smell, and taste, the same, we pound the wheat into a uniform color and texture and then add the exact amount of synthetic vitamins to the flour so every bag and every finished bun is the same. Unfortunately, in doing so, we destroy the nutritional value of the grain and the taste.

The Center of the wheat is what soft white breads are typically made from. That bread has low fiber, few natural B vitamins, and minimal protein. That type of bread is easy to manufacture and has a long shelf life, especially with the preservatives added.

Go to the south of Spain or the Alsace region of France and have a piece of real bread. Wow, the flavor and texture are mind blowing. Why?  Because of the whole grain used in freshly ground course flour. The whole grain is the great gift of the Creator. Therefore, the nutritional power house found within the bread is still present. We digest the grain slowly because the outer coating is harder to digest. The slow breakdown means less stress on the pancreas ... Less diabetes? Absolutely!

The other downside of our bread - eating habits in the United States of America is that we love the "biggy" and "super" size. So let's see, we have a burger with three pieces of white bread layered with all kinds of added calories. We take in over 2000 calories in a single setting and complicate the calories with a bread bun built on the wrong parts of the wheat grain.

The answer

I tell my patients if you can see the grain in the piece of bread you're eating, GREAT. If you can find a bakery in your local area that uses whole grain floor and recently milled floor WOW you have the ultimate bread bakery.

Very simply, if you think about what our Lord ate, the best diet in the World is found right there: Wine, with the antioxidant and germ killing ability that is contained in that delightful fruit of the vine. Plenty of water, it makes up approximately 70% of our bodies. Wheat and other whole grains to give us our vitamins, minerals. Some good, lean proteins and good carbs (the slow digestible type).  AND add a little olive oil and fish. Learn to love those omega three fatty acids. Presto, the greatest diet ever, because it is more than a diet, it is a gift. It opens us up to beautiful living.

This Easter season have some slow cooked whole grains. Eat some real bread. you know the kind from the bakery with the grains looking out at you. Or better yet, learn to make it yourself and find another source of joy. Then smile when you realize you are eating the kind of bread (small b) that gives life; a gift from the One who is the True Bread of Life.

Happy Easter!