Whole Grains
On Tuesday Dr. Oz told Oprah’s worldwide audience to “eat whole wheat bread with olive oil every day.” Gasp! Seriously?
If you’ve read this blog for awhile you know I’m an advocate for gluten-free eating. 3 million people in this country have celiac disease, which means they get seriously ill when they eat wheat gluten; they have to avoid it for the rest of their life. There is another large (often undiagnosed) population of people that is gluten-intolerant, which means they don’t have the actual disease but they feel chronically tired, have skin problems (eczema, acne, itching), irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, thyroid problems, bloating, difficulty losing weight, depression, the list goes on and on. But guess what? When people stop eating wheat gluten these symptoms disappear. Many physical and mental symptoms that people just “live with” are actually caused by wheat gluten.
In England every child is tested for gluten intolerance before entering kindergarten. 10% of the total population in Italy is gluten-intolerant. Dr. Oz, I agree with a daily intake of olive oil, but lets not add anymore wheat to the American diet!
Wheat gluten is in EVERYTHING; Beer, soy sauce, hard candies, packaged flavored rice, gravy, some prescription drugs like; the antibiotic zithromax, the list is long. Plus every time we eat, most of us are eating food with wheat. Breakfast: cereal and bagel. Lunch: sandwich, cookie. Dinner: pasta, pizza or dinner rolls. We are inundated with wheat, the last thing we need is one more piece of wheat bread each day.
As quickly as these thoughts flashed through my mind Oprah said; “Wait! Don’t you mean whole grains and not whole wheat.” “Oh, Yes, Yes!” Said Dr. Oz. “I did mean whole grains, thanks for catching that.” Okay, now we’re talking, I’m all for whole grains. I’m on the edge of my sofa. Come on Dr. Oz, tell America what whole grains are! I’m holding my breath… Waiting… Tell ’em… Still waiting… Oh no! That’s the end of the show. The music plays and Oprah signs off reminding viewers to eat a piece of whole grain bread with olive oil every day. Sigh.
Here’s my problem, even though Dr. Oz retracted his statement and said, “whole grains”, he didn’t define or explain whole grains. Now Oprah viewers will end up eating whole wheat anyway. The average person does not know what whole grains are; they assume whole grain equals whole wheat. Not true! Yes, wheat is considered a whole grain, but it behooves the public to know and understand the whole grain options that extend far beyond whole wheat!
The Whole Grains no one tells you about – or The Oprah Show ended too soon, and Dr. Oz didn’t have a chance to explain:-(
**Whole Grains that do not contain wheat gluten.
1. **Quinoa: First cultivated around 3,000 B.C. A nutritional powerhouse with high quality protein, vitamin C and B vitamins. I personally love Quinoa pasta. It can also be eaten as side dish; like rice, or as a hot cereal.
2. **Buckwheat: High in potassium, vitamin E and phosphorus. Even though it has wheat in the name, it is not related to wheat, its actually more closely related to rhubarb and it does not contain any wheat gluten.
3. **Millet: Considered a sacred food by the Chinese, it is a very alkaline grain. Usually eaten as a side dish or cereal.
4. **Brown Rice: 12% more protein, 33% more calcium, more B vitamins and iron than white rice. Brown rice is a wonderful whole grain dish. It is also made into a flour and used in baking.
5. **Amaranth: An Aztec grain which is rich in lysine and makes a complete protein when combined with other grains. I eat Amaranth cold cereals; they are very tasty, honestly! I wouldn’t eat them otherwise:-)
6. **Sorghum: African slaves brought sorghum to the US in the early 17th century. Often used as a gluten-free flour for baking.
7. Steel-Cut Oats: Retains more of its food value in processing than wheat; however, because of the cross contamination in processing, oats are not recommended for celiac patients
8. Spelt: Over 5000 years old. It contains more crude fiber than wheat, it is often used in baked goods. However, this grain is too closely related to wheat and not recommended for celiac patients.
9. Rye: Most common source is pumpernickel bread; it has a high source of soluble fiber. Not recommended for celiac patients.
10. Barley: Used to make beer, whiskey and soups. Barley is high in potassium but not recommended for celiac patients.
11. Ezekiel Bread: Sprouted bread inspired from the scripture Ezekiel 4:9. Sprouting grains and seeds before baking produces living, nutrient-rich, good tasting food. You can buy this bread in cinnamon raisin, sesame or plain. I tell people about this bread all the time; they tell me later how surprised they were that they actually liked it! Ingredients: Wheat, Barley, Whole Millet, Organic Barley, Spelt. Click here for more info. Not recommended for celiac patients.
Whole grains taste good and are good for you. They are nutty and hardy, if you haven’t had one of the whole grains listed above, try it, you might be surprised at how much you like it!
Whole grains add variety to your diet and have beneficial nutrients, like lots of fiber.
People who avoid wheat/gluten can still enjoy whole grain baked goods, pasta, bread, etc they just have to be made with **whole grain non-gluten flours.
And now, next time you hear “eat whole grains,” you’ll actually know what they are!
