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WHOLE GRAINS
First and foremost, be creative, whole grains are a wonderful base for
every meal including breakfast. Experiment with your favorite spices, top
them off with your favorite steamed vegetables, or put your favorite fruit in for
a sweet treat!
Buy Organic whenever possible. If the grains are not organic, contact the grower and
determine what type of grains they use and how they treat them. Hybrid grains are not as sturdy
and tend to need more chemicals for they are prone to attack by bugs. It is believed that hybrid
grains (not always recognized by our body) and the lack of variety in our diets may cause food
allergies.
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“Grains” are all in the grass family, with over 8000 species.
Celebrated all over the world
Bread grains: Wheat, rye, barley, and corn
Dish Grains: Buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa and rice
Grains are acid forming and require considerable amount of chewing (32+X per bite)
to alkalinize with saliva.
From a Yin/Yang perspective they are placed in the center and thought to provide
energy & endurance, calm nerves, encourage deep sleep, supply a steady blood
sugar level and satisfy hunger.
WHAT IS A GRAIN
• Endosperm: is the bulk of the grain (83%) containing starch for the plant to
feed on once sprouted. This is white rice and the main constituent of flour.
• Bran: is the outer layer of the grain (14%) and contains most of the indigestible
cellulose, B-vitamins, phytic acid and some calcium & phosphate. Fiber adds bulk
by absorbing water and reduces the transit time of food. Sudden increases of
fiber in the diet can cause bloating, cramping and diarrhea.
• Germ: The nutrient rich embryo making up about 2 ½% of the kernal. This is
the sprouting part and is therefore high in fats, oils and vit. E. The germ is
removed during processing and to increase the shelf life of flours.
ENDOSPERM
% B1
% B2
% B3
3%
32%
12%
% B4
% B5
% B6
43%
6%
%
PROTEIN
70-75%
33%
42%
86%
50%
73%
19%
BRAN
64%
26%
2%
7%
21%
8%
GERM
Based on a kernal of wheat, from Flour Milling and Baking Research Association, Chorleywood,
Hartfordshire, England.
WHAT DOES REFINED MEAN?
The seed coat (bran) and germ have been removed leaving only the endosperm. The
majority of the nutrition has been removed.
WHAT IS GLUTEN:
Gluten is the protein part of wheat flour. Gluten consists of Gliaden (the cause of
severe malabsorption in celiac disease) and glutenin. These proteins become elastic when
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moistened and coagulate when baked maintaining the shape of the final product. Other
grains containing gluten are 0ats, spelt, barley, rye and kamut.
HOW TO STORE WHOLE GRAINS:
Grains are best stored in glass in a cool dark place. Grains should be rotated every
6 months to one year. Some cooks recommend keeping grains in the freezer. Wheat, spelt
& kamut have hard outer layers and may keep for many years. Rice and most other grains
with an average outer layer will store for approximately 2 years while thin outer layer grains
such as millet and quinoa should not be stored this long.
HOW TO COOK WHOLE GRAINS:
1. Gently rinse with love (3 times has been recommended).
2. Discard soak water.
3. In general use 1 cup grain with 2 cups water and cook in a covered pan for approximately
40-60 minutes or until almost all water is evaporated/absorbed.
• Low heat with a longer cooking time is the preferred method for it preserves more
enzymes and makes the grain more alkaline.
• Pressure cooking cooks from the inside out (contracting) and is OK for winter meals
but is not the preferred way to cook grains.
4. You may also soak the grains for 8-12 hours (not necessary).
• Increases bioavailability of nutrients by the breakdown of phytic acid (phytic acid is
found in unsprouted grains, seeds and legumes and is responsible for the binding of
iron, magnesium and zinc in the intestine).
NUTRIENTS
AMARANTH
15-18% protein
High in Lysine &
Methionine
High in A, C, Calcium,
Iron
BARLEY
Pearled: outer layer is
removed, ↓ in
nutritional value.
BUCKWHEAT
OATS
QUINOA
High protein content
Calcium
Iron, Phosphorous
Vitamin E, B vitamins
CHINESE MED
COMMENTS
Cooling thermal nature, Bitter &
sweet flavor, Dries dampness
Good for lungs
High nutritional value and able to
thrive in poor soil.
•Cooling thermal nature
•Sweet & salty flavor
•Strengthens spleen-pancrease,
stomach, intestines.
•Builds blood & yin fluids, moistens
dryness
•Soothes inflammed membranes.
• To remove the laxative property,
roast until aromatic before cooking.
• Ground roasted barley stirred into
hot water or decocted will ↓
summer heat & fatigue, ↑ digestion,
coffee substitute.
•decoct 2 lbs roasted to 1 quart
water for convalescents.
Neutral thermal nature: sweet flavor
cleans and strengthens the
intestines and improves appetite.
• Warming thermal nature
• Sweet/slightly bitter taste
• Restores nervous and
reproductive organs, strengthens
spleen-pancreas, decreases
cholesterol
• Warming thermal nature
• Flavor: sweet & sour
• Strengthens entire body,
especially tonifies Kidney yang
• Light and airy grain that cooks
fast and makes excellent
breakfast porridge or a base for
dinner.
• Always rinse before cooking or
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may taste bitter.
• Use a little less water for quinoa
and often ready in 30 minutes.
The grain of a reed-like aquatic
plant (Zizania palustris), which is
unrelated to rice
Smallest grain, makes an excellent
morning porridge. Nutty flavor.
WILD RICE
TEFF
WHEAT
Rice is often misunderstood, below are examples of what you are buying.
Instant Rice:
Polished
White rice:
Converted
Rice:
Brown Rice:
White
Rice Flour:
Brown
Rice Four:
Rice
Polishings:
Wild Rice:
Pre-cooked rice with the outer coating totally removed. It lacks
protein, 75% of its original mineral content, and most of its vitamin B.
(Not a good choice)
Very white, milled rice with the hull, bran, germ, and endosperm
removed.
Rice that has been soaked and steamed before milling, to retain more
of the vitamins and nutrients.
Rice that has had its outer husk removed. Most of its nutritional
qualities have been retained.
Made from polished white rice, so it has little taste and low nutritional
value.
Faint taste and more nutritional than white rice flour.
The bran and other materials have been removed from brown rice to
make polished rice.
Actually from the GRASS family and not a true rice. It is commonly
found growing wild in the Great Lakes region. It is a nutritional,
tasty, and expensive food product.
REFERENCES:
Healing with Whole Foods. Paul Pitchford.
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BEANS (Legumes)
HOW TO COOK BEANS
Dry beans need to be cleaned, rinsed and soaked overnight (or during the day) as described in
the chart (this improves digestibility and decreases gas).
1 cup of dry beans is quite a bit once they have absorbed the water, so start with a
smaller amount and see how fast you use them.
You can freeze beans once they have been soaked and or cooked if need.
When ready to cook the beans, you should discard the water, rinse and cook as stated below.
You can use water or vegetable stock. A thick bottom pan will cook your beans better.
If you forget to soak your beans, add 4 cups of water to the bean, bring to a boil, remove from
heat and let sit for a few hours.
If you forgot to soak your beans, always keep a few cans of beans handy, they are pre-cooked
and may be instantly added to any dish at the point cooked beans are added or to a fresh salad.
SOAKING
COOKING TIME
EXAMPLES
SHORT TERM
COOKING
Not necessary,
recommended to help
with digestion
~ 30 minutes
Lentils, Mung beans,
Split peas, Aduki
MEDIUM TERM
COOKING
Soak overnight
LONG TERM
COOKING
Soak overnight
45 min – 1 hr
Pinto, Black beans,
Kidney, White, Lima
1 to 1.5 hours
Garbanzo, Scarlet
runner, Fava, Soy,
Christmas lima
Helpful hints improve digestibility:
Beans have been blamed for gas and occasionally odiferous gas. This can be a problem for some
people. Here are some helpful hints on how to decrease the “side effects” of eating beans. These
should be added during the cooking process.
Cut an onion in half and place one half in the bean dish. When the dish is completed, discard the
onion.
Add A few strips of the seaweed Kombu to the dish. Remember, small amounts of seaweed are
all that is needed. Seaweed typically does not alter the flavor of the dish other than a little salt.
Add some fennel seeds or a handful of brown rice.
Take enzymes with bean meals.
Sprouting your beans (improves digestibility)
Sprouting the beans makes then easier to digest
• rinse the beans and place in a sprouting jar with water well above the level of beans, soak overnight
• in the morning, drain the beans and lay the glass jar flat on a counter (not where the sun will hit them)
• Rinse the beans 2-3 times pre day till they sprout to the degree you like
• Cook them as you normally would
RESOURCES:
• Saltzman, Joanne. Amazing Grains. HJ Kramer, Inc. Tiburon, California, 1990.
• Pitchford, Paul. Healing With Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions & Modern Nutrition, 3rd ed. North
Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 1993. P. 416-448.
• Ronzio, Robert A. The Encyclopedia of Nutrition & Good Health. Facts on File, Inc., NY, NY, 1997.
• Reinfeld, Rinaldi. “Vegan World Fusion Cuisine”. Thousand Petals Publishing, 2004.
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