Hubby woke the family up early this morning with homemade pancakes, organic maple syrup and grass fed butter. What a treat on this cold and rainy morning. I don't typically eat pancakes--they are not healthy, right? Well,lets discuss this controversial grain issue again.
If you know me at all, or have followed me/Primitive Diva on Facebook, you know I have stayed on the "grain free" bandwagon for several years. Especially during my strict Paleo love affair. The more research I continue to do about our primitive, traditional and ancestral diets--the more confidence I have found in serving "specialty" bread/grains to my family. However, that being said, any grains that I suggest MUST have been properly prepared by sprouting, germinating and sour leavening with wild yeast. Contrary to the popular media warnings of ALL grains....there are actually many fabulous benefits of sprouted grains, IF we follow similar methods to that of our ancestors. Who would harvest ancient grain(s) and leave in the fields to germinate (sprout) before threshing and storing it. Bread was not made with commercial yeast- there was on a starter culture used that was carefully made using time honred traditional techniques. I must also clarify that this does not mean buying modern/commercially grown wheat flour off the shelves--that is toxic, hybridized, GMO'd and chemically sprayed and should be avoided.
Sprouting and germinating and then milling was always too time consuming for my schedule. So for several years, I have only indulged in homemade sour dough bread ,when the RARE opportunity arose. I noticed that I did not experience the bloating, joint pain and fatigue as if I had consumed a commercially prepared bread. This led me to research further how to prepare bread and baked goods for my family using the original organic ancestral grains along with traditional culturing (sour leavening). I still believe that the quantity of grain consumption in our typical SAD (Standard American Diet) is out of control. In more PRIMITIVE cultures, this would have been a compliment to our nourishment not our focus. As I always say "its QUALITY not Quantity" I have located an amazing artisanal sprouted flour company called
To Your Health Sprouted Flour. Here are a a few benefits they have shared about sprouted grains.
The Benefits of Sprouted Flour:
- Easier to Digest – Sprouting breaks down the starches in grains into simple sugars so your body can digest them like a vegetable (like a tomato, not a potato).
- Increased Vitamin C – Sprouting produces vitamin C.
- Increased Vitamin B – Sprouting increases the vitamin B content (B2, B5, and B6).
- Increased Carotene – Sprouting increases the carotene up to eight times.
- Increased Enzymes are actually produced during sprouting.
- Reduction of Anti-nutrients – Sprouting neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which is a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.
Until the 20th century, grain naturally sprouted in the field before it was milled into flour. The invention of the combine harvester during the Industrial Revolution changed everything. Grain could be harvested in the field and then moved to storage bins. The time-honored practice of sprouting was cast aside for modern processing.
Unfortunately, nutrition was also cast aside. When whole grains are not allowed to ferment or sprout, they don’t contain the nutrients that sprouted whole grains do. And they retain the naturally occurring antinutrients, even when milled into flour.
To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co. has returned to the traditional practice of sprouting grains in order to render them more nutritious and digestible. However, we don’t leave our grains out in the field to sprout. We nurture the grains in our facility, allow them to sprout, then dry them at a very low temperature, to maintain precious vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
Here is what Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions) had to say on the matter:
The process of germination not only produces Vitamin C, but also changes the composition of grains and seeds in numerous beneficial ways. Sprouting increases Vitamin B content, especially B2, B5, and B6. Carotene increases dramatically – sometimes eightfold. Even more important, sprouting neutralizes phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc; sprouting also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract.
A portion of the starch in grain is transformed into sugar. Sprouting inactivates aflatoxins, potent carcinogens found in grains. Finally, numerous enzymes that help digestion are produced during the germination process.”
Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation (page 112 of
Nourishing Traditions)
Please hop on over to
"whats cookin with the Diva" tab above for Hubby's awesome recipe. Oh and also check back next week. I am making sprouted blue corn tamales with pastured pork and home grown green chile sauce~ ENJOY!
In Health and Happiness~
Melissa
The Primitive Diva
