The Guide

Life itself has been processed out of the staff of life When the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt died, they were buried with everything they would need to sustain them in the afterlife. In uncovering some of these tombs, scientists found large earthenware jars full of wheat which would still sprout even though it was almost 4 000 years old! Within each whole-wheat berry or kernel, nature has packed all of the elements necessary to reproduce life. So long as the wheat berry remains intact in its original form, it will keep indefinitely. For thousands of years, however, humans have ground whole-wheat berries into flour for use in breads, pastas, noodles, cakes, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and other widely consumed foods, earning wheat the nickname “the staff of life.” The first wheat food was probably the whole wheat berries themselves, which were stripped of husks and chewed. Wheat’s presence in the human diet is described in the Bible: “ Give us this day our daily bread.” Science similarly

Modern foods provide more quantity, less quality Throughout history, obtaining food has been a struggle. Today, however, getting food is merely a matter of satisfying our personal whims and fancies. Our choices are no longer limited by local seasons or climate. In fact, individual foods are usually in season somewhere and may be shipped halfway around the world just for our convenience. Our food supply has never been more abundant, and feeding ourselves has never been easier. Technological advancements in farming, transportation, storage, and processing of foods have made this bounty possible. Whereas in the past people bought fresh produce, dairy products, and meats directly from the farm, today people rarely have time to plan well-balanced meals and track down local foods to use in their preparation. For convenience, we tend to buy our food in grocery stores or restaurants. And, unlike our ancestors, we eat convenience foods of all types - even entire meals - which are readily availa