The Bounty of Whole Wheat

The Bounty of Whole Wheat
Whole wheat is a remarkable food known in the traditional medicines of China and India to strengthen the body and nurture the mind and heart. Whole wheat has the ability to calm and focus the mind, strengthen the body and muscles, replenish our adrenals, soothe palpitations, insomnia and irritability, and is also an astringent.

Whole wheat is a term many people are familiar with - but may not understand what it means. The part of the cereal grass plant that we eat is the unrefined seed, known as whole wheat. This wheat seed - or berry, is then ground up to create whole wheat flour. Whole wheat is high in nutrition and very healthy for us, but the nutrient quality begins declining with age once it is ground into a flour.

White flour is produced by refining away the outer bran and germ so that only the starchy, carbohydrate rich centre remains, and then further refined into a powder and bleached to create white flour. Flour is not only the most popular ingredient in the North American diet, but it is usually the main ingredient in popular foods such as crackers, breads, pastas, and so on. This refining is typically done to lengthen the shelf life, make recipes very reproducible and predictable, and to prevent pathogens from growing on it. However, white flour lacks all of the important minerals, vitamins, oils and fiber that the whole grain contains. Flour also makes the preferred fluffy, light consistencies and sweet taste that whole wheat flour cannot; whole wheat flour is usually heavier, denser and more bitter. Whole wheat flours found in “whole wheat” breads are still refined and processed, often missing vital nutrients, whereas flours made from grinding your own fresh, unrefined whole wheat, as purchased from health food or bulk food stores, are far different in texture and nutritional value.

Wheat sometimes provokes allergic reactions, particularly when flours are improperly stored and become rancid from oxidation. Whole wheat flour should ideally be used right after grinding, or stored air tight in a cool space and used within two weeks. The refined oxidized flour is usually the cause of a ‘wheat allergy’, not the wheat itself. However, if eating whole wheat causes bloating, gas, stomach pain, indigestion, excessive mucus or an increased pulse rate, it may be best avoided.

The Benefits of Magnesium
One of the most abundant minerals found in whole wheat is magnesium, which is milled away when refining the grain. It is estimated that 70% of North Americans are magnesium deficient, but it is a deficiency that can be easily remedied by eating whole grains, like wheat. The benefits of magnesium are essential to health:

Calms nerve functions and migraine headaches
Harmonizes mental and emotional imbalances (including irritability, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders and PMS)
Soothes muscles, cramps and spasms
Relieves constipation and improves digestion
Overcomes the blood sugar imbalances in hypoglycemia, diabetes and alcoholism
Counteracts conditions such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis and osteoporosis

Magnesium checks and balances excess calcium by ‘pushing’ it out of soft tissues, and driving it into our bones. Too much excess calcium in the soft tissue is damaging, calcifying arteries and of course staying out of our bones, and weakening them. Those who eat and take ample calcium, may still have weaker bones than those who ingest only a little calcium but also consume sufficient magnesium rich foods such as whole grains.

Soaking a whole grain or fresh flour in water for several hours germinates the seed and initiates the growth process which maximizes the bio-availability of magnesium and other nutrients, to levels far greater than found in standard store bought whole wheat bread. Try using a coffee grinder to grind your flour and then leave it sit overnight in water. Use it the next morning for warm cereal, baking or pancakes, and your body will thank you for a delicious, and extremely healthy homemade meal!

Submitted by Michael Fisher, RNCP

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.