The Four Major Health
Risks of Conventional Cereal Grains &
The Four Healthy Weight-Optimizing Grains to Choose Instead
Popular consumer magazines are running articles that tout cereal as a convenient,
tasty and healthy meal that can even help you drop pounds.
But what if you, like many Americans, are struggling with your weight, digestive
troubles, frequent infections, bouts with the flu, or even chronic illness
and disease?
Did you know that these "healthy" cereals could be part of the
problem?
Cold cereal might seem like a nutritious and convenient meal, but those
flakes can actually harm your health! All cold cereals (even the ones
at the health food stores) are processed in a way that destroys their
natural nutritional value.
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What's Wrong with Conventional Cereals?
Conventional cereals provide so many reasons not to eat them that
an easier question may be: what is right about cereal?
Dry cereals, including many found at health food stores, share these unhealthy
processing procedures that directly affect their nutritional value and your
health:
- Extrusion. This manufacturing procedure that makes all the o's,
flakes, biscuits, and other shapes of cold cereals actually destroys the
fatty acids and vitamins in grains. Extrusion alters the structure of amino
acids, making them toxic.
- Genetically modified (GM) grains. Most conventional cereals will
have GM components that can harm your health. Read more about the risks
of genetically modified foods
- Improperly prepared grains contain phytic acid. Ancient cultures
have fermented, soaked and sprouted grains before consumption because these
natural methods for processing food make the grains easier to digest. These
processes also eliminate phytic acid, a substance in grains that binds up
nutrients and prevents your body from absorbing them.
- Stripped and refortified grains. Some cereal products contain highly
processed flours that have been stripped of most nutrients. Manufacturers
then add back chemical versions of vitamins and minerals that can cause
nutritional deficiencies and imbalances.
Why Cold Cereals Are Not a Weight Loss Secret
Besides lacking key nutrients like natural vitamins, minerals and essential
fatty acids, cereal and flour products from standard grains such as wheat,
barley, rye, oatmeal, spelt and rice are mucous-forming and become sticky
and glue-like in your digestive tract. Wheat, barley, rye and oatmeal also
contain gluten, a protein that many people do not tolerate today. It has an
irritating effect on the intestinal lining.
When you eat floury foods made from processed grains, they are so "sticky"
and "gummy" that once they reach your intestines, they create a
toxic environment that promotes the growth of pathogens like bacteria, fungi,
and parasites.
This toxic environment prevents proper digestion as well as the absorption
of essential nutrients -- two processes that keep your body healthy and slim.
An Alternative to Conventional Cereals and Grains
So why do studies keep cropping up shine a positive light on the value of
grains? Are they good for you or not?
At Body Ecology we'd like to end this age old feud between high protein and
high carb diets. Both kinds of foods have their value. They must be prepared
properly, combined with other foods and made more digestible. Fermented foods
are key to ensuring digestion of both kinds of foods.
Part of the problem is that many of the studies are only looking at a
food group's effect on weight loss alone, rather than how it affects our overall
health.
Also one must be especially careful today because you most likely have a
yeast infection in your blood that will greatly determine what you eat. Researchers
at Rice University have found that 70% of Americans have the fungal infection,
candida (yeast infection). Eating common grains, especially those stripped
of all nutritional value, will only feed the candida and set the stage for
further illness.
Following our anti-fungal, anti-viral Body Ecology program, you will build
your inner ecosystem with healthy microflora that will boost your immunity
and correct your digestion.
As this happens, your energy can increase so that your body will heal itself,
handle stress more effectively, produce less inflammation and free radicals
and age more slowly. You will find that our system of eating can also lead
to a naturally slim body.
At Body Ecology, we have a better choice than cereals that can help you
lose weight and more importantly improve your health: our gluten-free, high
protein grain-like seeds.
The 4 grain-like seeds we recommend are amaranth, buckwheat, millet and
quinoa. They are actually called grains most of the time because they have
the same similarities in taste, texture and benefits. However, since they
are truly seeds, they are gluten-free and do not feed candida.
These grain-like seeds in their whole form are very valuable for their abundant
vitamins and minerals. They are high in fiber to encourage healthy elimination
and serve as prebiotics
(healthy food) for the microflora in your intestines.
They even help your body produce serotonin, the "feel good" hormone.
To learn more about these grains, read: The
Risks of Choosing Typical Grains & the Healthy Grains to Choose Instead.
Especially in the early stages of the Body Ecology diet, sticking to these
four grain-like seed are important as you bring your body back into balance.
Eventually, when you conquer candida and have repopulated the good bacteria
and healthy yeast in your intestines, you can enjoy other grains like rice,
oats, barley and corn meal, but it's best to prepare them properly by soaking,
sprouting or fermenting.
Body Ecology Grain-like Seeds in Your Kitchen
If you are not used to cooking with these new "grains," we offer
some great ways to incorporate them into your lifestyle.
- Experiment with preparing Body Ecology's recommended grains with
different combinations of sautéed vegetables, cultured vegetables,
and sea vegetables.
- Soak or sprout your grain-like seeds in filtered water for 8 -
24 hours before cooking them to remove the phytic acid (all grains should
be soaked or sprouted first, especially when you are correcting your digestion).
- Prepare a delicious gravy to flavor your grains. (Recipe below)
If buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, and millet are new to you take a look at
the following products as you begin your road to wellness:
- Gluten-Free
Organic Buckwheat Flour is rich in magnesium and can help regulate
your blood sugar. Try buckwheat flour instead of white flour. Buckwheat
pancakes are especially delicious! While we recommend you limit your flour
intake to special occasions, it helps to have a healthy source of flour
when you want to make something special.
- Buckwheat Cereal by Pocono is a favorite at our Certified Body
Ecology Trainings topped with cinnamon and stevia-sweetened, raw butter.
It's also a quick and delicious dinner when cooked with Celtic
Sea Salt and savory spices. Leftover buckwheat grain can be made into
croquettes and sautéed in Organic
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or ghee and served topped with a healthy gravy
such as our Body Ecology Gravy below.
- Organic
Gluten-Free Quinoa provides essential minerals like manganese, iron,
copper and phosphorous. Some people also enjoy the very convenient Quinoa
Flakes Hot Cereal for breakfast.
- Millet
is one of the most easily digested Body Ecology grains and complements soups
and a variety of vegetables. Try making a breakfast porridge of millet to
start your morning or fry up into croquettes (like the buckwheat croquettes
above) for an evening meal.
Want a quick and delicious alternative to oatmeal? Try Ancient Harvest
Quinoa Flakes! Made from organically grown Quinoa, Quinoa Flakes are
ready in about 90 seconds and are great for people on the go. Quinoa's
easy digestibility is an added bonus for children and those on restricted
diets. Wheat and Gluten Free, of course! A fantastic breakfast cereal."
Learn
More about Quinoa Flakes Now.
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With Body Ecology whole grain-like seeds, you can be sure that you are getting
valuable vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber.
These "grains" are easily digestible, promote the growth of good
bacteria in your gut and bring your body back into balance. Body Ecology grain-like
seeds are so delicious -- and make you feel so good -- that they will surely
replace cereal as your convenient, "feel good" food. And a bowl
of good whole grains will be more effective than any cereal to help
you achieve ideal health AND weight.
Body Ecology Gravy Recipe
This gravy can make any ho-hum dinner of grains and vegetables into a special
occasion! For added flavor, sauté some shitake mushrooms and onions
before making the gravy, and then add them back in with the spices.
2 tablespoons organic Organic
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, butter, or ghee
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons amaranth flour (or you can try organic
quinoa flour
2 cups vegetable broth or water
¼ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon organic, dried spices of your choice
- In a small saucepan, make a roux by heating the oil or butter and then
stirring in the flour.
- Slowly add the water or broth, stirring constantly.
- Add in the seasonings to taste and shitake mushrooms and onions if desired.
Sources:
Fallon, Sally. "Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry,"
WestonAPrice.com. http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/dirty-secrets.html
Gordon, Jerry, "How B Vitamins Work," HowStuffWorks.com. http://health.howstuffworks.com/vitamin-b.htm
Karras, Tula, "The New Wonder Food For Women," Shape, Mar 2007.
Oatway, Lori, et al., "Phytic Acid," Food Reviews International.
2001. Vol. 17 (4). p. 419-431.
http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/ggpages/BarleyNewsletter/45/Phytic_Acid.htm
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