Whole grains are a great healthy dietary component– if you can “tolerate” them. (more on this below) They are gaining in popularity after being emphasized by the new USDA guidelines, which recommend eating at least 3 servings of whole grains every day. And I emphasize WHOLE grains, meaning no processing and thus no flour. Examples of whole grains are: Whole wheat berries, whole wheat bulgur, whole wheat couscous and other strains of wheat such as kamut and spelt, Brown rice, Corn, whole cornmeal, popcorn, Oat groats, steel-cut oats, Whole rye, Hulled barley (pot, scotch and pearled barley often have much of their bran removed), Triticale (pronounced try-ti-KAY-lee), Millet, Teff (reported to be the world’s smallest grain and to have a sweet, malt like flavor)Buckwheat, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), wild rice and amaranth are not botanically true grains but are typically associated with the grain family due to their similar composition.

At the very basic level, a whole grain is the seed of various types of plants like wheat, oats, barley, and rye. The seeds nourish the growth of the seedling into a plant, or supplement nourishment to those that consume them. The seeds have 3 main parts: ) bran, - outer shell that protects the seed, provides fiber, phytonutrients, b-vits, trace minerals like iron, copper, zinc, magnesium 2) endosperm- provides carbohydrates for growth, small amount of protein & b vits, and 3) the germ-the smallest part, “nutrient storehouse” source of healthy fats, trace minerals, vit E & B, antioxidant and phytonutrients

If you eat whole-grain foods on a regular basis, you can help protect yourself from heart disease and lower your cholesterol level; avoid many cancers, reduce your risk of diabetes, promote digestive health and even decrease body weight and/ maintain a healthy body composition of lean: fat ration and much more.

ARTISAN

There is also a bread referred to as “old world artisan” bread bakers. This bread is very healthy (as long as you can handle gluten) and unadulterated.  If it is made with gluten free grains, then those that have intolerance to gluten can tolerate the bread.

An artisan is a skilled worker who crafts things carefully in small lots so as to give each item the care it deserves, the opposite of large-lot foods that are simply and cheaply mass-produced. For example: a French or Italian-style baguette loaf vs. white Wonder bread. "Artesian" refers to water naturally stored under pressure in a deep area of the water table. Artisan bread makers use a lot of sourdough/ferment starters and usually steer clear from preservatives. Recipes tend to use more whole grain and organic ingredients and these recipes have very European roots.

An example of this is finding a local bakery that bakes this bread. A more commercial type is “Manna Bread” www.mannaorganicbakery.com. They offer several types of bread. The Carrot raisin is great and the ingredients are simply: Sprouted organic whole wheat kernels, filtered water, organic carrots, and organic raisins. Best to keep fresh in the freezer as they do not contain preservatives.

GLUTEN FREE

Many people are following a gluten-free diet, at various levels, for many different reasons. Some have a severe allergy, others an intolerance which in many cases can be associated with another chronic health problem they are experiencing.

Celiac disease (also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or celiac sprue) is a common autoimmune disorder, induced by eating gluten. “Gluten” is the general name for storage proteins called prolamins in wheat, rye and barley. Some sources will also indicate to eliminate spelt and oats. More specifically, these prolamins are: Gliadin in wheat, Secalin in rye, Hardein in barley and Avenin in oats (This is controversial, as sources indicate pure oats do not contain gluten. Oats are, however, commonly cross-contaminated with wheat.) and some people with issues with wheat, rye barley can not tolerate oats or spelt.

Celiac is a variable systemic disease, rather then a digestive alteration only. Celiac is characterized by histopathologic (microscopic pathology of diseased tissue) abnormalities of the small intestine. Other conditions may be iron-deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, arthritis, dermatitis herpetiforme, and neurologic disorders, peripheral neuropathy and ataxia.

Antigen blood tests are used as a screening tool, but there is a potential for false negative. Celiac is diagnosed by jejunal biopsy and confirmed by the elimination of signs and symptoms with the elimination of dietary gluten. A negative biopsy does not completely rule out gluten allergy, as false negatives do occur. Those with celiac disease tend to have other autoimmune diseases. Some examples are: Thyroid disease, Lupus, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Liver disease, Vascular disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s Cancer

The treatment for celiac disease is removal of all gluten-containing ingredients from the diet. In addition, specialized labs can aide in the recovery. For example, a stool analysis can reveal potential microscopic imbalance. As a result of this information, a specific nutrient supplementation protocol can be initiated to help the body heal and resolve symptoms.

Allergy versus intolerance

A food allergy involves an immune-mediated response to some component of food. Foods commonly involved in hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions are: eggs, wheat, citrus, peanuts, shellfish, milk and dairy, other gluten-containing grains (rye, barley), soy, tree nuts, fish. A food intolerance does not involve an immune response. It is an adverse reaction to foods or components of foods, resulting in diverse symptoms. Foods implicated in food intolerance can be: any of the above, lactose, biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine), preservatives (BHA, BHT, sulfites), artificial colors, MSG, nitrates, salicylates, and more.

Many people are suffering from an intolerance problem with gluten for many reasons. This article does not include all the reasons.

1-The evolutionary change of the actual wheat plant structure has lead to an inability for some individuals to digest the “modern grain”.

2-Products that are grown with genetically modified organisms (GMO) seeds are not proven to be safe and could produce side effects that do not occur in nature. In addition, GMOs are designed to tolerate pesticides and chemical spray – which can cause an increase in health problems. 3-Our society has had a large increase in the production of processed wheat products in the past 50 years, and therefore more consumption of flour based foods like pasta, crackers, breads, pastries, snack items such as pretzels, sports bars, etc. And the more ingestion of these foods, especially if they are not organic and contain chemicals, the more one ingests “toxins”. 4-More people have compromised immune systems from more stress, poor nutrition, and other poor life style habits. Most of the immune system is in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, so this can cause an imbalance in the GI, causing digestion problems.

The Evolution of Wheat

Wild Einkorn Wheat hybridized with a Goat Grass at least 30,000 years ago (30,000 BP) to produce Wild Emmer Wheat. About 10,000 BP hunter-gatherers began to cultivate Wild Emmer. Subconscious plant selection slowly created Cultivated Emmer that hybridized with another Goat Grass around 9,000 BP to produce an early Spelt. About 8,500 BP, natural mutation changed the ears to a more easily threshed type that later evolved into the free-threshing ears of Bread Wheat. Emmer Wheat also evolved to create the Macaroni Wheat now used for making macaroni, spaghetti and pasta products.