I’ve heard from lots of folks that have opted for a grain-free diet. Initially, they feel GREAT! More energy, less lethargy, sparkly and shiny, and feeling almost brand new.
Inevitably, those same folks usually contact me about ten to twelve months later complaining of lethargy, chronic fatigue, and an inability to relax and de-stress.
So what the heck happened?
Well… going grain and carb-free can surely help the body use up some of the stored sugar in the liver (glycogen), and can help get some of the high sugar (glucose) out of the cells and out of the circulating blood supply.
But, and here’s the big butt, eventually the body and it’s cells can crash from not getting adequate sugar and glucose into the cells for energy. Every cell in the body and your mitochondria (powerhouse of each cell) uses glucose for energy.
Not only that but, and here’s another big butt… grains and carbs can also be relaxing to the body. So much so in fact, that too many carbs and your body can relax and expand into an overweight state.
It’s all about balance.
If you are feeling the need to relax your body, and increase your energy at the same, it may be time to put some grains back into your diet.
Here’s a fun recipe using gluten-free black rice noodles. But, you can use other noodles like soba and udon and it’ll be just as delicious.
Relax and enjoy!
- 1 eight oz. package black rice noodles (or other noodles)
- ¼ cup sesame tahini
- 1 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp. tamari or shoyu
- 2 tbsp. ginger, peeled and minced
- ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 scallions, minced
- 1 tsp. dulse flakes
- Bring a pot of water to boil.
- Drop noodles into water and cook according to instructions on package.
- Combine tahini, honey, apple cider vinegar, tamari, ginger, cayenne pepper, and water in a food processor and puree until creamy.
- Add more or less water to achieve desired consistency.
- Drain cooked noodles and place into a mixing bowl.
- Combine tahini dressing with noodles.
- Serve garnished with scallions and dulse.
Andrea Beaman is an internationally renowned Holistic Health Coach, Natural Foods Chef, Speaker and Herbalist. Named one of the top 100 Most Influential Health and Fitness Experts, she is also a recipient of the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Award for Excellence in Health-Supportive Education and a Health Leadership award from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Since 1999, Andrea has been teaching people how to harness the body’s own preventative and healing powers using food, herbal remedies and alternative medicine.
