What’s wrong with our modern Wheat?
In simple terms it’s white and deadly!
In this newsletter I would like to talk about white flour, which is refined wheat. It is found in almost any commercially produced baked goods including bread, rolls, cakes, biscuits, croissants, quiches, pizza and pasta but you’ll even find white flour (or wheat flour: same thing) in places where you would not expect it, such as on potato chips, yes chips!
White and Empty
There are several problems with modern wheat. One of them is that our white flour is refined, which means the whole wheat kernel has been stripped of its outer layers like the bran, including the removal of the wheat germ. What is left has no beneficial nutrition, it simply delivers empty calories. All vitamins, minerals, trace elements and fibre have been removed, without this it can lead to nutritional deficiencies – our modern form of malnutrition.
White and Irritating
Modern wheat has been selectively grown over many generations to increase its gluten content. Gluten is the protein which makes bread dough or cake batter glue together. Due to the high gluten content, wheat products have become more of a problem for our digestive system. Gluten acts as an irritant to the gut and can, amoungst other reasons, be the trigger for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and other problems.
White and Refined
Refined products cause the blood sugar to rise and drop too quickly and by doing so, overwhelm the pancreas. White flour acts physiologically like white sugar (another white and deadly food), which can, over time, lead to more serious blood sugar imbalance. Symptoms include tiredness, lack of energy and motivation, irritability, mood swings, sweet cravings, brain fog, weight gain or the inability to lose weight. Refined produce can also trigger strong sweet cravings or binge attacks (food or alcohol) and on top of all this, can cause diabetes.
White and Constipating
Another unpleasant effect of refined produce is often constipation: no fibre - no peristaltic movement. Changing from white flour to whole wheat, whole spelt or rye or even swapping to gluten-free flours , or alternatively, take a look at the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet.
Taking a break from White
You don’t have to be allergic to wheat or suffering from a wheat intolerance to decide to avoid it. White flour need not be part of anybody’s diet and choosing gluten-free/ ‘free from’ flour and produce can be a conscious one which will give the body a rest from years of consuming gluten.
Try it out and see. You may feel more energetic, more ‘switched on ‘, less bloated or even lose weight?
By Corinna Mainberger MA R.Nut.Cert.R.I.P.H.H.ND