May 01st, 2014

   Anyone who  knows my family has probably learned that we try to stay away from all white flour, sugar, and soda. Although this might sound rather strict to many people, there are excellent reasons to cut these foods from your diet and replace them with healthy alternatives. 
   Let's talk about white flour or “enriched multi-purpose flour”. This flour is widely available for what seems like an unbeatable price at as little as 30 cents per pound. But what exactly are you buying? Let's consider what must happen to the wheat kernel in order to make this overly-processed product which is found in so many of the pre-packaged and frozen foods on today's market. 
   First, the wheat seeds are treated with fungicide, then, during their growth, they are sprayed with hormones and pesticides until the fully mature wheat is harvested, at which point it is stored in bins which have been coated with insecticides. If this doesn't do the trick, then the wheat is fumigated to remove any surviving insects. This pesticide-soaked grain is then sent to the mass-production mill where the speed and high temperatures of the mill's steel rollers remove almost everything except for the starchy middle layer of the wheat berry, which is called the endosperm layer. This means that all the fiber, nutrients, and healthy fats from the bran and the germ layers will never make it into your flour, but rather are considered “waste” and are sold as animal feed! The resulting flour is now sent on to a chlorine gas bath which bleaches the flour until it looks clean and white, meanwhile producing the toxic diabetes-promoting byproduct known as alloxin.
   The white flour is now completely lacking any natural vitamins and nutrients, so it is mixed with synthetic (or man-made) vitamin and mineral supplements to “enrich” it. These, however, are not absorbed by the body as natural vitamins are, and they leave you lacking necessary nutrients - and feeling sluggish because of it. After all is said and done, the final product is simply a chemically refined starch, which, much like sugar, causes your body's blood sugar level to rise dramatically and subsequent-ly to crash, leaving you feeling irritable and hungry soon after eating. This sugar is then stored in your muscles, and - if it isn't used - is turned into fat. On the other hand, because of the fiber and nutrients still contained in 100% whole wheat flour, your body digests the food at a slower rate, causing your body to stay feeling full for a longer period of time, and meanwhile giving you necessary vitamins and added energy.
   The effects of white flour consumption can be seen all around us in the form of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, just to name a few. So, consider the side effects and potential medical bills and decide whether that $2 sack of white flour is indeed worth the price you pay.

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