More and more people have stopped eating bread and are trying to follow diets that contain no fast carbs. Thousands of bloggers have shared a lot of information about what’s changed in their lives since they’ve decided to quit eating flour-based products. The results are really impressive: their skin gets healthier, they lose weight, and they become more energetic. But do all these tips really work?
Bright Side wants to figure this whole thing out and understand whether all types of bread are harmful or maybe just a select few. We’d like to share some facts with you — and you are free to come to your own conclusions.
Whole wheat bread and bread made up of rye or whole wheat flour are absolutely fine. These products are healthy, but when it comes to white bread, it’s not that good for you. In the 20th century, flour and yeast were changed and a combination of intense energy and additives completely displaced time in the maturing of the dough. This is the main reason to stop eating white bread, even the premium quality white bread. Let us explain this fact to you.
When they start out, wheat grains are high in vitamins. But all the useful substances simply disappear when the grains are being processed. Even the premium quality white flours only retain around 30% of the beneficial substances that they contained before they were processed, and unfortunately these substances become inactive after just 2 weeks. By the way, the shelf life of flour is about 12 months.
Let’s all admit that white bread has no taste. But that’s the reason many people love it. It doesn’t stop you from enjoying the taste of the meat, soup, or cheese that you eat. But, in comparison with whole grain flour products, it doesn’t make the taste better.
The modern world demands as much wheat as possible. In order to grow more wheat in shorter periods of time, farmers sprinkle it with pesticides. And to protect it from rodents and fungus, it’s treated with different chemical substances. Additionally, to make the flour white, manufacturers bleach it using the same substances we use for washing: benzoyl peroxide, persulfates, and chlorine dioxide. Before you buy bread, make sure it’s made with organic flour, not refined flour. The refined flour undergoes the procedures described above.
We are what we eat. And if a person eats mostly flour products, they can face skin problems. Acne is usually caused by the gluten (from the Latin word for “glue”) contained in bread. The body can’t excrete gluten, so it also causes intestinal damage. Before going to a cosmetologist or a dermatologist, try changing your diet first.
Gluten, as we alluded to above, can cause different digestive problems. Whole grain bread contains a significant element — fiber — while flour products don’t have this. 5-6 slices of whole grain bread per day provide you with enough fiber to meet the daily norm. If you want to get this norm by eating fruits and vegetables, you’d have to eat 14 apples, 21 carrots, 25 tomatoes, or around 5 lbs of cucumbers.
As you already know, white bread is a product that contains no beneficial substances. Eating foods that contain no vitamins makes it impossible for our body to stay young. So those who love refined flour products tend to look older than they actually are.
Bread is like a drug. White flour causes the level of sugar in the blood to rise and, as a result, the level of insulin rises. When you eat a slice of bread, your blood sugar rises fast, but then it drops fast and you start feeling worse and want to eat more fast carbs to make yourself feel better. Such drastic changes in blood sugar levels can even lead to diabetes.
For many people, this can be the number one reason to quit eating food with refined flour. More than 70% of people who stop eating bread lose weight within first 2 weeks. One medium-sized slice of bread contains 0.6 g of fiber, and the other ingredients turn into body fat. The glycemic index for bread is even higher than for chocolate. And the starch contained in pastries breaks down in the digestive tract and turns into glucose that enters the bloodstream, which means it’ll make you feel hungry soon.
Are you ready to stop eating bread?
I have always known that white bread wasn't so "healthy" after all. But at the same time you guys are correct, it's addictive, and at one point you feel that you can't live without it anymore.
I'm probably ready to stop eating white bread, but don't think I can completely remove brown bread from my life.
What about you guys?
