This is an unedited excerpt from one of our readers who wanted to remain anonymous . . .

I have spastic diplegia, caused by hydrocephalus (water on the brain) as a child; epilepsy and paraplegia.  2 years ago I started eating healthy, not eating processed foods, not eating meat, making all my food and I haven’t had a seizure since then.  I became nearly vegan, except for eggs and cheese, my two vices.  (LOL)  I would have the occasional soda or treat, sometimes Pizza Hut, and I’d be on the toilet the next minute, but sometimes you just crave stuff, I guess (LOL).  I started feeling super healthy and having a ton of energy with no pain in my body from my disability.

After being in the Midwest for a 2 week visit all this changed . . .

I’ve been experimenting with something (not by choice) since I came to the Midwest.  The food here, especially with eating out a lot, is pretty much non-vegan/vegetarian, so I said I’d eat meat while I’m here.  It’s the first time I’ve eaten meat in 2 years!  I got sick immediately, have had a constant sore throat, fever, etc., constant diarrhea, bitchy mood, and have been totally exhausted!

Last night and this morning, I had 2 seizures within hours (Grand Mal seizures- the worst kind)!  My skin is full of zits, my stomach is in total disarray and diarrhea is constant!  Seriously, I will never go back to eating meat and processed food again.  I feel tired all the time.  I feel like crap.

If this experiment doesn’t show that eating healthy is a benefit, I don’t know what does.  People don’t understand that their diets are killing them.  I seriously feel like I could die!  I remember watching the movie “SuperSize Me” and thinking that eating poorly couldn’t bring your health down that fast, but I have proven to myself that eating %**@! can get you sick REALLY fast!

In case you need more incentive to make the switch to eating whole grains, research now shows that eating whole grains reduces body fat! . . .

Here’s a great reason to switch completely from refined flour products to whole grains: In a new study by the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, at Tufts University, adults who ate three servings of whole grains a day while also eating less than one serving a day of commercially enriched flour products had less of a type of fat tissue that is thought to play a key role in triggering diseases.  The fat is known as visceral adipose tissue, or VAT, which surrounds internal organs.

The researchers examined 2,834 participants, ages 32 to 83, and VAT volume was approximately 10 percent lower in the healthy eating group.  However, lead study author Nicola McKeown, Ph.D., explains that, “Whole grain consumption did not appear to improve VAT volume if refined grain intake exceeded four or more servings per day.  This result infers that it is important to make substitutions in the diet, rather than simply adding whole grain foods.  (For example, choosing to cook with brown rice instead of white, or making a sandwich with whole grain bread instead of white bread.)”

(Source: May, 2011 issue of Denver/Boulder Mile High Natural Awakenings Magazine)

More on Whole Grains:

Whole grain flours are made from the whole kernels of grains – both the inside part of the grain and the outer covering called the husk. (Refined white flours are made from wheat that has had the husk removed; this gives a lighter texture and taste to baked goods but removes a some of the nutrition and fiber. Most flour is enriched with some vitamins and minerals, but doesn’t have the fiber of whole wheat or other whole grain flours.)

When grocery shopping and reading labels, look for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” without any regular refined flour (flour or wheat flour that doesn’t have 100% whole grain right in front of it). And double check the claims on the front of the package. Some food manufacturers state “made with whole grains” but contain a lot of refined flour, or state the product has a specific number of grams of whole grain rather than grams of fiber, which is what you’re looking for.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains:

• Whole grains are rich in fiber, which may help with weight management and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and constipation.
• Eating grains fortified with folate before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects during fetal development.

Nutrient Benefits of Whole Grains:

• Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
• Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber; most refined (processed) grains contain little fiber.
• B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate) play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system.
• Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy should consume adequate folate, including folic acid. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
• Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia.
• Whole grains are sources of magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system.

What are the Best Whole Grains to Eat?:

Since you’re trying to do the best thing for your body by eating whole grains anyway, why not do one even better and choose alkalizing whole grains (that also happen to be mostly gluten-free)?  Alkaline whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, kamut (not gluten-free), millet, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oats, spelt (not gluten-free) and wild rice. (You’re eating whole grains when you eat oatmeal, popcorn and buckwheat pancakes.)

You can even “kick it up a notch” further by selecting (alkalizing) sprouted whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, bulger, corn, buckwheat, oats and wild rice grains and breads! (For more info. on sprouted foods, see our FGB post: http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-benefits-and-wisdom-of-eating-raw-foods.html).

(Excerpted in part from: http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/whole_grains.htm)

Alkaline Diet Refresher:

For more on the importance of alkalizing foods and acid/alkaline (pH) balance, please see our previous FGB posts (http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-benefits-and-wisdom-of-eating-raw-foods.html, http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/how-is-ph-balance-connected-to-healing-healthy-living-and-disease-prevention.html, http://www.feelgoodbuzz.com/the-magic-of-alkaline-water-for-amazing-health-and-healing.html). Basically, all foods that we digest release an alkaline ash (bicarbonate) or an acid ash into blood and tissues of the body depending on the mineral compounds that the foods contain.

Dr. Mary Ruth Swope, in “Green Leaves of Barley” commented that acidosis destroys bones, and to keep the blood ph level (7.35 – 7.45) out of the acid range (ph below 7.0), the body has the tendency to steal alkalizing minerals from them. Research has confirmed that unless our body is slightly alkaline, healing from various acidosis would not be possible. Thus, our body must buffer the acid and borrow the minerals we can get from alkaline foods.

As the body tries to restore equilibrium, maintaining the correct acidity-alkalinity balance in the blood is important to achieve wholesome wellness. As the consequence of an acidic diet, the body’s ability to absorb enough nutrients and minerals decreases and makes us more susceptible to various types of diseases. Therefore, proponents and other nutritionists are suggesting an alkaline diet for its wide-ranging health claims.

(Excerpted from http://thealkalinefoods.com.)

Stay tuned for future FGB posts about gluten-free grains, grain allergies, the great debate about whether or not we even need grains at all and more!