Why Wheat May Not Be The Problem And How To Find Wheat
That Doesn't Make You Sick
with James Brown
The wheat itself may not be the issue making people sick. It may be all of the other things that are either added to flour products or the way that the wheat has been stripped of nutrients. Finding whole wheat products including wheat berries give us an option to enjoy the bread and other foods that we love. Getting to know the baker and mill is the best way to know what's in your bread, but also what's not in your bread.
If you've ever stood in the bread aisle wondering why two loaves that look identical can sit so differently with your body, this episode is the answer you've been looking for. Dr. Akshita Mehta sits down with James Brown, founder of Barton Springs Mill, to trace a wheat berry from the field to your kitchen — and to hand you the specific questions that separate flour worth eating from flour that's mostly starch.
James has spent eight years stone-milling grain in the Texas Hill Country, and he opens with a myth worth retiring: GMO wheat doesn't exist on the U.S. market — it's not legally grown here. His point is bigger than that one fact. The wheat berry itself has changed remarkably little in what matters nutritionally. What's changed is everything that happens to it: seed coatings, field sprays, storage pesticides, the milling method, fortification, dough conditioners, and how long it sits before you eat it.
Why this matters: Chronic disease is multifactorial — food quality is one thread, not the whole tapestry. But it's a thread you can actually pull on. When you can tell the difference between fresh stone-milled whole wheat and 18-month-old commodity flour, you're not eating perfectly — you're eating informed. That shift, repeated over years, may be where some of the real prevention lives.
About the guest: James Brown is the founder of Barton Springs Mill in Dripping Springs, Texas, which stone-mills organic and heritage grains and publishes lab analysis on every grain it sells. The mill runs an education center and home-milling classes.
Timestamps:
* 00:00 — Is your wheat GMO? (and why that's the wrong worry)
* 03:51 — Gluten sensitivity, explained
* 05:08 — How wheat actually changed: Borlaug, the dwarfing gene, ancient grains
* 11:33 — The dozen things added between field and loaf
* 15:41 — Stone milling vs. roller milling
* 20:20 — Fermentation and the amylase enzymes
* 30:00 — "Know Your Miller" and how to read a label
* 37:18 — Shelf life, whole berries, and home milling
* 56:56 — Red, white, and the new purple wheat
* 1:16:19 — Why quality flour costs more
Want to try Barton Springs Mill? [https://bartonspringsmill.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorQB8Zvz86yoI7UYVFbPNGbb_gtc3s9NVAsrnCwOHVt7bhQ6-NJ] CODE: LIFESTYLE 10
https://amyhalloran.net/mills/ [https://amyhalloran.net/mills/]
Email: hello@diveintohealthmd.com [hello@diveintohealthmd.com]
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This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
