Is Bread Bad?
Bread has been rather villanized over the past few years with the rise of fad low-carb diets. And it’s no secret that people on low carb diets DO lose weight (although many of these fad diets are actually very unhealthy…)
When it comes to the way I eat, I actually do try to avoid bread as much as possible.
I hear lots of people say different things about it. Things like:
- I can’t live without bread! I just couldn’t give it up.
- I’ll just exercise more to counteract all the carbs I’m eating.
- How can bread be bad when people in Bible times ate it all the time (and the Israelites were a very healthy people group)?
I really love the last question, because it gives me a chance to really explain how the bread we eat today is NOTHING like the bread that was known as the ‘staff of life’ in Bible times.
photo courtesy of SliceofChic
The answer should (hopefully) address the other 2 responses as well.
(Although the bread-addicts out there just may need a good kick in the pants.)
The bread we eat today is what is known as a refined grain. And it’s not just bread, either. White rice, white pasta, cereal, baking flours, cookies, etc. are all full of refined grains. Even wheat bread is ridiculously refined and processed. Not so much the health food we all thought it was, huh?
Here’s a laundry list of why refined grains stink:
- They will turn to sugar in your body in about 4 seconds (i.e. they have a ridiculously high Glycemic Index & Glycemic Load)
- They are stripped of just about all natural fiber
- Over half the vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, zinc, copper, & iron are lost
- There are approximately 25 different chemicals added to refined grains during processing
- Refined grains are also often bleached
- Artificial colors & preservatives are added (many of which have been linked to cancer)
- Grains are fumigated and heavily sprayed when grown
- Grains in general are less nutrient dense than other whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, & healthy meats
- They also contain gluten (which can cause digestive issues and intolerances when over-consumed through refined grains)
How Grains Are Processed
As if all that wasn’t enough, the grain you are eating isn’t actually much of a grain anymore by the time it reaches the supermarket shelves.
A whole grain is made of three parts. From the inside out, you have:
- The germ (nutrient-rich inner section)
- The endosperm (found in the middle)
- The bran (fiber-rich outer layer)
But once the grain has been milled, it is stripped of the germ AND the bran (everything that was good about the grain to begin with). So you’re left with the goop in the middle that is devoid of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals.
And why is this done? So the bread can sit on the shelf longer and still be ‘fresh.’
Sprouting
Another thing to mention is the sprouting of grains. Back in the day, before the use of modern machinery and government-subsidized crops, all grains had time to sprout as they sat in the fields during the harvest. Workers in the field would harvest them, tie them up, then let them sit before bringing the harvest in to be threshed.
Nowadays time is money, and money is king. So the machines suck up the grains and send them away all in one step.
But when you don’t allow the grains to sprout, you miss out on all these amazing benefits:
- Sprouted grains are more easily digestible
- They encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria
- They are higher in protein, vitamins, & enzymes
- They have a lower GI (i.e. they don’t turn to sugar as quickly in your body)
What To Do?
Really this is pretty simple. It’s an easy 3 step process if you want to lose excess weight, improve the strength of your immune system, increase your energy levels, and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases in the future.
- Walk into your kitchen.
- Locate the processed loaves of bread (and flours, pastas, etc.)
- Throw them in the garbage can.
Bam. You’re done.
Granted, I know you may want to know how to survive without bread in the house. How can one possibly scrape by a fulfilling existence without a loaf of Bunny bread on stand-by?
Well, you can sprout grains (and seeds and beans) yourself if you’re keen on baking your own bread, or you can buy sprouted grain bread (like Ezekiel Bread by Food for Life) from the store.
It might be transition for you that involves baby steps. And that’s OK.
If you’re wondering what to eat now that the bread has been sent away, try any one of these great processed-grain-free options this week, then let me know how you did!
Turkey Burgers on Greens with Mashed Faux-tatoes
What kind of bread do you eat (if you eat it at all)?
This post is linked to Monday Mania, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday
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Mar 28, 2011 @ 13:50:41
I do really like bread and baked goods in general. I especially love bagels. I don’t really eat sandwiches or like sandwich bread, all that much. To get my bagel and cream cheese fix, I’ve very recently begun toasting Ezekiel bread and spreading some goat cheese on it. It’s perfect! I still stop in for a bagel at Panera once or twice a month, though. Thanks for the informative post!
Mar 29, 2011 @ 02:59:56
Yum-goat cheese on Ezekiel bread!
Mar 28, 2011 @ 19:44:01
Lori-
LOVE this post. and love the steps under “What to do?” You are so funny.
Through research and being a vegetarian, i’ve found that grains can be good for you (sprouted of course being best, which you covered). I’ve found that a little bit a week really gives me energy and its nice to have it as an addition to all my fruits and veggies and nuts :).
This morning I made some incredible bread (well, its getting there…) Here is the best i’ve come up with thus far:
4 cups of any GF flour
1 1/2-2 cups water
1/2 cup of sour dough or “mother” dough (this is basically flour and water thats been left sitting covered in a warm spot to ferment; sourdough breads are a great fermented food!)
1 -2 tbsp flax seeds, ground with 2/3 cup of water (this is an egg replacement)
2 tsp GF baking powder
1-2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tsp sea salt
and then any chopped nuts or seeds i desire (today i added soaked chia seeds).
I combine the first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl and leave to ferment/rise for 8 hours or overnight, then I add the remaining ingredients, combining well, and transfer to an oiled bread tin, and allow to rise for another 3-4 hours. Then I bake in the oven at 325 F for 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve or store! YUM!
Gluten-free, synthetic yeast free, egg-free breads are hard to master (i’m still learning), so you have to find the combination so that they still rise and have good texture!
Mar 29, 2011 @ 03:22:54
Thanks for the recipe!! Sourdough is one of my favorites, and I’m super excited to try my hand at it once I get my own kitchen back (along with sprouting my own grains, grinding my own flour, and buying a breadmaker!) ;)
Mar 29, 2011 @ 14:13:44
We have just began our food journey in search of healthier eating. It can be overwhelming realizing what we were putting into our bodies. It really makes me feel like not eating anything at the store again.
For us it has been about baby steps. Started with raw milk and then grass fed beef. Now I am starting a garden for the first time. I have switched from a lot of white flour to more wheat. This week at the store I bought stone ground unrefined unbleached wheat flour. It’s a bit higher but I feel better about feeding it to my family. I found a recipe for some of the best rolls I have ever been able to make but they still take white flour and whole wheat flour. Pretty much have given up sandwich bread.
Love your blog and especially your article on sunscreen. My children will not be wearing any this year and neither will I do. I cringe putting anything on our skin that has chemicals in it. I have a recipe for homemade lotion and deodorant that I plan to make soon.
Keep the good stuff coming!
Mar 31, 2011 @ 18:15:56
Sarah,
That’s so great that you are making those changes! For my husband and I, we chose to see the slightly higher prices on our grocery bill as an investment. I’d rather pay a bit more now for healthy food instead of pay a lot more later in doctor’s visits, hospital bills, etc. (and feel better, have more energy, etc. in the meantime!)
Thanks for reading and being a part of the site! :)
Mar 31, 2011 @ 19:06:49
Besides sprouting grains, I think soaking grains and sourdough breads can be helpful too! I love using my sourdough starter not just in breads, but to make pasta etc too!
http://mummyicancook.blogspot.com/2011/01/fettucine-with-walnut-basil-pesto-and.html
Sep 03, 2011 @ 20:02:59
I’ve heard that among other things, bleaching strips food of chromium which is there for a reason: to keep the blood sugar from spiking.
No-Knead Gluten-Low Bread
Jun 27, 2012 @ 16:14:46
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Aug 31, 2012 @ 13:40:30
[…] If you haven’t developed an intolerance or allergy to gluten, don’t discount gluten-containing grains as the enemy to health. When prepared in traditional methods, grains are hunky dory. (But don’t go crazy gorging on the bread. Don’t forget that there are several reasons why grains aren’t as good as many other foods.) […]
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Jun 04, 2013 @ 03:34:06
[…] http://www.laurelofleaves.com/2011/03/is-bread-bad […]
Apr 03, 2014 @ 20:04:39
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