Whole grain (WG) cereals (wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, oats, rye, rice, corn, millet, sorghum…) and pseudo cereals (buckwheat, quinoa, chia, amaranth, wild rice, teff…) contain three nourishing components in balance: the endosperm, bran, and germ. Whole grain in its natural form is an ‘ancient grain.’ They have provided sustenance to humans for as long as we can see into the past. “In its natural form” means, real organic, non-GMO, and not hybridized into a hollow version of the ancient grain.
All grain is whole grain (WG) as it grows in the field. A husk or hull protects it from weather and pests. Grain will sprout after the hull is removed as long as the kernel stays intact and storage conditions do not allow it to be damaged. WG grown thousands of years ago can still be sprouted and has maintained its life force.
Whole grain is balanced nourishment for people, the closest to perfect of any single food. The bran layer contains fiber, is mineral rich, and contains vitamins. The germ is healthy fat, protein, and many vitamins as well. Grain bran and germ also hold antioxidants and many phytochemicals. The largest WG component is complex carbohydrate a.k.a. starch. It holds protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. As a whole, WG all of the elements necessary to completely utilize the nourishment of WG are present. With a broad, balanced spectrum of nutrients, WG is essential to an individual’s freedom and good health.
EDEN Whole Grains are just that. They are not disassembled whole grain that is ‘legally’ reassembled into commercial versions vaguely similar to authentic whole grain in order to approximate a federally mandated definition of the marketing term “whole grain.” Although a mockery, this is extremely common.
Many whole grains are gluten free! GMOs, chemicals, and the gluten of degraded, adulterated grain are the usual culprits.
Today’s flour mills strip away most vitamins, minerals, fats, and all the fiber from grain flour, leaving only complex carbohydrates. This is done to achieve longer shelf life that facilitates processing centralization and monopoly. Resulting “refined” grain flour has severely diminished value and is harmful. Long-standing federal law requires flour produced this way to be pharmaceutical fortified to replace the nutrients plundered from WG for cheap animal feed.
Good and Bad Carbs
Removing phytonutrients from WG such as polyphenol and other antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and countless additional unknown or unresearched nutrients, turns the ‘good complex carbs’ into ‘bad empty carbs’ and causes widespread health problems. The commercial diversion of WG nutrients for nefarious and greedy purposes has been devastating. Worldwide nutritional deficiencies cause an ongoing epidemic of health woes. Mix in GMOs and you have Frankenstein food egregious effects. “Frankly, we are only just realizing the nutritional fallout from almost eliminating whole grain from our diet,” says Elaine Magee, RD, of the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic.
Vastly extended shelf life of milled grain flour delivers easier large profits to the monopolist. They developed effective schemes to misguide people into thinking that overly processed, nutrient depleted grain was a good thing. Examples of this are “refined” and “white” flour. Abundant, cheap, valuable animal feed thus derived was also a goal of separating those concentrated nutrients. Easier, cheaper flour and animal feed generates high profits, powerful lobbyist, and corrupt politicians.
Today, small segments of the medical community and U.S. government acknowledge the irrefutable role of WG in good health. Society is trying to move back to whole grain, but industrial giants and their political cronies thwart right-minded grassroot efforts of this nature. Industrialists protect their investments in damaging nutritional follies with massively funded misinformation.
Appreciation of the importance of WG food is becoming common. Real organic, authentic EDEN WG is the finest to be found. WG causes the body to burn 25% more calories with its superior plant protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. It satisfies and subdues appetite more thoroughly, for longer. Whole grain greatly assists one’s weight management while encouraging well-being, mental acuity, and longevity.
Properly handled and prepared, EDEN WG protects the nutrients, purity, and integrity of authentic whole grain nourishment. WG is rejuvenating sustenance that provides needed protein, complex carbs, essential fiber, vitamins, abundant minerals, essential fat, and a bounty of critical phytonutrients, all in suitable proportions. Test tube chemical fortification is not required.
EDEN WG addresses the needs for proper nourishment. They bring fundamental benefit to agriculture, diversity, sustainability, and society in profound ways.
Optimum Benefits
Real organic, authentic EDEN WG tastes the best and is the most satisfying. It is locally grown in a non-monopolized supply network.
Quoting Elizabeth Gilbert of Tufts’ School of Nutrition Science and Policy from Tufts’ Nutrition Daily, “Grains have received bad press recently. But only claims that refer to refined grains, those that make up the ‘typical’ American diet can be considered true,” she says. “When the talk is about whole grains, it is a whole different story.” She further states, “Not only is refined grain devoid of several beneficial nutrients, but its glycemic index is increased. The glycemic index measures the rate at which carbohydrates break down into sugar once they are eaten. When you eat a food with a high glycemic index, you will feel less full than if you ate a food with a lower glycemic index. But not all grain products have a high-glycemic index. Whole grain products, and other high-fiber foods, have low-glycemic indexes, whereas refined grains, grains that are stripped of fiber, have high-glycemic indexes. When grains get ‘bad press,’ it is based on the premise that they have a high-glycemic index.”
Elizabeth continues, “Examples of refined grain products made with flour include white breads and other baked goods, pasta, crackers, and white rice, the majority of a ‘typical’ American diet. Do not be fooled by ‘enriched’ grain products; enrichment replaces most of the B vitamins like thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin, but it does not replace any of the fiber, vitamin E, or trace minerals from the bran, lost in the milling process. Eating a variety of plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is an important part of a healthy diet and offers numerous health benefits. Unfortunately, people tend to think of grain as a grain, rather than a refined one versus a whole grain. And since supermarkets are teeming with processed foods, whole grains are not commonly incorporated into the daily American diet; but, by omitting them from your diet, you could be missing out on some enormous health benefits.”
Scientists at USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University say, “Whole grain helps regulate blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of complex carbohydrates into sugar. In fact, low-glycemic index food such as whole grain reduces hunger and can help to control weight.” Scientists at the Agriculture Research Service completed a study of more than 2,000 people and concluded, “…at least three or more servings of whole grain everyday could reduce the chances of developing metabolic syndrome – a condition marked by a combination of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control, low HDL ‘good’ cholesterol, and high blood fats.”
USDA’s Dietary Guidelines suggest three servings of WG per day. The Guidelines say, “Shift food intake patterns to a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans, peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.” Even the FDA encourages whole grain, “Diets rich in whole grain and other plant foods, and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.”
Protected Vital Integrity
The three components of whole grain in order of the largest percentage by weight are endosperm, bran, and germ. Whole grain has all of the vitally important phytonutrients for their complete utilization. Real organic EDEN WGs are pure and natural. Eden Foods works to maintain WG vital integrity.
EDEN Buckwheat is North Dakota organic family grown. Buckwheat is gluten free and not related to wheat. It is hulled buckwheat, a.k.a. buckwheat groats. It cooks in 20 minutes. Buckwheat astonishingly warms the body, well suited for cold weather. It is mild, light, and energizing with high quality protein. Buckwheat is the best source of rutin, a bioflavonoid antioxidant that is under researched, but extremely beneficial.
EDEN Yellow Millet is U.S. organic family grown, an ancient and rare alkaline grain. It takes a few minutes to dry pan toast and about 20 minutes to cook. Millet offers complete protein in a deliciously versatile WG. Cooked millet with cauliflower makes great millet ‘mashed potatoes.’ Gluten free.
EDEN White and Red Quinoa are high altitude varieties, family plot organically grown at over 12,000 feet in the Andes Mountains. Quinoa is as versatile as rice, quicker cooking, and uniquely nourishing. Quinoa’s complete protein has the best amino acid profile of any WG and cooks in 12 minutes. EDEN Quinoas are Women’s Health, Grocery Headquarters, and Vegetarian Times award winners. Gluten free.
EDEN Wild Rice is authentic, hand harvested by Ojibwe in canoes as required by state and tribal law, wood fire parched (a delicious touch) to dry and make it storable. It cooks light and fluffy in 30 minutes. Vegetarian Times named it the “Best Go-To Grain.” Complete protein with folate and zinc. This is not paddy grown, cultivated, hybrid, black, hard, imitation wild rice. This is legendary Real Wild Rice. Gluten free.
EDEN Short and Medium Grain Brown Rice are Lundberg Farms California grown, spectacular organic brown rice. Available at edenfoods.com in 2, 5, and 50 pound bags. Gluten free.
EDEN Barley is U.S. organic family partially pearled with more than 50% of the bran still intact. Pearled barley usually has all of its bran and germ removed. It does not need soaking, has pleasant taste and delightful texture. Available at edenfoods.com in 2, 5, and 50 lb bags.
Combine EDEN whole grains and flakes in various combinations for unique tastes and nourishment. Add to soup, stew, casseroles, and grain dishes as an entrée or side. Cooked, they can be added to bread dough, pancakes, waffles, and baked goods. They make superb porridge. Visit edenfoods.com/recipes for many free recipes.
A Principled Natural Food Company
Principles that respect, encourage, and contribute to life’s well-being. Principles that encourage commonsensical, straightforward, and forthright dealings between people. Fundamental truth has guided Eden Foods since 1968.
Translating macrobiotic principles into dietary suggestions points to the basic need of pure whole grain being the fulcrum of one’s balanced diet. Once that is accomplished, most everything else will take care of itself at every level; personal, mental, physical, emotional, societal, economic, political, spiritual, environmental, and interpersonal.
Improved judgment results over the long run.
A transition from commercial food to healthy food centered upon whole grain is not an easy process. It is a basic necessity to accomplish freedom, harmony, and to nourish intuition. The transition requires focused persistence. Considerable experience and knowledge about food, its uses, and benefits are available to help those who work to make the change.