It’s a sad day when you have to look at a lovely loaf of bread and wonder if it is going to affect your health. The reason for this apprehension is because of the gluten sensitivity. Gone are the days when bread was the staff of life. In this day and age it could possibly put some people into a lot of physical pain.
The growing gluten intolerance problem isn’t from the gluten in its original form, but stems from the hybridized grains, which makes the proteins hard to digest. Shame on the people with the bright idea that began a few generations ago to hybridize wheat in the U.S. to increase the protein content and to make a so-called “better” bread product. This new wheat, or Franken-Wheat as it is being called, bears little resemblance to what our great grandmothers used in their baked goods. Their wheat had 14 chromosomes and the new hybridized wheat has 28 chromosomes. The new wheat causes the body to produce antibodies to fight inflammation, causing celiac disease and gluten intolerance. All the new research is showing how this inflammation can result in cancer, irritable bowel, many auto-immune conditions, and even depression, just to name a few.
There are many other issues with this “super” wheat. To add fuel to the fire, this hybridized wheat, even as whole grain, not only contains a super gluten that causes gut inflammation, it also contains a starch that causes you to gain weight along with a chemical to make you crave more.
Because so many people are reacting to gluten in negative ways, many companies have come up with gluten free products ranging from breads, cookies, cakes, tortillas and processed baking mixes, to name a few. The gluten free label is not your green light to eat these products in large amounts. Nor is it a get-out-of-jail-free card, in fact eating some of these products could have a detrimental effect on your health. What happens is you are substituting one processed food for another with a different set of chemicals and additives, especially high glycemic ingredients such as sugar and potato starch.
Some of the gluten free products I recommend are Food for Life breads and tortillas. Pasta Joy brown rice pasta products are certified organic and cook without getting mushy. When shopping for rice crackers, please check the labels to make sure they are certified organic and Non GMO (genetically modified organism). If grains are not organic, non-hybridized and pesticide free I would suggest not eating them at all.
To recap and to explain the difference between GMO and hybridized:
GMO:
•The majority of corn and soy in the U.S. has been genetically modified.
•Wheat is not GMO.
•The GMO process involves inserting or deleting genes in a gene-splicing technology for a more pest-resistant plant and to have higher yields.
Hybridization
•Involves crossing different strains to generate new characteristics to make baked goods have a more appealing texture.
•Causes gluten sensitivity, celiac disease and many other health issues.
•As bad as GMO’s are, hybridized grains might be worse!
Begin your own food revolution and start saying “No” to the mutation of our food sources. Only purchase organic and from local sources whenever possible.
Let’s help the next generations by cleaning up this mess, which only we can do. It’s all about supply and demand, so when possible and available, don’t purchase these types of products. Look for the Certified Organic and Non GMO labels.