There is no way not to have heard how awful wheat/grains are for us. This is a loud message today, that carbs are terrible, causing blood sugar spikes or real health and energy comes from only protein. Doctors and nutritionists began recommending, for any health issue, to get off grains, particularly those containing gluten.
When we were told our child had a gluten intolerance issue the answer was obviously to go gluten free. That made sense as does eliminating grains in attempts to heal or starve cancer cells. However, as I began diving into whole grains again, I began to see over and over that wheat was literally being demonized; Grain Brain, Wheat Belly and so much more push for NO WHEAT! So what happened? Why are people gluten intolerant, allergic, sick in droves today?
This led me down the path to understand more. How did we get here? No grains and minimal carbs; they are the catalyst of cravings, blood sugar highs and lows, empty calories... we must not ingest them. Do modern agricultural practices including GMO, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides have a role in this bad rap for grains?
Some claim mankind was hunter-gatherer and that agriculture, wheat/grains, were never meant to be provision for our food. I go back to Genesis 4 and see the children of the first family (Adam and Eve's kids) and 4:2 "...Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." Cain sounds like he grew food. I don't deny that in the history of civilization, people groups were hunter-gatherers but personally the Bible and it's recounting of the beginnings of people is what I believe to be true.
If no grains, no wheat, is the answer, why did Jesus compares himself to bread, "I am the bread of life..." He could have compared himself to anything, broccoli for example, but he didn't. He said bread. Jesus shared bread, provided bread as sustenance for the earthly body. Wheat is mentioned in the bible over and over too. God's provision, through long term storage, to survive a famine and every day for food and fellowship. But today, is wheat bad? Has it been genetically modified? Is wheat at the root of the epidemic of health issues we see today? Questions filled my mind and maybe yours too.
Outside of the Bible, two resources were particularly helpful in getting some additional clarity and truth on these questions. One is Sue Becker of Bread Beckers Inc. point by point addressing the book Wheat Belly and its assertions. The other is a video from The Fifth Estate, a news organization, providing documentaries on hot topics, of which wheat hit their radar.
Being swept into the latest craze can be so easy. Life moves so quickly and taking time to look before leaping, well, it doesn't always happen. Ideally we'd like to take time to be informed, to ponder and see if we can address questions. Grains are rather against the grain today. This article Wheat Belly, Fact or Fiction certainly helps glean understanding. Additionally the video from The Fifth Estate, The War on Wheat confirms and affirms even more.
Whole grains, especially wheat, have been a blessing to me and my family. Maybe whole grains is just the answer you have been looking for too.