The Mother of All Grains

The Mother of all Grains

There is so much talk about superfoods nowadays that it can be somewhat confusing to know which ones are really worth eating and which ones are just not worth the high price. 

Quinoa is one grain (actually a seed) that I've had in my cupboards for years, eat on a regular basis and in my opinion is definitely worth getting to know more about.

What I've decided to do here is transcribe a video by Truth Calkins that I was sent via an email that I am subscribed to called the Longevity Warehouse. There is so much to say about this true superfood that if I feel the transcription is running on too long, I will give you the somewhat abridged version ok? I could write this myself, but when I listened to it, I just thought it was fantastic and so I am taking the time to pass it on to you all from one of the experts in superfood.

The following 5 are what Truth Calkins calls the High Powered Grains.....

1.     Quinoa

2.      Buckwheat

3.      Millet

4.      Amaranth

5.      Spelt

Some people may get a little confused about which grains contain gluten, but I can confirm that all of the above are gluten free with the exception of Spelt, which is actually an ancient form of wheat.

In this piece we will be focusing on The Mother of All Grains called “Quinoa”, a.k.a. the mother of all grains.

For many years people in the west hadn’t heard of it. When they eventually did get to hear of it, via Donna Gates and The Ecology Diet, they certainly didn’t know how to pronounce it. Thanks to people like Donna, there is a lot of information in the world today about this grain, which is excellent news. One of the reasons this is the case, has to do with the grain's high alkalinity level and amount of protein.  

Quinoa comes from the plant family known as Chenopodium (in Latin means “goose foot”) The people of the Andes called it Mother, because they considered it the mother of all grains. It was used to increase stamina of their warriors and as it was then, is today still considered an Incan super-food. Quinoa is not really a grain as in the typical botanical family of grains. The Chenopodium family is actually from the same family that is similar to Swiss chard and lamb’s quarters. When you see the plant growing, the stalks can be anywhere from 3 to 9 feet. There are all different colours of quinoa, purple, blue, red, green, black etc. The Incan’s used the whole plant, the stalks, seed and plant. Quinoa is a wild plant and is quite like Ginseng in some respect because it’s a very hardy plant. It likes to grow at 10,000 feet. It can flourish under extreme conditions, with poor soil, hot sun, frost short growing days and still the plant will grow. This is a tell tale sign of a true adaptogenic plant and because of this it will give the body a lot of adaptogenic energy.  Wild ginseng has a similar effect on the the body also.  Herbalists believe that plants that look the gnarliest, will be amongst the strongest plant. If it had to adapt to the harshness of its environment, then it will be a hardy plant and therefore very good and strong for our bodies too.

The fact that you can now just buy quinoa in any wholefood shop is pretty amazing actually. Because 30 years ago you couldn’t do that. It is an ancient, Peruvian wild grain that grew only in high altitudes. There was a doctor in the late 70’s that found out about the amazing properties of this grain and he carried approximately fifty pounds of it back to the US for his own usage. However, when he had used it up, he realised that the only people that were harvesting it were wild Indians. This doctor had a friend who worked with planting some quinoa in the Luas Valley, and they succeeded in growing it. It is also now grown in Canada and other countries around the world.

Nutritional Profile

It has an amino acid profile like meat, eggs and fish, which is very unusual for a grain. It contains less carbs and more protein in this respect.  It is also a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids and is very high in lysine, which has exceptionally anti-viral qualities.  It has a PH of about 6.0, which although closer to acid, is more alkaline than any other grain out there in the world. It is very high in minerals too, in fact contains more calcium than milk. Recently it has been found that quinoa is stimulating to milk production for nursing mothers. A quarter cup serving of quinoa is about 220 calories, 60% of the RDA of manganese, 30% of the RDA of tryptophane which is essential for boosting serotonin levels, 30% of the RDA of magnesium, essential for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, great for blood flow, 30% phosphorus, 20% fibre, 20% folate, which is great for B vitamins and 20% copper. Studies have also shown that having 20% insoluble fibre from complex carbs in the diet can prevent gall stones from forming. This insoluble fibre is essential for having  soft, fluffy stools that break down easily. The fibre will help remove any toxins easily and effectively from the body and is nature’s mop, so to speak.  Quinoa is also rich in phyto-nutrients and is high in vitamin E, selenium and lingans which help remove bad oestrogen from the body,

Phytic Acid

All grains are high in phytic acid and must be soaked before use. Phytic acid, also referred to as phytate, is a naturally-occurring substance found in grains and beans. All grains will require different soaking times, but we are only looking at quinoa in this post and that must be soaked for at least 8 hours before use. This will remove some of this phytic acid and allow the essential nutrients be effectively absorbed into the body. Many of us in the Western world are not used to preparing our grains in this way, but it is a good habit to start adopting and has many long term health benefits.

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa cooks in about 15 minutes, and like rice, puffs up to 3 to 4 times it size upon cooking. It is very soft and fluffy and has a mild, light, nutty taste, almost like a cross between couscous and peanuts and is very pleasant. I turn off my gas and leave my quinoa rest with the lid on for approximately 5 minutes of cooking and this seems to work very well indeed. Here is a very nice recipe for millet and vegetables that I posted on my blog some time ago. You can exchange the millet for quinoa but I hope it helps you get started cooking these incredible grains http://bit.ly/otGkI6. (tip: you may need to open a new window to view the link)

A final few words on quinoa.... Many people are now being diagnosed as either celiac or gluten intolerant so it is good news indeed to hear that quinoa is surprisingly 100% gluten free and is very safe to eat. By eating quinoa you will also be ingesting a pre-biotic which helps feed the beneficial bacteria acidophilus in your gut. Pre-biotics are like fertilisers for the good bacteria in your gut and are an essential part of maintaining excellent health. In a world gone low or no carb mad, having a healthy amount of good carbs in the diet is going to help with the keeping your nervous system functioning well. The fibre in quinoa will also help wash out extra oestrogen from the body that you definitely don’t want hanging around in there.

Sadly, I’ve come to the end of writing about this great super-food, but do hope that you have found the above information helpful. If this is the case, then could I ask you to that you pay it forwardJ And help me get the good word out there about this inexpensive super-food so that everyone can reap its benefit.

Until next time.....

Best wishes,

Ruth.