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Cooking a grain whole or sprouting it provides a great balance of fiber, carbs (that are good for us), protein, vitamins and minerals. Once a grain is ground into flour, the fiber is somewhat refined and our body utilizes it as a starch, or carbohydrate. People today get sucked into thinking that if it is "organic" and "unbleached" flour, it must be good. But think again, it's just a "not-as-bad white flour". White flour has no fiber and thus can provide no cleansing. Remember, white flour will not do much better than paste or glue in the stomach and intestines! To illustrate this for yourself, chew a spoonful of raw whole grain, then chew a spoonful of whole wheat flour, then white flour. What is the difference between the three?

There are many wonderful whole grains and here are some with suggested uses:

• Morning cereals: cooked quinoa, millet, amaranth, cracked wheat or spelt (or several grain mix), raw teff (very small grain - just stir in cold or hot cereals with out cooking), cooked or raw rolled oats, kamut, quinoa (as in muesli) - top with favorite milk and sweetening such as honey, pure maple syrup or stevia, or add to yogurts
• Salad additions: sprouted quinoa (just soak overnight), cooked quinoa, barley, kamut, brown rice, raw teff - add any of these to a regular salad (salad bar style with many additions), or use in specialty salads
• Main dish grains: brown rice - so many wonderful varieties (in place of white), barley (gives beans and dishes a meaty texture), millet (use like you would rice), cooked or sprouted wheat, spelt, or kamut (all of the above good in soups and stir fries)
• Desserts: cooked brown rice or millet (as a rice pudding), raw teff, cooked quinoa or amaranth (all of these are great in parfaits, as cobbler toppings, and more)

Try the different grains and incorporate them in your menus and dishes, and you will find that you will eat less bread, be more satisfied, and feel better too! We don't have to stick to the fast food mentality of hot dogs or macaroni and cheese to be able to enjoy a great meal. Look at the rest of the world who uses whole grains and whole beans in almost every meal they eat. They are thinner and have more energy! You can be that way too!

To Your Best Health and Success,
Erleen Tilton

Here are some basic cooking instructions. Remember, the larger the grain, the more water, the longer the cooking time - common sense. 1) Bring water to boil (see amounts below), 2) stir in whole grain, 3) turn down burner to just simmering, not a hard boil, 4) cook until most of liquid is gone. If fluffing is desired (great for larger whole grains - especially brown rice), 5) turn off burner, leave saucepan on burner, place lid on saucepan, and allow to steam for 10-15 minutes more.

• amaranth - 1 part water to 1 part grain, cooking time: 5-7 minutes
• quinoa, cracked wheat - 1 1/2 parts water to 1 part grain, cooking time: 12-15 minutes
• millet - 2 parts water to 1 part grain, cooking time: 20 minutes
• brown rice, wheat, kamut, barley, spelt, etc. - 3 parts water to 1 part grain, cooking time: 30-35 minutes, then steam for 10-15 minutes more if desired

P.S. See my new blog post (upper left link) for some great whole grain recipes!

Erleen loves teaching people down-to-earth principles of nutrition as she sees the positive changes in others lives as they live the principles of good health and eating. She has a passion for wholesome foods and their life giving qualities. Her many personal experiences and years of study and research qualify her as an expert in health education, speaking, and consulting. Contact her now for your next conference, for health consultations, or for an upcoming event!

The Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle is a TEN CD series with all the information you need to begin your journey towards a Healthier Lifestyle! Erleen serves as your guide, distilling over twenty-five years of health education and research into easy to listen to lessons on how to begin, where to begin and more! Check out this CD series today!

Sprouting is great indoor gardening. Learn to sprout easily with the Sprout Master, the best sprouter on the market. And it is a super simple process. Just soak the seeds overnight, drain and pour into the Sprout Master, now just rinse and drain 3 times daily (at every meal). It's that simple! If you want to start out right with some seeds, we also have alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, clover, radish and sunflower. These are all organic too! Check out The Sprout Master and seeds here!

YOU CAN PUT YOUR AD HERE TOO! For information, send an email to Erleen.