I find there is a lot of information (and misinformation) out there about grains and their processed counterparts, bread, pasta, etc. Some nutritionists say to bulk up on these foods as the foundation of your diet, while others recommend you avoid them totally. What gives?

The truth is that there are real reasons you may react to grains preparation method or quantity (too many).

Quantity-wise, grains are considered a high starch food. Yes, they have some amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, but they offer these nutrients alongside plenty of starchy carbs. Starchy carbs are fine! … When eaten in moderation that is. If you make starch the centerpiece of your diet I guarantee you will have blood sugar issues, hormonal issues, and endo issues. (You can read more about that here).

If you improperly prepare grains, there’s another reason they can become a nuisance: phytic acid (or phytates). Phytic acid is actually really neat, for the plant, of course. It acts like the gatekeeper of nutrients stored inside seeds. Seeds need these nutrients just like you do to grow and flourish. Phytic acid is the amazing mechanism that allows these seeds to sit for months, or even years, with their nutrient stores intact. It binds to minerals to protect them, just waiting for the day it rains to unleash their growth potential.

This only causes problems when it enters your body. Because phytic acid binds to minerals, it not only will bind up the minerals in the grains you eat so you can’t absorb them, but also bind to other minerals you eat at the same time (say, from your kale), thus reducing the mineral absorption in your entire meal. Some research shows that phytates block 80% of phosphorous, 80% of zinc, and 40% of magnesium in grains, beans, and nuts! Not to mention iron and calcium. Additionally, phytates inhibit the digestive enzymes amylase, pepsin, and trypsin, which facilitate the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins.

That’s why phytates are often called “anti-nutrients”, because you can lose more nutrients eating these foods than not. This may also be a reason you have reacted poorly to grains in the past, because they were improperly prepared and hard for your body to digest.

To Gain the Benefits of Grains, Soak, Sprout, or Ferment Them First.

Our ancestors knew the trick to get the nutrient-bang-for-your-buck from grains: properly prepare them. Depending on the culture and grain used this looked different, but the same premises were applied. In Switzerland, rye was soaked, sprouted, and fermented before it was baked into (very chewy) bread loaves. In Ireland, oats we fermented for up to weeks, resulting (I’m sure) in a very different taste than the Quaker Oats of today.

Our ancestors knew this was the magic to make nutrients available to us and keep grains a healthy food (not a diabetes-inducing one). Luckily, with some forethought, you can join the party!

You can significantly dissolve phytate levels by pre-soaking, sprouting, or fermentation. Fermentation makes the process sound more complex than it really is: Soaking. Simply soak grains, beans, or nuts before cooking, and add a splash of an acidic medium like lemon, apple cider vinegar, or whey. Easy! The only extra step it takes is a little preparation.

“The simplest way to ferment grains is to soak them. Water is the source of all like, and the dry seed is able to persist intact precisely because, in the absence of water, the microbes inevitably present on the surface of it cannot function or grow. Yet they do remain dormant until restored to life by water, much like the seed itself. When you soak the grain, it begins to swell… At the same time, water also revives the bacteria and fungi that populate the grain’s surface, and initiate fermentation.” Sandor Katz, The Art of Fermentation

Aim to soak your grains and beans 24–48 hours before you cook them. If your body does well with nuts and seeds, soak them first in the same way, then dehydrate or roast on a low temperature to crisp them back up. While this may sound like an annoying extra step to think about, it becomes second nature after a while. I recommend setting a timer on your phone to alert you in the evenings as a reminder to soak any beans or grains for the next day. After a while, you will no longer need the reminder.

Fermenting Bread for Endometriosis

If you want to make your own bread similar to what your ancestors ate? Here’s a mind-glowingly easy recipe that includes just one or two ingredients: Beans or grains. It doesn’t matter. Here pictures are black beans and oat grouts, but I’ve used lentils, black-eyed peas, quinoa. It all works! It’s gluten-free, super duper cheap, and fun to make. Yummy, moist, “sourdough” bean bread. Here are pics from my Instagram that break down this very simple recipe:

Properly Prepare Beans or Nuts as Well for a Happy Endometriosis Diet:

Same way! The difference is you may want to soak them longer - at least overnight - and switch out the soak water at least once. If you have extra trouble digesting beans, you can also add a bit of baking soda to the soak water, and make sure to rinse before cooking.

Same way! The difference here is what you want to do with them afterward since you’re probably not going to cook with them. The absolute best way I found to make them delicious is thus:

Crispy Nuts: Soak by placing nuts and sea salt in a large glass bowl. Add enough warm water to submerge the nuts. Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel for 3- 24 hours.

The soaking time depends on the softness of the nuts:

Really soft nuts like cashews and pine nuts need no more than 3 hours.
Semi-soft nuts like walnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds need about 6-8 hours.
Soak almonds for 8 to 24 hours. If you do soak them for 24 hours, change the water once during the soaking process.

After soaking, drain the nuts but don’t rinse. To dry, use a dehydrator or preheat oven to 150 degrees - if it doesn’t go that low you can preheat to lowest temp possible and then turn off the oven and keep the door shut. Spread the nuts out in a single layer on rimmed cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Make sure they’re not clumped together so they crisp up evenly. To avoid over-roasting, stir the nuts up every few hours.

Once crisped to taste remove from oven and cool completely before storing them in airtight jars. Voila! Crispy, delicious nuts without damaging phytates!