Whole grains vs White
 

Hi all,
The whole low carb thing is very new to me and I had a few questions to start of.

I was wondering if it is OK to eat grains as long as they are whole and not white? What about sprouted grains such as wheat grass etc. Are these high in carbs?

I was also looking for book recommendations for low carb vegetarians?

Thanks!

Elizabeth, if I'm choosing between grains, whole grains are preferable to processed because they contain more fiber. But to be honest, they're not the best source of carbs for you when you're restricting carbs...you'll get more mileage (food volume) out of fresh lower carb vegetables and fruits.

You need to pay attention to your protien sources...aim for at least 0.5g protein per pound of your CURRENT body weight, unless you have an accurate lean body mass measurement. If you have an accurate lean body mass measurement, aim for 1 to 1.25g protein per pound of lean body mass.

You can get a lot of that from dairy and eggs if you're ovo-lacto, along with soybeans (edamame, tofu, tempeh made without added grains, soybeans, soy nuts); nuts and seeds in all their forms; seitan; and small quantities of lentils. If you eat things like meat substitutes, quorn and other things can help out too.

Hope that helps!

I believe sprouted grains are better than whole grains(unsprouted, unsoaked) and white grains(nutrient shell stripped away). I remember reading in many places that all grains come with a supply of phytates that are not that great for you since they block the absorbtion of nutrients in the gut. To get rid of phytates all you have to do is soak the grains or sprout them and the germinating seed kills off the phytates. Wish there was more details on this process though.

Here's a link that explains, in a lot more detail, all about phytase and the best way to soak grains and beans. Unfortunately, you can't just get the information off the web; you have to sign up for the information to be emailed to you. http://rebuild-from-depression.com/...hytic_acid.html

All grains are evil, they all bind to nutrients, they all cause inflammation in the gut but if you must eat them, then probably sprouted is best. They're all high carb too. Wheat is arguably the worst of the grains for most people.