After reading up on the benefits of daily bread, I think I could have titled this blog "Foods that Heal : Bread". I am finding some interesting (and convicting!) information! Psalm 104 is praising the acts of our Creator in taking special care of His creation, and in verses 14 and 15, it mentions the many things that God has given to take care of our needs:
"He causeth grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." Wow, did you know that daily bread will strengthen your heart? It says it right there in the Scripture!
The premise of the last discussion on bread emphasized the fact that bread is something that should be worked for. Even praying for your "daily bread" really means that you are praying for work! In working for our daily bread we are made more grateful for the abilities that God has given us to work for what we need. How different our society would be if people realized the gratification that comes from a hard day's work and the rewards that come from laboring for your needs.
The emphasis of this blog is primarily on the health benefits of eating fresh, made-daily bread. If we were to go back in history and study the progression of bread making throughout time, we would see an interesting path. God originally designed grain as one of the most complete foods, and the balance within the grain is vital for the health of those who eat it. When the whole grain is ground into flour and baked, it brings about the results that God intended it to. However, when one part of the grain is left out, the balance is destroyed and the benefits are wasted. We find throughout history the desire to eliminate the "healthy look" of whole grain flour. Man has succeeded in eliminating the dark color, and continues to seek ways of making a softer, whiter bread. Did you know that even the ancient Egyptians succeeded in producing a whiter, softer bread? Even the Romans were onto this scheme. They found a process to condition the grain with salt water to make it more refined. It was in Rome that the color of one's bread took on a cultural significance. Refined flour was reserved for only the wealthiest people. You could tell one's social status by the color of their bread! The drive for whiter bread came to head in Rome, when the government initiated a program of milling the grain for people. In their pursuit of ever whiter bread, they even added chalk and alum to the flour, which caused many health disorders. When the demand became so great, the government was soon providing flour to every household, taking away the need for working for the bread! Sound familiar? Since then, wheat flour has been bleached to achieve the white effect. For years, grain mills used nitrogen trichloride, but this chemical was banned by the FDA several years ago. Now, flour is bleached with chlorine dioxide (approved by the FDA), which is an even more
potent bleaching agent
Whole grain spoils and becomes moldy in a very short time. This caused problems for those who were trying to store bread and sell it to the masses. By taking away the germ of the wheat, which contains the oil, and the outer covering, which contains the fiber, the wheat flour can be stored for much longer periods of time. This process removes about 25 vital vitamins and minerals and the proteins. Vitamins and minerals work together in your body to help your body use them. When one is taken away, the remaining vitamins are useless. The germ of the wheat is a rich source of Vitamin E. Studies have shown that a diet that lacks Vitamin E can lead to heart disease. Hmmm, so real bread does strengthen man's heart!
Because grain begins to deteriorate immediately after the grain is cracked, then fresh ground flour is the best choice for daily bread. God instructed us to pray for daily bread, not weekly or monthly. If you were to place a piece of store bought bread on the counter in a plastic bag and also place a piece of homemade bread in a similar bag and watch them for a few days, which one do you think would get moldy sooner? The homemade bread, of course. The absence of preservatives and the presence of the whole grain will make it go rancid much sooner. It is the best choice for your daily intake of bread.
So, as a result of this reading, I am currently praying for a grain mill. I purchase whole wheat flour to make my bread, but even that is not the best. Grinding the wheat and using it immediately is the best choice for daily bread. Yes, it is more work, but in the end the benefits will far outweigh the work put out to make it. After all, that was God's intention in the first place.
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread....' Genesis 3:19
*More to come on the health benefits of daily bread...........
