In the last several years, many new diets have been introduced, most if not all of which claim to be the solution to one (e.g. obesity), many, or even all of the health problems afflicting Americans. Most of these diets differ radically and yet each one declares that it is the most suitable for the human race.
The promoters of each of these diets promise unbelievable results as a consequence of adopting their dietary principles. It seems that never in the past have we had to choose between so many conflicting messages. The Flat Belly diet, Paleo diet, Cabbage Soup diet, Raw Food diet, Gandhi’s diet, Hollywood diet, Russian Air Force diet, Hallelujah diet, Beverly Hills diet, Jerusalem diet, Metabolic diet, Zone diet, Atkins diet, Optimal diet, the Seventh Day diet, Brain diet, and the Leptin diet are just a few examples of many more diets available for those who are willing to adopt them.
Which diet is the best: a low or high carbohydrate diet, low or high protein diet? Are products cooked in a microwave fit for human consumption? Should we eat only organic products?
Are soy products healthy? What about genetically modified products? Should we consume dietary supplements? If so, which ones? What principles truly constitute healthy eating?
A healthy diet can be described in simple principles. The first of them is: eat a variety of whole grain products.
The importance of grains in the human diet has been known for thousands of years. For example, Biblical manuscripts and writings found in Egyptian tombs clearly indicate that grains constituted a staple food in ancient Palestine and Egypt. In the Bible we find records of individual grains and a bread recipe. For example, in the fifth book of the Bible entitled Deuteronomy, we read in the description of the Promised Land that God led the Israelites to “a land of wheat, barley, (…) a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, (…)”
Similarly, in the book of Ezekiel we read the injunction of God to the prophet Ezekiel: “take for yourself wheat, barley, (…) millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself.” Bread made with the above formula can be purchased in American grocery stores today. Archaeologists found round flat loaves in the tombs of Egyptian officials. On the walls of tombs in Luxor and in other locations archaeologists also found paintings that illustrate the process of making bread.
In making bread the Egyptians used whole grain flour, which they produced using stone which was slid across the floor. The finished product resembled today’s multigrain bread. The importance of grain consumption in ancient Egypt illustrates the biblical story of Joseph, the son of Israel, recorded in the Book of Genesis. It describes a seven-year period of drought, which both the Egyptians and people living in neighboring countries, survived thanks to the grain stocks accumulated by Joseph in the years prior to the period of drought.
Consumption of a variety of products is a fundamental principle of healthy eating. In the case of grains, a variety means consumption of products made of wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, millet and other grains. Of course this does not mean that all of these products should be consumed at each meal. This means having different grain products over a period of several days or a week.
(This article will continue in a future edition of The Enterprise. Submitted by Betty Dean. Written by Roman Pawlak, Ph.D., RD. Used by permission from www.LifeandHealth.org. Courtesy of LifeSpring – Resources for Hope and Healing, Stuart, VA)
