Why Wheat

The Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Academy of Sciences, American Medical Association, American Dietetic Association all agree that diets is a major contributor to our most common health problems, which includes cancer and heart disease.

The American people have high fat diets, low fiber diets and low in eating vegetables. Meat, potatoes and gravy is what many cancer patients lived off of for many years.

Of 11, 000 American people surveyed:

• 41% didn't eat fruit.
• 82% didn't eat vegetables.
• 72% didn't eat vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables.
• 84% didn't eat high fiber grain food, like bread and cereal.

Malnutrition starts slow. First comes chronic fatigue, constipation, mood swings, poor wound recover and frequent colds. Also struggling with incontinence, poor memory, pain in the chest, poor digestion and visual problems.

Harvard University did a Framingham study on the American way of life and found that many Americans overeat but the majority are poorly nourished.

The typical American is:

• Overweight
• Has six colds a year
• Plagues with lethargy, mild depression, and constipation
• Gets dentures at 45
• By age 50 has a big decline in function and vitality
• Dies at age 60 or 70 from heart disease or cancer

As a people, we don't get enough fiber in our diets. We need more grains and seeds to be in our food every day. White flour has the same nutrition for us as Elmer's glue. Wheat has all the nutrients we need in our diet except for vitamin C and when we sprout the wheat, we get the vitamin C we need.

Many people are afraid to use wheat. Dough enhancer is the best thing that has every happened in making bread. Besides being healthful, it helps the texture of the bread so it doesn't crumble. Gluten can be added to lighten the bread also. The key to good and light whole wheat bread is the high protein content of the wheat. There are several types of wheat available on the market.

The different types of wheat are:

• Turkey red hard wheat-Winter or Spring-depends on growing season.
• Soft white wheat, great for cakes and cookies. Easier to digest than other wheat.
• Prairie Gold-17% protein.
• Triticale-good for cereal, not for bread.

All of these are good, but for the best bread, you need 17% protein wheat. The turkey read hard and white heat are high in protein so be sure to check the labels. Prairie Gold white heat from Montana and Bronze Chief turkey red hard wheat are the best wheat for bread.

1. The best bread is made with wheat that has 17% protein, which will make it lighter.
2. Use gluten if protein isn't 17%.
3. Three-fourths cup of wheat kernels makes 1 cup flour.
4. Once you grind your wheat, you need to store the flour in the freezer.
5. Storing whole wheat bread in the refrigerator makes bread go stale and dry out quicker.
6. Whole wheat dough needs to be sticky. Never add flour to kneaded dough, use oil or water to counter and hands. if you have to add more flour, use white flour.
7. Tofu is ground up soybeans. It's good to add to bread as it makes the bread lighter. use about one cup for four loaves of bread.
8. Tofu is a cancer inhibitor. It stops hot flashed, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. It's also a milk replacement.
9. Dough enhancer is the key to good bread. It has lecithin, whey, soy, and vitamin C in it. Use about 1 1/2 T for four loaves of bread.
10. Whole bread has all the nutrients we need to live off, except vitamin C. When we sprout wheat, we get vitamin C.
11. You have to have a wheat grinder if you store wheat. A hand wheat grinder is vital.
12. Dough enhancer makes bread lighter and not crumbly.
13. Honey is better for us than sugar and it is twice as sweet as sugar. Use half the amount of honey as you would sugar.
14. Adding gluten to the dough will increase the protein level. Use about 3T for four loaves.
15. We need to store 300 lbs. per person for one year.
16. A 50 lb. bag of wheat needs one package of yeast and one container of dough enhancer.
17. If we have whole grain cereal for breakfast, it helps out metabolism to be strong.
18. Store wheat on wood slats or cement floors, but not touching each other.
19. Too much heat, moisture and air getting into wheat will cause weevil. So store in cool, dry and dark area in an airtight container.
20. Yeast only last for 2-3 years.
21. Dough enhancer can store for several years.
22. After several years, wheat stored in metal containers will get a metallic taste to it. Use part old wheat and part new wheat and the metallic taste will leave. Put old wheat into plastic buckets.
23. Yellow popcorn makes wonderful cornmeal when ground up. Grind it on the "coarse' dot of the grinder.
24. If you see little blisters or bubbles under the skin of the dough, then the dough has had enough kneading and is ready to bake. It takes about 10-20 minutes with a Bosch mixer.

Lana Richardson, "Emergencies and How to Prepare for Them"