Making the Switch From Wheat to Spelt!

Spelt is a healthy ancient grain that has long been replaced with modern day (toxic) wheat! I recently made the switch to spelt after starting my new Dr. Sebi (and Sibo diet). According to Dr. Sebi's nutritional guidelines, the only grains one should be eating are amaranth, fonio, kamut, quinoa, rye, tef, wild rice and spelt. According to my low fodmap sibo list, the only allowable grains that match Dr. Sebi's list is quinoa, amaranth and (sourdough) spelt. I already eat quinoa so I decided to start focusing specifically on spelt mainly because spelt is one of the 5 ancient grains that can be eaten and prayed over on shabbat!

I had actually been on a wheat free/ gluten free diet for a long time. But when I recently started observing shabbat I found myself purchasing challah bread made from wheat, which actually lowered my immune system tremendously. I tried observing shabbat without bread on quite a few occasions but I found myself missing the bread. Finally, after following Dr. Sebi's nutritional guidelines, I realized I could substitute the wheat challah with spelt matzah or sourdough spelt bread! Finally a solution!

But then came the next question... Spelt... where do I find you? Spelt products are not entirely easy to find! It took a bit of searching to find what I needed! I could not find spelt matzah at any local grocery store! Not even at my favorite elite health food store Erewhon! However, I did find many choices of spelt matzah on amazon! I opted for a box of organic spelt matzah ofcourse! I always buy organic! And you know what? Spelt matzah tastes pretty good. Very similar to wheat! And surprisingly, my step daughter who tends to only want to eat sugary or salty foods, really likes spelt matzah!

Then I purchased a delicious organic sourdough spelt bread at my farmer's market. But something was wrong. My health got worse after I started eating it! Then I found out the truth! The spelt bread also contained wheat! Ahhh! What an error! I was so disappointed because the bread tasted so good. Now what was I to do? I couldn't find sourdough spelt bread anywhere except on amazon, etsy and of all places... Walmart! But the price of the bread along with the shipping cost was way too high! As I was considering buying sourdough spelt bread online I made an amazing last minute discovery at my local health food store Lassens! Yes! Lassen's sells frozen sourdough spelt bread by a brand called Berlin Natural Bakery! So I placed two frozen slices in the oven and warmed them up... added some coconut oil and yum! Delicious! Perhaps not as delicious as the fresh farmer's market bread, but still very good! Although the cost is high, I am still considering trying the Organic Bread of Heaven Brand of sprouted sourdough spelt bread since sprouted bread is more easily digestible. Sprouting and soaking have been shown to reduce phytic acid. Sprouting activates the enzyme phytase, which degrades phytate, thereby improving mineral bioaccessibility and bioavailability. If available I always purchase sprouted items... like sprouted quinoa, sprouted nuts and sprouted seeds.

Besides the bread, I also ended up purchasing a very expensive organic spelt pasta on amazon which was delicious... and spelt flakes which turned out to be amazing with coconut oil and monk fruit powder. Even my cat Roscoe is in love with the spelt flakes (and the sourdough spelt bread... Roscoe is a grain/ bread eating cat! He will do anything for a bite of bread, pasta, and now spelt flakes!) The spelt flakes tastes somewhat like oatmeal. I haven't had oatmeal in centuries. What a treat! The only issue is that I experienced some chest pains after eating a bowl of spelt flakes... so perhaps I won't be buying it again! Too bad!

In the end I was actually amazed at the choices of spelt products available online compared to local stores... This is what I found when doing my research...

My local whole foods 365 store only sells 2 spelt products: spelt flour and baby food made with spelt. My local health food store Lassens only sells 2 spelt products: frozen organic sourdough spelt bread and spelt flour and my local elite health food store Erewhon only sells 2 spelt products: Rudi's spelt tortillas which includes wheat in the ingredients list! That defeats the purpose. They also sell organic spelt flakes which contain a bunch of extra ingredients that I don't care very much for. They told me that they used to sell spelt pasts but not anymore. I didn't check Vons but I'd be very surprised if they sold any spelt products! But hey... you never know... They may have a random spelt product hidden somewhere!

Apparently spelt is not that popular... although it should be! Spelt is the hardier and more nutritious cousin to wheat. In comparison to wheat, spelt is higher in fiber and the extra fiber aids in the digestion of gluten. Modern wheat has been bred to contain a high gluten content for the production of high-volume commercial baked goods. The content and character of the gluten in spelt has not been modified from its natural state. So although spelt does contain gluten, the gluten in spelt has a different molecular make-up than the gluten in modern wheat. It is more fragile and more water soluble, which makes it easier to digest. In whole-grain form, spelt provides more essential amino acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals than wheat. I think the choice is clear! We should all be dumping wheat and eating spelt instead!

Disclaimer: Regardless of its benefits, spelt is not safe to eat for anyone with celiac disease. If you have a wheat allergy, celiac disease, or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity, avoid anything made with spelt.

Jennie H is a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Co-Founder of Self Saviorz Society California Non-Profit 501(c)(3), Poet, Author and Entertainer with goals to help raise the vibration and consciousness of humanity!