My scriptures had told me that wheat was created for use of human kind. When I studied nutrition I had to start to question this belief, so many people have bad reactions to wheat. If God said wheat was for man, then there certainly shouldn’t be so many people reacting badly to it. Something wasn’t sitting right for me, until I discovered Spelt.

Spelt is an old grain, belonging to Wheat family. It grew out of popularity as technology advanced and population increased. We wanted more grain for less money. So grains were specially ‘bred’ to solve this every growing need for cheaper more profitable grain.

Some 800 years ago Hildegard von Bingen, (St.Hildegard) wrote about spelt: “The spelt is best of grains. It is rich and nourishing and milder than other grain. It produces a strong body and healthy blood to those who eat it and it makes spirit of man light and cheerful. If someone is ill boil some spelt, mix it with egg and this will heal him like a fine ointment."

In many ways Spelt appears to be perfect cereal. It makes full demands on soil, can grow just about anywhere, is not susceptible to diseases and as it does not respond well to synthetic fertilizers, it is almost always organic.

So, why is it not commonplace?

Depression is not just a dark mood; it is an illness. Low levels of hormone serotonin are a known contributing factor. The lower Serotonin levels deeper depression. To increase Serotonin all building blocks need to be present. One of vital missing links is often amino acid Tryptophan. So increasing Tryptophan in our diets can help ease depression. Foods that are high in Tryptophan are fish, turkey, meat and chicken, Parmesan cheese, almonds, barley, lentils and bananas. Tryptophanes first priority in body is to make Niacin (vitamin B3), not to make Serotonin. In other words, it is vital to ensure that you are getting adequate amounts of Niacin in your diet, if you are going to increase Serotonin levels. Other B Vitamins are also essential. A good balance diet, which includes a variety of fish, pulses and fresh raw vegetables, is always key.

Some foods that help lift moods are:

Carbohydrates in winter, if you crave these in winter, they may help lift winter blues. Look towards eating more complex carbohydrates such as dried beans, pasta, vegetables, cereal, whole grain bread and crackers.

Spinach is high in folic acid. It has been shown that people with depression have lower levels of folic acid than normal. Low folic acid can cause levels of Serotonin to shrink. The amount need to fight off depression is only 200mg-500mg a day. This amount can easily be found in foods such as green leafy vegetables. 200mg is can be obtained from about three quarters of a cup of spinach.

Fish is brain food. Eating seafood can improve your mood. Seafood is extra high in trace mineral Selenium. Those with low Selenium levels are more likely to be anxious, depressed and tired. (Australian soils are deficient in Selenium) It has been found that when those with low Selenium levels increase them, their moods improve. Most Selenium comes from grains, seafood and cereals. Brazil nuts are one of richest sources of them all. Eating just one a day will guarantee you are never deficient in Selenium.

Garlic. Studies on garlic have shown that not only do they have other health benefits, but also garlic eaters, generally had a greater sense of well-being. They experienced less fatigue, anxiety, sensitivity, agitation and irritability.