Whole Wheat — Get In Line!

There is nothing more glorious and beautiful than the Word of God found in the majority-text.  It tells us where we hail from, why the world’s in the condition it’s in, who we are, and by our choice, where we will spend eternity.  It tells us who God is, where He is, and what He expects from us.  He is the God who created all things, the God who knows the end from the beginning, the God who is from everlasting to everlasting.  This Word and this God must be known intimately if we are to find life and find it more abundantly.  This knowledge can only be attained through Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son.  For you and me, this intimate familial knowledge is capsulized in two words: born again.  Jesus said in John 3:3:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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GOD SAID, Psalms 104:14-15:

14  He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

15  And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. 

GOD SAID, Genesis 18:5:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts;...

GOD SAID, Judges 19:5:

And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

MAN SAID: The Bible was not authored by God.  It has no real supernatural insights that point to an all-knowing Creator.  Its followers are easily led and uneducated in today’s scientific wisdom.

Now THE RECORD.  At the end of this feature you will find a link to GodSaidManSaid subjects that deal with God’s miraculous insights into health and general well-being.  You will see perfect instructions that man has rejected, and the consequences for which he must pay.  These features will reveal marvelous, marvelous secrets that science is just beginning to understand—secrets which God declared thousands of years ago in His Holy Bible.  These abundant-life features deal with a wide range of diverse subjects from olive oil, butter, and breast-feeding, to stress-shifting, psychological health, and literal mind control.  We recommend you study one subject per day.  You will not be wasting time.

When God puts His imprimatur on a product, wise men and women get in line.  Over 500 times, God’s Word speaks of wheat, bread, and its related products.  God’s Word says, “...righteousness tendeth to life:...” (Proverbs 11:19).  This truth will again be obvious in today’s feature.

Years ago, a gentleman (now in his late 80s) who worked in the bread industry, relayed this telling information.  The bakery had storage bins full of ground whole wheat that the rats could not resist.  Once the bread bakers removed the bran and the wheat germ from the flour, the rat problem disappeared.  The rats didn’t eat the white flour.  But, unfortunately we did and continue to do so.  It should be no surprise to Bible-believers that when men tamper with the glory of God’s perfection, bad consequences follow.

Most are aware that the government’s famed food pyramid has recently experienced serious changes.  What was once sanctioned as gospel no longer is.  This is another example of our adage: Man’s “truth” of yesterday is debunked by his “truth” of today, and man’s “truth” today will be dubunked by his “truth” of tomorrow.  Now contrast that with God’s Word which is the truth—the truth that is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The leading cause of death in the United States of America is heart disease.  The new champions in the fight against heart disease are whole grains, God’s original recommendation.  God said His whole grain bread will comfort and strengthen the heart.  Again, this is proven to be absolutely accurate.

The following paragraphs are from an AP feature dated April 1, 2005:

Scientists don’t quite understand how and why whole grains are good for you.

“It would be nice if we know the answer to that question; unfortunately, we don’t,” said Lupton [Texas A&M University nutrition professor].  “It’s not just the fiber.  It’s something in addition to that that has to do with having the whole grain.”

A whole grain is the entire seed or kernel—from grains like wheat, oats, corn or rye.  They are packed with fiber, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and besides helping guard against heart disease and diabetes, they also contain cancer-fighting antioxidants and other nutrients.

They lose the good stuff when grains are refined or processed.  Manufacturers generally fortify their food with nutrients, but it’s not the same.  [End of quote]

The following excerpts are from Jean Carper’s column in USA Weekend, June 2005, under the title, “Hooked on Whole Grains:”

The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines urge eating three daily servings of whole grains, for a total of 48 grams a day.  Most Americans eat less than one serving, and about a third of us don’t eat any. 

If everyone ate more whole grains, instead of wimpy refined grains, then disease rates and early deaths would drop, experts say.  Here are six good reasons to join me in making whole grains a daily habit:

• CONTROLS WEIGHT.  Women and men who ate more whole grains consistently gained less weight over an eight- to 12-year period in Harvard studies.  Whole grains decrease hunger by making you feel full and by curbing blood sugar spikes that trigger the appetite.

• CURBS COLON CANCER.  Women who ate more than 4½ daily servings of whole grains were one-third less apt to develop colon cancer than those who ate less than 1½ servings a day, a new Swedish study finds.

• DEFEATS DIABETES.  People who ate the most whole grains, especially high-fiber cereals, are 20% to 30% less likely to develop insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, according to research from Tufts, Harvard and the University of Minnesota.

• STOPS HEART DISEASE.  Harvard investigators found that men who ate a bowl of whole-grain cereal every day cut their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease by 20%.  In another Harvard study, eating high-bran whole grains three times a day cut the risk of heart disease nearly 30%.  Researchers declared the bran in cereals particularly potent.

•DROPS BLOOD PRESSURE.  Eating a whole-grain oat cereal, such as oatmeal, every day for three months enabled 73% of those with blood pressure to reduce or eliminate their need for medication, University of Minnesota investigators reported.

• SAVES LIVES.  Older women in Iowa who ate whole grains containing 4.7 grams of fiber daily were 17% less likely to die of any cause in an 11-year period than were women who ate refined grains, says a University of Minnesota study.  [End of quote]  

Under the heading, “Eat whole grain, live longer,” published by the BBC, we find the following:

A simple bowl of cereal could reduce the risk of two of Britain's leading killers—heart disease and cancer—by a third, a survey suggests.

A new health campaign called Whole Grain for Health (WGFH) shows consumption of whole grain food could save almost 24,000 lives each year in the UK alone.

The problem is most Britons do not know what whole grain food is, do not eat it and are not aware of the significant health benefits.

The campaign launch comes at a time when the government has put coronary heart disease and cancer at the top of its health agenda.

It aims to cut coronary heart disease and cancer deaths by 35% over the next 10 years.

And more than 50 scientific studies have shown that eating whole grain can reduce risk of heart disease and cancer by up to 30%.

Professor Robert Pickard, director general of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “Whole grain consumption could have a profound impact on the health of the nation.

“It could certainly help to significantly reduce the incidence of heart disease and cancer and has the potential to save the NHS large sums of money.”

Whole grain means all three parts of the grain are used, including the fibre‑rich outer layer and the nutrient‑packed germ.  [End of quote]

Again from the BBC:

It was previously thought that whole grain reduced the risk of disease because it was a good source of fibre.

But latest research confirms the whole grain package, including vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates, protects the body against many diseases.

The University of Minnesota, who has published several studies on health benefits of whole grain, said research showed those who ate whole grain products every day had about a 15 to 25% reduction in death from heart disease and cancer.

Dr Susan Jebb, of the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research Centre, said: “The evidence is compelling that a diet rich in whole grain foods has a protective effect against several forms of cancer and heart disease.”

Researchers say everyone should eat three daily servings of bread and cereal containing whole grain.

Emily Bone, of the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “There is now a clear scientific consensus that cancer is largely preventable, with appropriate diet and lifestyle management playing a key role.  Whole grain and minimally refines products should be everyone's first choice.”  [End of quote]

The heading in U.S. News & World Report reads: “Whole Grains Do a Heart Good.”  The following excerpts came from that November 13, 2007 story:

The American study analyzed the association between breakfast cereal intake and new cases of heart failure, in which the heart progressively loses its ability to pump blood.

The study included data on more than 21,000 participants in the Physicians' Health Study who were followed for almost 20 years.

Compared to those who ate no whole‑grain cereal, men who consumed 2 to 6 servings per week saw their risk of heart failure fall by 21 percent, while those who ate 7 or more servings per week reaped a 29 percent reduction in risk, the researchers reported in the Oct. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.  [End of quote]

Finally, the following information regarding purchasing the right whole grain products, is from the Harvard School of Public Health:

Food companies make it more difficult than it should be to spot a whole‑grain food.  Aware that consumers are interested in whole‑grain products, and that whole grains can improve health in a myriad of ways, companies often make foods sound like they're whole grain and healthy when they aren't.

That means you must read food labels carefully.  True whole‑grain products list as the main ingredient whole wheat, whole oats, whole rye, or some other whole grain cereal.  If the label says “made with wheat flour” it may be an intact grain product or it may just be an advertising gimmick, since even highly processed cake flour is made with wheat flour.  [End of quote]

When man changes God’s formula, he always suffers the consequences.  The cost in disease and death as the result of man’s disregard for God’s dietary directives is truly staggering.  God is never wrong.

GOD SAID, Psalms 104:14-15:

14  He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

15  And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. 

GOD SAID, Genesis 18:5:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

GOD SAID, Judges 19:5:

And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

MAN SAID: The Bible was not authored by God.  It has no real supernatural insights that point to an all-knowing Creator.  Its followers are easily led and uneducated in today’s scientific wisdom.

Now you have THE RECORD.

Related Articles:

The Perfect Diet Series

References:

Authorized King James Version