Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar
The devastating truth about the effects of wheat, sugar, and carbs on the brain, with a 30-day plan to achieve optimum health.
Renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, blows the lid off a topic that’s been buried in medical literature for far too long: carbs are destroying your brain. And not just unhealthy carbs, but even healthy ones like whole grains can cause dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, and much more. Dr. Perlmutter explains what happens when the brain encounters common ingredients in your daily bread and fruit bowls, why your brain thrives on fat and cholesterol, and how you can spur the growth of new brain cells at any age.
He offers an in-depth look at how we can take control of our “smart genes” through specific dietary choices and lifestyle habits, demonstrating how to remedy our most feared maladies without drugs. With a revolutionary 30-day plan, Grain Brain teaches us how we can reprogram our genetic destiny for the better.
eataupa –
From Rebecca on Amazon:
“One of my friends, who knows I’ve been changing my diet, recommended Grain Brain to me. I had already thrown out my white flour, sugar and pretty much anything that had a high glycemic index. What I wasn’t prepared for was finding out that whole wheat flour was something I should have tossed too. This at first made me sort of mad and I rebelled and made myself a batch of whole wheat cookies with coconut sugar. But then I read more of the book and the information started to make more sense. In fact this book was so convincing that I ended up tossing my whole wheat flour and cookies in the trash. I am now thinking of going gluten free like some of my friends. There are so many gluten-free options I don’t think I’ll be bored.
What really got me while reading this book is that eating whole wheat bread is actually worse than just eating some sugar. That was a bit shocking. But when I looked up the glycemic index for whole wheat bread it is 71. Sugar is 68. Something like a chocolate cupcake is 38. I was surprised that eating a piece of cake was probably better for you than eating whole wheat bread. Well as far as the glycemic index goes. The glycemic load tells more of the story.
Dr. David Perlmutter has really written this book for people who want to live to a really old age without cognitive decline. He basically promotes getting rid of your wheat and sugar for mental health reasons. You will also want to read this book if you are worried about your cholesterol. I didn’t know that the real problem was sugar binding to LDL. Dr. David Perlmutter explains what LDL really does when it isn’t
oxidized.
I was surprised to learn that I am actually taking most of the supplements recommended in this book. There is information on turmeric, resveratrol and alpha-lipoic acid
There is a bit of time spent discussing exercise, calorie restriction and fasting. I’d highly recommend you not fast unless you absolutely know what you are doing. Read more books on the subject and consult with your doctor. This book does not have enough information to safely fast.
When you see the gourmet recipes in this book you may not have trouble giving up potatoes and parsnips. The glycemic index for parsnips is 97, just as much as if you ate fried chicken. And you thought all vegetables were healthy! I’m going to try the recipe for broccoli soup as it has coconut milk in it and looks delicious. The chocolate coconut mousse made with coconut milk also looks great and is very easy to make.
So after reading this book you may also throw out your whole wheat flour, sugar, all-purpose flour, etc. I am finding that I can make some really good recipes with coconut flour. I tried the no-macaroni and cheese from The Wheat Belly Cookbook – minus the flaxseeds (I used chopped pecans instead) and it was really good. The cheese sauce could also be used as a dip.
So while it may upset you to have to give up another ingredient and food, for me maybe it will be for the best. Just consult with your doctor before taking extreme measures.
~The Rebecca Review
P.S. I made the chocolate mousse and it was better when I added just a small amount of honey. The stevia sweetened it a lot but it needed something to contrast with the bitterness of the cocoa powder. I can see adding vanilla next time. The texture is more like freshly whipped cream than a mousse but it will satisfy you if you are used to eating chocolate pudding cups.
P.S. II – 8/26/2015 – It seems like it might be impossible to totally live without wheat. I went back to eating whole wheat cereal because it is good fiber. I am however still eating way less bread. I find that if I don’t have some wheat I feel terribly hungry. So my conclusion is that I still need some carbohydrates in the form of wheat.”