What you really need to know about grains...

I'll assume you've gotten the basics of avoiding white flour like the plague. (And I mean as an ingredient called "wheat flour" not just as white bread.) Let's talk about why people are tossing out grains, for the latest health trend or even b/c of allergies.

Let's go back to the beginning and think what grains might have been. According to my world view, there were gardeners in the first generation of people, and farmers by the second. SO, I don't buy that grains were not what our early ancestors ate (the basis of some diet philosophies.) But according to research by Weston A. Price, native populations all either soaked or sprouted their grains. AND they ground the grain shortly before they made it. The closest the modern diet comes to this is sourdough bread, which is usually white bread.

This process neutralizes the phytic acids and start breaking down tannins and gluten, and increase the amount of nutrition the body can absorb. For my husband it has helped with his grain sensitivities. But many don't know about the difference of simply soaking grain before cooking. Others don't want to do the work of planning ahead or cooking from scratch.

So, next time you hear about avoiding bread, remember that this because most Americans have white flour even in their "wheat bread". And breads and grains include: muffins, pancakes, pasta, croutons, corn chips, tortillas, and on and on.

Come back soon for how to make this ideal a livable reality. In the meantime, those of you research oriented people might want to read more details at: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/be_kind.html
Or if you are not quite ready for all this, you can read more on white flour: http://www.westonaprice.org/transition/whiteflour.html