GRAINS
Cereal grains are associated with the rise of civilisation the world over; rice, bread and corn are part of religious ritual and ceremony and revered as essential to life everywhere. When prisoners were given (whole grain) bread and water it was because they could survive on it.
Together with beans, grains are the only foods containing all the major nutrient groups needed by the body: CHO, protein fat, vitamins and minerals and fibre. Animal foods (except for dairy products) contain protein but no carbohydrate. Sugar is pure carbohydrate without protein, and fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals but low in protein and fats. Although both grains and beans contain incomplete proteins due to low levels of certain amino acids, together they can provide complete proteins as each cancels out the negative aspects of the other.
Too much grain can make the body acidic in a way similar to meat, but only if it is not balanced by a plentiful intake of vegetables or fruits.
Wheat is often a cause for intolerance in people. This is for two main reasons:
1. The average person eats too much of it, and in general too much of growth-promoting foods such as dairy, eggs, meat; combined with a weak digestion or unhealthy gut, this can lead to problems.
2. Wheat flour that is not used right after grinding or stored in air tight containers will go rancid from oxidation.
Some people are only allergic to processed flour products but are fine with sprouted wheat or wheat germ. Wheat is best avoided if it causes bloating or gar, stomach pain, indigestion, excessive mucus or increased pulse rate, especially during pregnancy.
On the plus side wheat absorbs a wider range of minerals from rich soil than other grains, and the nutrient profile is similar to that in humans, which is why it has been seen as such an ideal food for so many years. However, bread does contain a high percentage of phytic acid (standard yeasted bread removes only 10%), which binds with minerals to make them unavailable for absorption (wheatbran can remove up to half the amount of calcium that would normally be absorbed from other foods, but phytate are not the only problems there are other agents in bran which can rob the body of minerals). The leavening of bread de-activates this property of phytic acid making it much more nutritious. The leavening process requires that the dough be given time to prove before cooking, this allows fermentation to occur through the introduction of live airborne yeasts, thereby removing the need for added yeast. However, to speed the process up natural leavening agents include sourdough, miso, fermented cooking grains etc. Mass-produced breads are manufactured using a procedure called the Chorleywood process which was heralded as being a fantastic invention by the food industry because it cuts down the amount of time needed to make a loaf, by cutting out much of the proofing time by employing good quantities of yeast.
Other benefits include:
The long proofing allows the fermenting agents to break down the cellulose structure and release nutrients into the dough, improving its nutritional value.
Leavened bread contains lactobacillus, which helps generate the intestinal flora essential for proper digestion and elimination.
It stays edible for weeks and is more delicious and nutritious in five to ten days, if stored in a cool dry place.
