10-Reasons Why a Grain and Sugar-Free Diet could Benefit You in College

     College can be stressful, competitive and down-right exhausting. Here are 10-ways a grain and sugar-free diet can help you survive college.

Increases Focus, Concentration and Memory

Author of Wheat Belly, William Davis, MD, performed a self-study on himself where he ate einkorn bread (an old, non-genetically modified variety of grain) one day and four ounces of organic whole wheat bread the next. He monitored his reactions to each by taking blood sugar samples.

Day 1: He started with a blood sugar level of 84 and, after consuming the einkorn bread, ended with a blood sugar level of 110.

Day 2: He started with a blood sugar level of 84 and, after consuming the organic wheat bread, ended with a blood sugar level of 167. Accompanying the spike in blood sugar came nausea, stomach cramps, insomnia and concentration and comprehension problems.

He admits that this is hardly enough scientific evidence to prove his point, especially considering the fact that he is selling this idea to the masses; however, there has been an abundance of personal testimonies of better concentration, focus and memory while on a grain and sugar free diet.

I noticed that the older I got, the fuzzier my memory and comprehension became. My mom kept reminding me, “Just wait until you actually get old!” I knew I was too young to be experiencing these symptoms and it was starting to affect my studies, so I prayed for an answer. I've always known that I couldn't tolerate sugar, but after learning that I had a grain allergy, my doctor also informed me that I was low in iron and zinc. Zinc is known as the “intelligence mineral". After taking whole supplements of both, I wish I could say that now I’m super intelligent, but I can say that the elimination of grain, which inhibits mineral and vitamin absorption, has made my semester much easier and I’m not looking for words as much as I was before.

·       Saves Money

The average college student has no disposable income but is extremely creative with their finances. I’m amazed at how my friends can stretch their budgets when it comes to food. Unfortunately these foods are usually better suited for the garbage dump than for human consumption.   

I challenge all college students to stop WAISTING their money on foods that are making them sick and making school more difficult! I know that convenience is usually in the forefront of every food purchase; however, with a little creativity and planning, eating healthy can still be convenient and often even cheaper than eating food on the go 24/7. The simple act of cooking and eating in, even just for one or two meals per day, will cost much less than eating out. Plus, cooking is a great thing to do as a group, so get your friends on board, experiment with recipes and make cooking fun.

This goes for the guys too. As they say, there’s nothing sexier than a man who knows how to cook. As a woman, I can testify to this, so do with that what you will…  

·       Healthier Skin

“Acne effects more than 80 percent of Western teens and 50 percent of adults over twenty-five,” reports The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. As an acne sufferer myself, I know how it can effect self-esteem and self-confidence, which is already a major issue in teens and college students.

“In short, foods that increase blood sugar and insulin trigger the formation of acne,” says author of Wheat Belly, William Davis, MD.  

The process looks like this:

·       Eating high glycemic index (GI) foods raises blood sugar levels in the body.

·       High blood sugar triggers the body to produce insulin.

·       Insulin causes the production of a growth hormone called IGF-I.

·       Growth hormones increase the skins sebum production, thus causing oily skin and skin inflammation.

Avoiding high GI foods, such as sugar and grains, stops this vicious cycle in the body.

·       Relieves Allergies and Improves Digestion

Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, contributes the main causes of allergies to a poor diet of refined carbohydrates, adrenal exhaustion and enzyme exhaustion. A diet high in sugar, caffeine and genetically modified grain stimulates the growth of candida albicans, which is a naturally occurring fungus that lives in the human body. It’s responsible for breaking down dead food during digestion; however, when dead food is the only source of nourishment, it quickly takes over the intestines. Eventually they attach themselves to the intestine walls and cause holes to form. These holes allow food particles to invade the bloodstream where allergic reactions occur. Digestion problems also manifest during this process.

The body will naturally heal itself when these foods are taken out of the diet. Good health is as much about what not to do as what to do. Say that ten times fast…

·      Stabilizes Weight

Weight has increasingly become an issue in Western cultures. We exercise more than ever, yet we continue to gain weight. A lot of effort has been made in promoting self acceptance despite physical appearance, which is healthy, but it’s not solving the problem. Excessive weight gain such as obesity is on the rise and poses actual health risks.

“Few foods have as high a GI as foods made from wheat,” says Davis, MD. Sugar is perpetrator number 2. As I mentioned before, higher GI foods cause the body to react by producing insulin in order to stabilize blood sugar levels. This excess glucose floating around the blood is stored as fat in the body. This is useful if you predict that a famine is fast approaching, but, in the meantime, it’s usually not so great for the waistline.

What about people who are underweight? A grain and sugar free lifestyle helps to stabilize weight for those who suffer from malnutrition due to impaired digestion caused by grain and sugar intake. Elimination of grain and sugar allow the body to heal the intestinal track, in which case, better absorption of nutrients resumes.  

This is why weight is not the only indicator of health…

·       Increases Energy

Grains and sugar inhibit the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. Grains are naturally high in phytic acid, a substance that is eliminated through a process called sprouting. Before the industrial revolution, grains sat in the fields a few days before they were collected for further harvesting. This gave the grains time to sprout. Today, this process is inefficient. Phytic acid, however, binds with vitamins and minerals in the digestive tract and can cause deficiencies. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause chronic fatigue.

The constant strain that high glycemic foods put on the body also strains the endocrine system—the system of glands throughout the body. Adrenal gland exhaustion, caused by too much stress and eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates, is another reason for chronic fatigue.  

·       Creates a Defense Against Stress

ULifeline.org reported that stress is the biggest obstacle to academic performance at college. Eating a diet full of pizza, soda, caffeine and candy is usually how students cope with the stress. Sadly, this may bring temporary comfort, but it’s actually making the problem worse.

 These foods put strain on the body and reeks havoc on the body’s endocrine system, which is responsible for producing hormones in response to stress. We've all heard of the fight or flight syndrome. I believe college students are in a constant state of fight or flight. Not just because of that one teacher who forgets you have four other classes, but because of the foods we eat!

Midterms and finals, for me, are synonymous with a mental breakdown. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself to do well, but nevertheless I feel the stress and all the symptoms that go along with it. This semester, my first semester not eating grain and sugar together, was my hardest midterm week yet. Corporate finance, logic, intermediate accounting, marketing and international business all in one week…yeah. Disregarding one breakdown where I called my mom in tears, my mom noted after the fact that I remained relatively calm all week in respect to previous semesters. Considering she gets the brunt of all my stress, that was really telling to me.   

Let’s stop spending so much money on coffee just to make it through our days and instead, focus on giving our bodies the real fuel it needs.

·       Alleviates Depression and Anxiety

According to the Jed Foundation, the organization that oversees ULifeline.org, “Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental health problems students confront.”

Suicide is responsible for about 1,100 deaths each year among college students. Suicide is second only to accidents, such as overdoses and drinking and driving. Both suicide and accidents have roots in depression and anxiety. Many are merely manifestations of terrible and deep founded mental and physical imbalances.

As a Christian and a fellow student, these statistics really bother me. I learned from some friends this semester that Fall Break is actually intentionally put in place during the time that suicide rates are statistically the highest. As someone who has dealt with minor anxiety and depression, I could argue that these students don’t just need a break, they need better nutrition. I notice that my mood changes with my hormones and more specifically with how I eat. The farther along I get on my road to recovery, the better and happier I feel. Of course food is not the only remedy, (family, friends and faith are important facets) but it’s a much overlooked factor, especially since college is more synonymous with Ramen Noodles than cultured vegetables.

·        Reduces Inflammation

I know you’re thinking that you’re too young to have to worry about arthritis and hip replacements, but be aware that too much consumption of high GI foods, which causes the process of glycation in the body, results in damaged cartilage and therefore, stiff joints. For those athletic types who are merely in college because they’re on a sports scholarship, this is especially important! Not to mention anyone who one day would like to avoid these types of problems. It’s important to note that damaged cartilage does not regenerate itself and prevention starts now.

I am a former ballerina who suffered from intense hip pain. I now need hip surgery at the mere age of 25. I still contribute it to poor training at an early age, but now I’m suspicious that my blood sugar issues may have been a culprit as well. I used to get hip pain even after I stopped dancing, but ever since I stopped eating grain and sugar my hip pain has finally ceased.

·       Improves many Personal Symptoms

Although it’s thought that nearly 1 in 133 people suffer from grain sensitivity, research is still relatively new. It’s also assumed that even more people are sensitive to grain and just don’t know it. That’s because the symptoms are so vast. It’s possible that some of your personal symptoms could clear up after embarking on a grain and sugar free diet.