Eating more wheat

In the "Search for Word Meanings" post on Feb. 10, 2009, I said: "Could the "demand" and "falling short" pertain to the body? Will we yet find our bodies, indeed, do not get enough?"

I've not been able to get this thought out of my mind and so for over two weeks, I have been trying to incorporate more wheat into my daily eating. I'm not organized enough yet to plan dinners - although I throw in cooked wheat berries (just cooked whole wheat) into soups and spaghetti sauce, etc., but we have not eaten those during this time. I do have a desire to be able to cook dinners and this morning could feel that is coming soon (the line upon line thing). But for these two weeks, it has been a matter of getting it into my body. So, what I've been eating is mainly cream of wheat cereal, wheat sprouts and whole wheat bread. I've eaten these things with a little milk, 1/4 t of sugar, Raisin Bran, blueberries, apples, cinnamon, butter, sometimes a little jam or honey, and green smoothies (with greens, fruit - bananas, strawberries or blueberries, flax or chia seeds and maybe some sprouts) and one time some pinto beans. I have eaten dinner with the family and that meal usually has not include wheat and hate to admit it, but they have not been the "healthy, healthy". You can see that this has not been a not eat anything but wheat venture but just eat more of it.

When I began, I tested to see where the level of wheat was in my body. I was about 1/3 of 100% which is where it should be. This really surprised me. I had no idea it would be so low. So as I've been eating more and more wheat, I continued to test. It has slowly and gradually climbed but it always would quickly fall. It didn't take much eating to get it back to where the maximum reached was but I was beginning to wonder if I could ever reach 100%. Remember, this has been going on for over two weeks. And I had never thought about maintaining that 100% consistently -- which it really should.

Yesterday, I reached 100%. When I woke up this morning, I was about 85%. I ate breakfast and was again at 100%. At this time (about noon and before lunch), I am still at 100%. I sometimes test vitamins and minerals and decided I would see where they were --- and, they are also up.

And what differences have I noticed? I am rarely hungry between meals and I have absolutely no cravings and I feel good!!!! Yesterday while wondering what the body would do when wheat was at 100%, I had the thought that weight would not be as problematic. I liked that thought!!!! Don't know if it was power of suggestion, but this morning, my jeans were looser and my weight loss always shows on the body before the scales. Further observations in this area will be occurring!! LOL

This is SOOOOOOO exciting to me. Could it really be this simple that we just need to eat more of it and as Gwenith said in her post on "Enzymes" (Feb. 20), "...sometimes in raw form, sometimes cooked, sometimes soaked or fermented, then we are being ‘moderate in all things’ and getting the benefits of all forms..."

I LOVE this quest!!!!!
Basak

(Word meanings have been added for quicker reference.)

staff of life: a staple of diet
staple: the sustaining or principal element; a commodity for which the demand is constant
principal: most important

nevertheless: but rather;
scarce: deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand and
implies falling short of a standard or required abundance

Muscle testing

Since I'll be sharing some testing, I need to briefly explain.

I went to an excellent chiropractor years ago. He'd been to China twice to study. He muscle tested and that's where I first learned about it.

Today, muscle testing is a pretty common practice. Just goggle "muscle testing" and there are many sites that explain it. I was quite enlightened by a book, "Power vs Force, The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior," by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.

Although some think this is bunk, I eventually was given the understanding that it is a gift. I am sure of my beliefs and goals in life and I do not use it in areas that to me are questionable. I do know our bodies react to all that happens to us and will tell us what they need. I have developed my own asking system, which involves the Lord, and know when I am at the point of needing to ask verses learning by experience, which is also a must in this life.

And so - in future posts - when I say I tested, you'll kind of know what that means.

Basak

Whole foods

Woke up this morning thinking about whole foods. We've not addressed this yet -- so here goes.

There is a great movement in the world today -- and that is to eat healthier by eating whole foods. Miracles in health have resulted!!

Should we find this amazing? I don't think so if we really think about it. God created all foods and they have the nutrients to feed man and help our bodies work properly. The more we eat the processed, modified and altered foods, the more our bodies lack what they need to sustain it and the unhealthier we will be.

Over 15 years ago I went to a church meeting. One of the segments was on the damaging effects our teenagers experienced because of using facial products for acne and other products. We were given a handout. It listed the "chemicals" in these products (all names none of us can say) and the known side effects -- depression, moodiness, sleeplessness, -- and the list went on and on. I remember how this so made an impression on me. Think about the difference between 15 years ago and now in the amount of chemicals used in everything -- including food!

Since that time, I've read labels. This carried over with our food. It is very hard to purchase food without additives. I was very surprised when I saw bacon on the shelf - and not in the cooler section. What do these things have to have in them to preserve them that they can be kept on the shelf? And what do these additives do to our bodies? And imagine my surprise when I went to purchase some bacon and read the label and gluten was used as a binder. Then I started to notice how many other things used gluten as a binder and it was in everything. No wonder we are maxed out in the "gluten" department; but we surely aren't getting it into our bodies in the form that is good for our bodies!!!!

One time after one of my body cleanses, I was eating whole foods. We had company and I'd sliced an orange, yellow and red pepper. I was so overcome by the sweetness of the peppers and especially the red pepper and commented on it -- how sweet and wonderful it tasted. Everyone just looked at me like they didn't know what I was talking about. They surely weren't experiencing it. It was awesome to experience the deliciousness that existed. Sorry to report that it wasn't long before I'd eaten enough of the world's "good" food that I could no longer identify that sweetness.

And then there's sugar. Man is constantly trying to find a substitute for sugar. We have all the man-created ones that have been proven to be very damaging. Did God created sugar? I believe He did. Wheat can be made into sugar. Sugar does serve a purpose; but moderation in all things. Man is out of control -- myself included!!!!!

This trend of the world in eating whole foods is a good one. Whole foods benefit man. And -- wheat and other grains are whole foods.

Since Gwenith and I talk a lot about this -- I think I can say "we" ---- we are working hard to incorporate whole foods (foods that can reproduce themselves) into our diets and we hope you, too, will desire, work toward and progress in using the foods God created for us for the benefit and use of our bodies.

Happy Healthy Eating!!!!!

Husband sick blues

Ah -- glad wheat grass has been introduced. After reading Ann Wigmore's books, I knew there's something to this -- and the rejuvelac (but we'll talk about that later).

My husband had his first angioplasty when he was 48. Scared me!!! They said after he got finished he'd feel like dancing. I went into the room as he was telling the nurse his chest really hurt. She called others. I stepped into the corner and watched as many others came into the room and put all the monitors on him and the meds under his tongue. I thought to myself, "This surely doesn't look like dancing to me!" The doctor came in and said it must have closed again and they'd do it again the next morning.

At 55 he had complete kidney failure because of kidney stones. At 58 he had a stint put in his heart. Of course, all of that requires many medications.

Stress is also a big factor in all of this and he has always had BIG stress in his work - some self inflicted (but don't we all). Family heredity is the usual for all he has goin' on.

Of course, my desire was to help with his health and I began growing wheat grass. He had to go have some blood work done and he'd been drinking the 2 oz a day for a few days. He had the best lipid profile he'd had in years. Of course, he thought it was the oatmeal he'd eaten the previous morning. lol

We made the decision that he should quit that stress. The most wonderful thing for me is I have my "real" husband back ---- but we have no insurance. Prescriptions eventually ran out. There had to be a better way. We now faithfully use wheat grass juice. We do take a break for a day every 7-10 days (depending on where the growing is).



I use a little hand juicer that I absolutely love! I'm sure it can be found in other places, too.

Everyone has a story. The good thing about a blog is one can check to see if it's been posted before. Teehee

Basak

The Korea Blues

I got sick the last couple of weeks in January. It dates back to the old days (17 years ago!!) when I lived in Korea serving a mission for 18 months and got sick. I don't know if its some kind of 'critter' or what but it continues, to this day, to come back and wallop me.

This makes me all the more keen to continue my forays into learning how to eat better. I have grown 3 crops of wheatgrass which I have juiced and drunk ( 2 oz.) per day and my fourth crop is almost done.

Michael Bergonzi's DVD (www.hippocratesgreenhouse.com) on growing wheatgrass was invaluable in learning how to do this -- not because its hard to do, but because you can easily and quickly learn the do's and don'ts and get down to business and not waste your money buying needless stuff.

I am also going to try to cut MSG out of my diet and if you think that's easy to do, just go to www.msgmyth.com and read what foods contain MSG!!! Everything contains MSG!!!! Everything except 'whole foods'. So you know what that means - you have to spend lots of time in the kitchen cooking everything from scratch! Yet, even if it doesn't help me, will it help my husband with his frequent headaches, my youngest son with his asthma, and my older son with his anxiety? Can I not try for the sake of my family? Can I find the energy to do this?

Gwenith

A story - not being able to eat wheat

I spent a season speaking about food storage years ago traveling to wards in our stake and that usually included a 2 hour drive. As I prepared for this, I found a story. It was one of those things that I've regretted many, many times not saving.

There was an older gentleman and he had trouble eating wheat.

He said he'd read the counsel of the Lord and knew wheat was for man. He desired to know why he could not eat it. He pondered this for awhile and decided he needed to fast and pray and ask.

His answer was: "Eat less sugar."

He cut back on sugar and no longer had any problems eating wheat.

This may not apply to everyone today but is some of our not being able to tolerate wheat caused by too much of the other things we eat?

Honesty with ourselves will serve us well.

Basak

My story

One day I looked at my four small children and had the thought, “what would I do if I did not have food to feed them and how would I feel as they cried of hunger because I had not prepared?” I cried and then I began to prepare!

My first experience that I can remember with wheat is at thrashing time. My job was to push the wheat to the back of the bins when it was unloaded. And this was the time we always renewed our efforts to chew it and make gum.

I remember us loading up a bag or two, taking it to the mill and returning with flour.

When I began preparing, I started using wheat to make bread and fed my family cream of wheat cereal. I thought I was doing pretty well. During this time, I’d heard two ladies give presentations on wheat. They both shared the miraculous health experiences of people who began eating whole wheat. I was in awe and knew inside that what they said was true.

I studied the Word of Wisdom and then knew why I knew what they said was true. I marveled at the direction given, “wheat for man”.

When I was instructed by the Lord to use wheat more than just the bread and cereal and to learn all I could about it, a unique thing happened to our family financially. I call it the tithing in reverse principle. You see, I had several promptings but did not get with it as quickly as I should have. Finally, our situation "changed"! Our income was the same, our outgoing was the same -- and yet, we had no money. I now call this the tithing in reverse principle. And by the way, as soon as I finished learning, things went back to normal.

I used wheat flour for everything. We ate gluten in all its various ways. I used the starch as a thickener and made bran flakes and used them in bran muffins. We used cracked wheat in casseroles and cooked whole wheat in soups, spaghetti sauce, and anything else a handful or two could be put in.

I have to admit that wheat was not my favorite thing to eat. I just did not care for the taste of it and because of that, I was apprehensive to use it when having to provide food to others.

My son received his Eagle Scout award. I, of course, had to provide refreshments and we had many cookies in our recipe file – this time all made with whole wheat flour. I was a bit worried that they would not be eaten and what people would think. And what a moment it was for me when a few adults told me how wonderful the cookies were as they had their third and fourth ones and when cleaning up, all were almost gone. (And there weren’t that many scouts there so the being gone cannot all be blamed on them. lol) Have to admit, I needed that and what it did for me.

Years have passed and I continued off and on to use the wheat. I taught classes. However, in the past couple of years I've again found myself thinking often about “nevertheless, wheat for man.” I’ve studied these words many times but once again, my quest came to the forefront. And the learning has again begun!

Basak

Provident Living 'Graduate Student' Progress:

My goal is to follow the prophets to prepare for the future (the term we use in the Church is 'Provident Living') and to help others learn what I have learned.

There's a lot to this Provident Living thing - if you take it seriously and if you want to know and do it well enough to teach somebody else - a full graduate course, to be sure. Obviously there is no set curriculum so we just jump in with both feet and press forward!

My personality qualifications for being a graduate student in this course of study: Type-A, perfectionist personality and an extreme, this-doesn't-come-from-me drive that fuels continuous motivation to keep on going that leads me to an insane penchant for researching something to death until you know everything about it, its background, history, molecular structure, etc.,etc.

Source of this motivation: is it because I'm apt to worry about the 'signs of the times'? That may be some of it but I know the Lord has a hand in it as well because normally, in many areas of life I'm quite a lazy person who never finishes anything and jumps from one thing to the next faster than a grasshopper!

Now on to food: We have learned a lot the last several years but there is still much we don't know. We are searching for the CORRECT information about nutrition.

There is a vast ocean (in a former life I would compare it to a data warehouse from a fortune 500 multinational corporation filled with decades worth of data from 100 different computer systems) filled to overflowing with information about nutrition out there and we need the Lord's help to sift out the truth from the rest....and to sift out what works for me and my family from what doesn't work for us (but may work for other people). Only the Lord can do that. We put it into His hands and ask for His help.

Gwenith