In the Live Right for Your Type book, Spelt is considered a neutral grain for type O Secretors, but there is no mention of whether whole grain Spelt is recommended over white Spelt.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Mark

I d go for whole if it were right for me....we can always use the extra fiber, for digestion and blood sugar control.

people like baking with white spelt though.

I've never seen white spelt before!  Is it like white flour, only made with spelt rather than wheat?

right
without the seed coat, like all white grain flours...
check red mill

Yes, it is just like white wheat flour. I get it as well as whole spelt flour at a co-op that sells all kinds of flours.

I use both types
A mixture of whole spelt and white when I make bread (mainly soaked and sour dough based) and the white spelt when I bake cakes
both works well.

If it doesn't specify one or the other I would think both are fine.

My SWAMI says "Whole Grain Spelt" so that is mostly what I use. I only use the white spelt if I'm making a special desert or pizza crust, since my DH likes it better in those situations.

Sparrow, I get my white spelt flour from Vita-Spelt and it pretty much works the same as All Purpose wheat flour. I don't like it as well as the whole grain for baking bread, it always seems too dry. Could just me something I'm doing wrong though   Baking with spelt is a little different then baking with regular wheat flour so maybe I just haven't figured it out yet.

You can always mix the two for a light version too.

I use both too...white for cakes & pastry and whole for bread.

I actually handle white better...probably the bran and germ have just a bit of lectin.

Quoted from Heidi

Baking with spelt is a little different then baking with regular wheat flour so maybe I just haven't figured it out yet.

Try googling, I think VitaSpelt has some info on their site.  You need to use less water but I forget the exact ratio, I have a note in my cookbook.

I find that white spelt is better for things like pastries, but it is more expensive.  I often have used a mix of half and half.

Here's some more information about white vs. whole grain Spelt (http://www.purityfoods.com/cooking_resources):
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Q: Is white spelt refined like white flour (as opposed to whole wheat flour)?
Our white flour is sent thru a finer milling process that removes the germ and the bran. We do not bleach nor treat the flour in any other way. You will notice that the nutritional profile is different between the two flours. The whole grain has higher fat and fiber, while the white shows slightly higher carbohydrate and sugar percentages.
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Is there a scientific explanation as to which one would be better tolerated by type Os?

Thanks
Mark

Quoted from Heidi

I don't like it as well as the whole grain for baking bread, it always seems too dry. Could just me something I'm doing wrong though   Baking with spelt is a little different then baking with regular wheat flour so maybe I just haven't figured it out yet.

Spelt is very "thirsty" -soaks up a lot more liquid in recipes....Not sure why white does it more - would've thought, with the extra bran etc the whole grain would be more "thirsty"... Anyway, maybe you could try some extra liquid in your recipe??!!

Quoted from 6471

Is there a scientific explanation as to which one would be better tolerated by type Os?

Thanks
Mark

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/depictor5.pl?396

This might help, the typebase gives food data. What do you mean by tolerated?



Live Right has tons of science as does the website.

http://www.dadamo.com/science.htm

http://www.dadamo.com/science_individualist.htm

Thanks Andrea, I have seen the data at (http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/depictor5.pl?396), but the page doesn't specifically mention whether the analysis is for white spelt or whole grain spelt.

>What do you mean by tolerated?
Since spelt does contain gluten, lectin, my question was whether or not there was an explanation as to which type of spelt would be better tolerated by a type O's digestive system since one may contain less gluten.

Mark what are your health and weight goals?  Do you have white lines on your fingerprints that signify lectin damage to the gut lining?

I know this is not the answer you want and I am not sure I have one for you. You may need to wade through the data yourself to get to the heart of the matter. O's may need some of the nutrients in the spelt it may be the lignans or the mag in the whole  spelt, or the gluten content may be greater in the whole spelt so the white may be better. Or it might make no difference between the two.


What I do know is that it took Dr. D'Adamo 5 years to write the SWAMI software so I don't need to sweat the details of everything.

It is always great to ask questions it keeps us all on our toes to question and learn.

Quoted Text

Spelt is similar to wheat in appearance. However, spelt has a tougher husk than wheat, which may help protect the nutrients in spelt. Spelt flour has a somewhat nuttier and slightly sweeter flavor than whole wheat flour. Spelt contains more protein than wheat, and the protein in spelt is easier to digest. This means that some people who are allergic to wheat may be able to tolerate spelt. Spelt has gluten, just like wheat, so spelt is not suitable for a gluten-free diet.

if spelt were beneficial for me, I d chose whole grain versus white, always......GI is lower once digestion takes place and more fiber is always a plus!

I don't know Lola, white rice comes up on a number of SWAMIs in the superfood section and the brown is in the neutral, one would think the brown would always be better but not in some cases , totally individual. Not sure why this is .


Would love to see a SWAMI for you Mark.

Quoted from Andrea AWsec

I don't know Lola, white rice comes up on a number of SWAMIs in the superfood section and the brown is in the neutral, one would think the brown would always be better but not in some cases , totally individual. Not sure why this is .

WOW.  this is quite interesting....can't wait for my appt!!  And i hope you come out to the NY meetup Andrea!!!  Ooo, i'm gonna pic ur brain!!!  

Sparrow, I get my white spelt flour from Vita-Spelt and it pretty much works the same as All Purpose wheat flour. I don't like it as well as the whole grain for baking bread, it always seems too dry. Could just me something I'm doing wrong though   Baking with spelt is a little different then baking with regular wheat flour so maybe I just haven't figured it out yet. [/quote]

I recently read some cookbooks on baking with spelt, and have been baking my on breads and treats. Spelt does need more liquid. It should always be slightly sticky and moist. Also, if your bread is dry or heavy, this means that you are over neading. Spelt takes alot less time to rise and it needs less kneading. Hope this helps. This seems to hold true for whole spelt and white spelt.

I'll be at the meetup. When is your appointment?

Hijacked

Thanks everyone. I did a lot of reading about baking with spelt before I gave it a try so I already knew about the water and kneeding stuff. I have the best luck with the white flour if I leave it really wet and soft.
I've been testing out some biscuts for Thanksgiving and have decided that I really like the flavor of the whole grain best, the white is kind of bland  
Another thing I have been doing is adding an egg to the dough. Years ago I found it helped WW loaves to rise better and it works the same with the spelt.
I'm a "by feel" baker, so it is just a matter of getting used to a new feel  

we re talking spelt here......and swami doesn t give me a white or whole spelt option.......

yes indeed individuality...I do know!

the only option I have is whole spelt and it s an avoid!

swami didn t even bother to give me the white spelt option.....
kind of obvious, right?

I only have whole listed too Lola. But it is a superfood for this Explorer  

lucky explorer you!
enjoy!