Sprouted bread

Sprouted bread is a form of bread made from whole grains that have been allowed to sprout, that is, to germinate. It is often eaten uncooked, or slightly heated, by proponents of raw foods. [http://www.essentialeating.com/ResourcesSprouted.asp] . [http://www.creatingheaven.net/eeproducts/eesfc/about_sprouted.html] .

Essene Bread

The Essenes are credited with the technique and basic recipes for Essene bread. Essene bread is made from sprouted wheat and prepared at a low temperature. These two practices insure the maximum possible vitamin content for this foodstuff. The sprouting also breaks down the lectins and other substances that some individuals may be sensitive or allergic to. The following is excerpted from, "The Essene Gospel of John" as translated by Edward Szekely.

Let the angels of God prepare your bread. Moisten your wheat, that the angels of water may enter it. Then set it in the air, that the angel of air may embrace. it. And leave it from morning to evening beneath the sun, that the angel of sunshine may descend upon it. And the blessings of the three angels will soon make the germ of life to sprout in your wheat. Then crush your grain, and make thin wafers, as did your forefathers when they departed out of Egypt, the house of bondage. Put them back again beneath the sun from its appearing, and when it is risen to its highest in the heavens, turn them over on the other side that they may be embraced there also by the angel of sunshine, and leave them there until the sun sets. For the angels of water, and air and of sunshine fed and ripened the wheat in the field, and they likewise must prepare also your bread. And the same sun which, with the fire of life, made the wheat to grow and ripen, must cook your bread with the same fire. For the fire of the sun gives life to the wheat, to the bread, and to the body. But the fire of death kills the wheat, the bread, and the body. And the living angels of the living God serve only living men. For God is the God of the living, and not the God of the dead.

Of all the known breads, the simplest and the most nutritious is Essene bread. The only difference between the baking technique used by the monastic brotherhood 2,000+ years ago and our modern method is that they baked their bread in the sun while we use an oven. Both methods create a round, flattened loaf -- rather like a sweet, moist dessert bread or cake -- containing all of the virtues of unadulterated sprouted grain, its sole ingredient.Book: "How to Live on Wheat" (second edition) by John Hill]

prouted Grain Bread

Differing from essene bread while still following similar principles is Sprouted Grain bread. Sprouted Grain bread contains added yeast and gluten to create a more edible loaf this is not harsh and concentrated as essene bread is known to be. [http://www.essentialeating.co/resourcessprouted.asp]

Lifestyle Bakery in South Australia creates Sprouted Grain Bakery bread and they state:

Whole grain as used by the Sprouted Grain Bakery means the entire grain. That is the three layers of the grain. These being the outer bran layer, the internal germ and endosperm. As each part of the grain contains nutrients it makes sense that you consume the most nutrients when you eat the whole grain. When flour is extracted from the grain the bran and germ are removed.Whole grains are a remarkable combination of nutrients and phytochemicals that work together to provide up to 70 % more vitamins minerals and nutrients than processed flour.

A large amount of scientific evidence supports the following benefits of eating whole grains:

-Protects against heart disease and stroke

-Assists with weight control

-Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes

-Improves bowel health and regularity

-Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure

-Protects against certain cancers

-Offers benefits of low glycaemic index

-Provides a high level of dietary fibre

In fact, sprouted grain breads contain more than twice the dietary fibre of bread made from flour.

When we tell people that we make bread without flour they can’t comprehend the idea. In recent years bread has been made as quickly and conveniently as possible with only secondary thoughts to nutritional value.

Most of the bread consumed today is highly processed with fat, sugar, preservatives and other additives. In addition to this the milling process used to extract the flour from the grain removes most of the bran and germ. The heat applied during milling also destroys many of the natural vitamins and minerals. So a great deal of the real nutritional benefit is either thrown away or destroyed by heat.

A large amount of processing takes place before the bread is even made.This is unnecessary! By sprouting the whole grains we don’t need to use flour and can retain and enhance all of the nutrients while still being able to make a delicious loaf of bread.

It has been said that the nutritional benefits of sprouted grain bread are many with the secret of the sprout being its astounding nutritional content. Sprouting of the grain significantly increases the protein, vitamin and enzyme content of the breads whilst complex starches in the grain are converted to natural sugars, providing an easily digested rich energy source. When people with wheat intolerances try sprouted grain bread they often find their digestive system accepts the sprouted grains without any problem. Many people who have not been able to eat bread for years find sprouted grain breads easy to digest.

Foods with low Glycaemic Index (GI) are digested more slowly by the body and this helps us keep the blood sugar at a medium level longer which makes us feel satisfied and therefore less hungry. This is good for our health and well being.Foods with a low GI include most grains such as wheat, spelt, rye, oats, barley and linseed.It is also important to note that the more highly processed the food the higher the GI. Hence bread made from highly processed white flour has a high GI.

.Web "www.sproutedgrainbakery.com.au"]

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