tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post3672841584694038663..comments2023-09-06T11:28:01.234-04:00Comments on The Table of Promise: One Family's Search for a Better Meal: Do I Really Need To Soak My Grains?COBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08917301601937658471noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-59740725057584594662013-04-13T15:42:47.647-04:002013-04-13T15:42:47.647-04:00Wow, how thoughtful the posts are. I am learning f...Wow, how thoughtful the posts are. I am learning from the posting. Actually these are the contentment of health aware people. for more please...<br /><a href="http://med-pro.net/" rel="nofollow">radiation badge</a> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-80920747127547468762012-11-20T11:04:35.504-05:002012-11-20T11:04:35.504-05:00I am for soaking beans, and if you are diagnosed b...I am for soaking beans, and if you are diagnosed by a doctor with Celiac's, then by all means sprout. Only about 15% of the population is truly sensitive to wheat, but there are probably twice that who are sure they are. If they want to sprout and help increase the demand for gluten-free so those who truly need it also find it more readily available, great. I didn't buy into the food fad that eggs were the devil, nor the olive oil fad, and I'm skeptical about soaking and sprouting everything. Part of increasing health issues is obesity skyrocketing and the medical community's increased knowledge. Today there are so many diagnoses that didn't exist 50 years ago. One doctor says to sprout, and another comes along and explains why not to sprout, and both offer chemistry to back up their position. This just reeks of food fad.Gael https://www.blogger.com/profile/12775204939823621497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-28976324211312928512011-08-14T08:05:13.390-04:002011-08-14T08:05:13.390-04:00You make some great points. Personally researching...You make some great points. Personally researching this the old recipes I came across.... were oat recipes in which a porridge was made and kept and eaten over a few days or made into patties and fried. Nothing went to waste. It seems that a lot of European cultures would do this. So at the start you would have fresh oatmeal but end on a day with fried oatcakes. Sour dough culture was kept, fed and even passed onto the next generation. I think there is a happy medium to all this. After a 21 day cleanse of no grain except a small amount of brown rice.... I felt great. In looking into grains I found that the wheat we eat today is not what was grown in Europe years ago. So our wheat may also be more problematic because of the mono-culture and that in itself causes some sensitivities. So there is my 2 cents. Great site. Keep asking honest question we all need to ask.Keelyathomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04418820709188984331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-65747887460202419582011-08-13T11:47:05.911-04:002011-08-13T11:47:05.911-04:00I haven't had time to read all the replies, so...I haven't had time to read all the replies, so I hope I'm not repeating this. I have wondered about all this also. I cant' believe wheat is "bad" for us, as it is mentioned so much in the Bible. But anyways, here's some food for thought on it that I have read. <br /><br />Phytic Acid – Friend or Foe?<br /><br />Phytic acid’s “chelating” ability is considered by some to be a detriment to one’s health. On the other hand, many researches embrace this ability to bind with minerals as its most powerful asset. In her book, Diet for the Atomic Age, Sara Shannon, lists 11 nutrients in particular that protect against heavy metal toxicity and radiation damage. Phytates bind with radioactive and toxic substances and carry them out of the body. Aware of phytic acid’s mineral binding properties, Shannon states that an adequate diet will more than compensate. One must also remember that whole grains themselves are an abundant source of iron, calcium, and zinc. After extensive research, Shannon found that the more toxic our environment becomes, grains are our best source of protection, particularly due to the phytate content. She believes that “for optimal health, at least half of every meal should be grains”. Why would one want to denature something that is so beneficial? In fact, a supplement company is actually isolating this “powerful antioxidant” because of its anti-tumor, anti-carcinogenic, and blood sugar regulating properties!<br /><br />Studies show that phytic acid, particularly from wheat bran, actually stimulates the productions of phytase in the small intestine. The fact that phytase can be produced in the small intestine eliminates the necessity of fermenting all grains before consuming them, as in the case of unleavened breads, quick breads (that do not use yeast as a leavening), and parched or boiled grains. Phytase activity in the small intestine actually increased, not decreased, the absorption of minerals, especially, calcium. (Journal of Nutrition 2000:130: 2020-2025). Over the years we have seen numerous people healed of life long anemia issues after they began grinding their own grains to make their bread. How could this be if phytic acid in the bran kept iron from being absorbed?<br /><br />Other studies have also shown that this increase of phytase activity, stimulated by phytic acid, offered significant reduction in the formation of cancer cells in the colon. This anti-carcinogenic protection was also attributed to phytic acid’s mineral chelating properties. If phytic acid strengthen and protects the colon, how could it cause colitis and irritable bowel syndrome? Again we have heard numerous testimonies of healing of both colitis and IBS from eating “real bread”.<br /><br />Phytic acid can be digested by humans and actually releases inositol during the process. Inositol is a key B vitamin necessary for the metabolism of fat and cholesterol. Whole grains are a valuable source of inositol, as well as choline and lecithin, which are also important in the break down of cholesterol. This may explain why so many people have reported a significant reduction in cholesterol levels once they began making their own bread from freshly milled grains. Inositol is also an essential nutrient in reducing depression. Again I ask - why would we want to denature this valuable nutrient?<br /><br />One should really wonder why whole grains and phytic acid were “picked on” at all. Why not oxalic acid? It is a mineral chelator found in spinach, chard, cranberries, almonds, rhubarb and other vegetables. Should we quit eating these healthy foods as well? Sally Fallon encourages the use of flaxseed for its rich source of fatty acids, stating that it is low in phytic acid. Yet sources that herald phytic acid as a nutrient, give wheat bran and flaxseed as the richest sources. Does soaking the grain over night actually denature the phytic acid? Not from what I have read. Only about 10% of the phytic acid is broken down in an overnight soak and that is not enough to make a significant difference.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-76885487501561229772011-08-11T21:41:16.071-04:002011-08-11T21:41:16.071-04:00I have been going back and forth about soaking. I...I have been going back and forth about soaking. I have yet to soak any grains, though. I read the blog post about calcium blocking the breakdown of phytic acid when soaking and thought it was interesting. If freshly ground whole grain flour starts losing nutrients as it sits at room temperature then wouldn't that mean that soaking it or letting it sour when making a sourdough bread is it losing nutrients as it sits? I mean, let's be really picky. I have no doubt that that soaking and souring makes grains easier to digest, but allowing you to get more nutrients? Maybe. Maybe even minimally. If anyone in my house had issues with digesting grains then I would probably work a little harder at it. As it is, we already switched to eating only spelt instead of wheat- because it is easier to digest. If I am going to bake with regular wheat I will soak/sprout/sour the grain because I do notice a difference in how I feel. <br />I cannot spend my whole life obsessing about proper preparation of grains. I try to eat only whole grains. We have been cutting out all processed foods. I am trying to increase our intake of fruits and vegetables. I have four kids to raise. I need a life outside the kitchen!The Hojnackeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831225232147068760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-51989238316358579332011-08-11T11:46:35.076-04:002011-08-11T11:46:35.076-04:00I have to admit, I came here ready to defend soaki...I have to admit, I came here ready to defend soaking vehemently.<br /><br />But after reading your post, I have come to appreciate your line of questioning. Certainly nothing should be taken as gospel just because ______ says so. So you are absolutely right to question. And I have no answers, although I would suggest you check out this series of posts, as she did a lot of research on soaking: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/seriescarnivals/soaking-grains-an-exploration/<br /><br />And I have to say that, had circumstance been different I would have likely had the same attitude towards it that you do. However, the reason that I stumbled onto the trad foods thing is because I had two kids with bad food allergies- allergies that made them sick for over nine months before we figured it out. And I wasn't satisfied with simply removing the offending foods- I wanted to know what caused the allergy and how I could fix it. After extensive research I came across Nourishing Traditions and, after following most of the principles in NT and temporarily eliminating the offending foods for six months, my kids were healed. Now they can eat anything.<br /><br />But that was not my only proof that soaking grains made a difference. Just before this happened I had started baking bread ala Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day... which includes super long cold fermentation time. As soon as I started eating this bread instead of the store bought whole wheat bread I felt better... before I had IBS and was plagued with headaches and fatigue, ever since high school. But since switching I feel like a whole new person- my digestion has improved, I have tons of energy, I don't feel hopeless/depressed most of the time, my frustration level is much lower. I attribute that all to the diet.<br /><br />However, I do agree with this:<br />"It has occured to me that to obsess over the proper way to soak grains may be missing the point."<br /><br />That whole paragraph rang true to me. I soak my grains. But I don't obsess about it. I started doing it out of what I felt was necessity (to heal my kids) and it has since become a part of our routine. But I don't obsess about how much soaking with what to do the best. I read a post once about a mom who sprouted, soaked, ground, and THEN sifted out the bran because she read that bran... I don't remember what. Not only do I think that takes it too far mentally, I think that is just too much for any person to do for a sustained amount of time. Soaking takes two seconds- all that stuff would take days.<br /><br />So because of my experience I would encourage you to just try it for a few weeks, esp if you suffer from headaches, fatigue, or mood problems. No one can know what is right for you except for you, and you don't know for sure until you try it. But I applaud you for questioning.Brandisleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12302913633451638028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-27988100434767205132011-08-08T13:03:03.244-04:002011-08-08T13:03:03.244-04:00I, too, have been confused by some of the informat...I, too, have been confused by some of the information out there regarding "traditional" foods. Traditional to whom? South Pacific-islanders? African? Aisan? How far back are we talking here, centuries? I'm as white-bread/bred as they come, I descend from Irish and English heritages and I'd be willing to bet money that my great great grandmother didn't obsess over soaking grains and probably never even heard of coconuts, let alone coconut oil.<br /><br />The health problems that are inherent in our SAD culture today didn't really start happening until roughly 50-60 years ago, and even then have only REALLY escalated at the current rapid rate within the last 20 years or so.....so we have to ask ourselves what changed in that time period? <br /><br />My dad, born in 1931, was raised on a farm on a diet heavy in fresh garden vegetables, but also heavy on white bread and potatoes. His whole family was healthy and thin on this lifestyle, until of course they reached middle age in the 1960's and the weight and health problems starting piling on. <br /><br />Look back even as recent as the 1970's and early 80's, people were eating white bread and things we call unhealthy today then but there still wasn't the obesity and other problems rising today. I blame oversized portions, reliance on HFCS and other chemical additives like MSG, not to forget soy in EVERYTHING, CAFO meat and eggs, for a lot of our diet problems today. 30 years ago these things were not in our food, not even in the unhealthy white bread stuff. <br /><br />I agree with a lot of what Fallon and company tout - unprocessed food, grass fed meat and raw milk, organic non-GMO frut and veg - but I think the current obsession with some of the traditional foods is just another food health fad and lots of people like joining in on the band wagon. There, I said it! :)Betsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06961949757283263982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-74052170894255226582011-08-06T19:14:41.703-04:002011-08-06T19:14:41.703-04:00There actually are "overnight" pancake b...There actually are "overnight" pancake batters and waffle batters. I forget what the benefits of doing an overnight batter are supposed to be (but it wasn't for maximizing nutrition and neutralizing phytates. <br /><br />I think that when Sally Fallon uses the word "traditional," she is talking not so much about our grandmother's recipes (which is how I would have once used the word), but about pre-industrial traditional cultures. Pre-white flour. Pre-refrigeration. Even pre-mason jar! <br /><br />I have the same problems you do with remembering to soak. Also with remember to defrost meats in time!Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00362450139300363320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-14015456289778143822011-08-05T11:47:27.170-04:002011-08-05T11:47:27.170-04:00Excellent post! I have one question to add to the...Excellent post! I have one question to add to the topic and one revelation. First, if I don't soak my whole wheat before I make banana bread, but it sits around for a whole day before I eat it, will that "soaking" do the same thing as pre-soaking? Second. My daughter-in-law who has Celiac disease can eat the things that I soak with no trouble, but not the un-soaked items.Yolandahttp://www.simplyhomemaking60.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-78328405214381332652011-08-05T01:05:42.206-04:002011-08-05T01:05:42.206-04:00while reading your post I thought about reports fr...while reading your post I thought about reports from several years ago on how unhealthy the populace has become from eating 'white' bread/flours ..the answer and improved health we were told, came from eating whole grains. My question; how could so many have improved health and less disease from whole grain consumption if there are so many 'bad' things in it for us? Maybe its a matter of degree, but I appreciate your open discussion of the subject.bobsgirlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-25608790683356007022011-08-05T00:24:21.993-04:002011-08-05T00:24:21.993-04:00Just read this blog post and thought of your post....Just read this blog post and thought of your post. This answers a lot of questions. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/soaked-sprouted-fermented-grains/#more-22441Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-89484183839551027882011-08-04T14:50:12.062-04:002011-08-04T14:50:12.062-04:00Here's an old cookbook site.
http://digital.li...Here's an old cookbook site.<br />http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/browse.htmlRuth @ Ruth's Real Foodhttp://ruthsrealfood.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-38925526222314392282011-08-04T14:24:51.715-04:002011-08-04T14:24:51.715-04:00Hi. A few thoughts to add.
I don't think my g...Hi. A few thoughts to add. <br />I don't think my grandmother (in Europe) or yours soaked grains, but I have definitely read that this is what certain cultures did with their grains. <br />I don't know if sourdough is technically soaking, but it is an alternate method that definitely does the trick. <br />BTW, there's a website somewhere that has uploaded old cookbooks, even from a few hundred years ago - somewhere on the web. Great way to find out about what people used to do.Ruth @ Ruth's Real Foodhttp://ruthsrealfood.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-67446646621052670132011-08-02T16:20:39.679-04:002011-08-02T16:20:39.679-04:00Your timing on this post couldn't have been mo...Your timing on this post couldn't have been more perfect. I am quite new to the "whole" foods concept of eating and it is quite overwhelming. From soaking grains, beans, etc I have not found a any one reliable source for soaking or not soaking, or sprouting or not. I agree with you that we can take things to the nth degree on any topic. I have not had any problems digesting unsoaked grains, but thought it should be done because everyone in the whole food community said so. I am so glad there are other people who are whole foodies but not crazy obsessed that making healthy food becomes a god. Thank you for being balanced about it all.Darylnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-60612224181041210152011-08-02T06:35:40.970-04:002011-08-02T06:35:40.970-04:00Great post - though I'm not sure I know the ou...Great post - though I'm not sure I know the outcome...i still learned something in the reading to get there. you have a nice writing style!granitegirl08https://www.blogger.com/profile/08063636094554424303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787698713835410146.post-6701512847054987362011-08-01T11:17:35.716-04:002011-08-01T11:17:35.716-04:00I LOVE your honesty on this topic! I've had ...I LOVE your honesty on this topic! I've had the hardest time wrapping my head around soaking grains regularly both from a "oops I forgot" standpoint and from a "does it really matter" standpoint. Actually I did some reading a while back that suggested those anti-nutrients can act as a chelating agent for heavy metals and toxins ....which is a pretty good side effect if you ask me. We certainly have no shortage of either of those in our lives.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16282687575560054690noreply@blogger.com