTANT PART:  Depending on about how long you think the beans are going to take- when they are about 1/3 of the way through DUMP THE WATER AGAIN.  Pour the whole pot of hot water and beans into the strainer (Not too quickly, be careful of splash).  Fill the pot back with fresh water, add the beans back and return to the stove top.  Again, bring to a boil and simmer.   

Do that again when the beans are about 2/3 of the way through.  Essentially, you will be dumping the beans twice and putting completely fresh water in.  I swear that this is the trick!  You can try to skim the scum off the top and other little techniques, but I have found that the way to not have gas-causing beans is to dump the water while cooking.  

When the beans are done, pour them a final time through the strainer and they are ready to be added to your dish in whatever manner you've concocted.  Happy eating!