Whole Wheat Flour Components
The processing of the wheat grain started in the 1870's with the roller mill technology, and since then wheat consumption has not been quite the same. It used to be just about all people consumed the whole wheat flour from the entire wheat grain. Today, only 8% of Americans ever eat any 100% whole grain or whole wheat flour products at all. Refined white flour products sadly make up a very large part of the American diet today. What kind of foods are handed out in mass at school parties? What kinds of snacks are frequently passed out to children at their sports events and numerous activities? These foods are certainly convenient, have a longer shelf life, and do taste good with all of the sugar and tasty chemicals added to this flavorless, nutrient depleted white flour. But, what price has our health paid for this convenience and brief pleasure to the palate? Eat these foods now and one can pay the price for this choice in increased health costs and problems down the road. Yes, the highly processed white flour has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart and circulation problems to name a few little associated health problems. Let me explain about the parts of the whole wheat flour that are removed in the milling process, resulting in the white flour. First the whole wheat seed is ground and turned into whole wheat flour, then the highly nutritious parts of the whole wheat flour are removed leaving just the white flour. The flour is later bleached.  Bran is a wonderful source of fiber. It assists the body to more rapidly remove wastes, toxins, and old debris from the colon. Wastes, toxins and stagnate materials in the colon contribute to many health problems. This bran will aid the digestive process.  Middlings are the highly nutritious outer layer of the grain which is located directly under the bran. To see a great descriptive picture of the whole wheat seed, please click here. The middlings contain a high percentage of minerals and vitamins. They are removed and then sold to farmers and ranchers as feed for their livestock. Wheat germ has always been recommended as a superior health food. It has many reported benefits including its ability to lower cholesterol, fight colon cancer, and it can help reduce constipation and digestion problems. The "germ" is actually in the center or heart of the wheat seed. It contains protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fat. The wheat germ is separated during the milling process and sold as a nutritional supplement. Wheat germ is a leading source of Vitamin E. This commercially processed white flour is almost empty of nutritional value. It is tasteless. (Side note: On my journey back to health, my natural health practitioner insisted I give up my beloved white flour tortillas. Ouch, those were a bit tough to give up, but I am glad I did. This great health practitioner even called me to make sure I was following her "no white flour" requests!)
Fresh ground whole wheat flour contains each and every component that was originally in the wheat seed. It is a truly nutritious whole food. If you ever start baking your own fresh ground whole wheat bread, you will have a long list of friends eager to partake of your creation! Some of my friends have even offered to buy my bread from me. Artisanal bread baking entrepreneurs, please take note of that. Wouldn't it be great to have bread bakeries in our local shopping centers that sell organic fresh baked whole wheat bread in which the grains have been soaked first. Talk about heaven and great nutrition! And let's get this nutritious bread in our schools, restaurants, and hospitals while we are at it. I think this country is ready for this! I would certainly prefer freshly baked bread being sold on about every corner instead of the preponderance of pharmaceuticals being dispensed on about every corner and in every store. Do you think less pharmaceuticals would need to be dispensed if more people ate whole grain bread with the entire grain? OK and just as a refresher, most "whole wheat" or "brown wheat" products are made with refined white flour with just enough of the brown flour added to make the product look like it is "whole wheat." Click here to find out the shelf life of fresh ground whole wheat flour. Since I can't always make my own bread, and I don't have a bakery making fresh whole grain bread in my neighborhood, I buy whole wheat bread from two different companies. I buy my sandwich bread made by Alvarado Street Bakery. Most of their breads are 100% whole grain bread and all of their breads are made with organic wheat. I love their Sprouted Sourdough bread for sandwiches. I love Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins by Food For Life. I also really enjoy their 7-Sprouted Grains English Muffins. They are both made from 100% sprouted organic whole grains. The breads from both of these outstanding non-refined whole grain bread companies do have a shorter shelf life. However, they freeze beautifully - problem solved! Once they are unfrozen, they last for about a week out on the counter and a little longer if they are refrigerated. To read about some other highly nutritional whole foods I enjoy, please click here. 
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