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THE END OF ELIMINATION DIETING (part 3): WHEAT
Right out of the chute I want to state that the problems people are having with wheat are not caused by the wheat itself, including its genetic make up and whether or not it is refined, it is because it is being prepared with modern methods rather than the time-honored ones. The way our early ancestors prepared wheat-based foods have not only stood the test of time but gave them a decisive edge over those who didn't either deploy them or consume wheat at all. This remains the case today.
"INSTANT" OR "QUICK-RISE" IS THE CULPRIT
The main reason, in my opinion, people sometimes experience adverse symptoms and a degradation of their health subsequent to wheat-based food consumption is due to the near ubiquitous adoption of "quick-rise," or "instant," yeast. Quick-rise yeast replaced nearly all other forms of leavening of wheat flour in the United States primarily, but soon spread around the globe, in the 1970s.
I know that many others have pointed out genetic modifications in recent decades and centuries, however in my experience that is either negligible or can be overcome by traditional, slow-fermentation processes.
Why do I think its worth the time and trouble to prepare wheat traditionally?
WHEAT IS THE BEST TASTING OF ALL GRAINS
First off, wheat is by far the most satisfying grain in existence. Nothing rivals the appeal of its flavor and texture. Please understand that that is no accident. Our taste buds have been the result of evolutionary pressures over the eons of time, resulting them in favoring foods which contribute to our survival. Before you rebuff me, know that our palate is only trustworthy if it is not being chronically adulterated by commercially-produced foodstuffs which aim to promote over-consumption. Resetting the palate is one of the principal aims of the Autonomic Recovery Program and its Sugar Control Diet. If we are eating traditionally prepared foodstuffs our palate is a reliable and essential guide.
WHEAT IS ESSENTIAL TO WESTERN ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Secondly, the cultivation of wheat crops by early agrarians ended hunger and produced stronger bodies and minds, allowing the development of the advanced political and economic societies of the West. I argue that those gains can only be maintained if wheat is consumed regularly, and properly, by the overwhelming majority of the population.
Removal of wheat, especially by those living in the West, will result in both personal and societal degradation. Other culinary pillars of the West minimally include bovine dairy, bovine meat, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, and tobacco. I wrote about bovine dairy in the most recent Alert and plan to get to the others later in this series.
WHEAT PROMOTES GUT HEALTH
Wheat right off of the stalk is a poisonous. Chock fully of antinutrients, other agitants (e.g. gliadin, 33-mer peptides, alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors, FODMOPs), and high in rapidly-converting-to-glucose starches. It will ravage a persons gut and ultimately their health. Wheat traditionally processed will salvage the gut and propel an individuals gut and whole-person health. Quite the turnaround! How?
EXTENSIVE FERMENTATION
First off, sourdough bread has been subjected to an extensive fermentation process including multiple yeasts and bacteria. These microbes COMPLETELY transform the wheat into an ENTIRELY different product. The amino acid, fatty acid, and carbohydrate profiles are as different as a beef steak is from the grass the cow originally ate.
The transformed wheat product (e.g. sourdough bread) has been stripped of antinutrients, its glycemic impact lowered, is easily digested by our simple digestive tract, chock full of bioactive peptides, and promotes sound gut function and cellular (enterocyte) health.
Gluten and 33-mer peptides are eliminated and alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors and FODMOPs are drastically reduced.
SOURDOUGH IS ENTEROPROTECTIVE
It has become understood that consumption of sourdough wheat bread prevents developing gluten-sensitivity and celiac disease. In fact, consumption of wheat sourdough starter converted to a rye starter is actually curative of celiac. I refer you to the "BENEFITS OF SOURDOUGH" hyperlink for dozens of peer-reviewed papers on this topic and other sourdough topics in the "News" section above.
LESSER PROCESSED WHEAT-BASED FOODS BECOME TOLERABLE
When sourdough is a staple in an individuals diets, lesser processed wheat-based foods (e.g. pâte au choux pastry, croissant, baking soda biscuits) become well-tolerated.
LONGTERM ELIMINATION DIETS IGNORE OUR ANCESTORS WISDOM
Wheat has been a staple in western civilization for over 10,000 years. Adam Smith and Karl Marx both referenced wheat as a major contributing factor to Great Britain's prosperity and strength. In recent decades a myth has emerged that the way to improve health is to limit dietary choices. This has included salt-free, cholesterol-free, red meat-free, paleo, vegan, vegetarianism, dairy-free, egg-free, and many more. There seems to be a forgetting that our ancestors improved their health by increasing dietary diversity not by reducing it.
As a consequence of these restrictions, in spite of short-term reduction in targeted symptomatology, high personal and societal costs have been, and are, being endured. I have compiled the following to give pause to those who may have been seduced by the sirens' song of gluten-free diets, or really any long-term elimination diet as they all have a similar problem, that of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
GLUTEN-FREE DIETS ARE CATASTROPHIC
Rather than making this blog any longer by discussing the problems with gluten-free dieting, I have provided a link to a prior article I composed on the topic. It is titled "GLUTEN-FREE DIETS ARE CATASTROPHIC" and is in the "News" section above.
I refer you to the "PROBLEMS WITH GLUTEN-FREE" hyperlink for dozens of peer-reviewed papers on this topic in the "News" section above.
THANKS TO TBM, WHEAT CAN BE ENJOYED SAFELY & JOYFULLY
In my experience, all individuals can be brought to a point where they can consume wheat and wheat products without adverse symptoms of any kind. This can be a process, however, which minimally includes complete implementation of the TBM Basics and proficient Harmonization of all triggering allergens.
Furthermore, it is my opinion that working with true celiac patients should to be limited to those with advanced proficiency and experience in TBM and who are also familiar with and have access to all pertinent laboratory tests. Even then, it needs to be approached from a research-minded angle with caution and adequate safety measures implemented.
Additionally, I do not recommend, once all factors have been addressed to the practitioners satisfaction, instructing the patient to begin eating wheat products. Rather, I recommend converting a wheat sourdough starter to a rye one and beginning with rye sourdough bread for an extended period of time prior to initiating consumption of wheat. Feel free to contact the TBM office with any further questions.
LIST OF WHEAT & WHEAT-RELATED TBM VIALS
In case you are interested in working with those who have become gluten-sensitive or intolerant, here is a complete hyperlinked list of gluten and wheat-related TBM vials.
Flour Mite (Acarus siro); Gliadin; Gluten; Grain Mill Dust; Grain Mix; Wheat (Triticum); Wheat (Triticum) Aleurone; Wheat (Triticum) Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors; Wheat (Triticum) Bran; Wheat (Triticum) Endosperm; Wheat (Triticum) Fruit & Seed Coat; Wheat (Triticum) Germ; Wheat (Triticum) Germ Agglutinin; Wheat (Triticum) Non-Gluten Proteins; Yeast, Baker's (Saccharomyces cerevisiae); |
