Bread (Wheat Bread)

I’ve been thinking for years about the whole gluten-intolerance arena. How did we arrive there and why are there soooo many who are adversely affected by wheat?

Bread has been called the ‘staff of life’ for generations. It keeps for a long time once it’s dried out. The sourdough varieties have extremely long life plus the health benefits of the fermentation. Cowboys carried ‘hardtack’ in their saddlebags for an on-the-go snack before McDonalds or Dollar General made their home on the range. And I have tried the hardtack twice…a friend of mine discovered an old recipe and made some up…we couldn’t even soften it in a cup of strong coffee to make it palatable! It lasted forever because no one would/could eat it.

So back to the gluten dilemma….and these are my thoughts wondering out loud, (because I have friends who are gluten free because gluten causes them problems.)

Could it be that the nation’s shift (now world’s shift) from whole grain flours to heavily refined [with the endosperm and husks removed-(the parts that contain all the oils and nutrients so valuable to the flour), although the flours are now ‘enriched’ ie. vitamins sprayed back over the refined flours], has caused a reaction within our bodies? Because all this seems to have started after the World Wars when so much of our foodstuffs went through great change in order to send the best of our foods to the service men fighting in other lands, while we folk at home learned about oleo-margarine, Crisco shortening and oils, Soft-a-Silk cake flours, box mixes and TV dinners. (sorry for all the use and misuse of parentheticals)

Rancidity of whole grain flours caused a problem for shelf life in stores. Yes, the grains could be ground, packaged and sold, but in warmer climates/stores and just over time the oil in the grains would spoil (go rancid) and would develop an off smell and bitter flavor. And so the grains had to be ‘improved’ for longer salability. Flour makers and sellers came out better, but the public, the home, the housewife feeding her family and the family in turn suffered…back to mal-nourishment (in ‘the land of plenty’)!

“Listen, lady, you are always talking about different stuff….why?” “I feel like you’re meddling! Just leave well enough alone!!!” Maybe that’s part of the problem…it’s not ‘well-enough’

I don’ t think it should be that hard to make good food for our families/ourselves to eat well and thereby stay healthy!

…And so I speak my thoughts and opinions….so you can make yours 🙂