20 Dec
Whole Grain

WHOLE GRAINS PLAY MAIN ROLE IN TOP 10 OVERALL DIETS

Opinions about the ‘best’ way to fuel your body for optimal health and longevity will always exist. Conflicting advice about what you should, and what you shouldn’t, eat is hard to avoid. With a new dietary villain around every corner and new panacea behind every door – it’s easy to get exhausted and feel lost in the chaos!

For many, the term ‘diet’ conjures up the type of eating pattern encouraged by this narrative – one of exclusion, extremes, and restrictive, rigid plans. However, the top 10 overall diets of 2019, as ranked by The US News and World report, highlight a different attitude toward the idea of a diet. Though distinct in purpose and direction, they each offer approachable guidelines towards a healthy lifestyle, focusing on the advice you have probably heard before. Though these diets vary, they share commonalities and themes which shine a light on trends in our current health and nutrition landscape at large, emphasizing: whole foods, the energy quality of our food, and chronic disease prevention. We are proud to report – though we can’t say we’re surprised – that whole grains play an active role in the top 10 diets on this list by supporting these larger themes.

More Whole, Plant-Based Foods

These diets echo each other, despite the fact that their end goals range from weight loss to brain health. They emphasize increased consumption of whole, minimally-processed foods. We have all heard it before (probably from Mom), but these diets encourage us to put more vegetables, whole grains, and fruits on our plates. Limited consumption of poultry and low-fat meat is part of the majority of these diets, with the Mediterranean Diet promoting seafood consumption and the Nordic Diet encouraging high-quality meat in the limited instances meat is consumed. The popularity of the Flexitarian Diet exemplifies the success of this light-on-meat attitude – while mostly vegetarian, it makes room for animal protein when the mood strikes.

Energy Quality

Energy quality is a slightly different way to categorize the food we consume. Highly-refined and fatty foods contain a concentrated punch of energy in a small package – meeting a large portion of your daily energy requirements with just a few bites. This can restrict the diversity and volume of higher-quality foods consumed over the course of the day, and can easily lead to an overconsumption of energy.

The Volumetric and the Mayo Clinic diets use energy density as the scaffolding for their recommendations. The energy density of a food is its energy content per unit of weight. Plant-based foods tend to exhibit low energy density, with high fiber and water content. Fatty and refined foods, on the other hand, are energy-dense, containing high-calorie counts per unit of weight. As US News and World Report points out, “for about the same amount of calories you could have a quarter of a Snickers bar or about 2 cups of broccoli.” By recommending foods with a lower energy density (like broccoli), these diets limit your energy consumption without reducing the total amount of food you eat.

Whole grains not only have low energy density, but intact whole grains have a low Glycemic Index as well – a measurement which rates how quickly carbohydrates are converted into glucose/energy. Your body breaks down whole grains more slowly than it does refined grains, making whole grains a more sustained energy source for your body. You can learn more about whole grain energy quality here.

Chronic disease

The rising rates of chronic diseases worldwide has reached epidemic proportions, so it is no surprise that these diets focus on the prevention of one or more chronic diseases. The Mediterranean and Ornish Diets focus on heart health, and the MIND Diet, true to its name, aims to promote a healthy brain. Managing hypertension and cholesterol is a common goal for almost all of these diets. It’s no surprise, then, to see whole grain recommendations showing up again and again, given the strong role they play in preventing many of the most common chronic diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

No matter which way you spin it, whole grains are an important part of a healthful diet. The common themes of this year’s best overall diets show exclusion and extremes are not promoting, and individuals are looking elsewhere. Whether it be for brain health or heart health, there is  to be found centering around eating a diverse array of wholesome foods. (Abby)

17 Dec
Uncategorized, Whole Grain

WHOLE GRAINS AND PLANT-BASED DIETS: 19TH-CENTURY EDITION

According to a NCHS brief released this month, whole grain intake as part of total grain consumption is slowly but steadily increasing among adults aged 20 and older in the United States. Though we still have work to do to get closer to making half of our grains whole and meeting the Dietary Guidelines recommendations, this is heartening news. Keep up the whole grain choices! As scientific understanding of the health benefits of whole grains has increased, more people have begun seeking whole grain products. In fact, 86% of respondents to our 2018 survey indicated health as a main driver in choosing whole grains. Companies are responding to mounting scientific evidence and consumer demand as well. To date, nearly 13,000 products have been registered to carry the Whole Grain Stamp, which requires products contain a minimum of half a serving of whole grains (8g) per labeled serving in order to qualify!

The eating patterns of past generations were equally influenced by advancements in knowledge. America was rapidly changing in the mid-19th and 20th centuries, and a trip down memory lane reveals some surprising influences, who not only impacted what people ate then, but continue to influence what people eat today.

19th Century Nutrition
Nutrition science was still very young in 19th century America. Though the idea that food choice had an impact on health was largely accepted, the specifics of how and why this was true were a matter of speculation. Meat, thought to be more easily digested than vegetables, was often prescribed for ailments along with healthy doses of wine. One man saw a different, plant-based path to health. Sylvester Graham’s thoughts on nutrition were largely influenced by his observations on the impact the increasingly industrialized and urban world had on health. He believed, and promoted, avoidance of all “stimulating” foods and habits and encouraged eating food as close to its natural state as possible. He was an early proponent of a vegetarian diet, and his teachings highlighted the importance of whole grain consumption. Though considered one of the founders of vegetarianism in America, he is perhaps even better known for his whole grain advocacy. 

Graham proselytized grinding grain at home, creating a minimally-processed flour for baking. When Graham’s popularity skyrocketed in the mid-1800s, many shop owners started selling products using coarsely-ground whole grain flour marketed with his name—graham flour, graham bread, and a bit later, the graham cracker. Advancements in the milling process in the late 20th century drastically changed flour production, and what was once ground either at home or by huge stones at the local grist mill was now being crushed in factories by huge porcelain and cast-iron rollers. This roller technology, invented in Hungary in the early 19th century, enabled more of the grain’s endosperm to be extracted from its bran and germ, making the milling process more efficient and the refining process more effective. Refined flour had historically been more expensive, and therefore desirable, due to the extra labor involved in sifting, but now roller mills made this sought-after refined flour cheap and accessible. Despite the boom of refined grain products that followed, Graham’s ideas about the importance of whole grains remained in circulation and continued to influence the next generation of Americans.

Modern Impact
John Kellogg, influenced by Graham’s teachings, created his own health and wellness sanatorium in the late 19th and early 20th century. His method was based around the promotion of health through diet, for which whole grains played an important role. He is perhaps best-known for inventing the corn flake, originally served as a health food at his sanatorium. The resulting rave reviews helped launch the popularization of the breakfast cereal. Charles Post, a patient in Kellogg’s sanatorium and a believer in his methods, soon became his competitor and created his own cereals made with the whole grain flour Graham so strongly believed in.

The health sciences have come far since the 19th and 20th centuries, but the ideas and technology from that era still live on in our current food culture. Roller milling is still used, now efficiently processing both whole and refined grains. Kellogg Company and Post Consumer Brands continue to produce breakfast cereals, including many that carry the Whole Grain Stamp. Graham flour, to this day, is defined by the USDA as a coarsely-ground whole grain wheat flour. While graham flour is defined as a whole grain, graham crackers are not, so make sure you check for the Whole Grain Stamp on your favorite fireside snack, or in an homage to Graham himself, make your own! Have a favorite historic food influencer? Share with us below! (Abby)

01 Nov
Hawos Mill Heritage

hawos Easy – the name says it all

The little guy has a footprint of a mere 15 x 15 cm while delivering high performance. Its single-handed operation makes precision a cinch. Turn on the mill and set the grinding fineness – steplessly from the finest flour to coarse groats.

The high-performance industrial motor transfers 360 watts of power to the grinding stones which are made of highly robust corundum-ceramic. More than enough – even when grinding corn.

The straight-forward, shapely housing made of high-grade plywood is manufactured with care. For your hawos Easy this means: a long life-cycle and excellent stability with all the benefits of a beautiful exposed, natural and oiled wooden surface.

Exceptional packaging for exceptional engineering!

18 Oct
Flour mill Information

“Hawos Mills” Quality Assurance

Get the best results with your hawos flour mill

Mills with steel plates or teeth apply cutting and frictional forces, but rarely achieve the fineness that stone-mills can provide. Stone grinders shell the kernels from the outside inwards and then gently grind them. Hawos flour mills use extremely hard grindstones made of compressed, baked corundum ceramic composite. They are resistant to debris and deliver ideal, consistent grinding results.

No mill leaves our premises until it has passed stringent controls

Every single hawos mill undergoes visual, acoustic, mechanical and fineness testing as part of our quality controls.

The grinding chamber is also fine-tuned as part of the final inspection by grinding wheat.  For celiac we can fine-tune and test it with gluten free alternatives such as corn so that you get the best results for your usage scenarios.

If at least 90 % of the mill feed passes through a lab sieve with a mesh size of 0.315 mm on the finest setting, the grinding chamber and settings are considered to be fine – only then are we satisfied. Only once the quality tests have been passed, it receives the hawos name badge.

17 Oct
Whole Grain

Storing Whole Grains!

Whole grains have gone mainstream, as more and more of us have come to enjoy their fuller, nuttier taste. And buying them is simpler, now that there’s a Whole Grain Stamp to guide the way. But once we get them home, what’s the best and safest way to keep whole grains fresh and full of good nutrients? Just follow a few simple guidelines.

Whole grains must be stored a bit more carefully than their refined counterparts, since the healthy oils found largely in the germ of whole grains can be negatively affected by heat, light and moisture.

Because each grain has a different fat content, their shelf lives vary. In general, follow these rules of thumb:

Whole Intact Grains: The shelf life of whole intact grains, like wheat berries or brown rice, is a bit longer than flours. If stored properly in airtight containers, intact grains will keep for up to 6 months on a cool, dry pantry shelf or up to a year in the freezer.

Whole Grain Flours and Meals: In general, whole grain flours spoil more quickly than intact grains, because their protective bran layer has been broken up and oxygen can reach all parts of the grain. If stored properly in airtight containers, most whole grain flours and meals will keep for 1 to 3 months on a cool, dry pantry shelf or 2 to 6 months in the freezer.

BUYING TIPS

Buy grains that are well packaged and sealed tightly. Check the expiration or “sell by” date and choose the newest one. If you’re buying whole grains from bulk bins, be sure the turnover at the retailer is high and only the freshest grains are available. You’ll want to take into consideration how long the grains might have been sitting on the store shelves before purchasing.

Grains should always look and smell faintly sweet or have no aroma at all. If you detect a musty or oily scent, the grains have passed their peak and should not be purchased.

ABOUT CONTAINERS

Heat, air, and moisture are the enemies of whole grains. All whole grains should be stored in airtight containers with tight-fitting lids or closures. The type of container is a matter of preference. Glass, plastic, and aluminum canisters or zip-top plastic bags can all be successfully used, as long as they are airtight. The seal helps to maintain freshness and will keep the grains from absorbing moisture, odors and flavors from other foods.

Mark the purchase dates on your whole grains, so you can track their freshness the next time you want use them. Best-selling cookbook author and Whole Grains Council Culinary Advisor Lorna Sass shares her system for storing whole grains:

“I open the sealed package by snipping off the top corner. When I’ve poured out what I need, I fold over the top once or twice and put a rubber band around the package. Then I put the package into a zipper-topped bag and mark the date of purchase. If there’s room in my freezer, I store the grains there. Otherwise, I put them in the refrigerator.”

WHOLE GRAIN STORAGE CHART

How long your grains stay fresh at home can depend largely on how much of their shelf life has already been used up at the warehouse and the store, before you bring them home. This means there are no sure-fire absolute guarantees. Here are some guidelines culled from a variety of experts that may help.

16 Oct
Hawos Mill Heritage

WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO RETHINK A GRAIN-FREE OR GLUTEN-FREE DIET

FIRST THINGS FIRST: WHAT IS GLUTEN?

Humans have been eating gluten for eons. Gluten forming proteins are found naturally in wheat (including ancient wheat’s like einkorn, faro, Kamut®, or spelt), barley, and rye. They’re what help dough stretch and bread rise

VERY FEW PEOPLE NEED A GLUTEN-FREE OR WHEAT-FREE DIET FOR MEDICAL REASONS

Celiac disease, which affects an estimated 1-2% of the US population, is a medically diagnose autoimmune disease that requires strict lifetime adherence to a gluten-free diet. Another 0.2-0.4% of Americans are allergic to wheat (but not barley or rye).  

WHAT ABOUT GLUTEN-SENSITIVITY?

Many patients who respond well to a gluten-free diet, but don’t test positive for Celia disease, are thought to have “non-Celia gluten sensitivity.” But science is casting doubts on the usefulness of gluten-free diets for people like these. Researchers analyzed data from 10 studies, in which 1,312 adults with “non-Celia gluten sensitivity” were tested for their reaction to gluten.1 In these 10 double-blind, placebo-controlled gluten challenges (where neither the researchers nor the participants knew if they were getting a gluten-free diet or the gluten-containing control / placebo), only 16% of the patients showed gluten-specific symptoms when exposed to the gluten-containing diet, and 40% of them had similar or increased symptoms when on the gluten-free control diet. In other words, gluten is probably not the culprit in most people who think they are gluten-sensitive. Blaming gluten may keep other serious problems from being addressed.

THE DOWNSIDES OF UNPRESCRIBED GLUTEN-FREE DIETS

• In a study that followed more than 100,000 US adults without celiac disease2 for more than 25 years, researchers found that eating gluten was not related to heart disease risk. In fact, the researchers cautioned that avoiding gluten may result in eating fewer whole grain foods, which may in turn increase the risk for heart disease.

• Harvard scientists3 found that people eating less gluten had a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. In fact, those in the top 20% of gluten intake were 13% less likely to get type 2 diabetes over the 30-year study period, even after adjusting for family history, exercise habits, weight, and calorie intake. Why? This may be because glutenfree foods are often made with substitutes like potato starch and tapioca that can make blood sugar spike.

• Gluten-free versions of foods have been shown to have more calories, sodium, and sugar than their regular gluten-containing counterparts, and often carry a higher price tag too.4 Real, whole grain foods are a better choice.

• Self treatment with a gluten-free diet messes up the blood test for celiac disease. Always speak with your doctor before making dietary changes.

• Self treatment with a gluten-free diet messes up the blood test for celiac disease. Always speak with your doctor before making dietary changes.

PEOPLE WHO AVOID GRAINS TEND TO BE LESS HEALTHY

Using national health survey data from 9,341 adults in Australia, researchers found that people avoiding grains were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese than those who eat grains, despite consuming fewer calories than grain eaters. Grain avoids also ate fewer fruits, vegetables and less fiber, and were more likely to have a higher BMI and waist size. Our advice: pick meals and snacks full of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and other real foods.

THE EARTH CAN’T SUPPORT A SHIFT FROM GRAINS TO OTHER FOODS (LIKE MEAT)

For millennia, grains have been one of the most important sources of food worldwide. Today, grains provide nearly 50% of global calories,6 and are some of the most earth-friendly foods to produce. Fruits and vegetables, while very nutritious, aren’t as energy dense as grains and are harder to grow, transport, and store for year-round enjoyment. So to make up the necessary calories in fruits and vegetables, much more food would have to be grown. Similarly, raising animals for meat production requires a substantial amount of land and water. For example, beef production uses 10.19 liters of water to produce 1 calorie of food, compared to only 2.09 liters per calorie of fruits, 1.34 liters per calorie of vegetables, and 0.51 liters per calorie of grains.7 Shifting diets away from grains and towards more energy-intensive foods puts an impossible burden on our planet’s precious resources.

CONVENIENT OPTIONS TO BECOMING A WHOLE GRAIN ENTHUSIAST

There are various options available in the market today both online and through brick and mortar retail shops. These provide a convenient option to mill our own flour on each meal basis, which not only provides maximum nutrition but also fantastic taste. These mills come in various options like hand operated manual flour mill, electricity operated flour mill, and solar power operated flour mill. Bring home a domestic flour mill today to reap the healthy benefits of whole grain meal after meal, every day.

14 Oct
Hawos Mill Heritage

The motor heart of domestic flour mill

An exceptional warranty for exceptional quality You expect your flour mill to deliver fine flour in sufficient quantity without overloading the motor. The especially resilient, robust industrial motors in hawos flour mill guarantee this. We certify the quality of our motors with a 10-year warranty.

Quiet grinding thanks to patented elastic bedding

We have developed a construction that does not require the motor and grinding attachment to be screwed directly to the housing of the flour mills. This elastic bedding is used in multiple hawos models and noticeably reduces grinding noises.

Small but powerful electric flour mill

Even the smallest hawos mill delivers top performance. We build powerful motors with an output of at least 360 watts. You can compare the mill types in this performance class on the last pages.

The strong flaunt their colours!

The larger hawos models grind using 600-watt industrial motors making them ideal for large families and cooking courses. As the largest hawos flour mill, Pegasus delivers even more power (2 levels of motorisation) and is ideal for use in natural food stores, large kitchens, small bakeries etc.

Protection built in

The high-quality protective switches found in hawos flour mills showcase that for us quality comes down to the finest of details. While visually it is an On/Off switch, it also serves as an intelligent electric circuit breaker that switches the mill off should the stones get blocked for approximately 20 seconds, thereby protecting your motor and stones.

12 Oct
Hawos Mill Heritage

Take a journey inside our mills

High-quality materials for the perfect finish and durability

A long lifespan is a number one priority for all hawos products, whether you choose wooden mills (solid wood or plywood) or colorful versions made of high-quality durable Makrolon poly-carbonate plastic. We place particular emphasis on ethical and ecological aspects when harvesting and processing wood. Our wood – birch and beech – is processed in a special-needs woodworking factory in Austria. Their dedication to detail and their enjoyment in being an active part in society can be seen in the exceptionally high quality they produce.

To a large extent it comes from PEFC certified forests in the surrounding region, which are used in accordance with the rules of sustainability and nature-orientated practices

We achieve a particularly high accuracy of fit with both our solid wood and plywood wood housings by using computer-controlled saws. Both versions have natural, vital surfaces, which are characteristic of wood and a delight for the senses. Our high-grade plywood housings are ideal for countries with unstable temperatures and humidity.

Many hawos mills are manufactured in a modular construction making them equally efficient and simple.

11 Oct
Hawos Mill Heritage

journey of our new Hawos Germany head office construction

On this page we keep you informed about our new building.

Background and construction planning Our new head office with office space, repair facilities, warehouse and underground parking is being built in the Massenheimer Weg in Bad Homburg, only a few hundred meters away from our current location. The planning for the new corporate headquarters has been going on for several years now.After many appointments with the authorities, architects and the general contractor, the third draft was finally approved!

In May 2015, the excavator finally kicked off, but not without encountering some surprises!Before the excavator could start its work on 2,100 square meters of area, a ground survey had to be prepared. These investigations revealed that archaeological findings were suspected. Construction freeze! An archeological team came on site with rakes and brushes and dug in the scorching summer heat.They found historic pieces of pottery from the time of the Romans, which was to be expected by the proximity to the Limes, as well as earth discolourations, which pointed to a settlement during the Celtics (up to 500 BC).

4. September 2015

The excavations are over! To celebrate, the newspaper ‘Taunus Zeitung’ (part of Frankfurter Neue Presse) has published a story on the history of our construction project so far.

The excavation is dredged. Pictured: Architect M. Raufenbarth, builder Ralf Pigge with wife Jutta and sons Sebastian, Johannes, Thomas and grandchild Taylor.
  • The building will be thiiiiiis big!Currently, it is still being investigated whether the floor can be compacted with posts or whether a thicker floor slab has to placed in order to provide the necessary load capacity. Due to this and results of the archaeological findings, the statisticians have to start all over again.
  • Finally it can continue! The foundation is dredged.
December 2015: The first snow. Winter is coming!
  • The foundations for a stable construction are laid and the insulation is ready. Now the concrete just needs to dry.
  • February 2016: Finally it Continues.230 tonnes of steel are processed.
  • April 2016: The first walls are put up for the basement and garage. Today the weather is not playing nice as it is raining.
  • The basement walls are standing. Now we can finally visualise the true dimensions of our new building.
  • and in the middle of it all: the freight elevator!
  • April 13, 2016. The prefabricated walls are filled with concrete through the “Crab-Arms”.
  • April 19, 2016 The support posts will hold the basement ceiling.
  • June 30, 2016 Preparations for the basement ceiling are complete. Now the ceiling can come.
  • 08. July 2016 The basement ceiling is being critically appraised by the specialists.
  • August 2017: The windows are fitted and the outer insulation is in progress. Delay caused by the storm on 1 August.The hail had destroyed 8 of the 36 automatically opening fire-safety windows on the roof!
  • As of August 2017: The first interior wall for the offices is installed.The pink color signifies the fire resistance code F 90.