Grains: Then and Now
While modern techniques for harvesting crops have made food production much more efficient, they have also decreased the nutritional value of our food. Older harvesting techniques helped preserve and enhance the nutritional value of grain, for example. After cutting mature grains in the field, farmers would gather the stalks and loosely bind them upright in sheaves and let them stand overnight before threshing them (removing the actual grain from the grass stalks). This allowed the grains to germinate or sprout.
Germination initiates a chemical transformation in the seed grains that naturally neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors the Creator put on the seeds' exterior. During this process, the seeds are activated and enriched, making all the nutrition within the seed available for digestion. These germinated seeds of wheat and barley and the bread made from them were extremely important in biblical times. This living "staff of life" supplied easily digestible, life-giving carbohydrates. Remember, whole grains promote health and refined processed grains promote disease.
However, the people of the Bible ate significantly less food than we do today, and they ate far fewer carbohydrates. For example, it was common for people in biblical times to eat only one meal a day, and the grains they did eat were healthy, sprouted, or germinated grains with small amounts of hard-to-digest disaccharides (sugars) and phytates (salts). All the health benefits of sprouted grains are available to you, if you know where to look. Check your local health food store. Many carry sprouted-grain products.
PEOPLE DON'T EAT SPROUTED GRAINS TODAY. And most people don't know what sprouted grains are.
GLUTEN - Today there are many people who have dietary sensitivities to grains and starches. This condition is called is called GLUTEN sensitivity. With the processing of foods and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) in foods today, we can't really be sure what we are eating.
What is a GLUTEN ? Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, rye, oats and barley. A serious condition associated with GLUTEN sensitivity is Celiac disease. Patients with Celiac disease are sensitive to gluten which damages the lining of the small intestine/bowel. This damage affects the absorption of food and nutrients which can lead to symptoms including weight loss, diarrhoea, iron and folic acid deficiency. A gluten free diet is the only long term treatment for Celiac disease. Complete removal of gluten from the diet allows the gut to return to normal over a period of time. Even small amounts of gluten are enough to prevent recovery or cause further damage. Obvious symptoms or damage may not occur at the time of gluten consumption.
It is important to include a wide variety of gluten free cereal products in a Gluten Free diet. This can be as simple as adding small amounts of soy, potato flour or rice bran to a dish. These are important sources of fiber, B group vitamins, zinc and increase the variety of the diet. READ MORE . .