Thursday, July 16, 2009

Conflicting Data

OK, so I have been thinking, if 90% of the beneficial nutrients in whole wheat have been lost within 72 hours of grinding it into flour, there is no point in buying store bought whole wheat flour to make bread. It is a compromised food, devoid of any nutrients and acts as an anti nutrient since your body has to remove your own enzyme stores for the digestion and metabolism of the bread that is made with it. RIGHT? So I bought my own whole wheat (organic obviously) to grind. I just used a coffee grinder which didn't give a light airy flour like I am used too but it is not as corse as say corn meal (I digress), anywho...then I went to ferment my sponge (since I am making sourdough bread I will call it proofing) and it has to do this for about 12 hours (overnight). So I got to thinking, if it only takes 72 hours for the flour I laboriously ground in small batches to be oxidized thus raped of it's nutrients after being ground, then being mixed with my starter, then being proofed, then being kneaded (I do not have a bread machine) then rising, then being cooked killing all of the enzymes which are necessary for the digestion of the bread anyway, how many nutrients will we actually get from it? That is assuming we can eat all the bread within the 72 hour time limit for total oxidization. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon stated that all grains should be fermented to aid in digestion. Since I am reading yet another book on Enzyme Nutrition, I now understand why this must be done. For those who do not know, adding whey or lemon juice to your flour and water acts as pre -digestion so your body has to use less of it's own enzyme stores saving your tummy some work and allowing your body to focus on other important jobs...like writing this blog, that no one reads :). So this step if you haven't sprouted your wheat is an important one. So the enzymes have done their work by the time I murder them in my oven. But then Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price states that making bread from freshly ground whole wheat to be used that day will provide the most nutrient dense bread. So.....how can I meet these two expectations? Anyone? Anyone? Oh yeah, the sourdough bread turned out pretty darn good! If you want some, you had better get a slice before it isn't good for you anymore.

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