The Dangers of Wheat & Grains

The Foods You are Eating Should Depend on Your Current State of Health

It has been made clear in past articles that we should be eating foods created by God in their most unprocessed, raw and natural forms. 100% of the time, people benefit from eliminating processed foods from the Standard American Diet (SAD) and turning back to God and His creations in original form.

If you are in a general good state of health, you should be able to eat everything that God created in its purest form. You may need to learn some sprouting and soaking techniques, but generally speaking, you should have no problems with any natural foods. So why do we have so many problems with even whole, natural, unprocessed foods?

Many people today have very compromised bodies and various health problems. In this case, you very well may NOT be able to eat all of God’s foods in their original form, at least for a designated season of your life. This is where many people become confused regarding health. Every person is unique and every health situation is different. Here are a few health problems that show you if you need to use wisdom in your food choices. 

• Skin problems (eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne, etc.)

• Obvious food reactions, allergies and sensitivities

• Auto-immune condition (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn’s, Hashimoto’s, etc.)

• Autism, ADD, ADHD, Dyselxia, Depression, Schizophrenia and any behavioral/emotional disorder - Anorexia, Bulimia

• Chronic headaches and/or migraines

• Any infectious issue (virus, parasite, fungus or bacteria)

• Diabetes, Cancer or Heart Disease

• Chronic swelling of the hands, feet or face, especially upon rising

• Chronic sinus congestion and respiratory allergies

• Daily joint pain and arthritis, gout or chronic stiffness

• Extreme fatigue and lethargy

Yes, we have processed and damaged our food supply in a major way, but a bigger problem than the food itself is the lack of health in our own bodies. In a compromised body it is important to choose God’s foods wisely. You will want to learn which foods your body will require based on your current needs.

We will highlight new topics each week to help you eat how you were designed to eat. The first contributor is wheat, corn, and other grains.

Wheat and other grains have been a staple food for cultures throughout history. The Bible speaks of various grains regularly.

Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. -Ezekiel 4:9

Grains from a historical perspective have remained basically the same. They were grown in a field, harvested and used in their whole, original form for food. When sitting in a field, they would begin to sprout naturally and it was in this sprouted form from which the food was produced, such as bread and cakes. During the industrial revolution, machines were invented such as combines. With these machines, you could harvest the grain and immediately store the grain in large bins. The grains never had access to moisture or sunshine, and they no longer sprouted naturally.

Since then, not only has sprouting been eliminated, but so has the nutrition. In order to increase shelf life and reduce spoilage, the nutrition from the grains is removed completely. This means the germ, bran, vitamins and minerals are all extracted. It can no longer be considered a whole food at this point. In 1872, roller mills replaced the old stone mills. Grains were milled and sifted over and over until white flour became the result. This was perceived as the food of royalty, only available to the rich and elite!

For decades, food companies have attempted to “fortify” their non-food and food-like substances. This is done for marketing purposes and trying to replace what was stripped away. You cannot alter God’s original design and then attempt to add synthetic and cheap vitamins and minerals back in to create health. The body understands whole foods. Anything fortified, which we see so common in processed foods, cereals, milk, bread, etc., is a sign that this is a non-food and should be avoided.

Hybridization is cross-breeding the plant to obtain a desired result. Wheat and other grains today are nothing like those of our ancestors. Wheat has been hybridized to make it resist insects, stand up straighter and taller, have a higher protein content, a higher gluten content, tolerate poor soil and water conditions, and thrive off chemical fertilizers. Wheat has suddenly turned from a food into a food-like substance. Ironically, we don't often see the same problems in other countries that don't process their foods to such an extent nor add various chemicals as we do in America.

All of the above processing has been done for one reason: The Food Industry. Wheat tastes good to people (especially combined with tons of sugar in today’s food supply), it holds ingredients together well like a glue, and it is cheap and widely available. As with sugar, wheat can be addictive when concentrated into white flour.

Gluten is a protein molecule contained in certain grains that is very difficult for people to digest. The big gluten containing grains are BROW. Barley, Rye, Oats and Wheat. You can buy gluten free oats. Animals should not be eating these grains either, which is why we have so many problems with factory farms today and also why our domesticate pets are getting arthritis, cancer and other ailments.

We are now seeing the rise of GLUTEN intolerance and the birth of the gastrointestinal epidemic. Because of the hybridization process, grains today have more gluten than ever before in history. Again, the grains are no longer sprouted as they were in ancient times. Add this to the processing and removal of all nutrients, and we have a major problem. We are eating something that is difficult for the body to digest.

Wheat is the #1 cause of food allergies and food intolerances in the western world. Anyone with auto- immune conditions, skin conditions, autism, schizophrenia and digestive disorders such as crohn’s, colitis, IBS, etc. should immediately eliminate all gluten containing grains from their diet in any form.

 

What grains should we avoid?

• All processed foods with wheat, barley, oats, rye (in almost all packaged food items, read the labels).

• All white bread, wheat bread, whole wheat bread, whole grain bread (biscuits, crackers, and bagels included).

• All baked goods with processed flours (cupcakes, donuts, brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, etc.).

• Pasta, pretzels, pizza, tortillas, pancakes and breakfast cereals.

What are better options?

• Ancient seed grains such as millet, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa.

• Wild rice and brown rice.

• Unprocessed oats, like steel cut oats (Better soaked overnight in water with a little whey or apple cider vinegar).

• Sprouted whole grains such as Ezekiel, Genesis 1:29, etc. You can also make your own bread, cereal and pancakes using your own sprouted grains or nut flours.

• Nut flours such as almond flour and coconut flour.

• Buy your own whole grains, sprout them yourselves and make your own food ideally.

• Sourdough and other fermented grains.

Be careful eating gluten-free. Sometimes this leads to eating another wide variety of processed foods such as rice, sugar, potato starches, tapioca and soy.

85% of corn on the market is genetically modified and not labeled as such, unless organic or clearly stated Non-GMO on the label. When eating corn, eat organic, non-gmo and minimally processed. Examples would include fresh sweet corn, especially from local farmers and organic, non-gmo corn chips and tortillas.

Let’s focus on amazing alternatives called “ancient seed grains.”

There are multiple benefits to consuming these instead of the highly processed, high gluten containing grains we are used to on supermarket shelves. Remember, it is still ok to soak, sprout and make your own bread or buy the sprouted breads at the store, assuming you are not gluten intolerant or have a compromised health condition.

Quinoa, amaranth, millet and buckwheat. These ancient grains are gluten-free and do not feed yeast/fungus and other infections in the body. They are readily available in health food stores or through your local co-op. These are nutrient dense alternatives for any healthy diet. It is recommended to learn soaking and sprouting methods of these ancient grains before eating.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is my personal favorite. Quinoa means “mother” and is often referred to as the mother of all grains. Quinoa is loaded with protein (equivalent to meat and eggs) and is a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids. It is high in calcium (more than dairy) and high in other minerals. Quinoa also assists milk production in nursing mothers. Quinoa has a mild, light nutty taste. It is the closest to alkaline of any grain.

There are numerous uses for these ancient seed grains. You can make bread, pancakes, muffins, cookies, cereal, casseroles and many other healthy recipes.

Wild rice is also an excellent alternative to white rice or brown rice. It is in the grass family, so not considered a grain. It is higher in nutrition, and less starchy than traditional rices.