Grains are for the Birds!
by Jenny Silliman jennysilliman@juno.com

Grains are for the birds! A bird has an anatomical pouchlike organ called a crop, which is an enlarged portion of their throat or gullet, in which grains and other foods are held and partially digested by maceration, which is a soaking in liquid which their body produces for this purpose. Dr. Edward Howell, author of Enzyme Nutrition, writes: "When birds, for instance, swallow seeds or grains, these grains lie in the crop for 8 to 12 hours. As they sit, they absorb moisture, swell up and begin to germinate. During germination, enzymes are formed which do the work of digesting the seeds and grains."

Most Americans are overweight and about half are obese—probably in a large part because of overuse and abuse of this popular food group. We are raised with grains as a filler at every meal—you know they are the basic foundation of the food pyramid in the SAD Standard American Diet. Bread, even whole grain bread, grains flavored with the five deadly whites (sugar, white flour, salt, cooked dairy and fat), does not promote health. The fact is that baked goods are one of the most addicting foods on the planet.

Bread, bread, bread! Bread used to be my favorite food group. I used my own recipes for fresh ground organic whole grain bread, muffins, pancakes, biscuits, sweet rolls, donuts, cakes and cookies. I used only the best ingredients, such as celtic salt, honey straight from the beekeeper and organic wheat berries that I ground myself. How do you think I got to be 80 pounds overweight? Yes, even with WHOLE grain breads and whole grain casseroles and brown rice and oatmeal that are supposedly SO healthy, I became obese. These are the starchy foods, (along with the butter, oils, sugar, and salt that makes them yummy) that I used to fill up on. These baked goodies, especially when chocolate is added into the mix, are still my downfall. I am a carbohydrate addict.

I believe we are supposed to fill up on the food we were created to eat, fresh, raw, living, fruits, vegetables and green leafys. These truly satisfy the hunger and the nutritional needs of the body. RAW is the one and only food group--NO more pyramids!

For a treat, or a dessert, we can enjoy a few raw nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are harvested in the fall and store through the winter well. God provided them as a food to get us through the winter months when our supply of fresh produce becomes slim. Grains actually are seeds and they serve the same purpose. They are easy to store and hard to spoil. In times of famine, flood or fire, they have enabled us to survive. Bread became “the staff of life” because it is a crutch to lean on or fall back upon in an emergency. In times of plenty, when there are more nutritious choices, however, grains are not needed as a staple.

Grains are seeds; however, they are not edible in the raw unprocessed form. Grains are rather flavorless on their own. We would probably turn up our noses at the plain barley flatbread eaten in Biblical times. Man, with his clever ideas and desire for food that is sweet, has taken grains--which are raw seeds--pounded them and ground them up and added sweetness, fat, dairy (in the form of milk, butter or cheese) and salt and then he cooks them to death. Did you ever eat plain whole grains? Horrible. Try eating cooked wheat berries or try eating flour by itself. Yuk! Baked goods, with all those “health robbers” added in, the sweet, the fat and the salty, induce overeating and even food addiction.

One cause of overweight and obesity is grains, whether whole grains or refined. Grains are highly addictive and they are the food most often binged upon. When an overweight person eliminates grains from their diet they lose weight and will probably never be overweight again. If you think they are not addicting, try to completely eliminate all starches for one week. This includes hot and cold cereal, rice, pasta, chips, tortillas, bread, corn, cornbread or anything made with flour or wheat. You might go through withdrawals for a few days. It might be more difficult than you imagine.

If you don't believe me, read "The NO-GRAIN Diet" by Dr. Mercola. The subtitle is: "Conquer Carbohydrate Addiction and Stay Slim for Life." I don't agree with everything Dr. Mercola says, but you might be interested to read what he says about corn. Corn seems so harmless. He states that it has no nutritional value to our system, is hard to digest, and causes the body to react the same as when sugar is ingested since it is a grain. Corn is a definite no-no in his suggestions!

It has become traditional to consume generous quantities of grains at each meal. Bread, cereal, pasta and rice are thought to be healthful. GRAINS ARE NOT HEALTH FOOD. Grains are acid-forming and mucous-forming in our system. The use of grains contributes to various ailments and diseases such as allergies, arthritis, asthma, colitis, colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, fibro myalgia, sinus infections, headaches, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue and ulcers.

Our system gradually breaks down our food into small molecules so that it may be absorbed into our bloodstream. Starches are very complex carbohydrates (complex sugars), polysaccharides, and they can be broken down partially by our salivary ptyalin, but this substance is weak in humans. We are not meant to break down tough starches. God designed us with a digestive system perfectly suited for a diet of raw fruits, vegetables and green leafys. When fruit and vegetables are ripe, the starches have turned to monosaccharides, or simple sugars, and are easy for us to digest, and in fact the optimal food for us. Our body requires the soft or soluable fibers of raw vegetation. The “non-soluable” fiber that is found in grains is sharp and acts as an irritant to our intestines.

In addition, wheat and many other grains, contain “gluten” which is a protein that is just that, gluey. The human digestive system, unlike the birds, was not designed with the enzyme needed to digest this substance. The chemical reaction that gluten produces in the body is similar to a morphine-type molecule, which reeks havoc on the central nervous system. Gluten in the diet has been shown to be a contributing factor in behavioral problems, attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities and even autism and schizophrenia.

Grains are acid-forming and humans need alkaline-forming food (raw fruits, veggies and green leafys!) to be healthy. When we ingest acid-forming foods our body has to utilize calcium, with the alkaline pH, to balance our system again. This is how we lose calcium from our bones and osteoporosis develops. A diet high in grains is dangerous for the bones! Grains also have a natural coating, called phytic acid, to inhibit sprouting. Ideally grains should be soaked and the soak water poured off, before they are used, so that the toxic phytic acid is not ingested. In fact, soaked and sprouted grains are wonderful nutrition. Of course, then they become a green leafy and we already know how wonderful those are for us!

If all of this information isn’t enough to convince you to give up grains, or at least minimize them in your diet, take a look at the toxic chemicals used in grain production: aspartine, ammonium salts, fluorine, mercury, cyanide and chlorine. Then take a look at packaged grain products and read the list of preservatives, additives, chemical flavorings, and coloring agents. These are all in addition to the typical ingredients, oils, sugar, salt and cooked dairy, that are all hazardous to health and promote carbohydrate addiction.

One idea is to save grains and fresh baked goodies for a celebration food or a special treat. In the Bible we read about special feasts and celebrations throughout the year. However, for the bulk of our diet, grains are not a good idea. I know this may go against the grain (pun intended), but I believe God when He gave us fruits, vegetables and green leaves and said they were for our food and do you know what God said about raw food? He said, “Behold, it is very good.”

In His love and service,
Jenny jennysilliman@juno.com
Cliff and Jenny Silliman
Dan Val Dave Mike Josh Steve Luke Pete
931 S. 7th Avenue, Sequim, WA 98382
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