Yes, There is a Healthy Wheat

Einkorn to the rescue

The other day someone said that all wheat has been genetically modified, that is not true. Although they have manipulated and genetically modified much of the beautiful whole grain wheat, there are still some healthy original versions of wheat we can consume.

Have you heard of Einkorn Whole Wheat?

It is a type of heirloom wheat that has survived the test of time. I am going to tell you the story of whole wheat, I am going to shorten the whole long story, (you can look up more details if you are interested).

A long time ago, over 30,000 years our planet had a wonderful food source called Einkorn Whole Wheat. It is a whole grain that when eaten give humans lots of energy. This Einkorn wheat had a very fragile protein structure, making it very easy to digest. The protein structure is the gluten. It was eaten my our ancient ancestor often and there was no digestive or other health problem.

About 9,000 years ago our ancestors cross bread (this is done in nature and completely natural) the Einkorn with a type of wild wheat grass, slightly changing the structure of the whole grain. This type of wheat is called Emmer. This is another type of ancient wheat that has survived and is called Spelt or Kamut. The protein structure is still fragile, not as fragile as Einkorn, but still very easy to digest and very health for humans. Again, the protein structure is the gluten.

The protein structure is the gluten.

In the 1950’s a scientist wanted to help feed all the hungry people in the world and set out to make a better wheat that will produce more grains on the stalk thus creating more yield from the plant. This scientist had good intentions, but we should never fool with mother nature. (If you are interested in learning more about what happened and the details you can do your own research and look it up). The wheat underwent intense cross breeding to produce more yield and it did, ten times more then the ancient wheat. This wheat was also very attractive to the bugs and more chemicals had to sprayed on the wheat to keep them away. (Yet another bad thing that happened to our wheat plant and why modern wheat is toxic.)

What happened to the wheat in the 1950’s was intense cross breeding, not genetically modifying. That is a whole other article to be written about genetically modifying food.

This new wheat that was create did create a large kernel of wheat, it is much bigger then the ancient Einkorn or Emmer Wheat. But there was one main difference, the protein structure had changed to be a complex structure, not fragile. The gluten in wheat was changed to become hard to digest. By the 1970’s this new wheat went world wide. By the 1990’s every wheat product in grocery stores had this new, complex protein structure, hard to digest gluten in it. That includes all pasta, all bread, all cereal, anything that list wheat as an ingredient.

I will make a note here that when you create sourdough bread with the wheat that is out today, it can help break down the complex protein structure and it is easier to digest. But still not the same as the Einkorn or Emmer ancient grains.

Einkorn is easy to digest.

Now if all of this manipulation of wheat sound discouraging, do not fret. I use Organic Einkorn Whole Wheat flour for many of my recipes and it tastes great, is easy to digest and not a problem for some who suffer with gluten sensitivities. (Remember everyone is different and some have celiac disease or a very weak digestive system and they can not handle any wheat. You have to eat for your health and what is good for your body.)

Health Benefits of Einkorn Whole Wheat

• Nurtures the heart

• Focuses the mind

• Nurtures the spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and liver

• Vitamin B, E, Zinc, Iron, Copper, Prosperous, Magnesium, Manganese

• Essential fatty acids, Protein, and Complex Carbohydrate

Please do not be afraid of using organic Einkorn, Spelt or Kamut grains of flour. They can be a part of a health lifestyle and diet.

In one of my latest radio show episodes, I discuss what is really making us sick. You can listen here: REAL FOOD with Chef Val.

Thanks for reading. Please remember I make my living by Teaching Cooking Classes and Lifestyle Counseling. I am the author of 6 cookbooks and I do personal chef services also. Please visit my website to attend classes or set up a consult.

https://www.macroval.com/