We now have a new venacular to add to the host of other descriptive ones utilized to describe the odd predilection of the human body to store fat. The term "wheat belly" has been coined due to the new book of the same name, written by Dr. William Davis. That wheat is a toxin for a group of individual's labeled Celiac, has come to the forefront of late, what is not as obvious, is that what we call wheat, not the ancient grain of lore, can also act as a toxin for the average person who does not have Celiac as well. The book "Wheat Belly" clarifies the association of wheat overconsumption with our growing girth as a nation and world. Dr. Davis delves into why this is happening in detail in his book by comparing our modern wheat with the wheat of the ancients. Lo and behold, modern wheat, known as "dwarf" wheat is nothing in comparison to the original strains of wild grass harvested by our ancestors, called Einkorn. Einkorn had a very simple genetic code which contained only 14 chromosomes. Einkorn eventually branched into 25,000 varying types of wheat all interwoven with human evolution. Where this evolution of wheat begins to lead down a darker road is about 50 years ago. This was due in part for the desire to increase yields, which, in my opinion has lead us down the slippery slope of Genetically Modified Foods...or GMO hell! A geneticist named Dr. Norman Borlaug created the fast growing "dwarf" wheat of today. To its supposed credit, it has possibly saved a billion people from starvation...I pose the question of "at what cost?" As I believe due to the fact that dwarf wheat was created via genetic splicing and cross breeding, it is now a very mutated version of Einkorn wheat with a very different genetic code that the human body does not recognize as food, but, rather as a toxin! In fact, dwarf wheat can't even exist in nature without modern pesticides and fertilizers! Similar to other Genetically Modified foods, little to no safety tests have ever been conducted. I believe that the overconsumption of dwarf wheat containing products leading to big bellies is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg as the overconsumption of this wheat has been shown to cause the following as well: all kinds of neurological disorders, rashes, acidic PH levels, all either caused or leading to an inflammatory response in the body which is the cornerstone to degenerative aging in and of itself!
At this point, you may be asking yourselves "what the hell can I do then?" There are still options, that is until all of the Genetically Modified Crops start cross contaminating the organic crops, as has already begun. I would suggest utilizing alternative grains, such as Coconut flour, Almond Meal flour, Gluten Free flour...all are good options. The cookies pictured above are made with Coconut flour which has more fiber and protein and is gluten free. I will include the recipe in this blog as well as the book title from which it came: " Cooking with Coconut Flour" by Bruce Fife, N.D. I did a brief blog article in the past on utilizing coconut products in your daily diet and since they are so beneficial, that is why I touch on them again as an alternative grain. If you do decide to have some wheat, which I do include in my diet, I would suggest purchasing organic!
Nutty Chocolate Chippers:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup of brown sugar or succanat
4 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups of chopped walnuts
1 cup of gluten free dark chocolate chips
2/3 sifted coconut flour**
Mix together the peanut butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Stir in the nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut flour. Batter may be runny, although mine was not. Drop by the spoonful 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before storing. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
My husband and I eat these as snacks before or after skiing, winter biking, etc. as they are filling and high energy. They are excellent for Celiacs, diabetics, although I would utilize Stevia instead of sugar or cut back on sugar, or anyone wanting a healthier snack. I will be writing on the relationship of grains to Type II Diabetes in future blogs as there is a correlation. Until then, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2012~!
