12 Steps to Whole Foods

Replacing White Flour with Whole Grains
In North America, the bowl of white sugar replaced the molasses and honey jar at the beginning of the
twentieth century, and our health has dramatically declined ever since. Additionally, the discovery and
widespread use of the worst refined sweetener of all, high-fructose corn syrup, has only accelerated health
problems. White flour was new at about the same time as well, and it makes essentially the same impact on our
blood glucose that white sugar does. That has led to a terrible toll on insulin production, a meteoric rise in
diabetes and weight problems, dental decay, and countless effects of acidosis (acids burning out our tissue
binders)—in essence, all the modern “diseases of affluence.”
In May 2007, the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases reported on research that eating
grains such as brown rice, barley, and oatmeal in their whole form prevents clogged arteries, heart attacks, and
strokes. The researchers at Wake Forest University surveyed seven major studies: adults eating 2.5 servings of
whole grains were almost 25% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who rarely ate whole
grains. 1
Countless studies link diets that include whole grains to protection against diabetes, obesity, stroke, and heart
disease. We should eat about three servings of whole grains daily, but more than 40% of adults in the U.S. eat
none at all. High-fiber diets lead to a much lower risk of heart disease, and whole grains are excellent sources
of fiber.
The problem with white flour is two-fold: the removal of the bran and the removal of the germ. The bran
contains lignans, antioxidants, and minerals—in addition to most of the fiber in the grain. The germ is packed
with vitamins. Together, they are a food with sustainable energy rather than the quick-acting kind provided by
white flour. The only thing remaining in white flour, with the germ and bran gone, is the almost useless
endosperm (heated and usually bleached), which has just 5% of the antioxidants that the bran contains.
Eating the whole grain lowers the glycemic index of your overall diet while providing plenty of your daily
needs for vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber. White flour, on the other hand, has the same effect on the body as
refined sugar, causing blood sugar to spike and then come crashing down and leading to a higher risk of
diabetes.
According to the USDA’s Web site listing nutrients in whole wheat and in non-enriched white flour, the
following is the tragic loss of nutrition when whole wheat is refined to become white flour:
Content % Lost Content % Lost
Calcium 56 Protein 25
Copper 62 Selenium 52
Fiber 95 Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 73
Folate 59 Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 81
Iron 84 Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 80
Manganese 82 Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 87
Phosphorous 69 Vitamin E 95
Potassium 74 Zinc 76
246 12 Steps to Whole Foods
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw