For the past seven Health Tips (#648 through #654) we have been talking about “How we contribute to our own physical problems”:
In Health Tip #648 we talked about the FAT contained in animal sourced foods that clog the arteries, and contribute to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
In Health Tip #649 and #650 we discussed how the ACID in animal sourced foods cause a myriad of problems, including acid stomach, heartburn, osteoporosis, and more, and how if the blood becomes even slightly acidic, we die.
In Health Tip #651 we talked about PROTEIN and how the excessive amounts of protein found in animal source foods harm the body, and contribute to numerous physical problems.
In Health Tip #652 and #653 we talked about SUGAR the second greatest cause of both the physical as well as the mental problems being experienced today.
In Health Tip #654 we began talking about GRAINS and shared why grains were not a part of the Genesis 1:29 diet, but are allowed on the Hallelujah Diet in their whole form.
Today we will continue to discuss grains, and share why they become problematic when consumed in their refined form.
WHAT IS A REFINED GRAIN?
The word “refined” when used in connection with grains means that the bran (fiber-rich outer layer) and the germ (nutrient-rich inner part) of the grain have been removed during milling. This processing leaves only the endosperm (middle part). While this process makes grains easier to prepare and consume, it removes vital nutrients along with the extremely important fiber part (bran).
Whole grains, because they have not gone through the refining process, contain the bran, the endosperm, and the germ, and thus are good sources of fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin E, and selenium. Whole grains also contain plant chemicals called phytochemicals, which have many health-promoting benefits. Refining grains, removes a significant percentage of these nutrients, plus much more.
Whole grains would include: whole wheat, barley, brown rice, bulgur, oat grouts, quinoa, rye, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, and spelt.
Whole grains, if not consumed too frequently, do the body good. Whole grains are more nutritious than refined grains; they have more texture and flavor, as well as being more filling than refined grains. On the other hand, refined grain does the body bad! On The Hallelujah Acres Diet, whole grain cereals and breads, like Ezekiel 4.9; along with brown rice and other whole grains, as well as whole grain pastas are allowed.
Now that we understand the difference between whole grains and refined grains, we will devote the remaining part of this article talking about the dangers of refined grains, and why we should not consume them.
REFINED GRAINS ARE DEVOID OF ALMOST ALL FIBER
In order to turn a whole grain of wheat into a refined grain, the outer shell, called the husk is removed. This outer shell is the fiber part of the grain and is also called bran.
There is a similar difference between brown rice and white rice in that the outer shell or husk of the grain has been removed. The outer shell or husks of grain play an important part in the digestion of grains.
Definitions from Webster
- Fiber: “bulk, roughage, the structural parts of plants that are wholly or partly indigestible, acting to increase intestinal bulk and peristalsis. . . “.
- Husk: “the dry external covering of seeds;” and “bran” as:“the partly ground husk of wheat or other grain, separated from flour meal by sifting.”
- Another definition of fiber is: “A substance in foods that comes from plants that help with digestion by keeping stools soft so that it moves smoothly through the colon.”
- Alimentary Canal: “a tubular passage functioning in the digestion and absorption of food and the elimination of food residue, beginning at the mouth and terminating at the anus.”
- Peristalsis: “progressive waves of involuntary muscle contractions and relaxations that move matter along certain tube like structures of the body, as ingested food along the alimentary canal.”
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. AND BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2