The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread?
Bread is a great food staple and many people cannot imagine life without the convenience of bread. And yet did you know that modern highly processed bread may be causing more damage than you seem to be aware of?
But how can we move away from modern bread?
Traditional bread making methods used ancient grains, where bakers stone ground their grains then fermented them naturally (sourdough) to enable bread to be easily digestible.
Today’s processed factory born bread is so far removed from its original relative, that it unfortunately struggles to meet the definition of bread anymore.
Dr Davis the author of ‘Wheat Belly’ attributes wheat to weight gain. All grains are sugar to the body but wheat is the most inflammatory which can exasperate weight problems as adipose fat also gives off inflammatory responses. Two slices of wholewheat bread can breakdown rapidly into two whole tablespoons full of sugar in the body.
“ British bread is now the most chemically treated in western Europe.”.
– 1974 TECHNOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT CONSUMERISM CENTER REPORT
In fact modern wheat is highly inflammatory for many and has been linked to numerous health problems including: Arthritis, Coeliac disease, Chronic fatigue, IBS, Crohn’s, Inflammatory bowel disease, Constipation, Bloating, Brain fog, Depression, Schizophrenia, Weight gain and numerous more. Most people report feeling more energy from removing wheat from their diet.
Another reason why wheat may often be a problem for many people could be due to intense farming modifying wheat to create a higher yield of gluten. This higher yield of gluten creates a more spongy effect in bread and cakes but also gives rise to digestive problems. You only have to watch an evening of TV to see all of the adverts for digestive issue solutions.
Gluten is not an easy protein to digest as it sticks to the gut lining and takes a lot of energy to break down, leaving us with no energy for ourselves. Many researchers believe that no one was designed to break down gluten so it is particularly hard to digest
Additionally it has been noted by renowned Paleo Diet Researcher Dr Lorain Cordain that gluten, the protein in many grains and human synovial tissue, which lines and lubricates the joints, share common gene sequences. This can result in a persons immune system attacking it’s own synovial tissue.
Coeliac disease, an auto immune reaction to gluten from wheat, barley and rye is on the rise in the UK. The number of children diagnosed with coeliac disease has trebled in the UK over the past 20 years. It’s reckoned around 1% of all children in the UK have the disorder, say researchers from the university of Nottingham. And in adults it is now thought that up to one in 100 are affected by Coeliac. However only one in 8, or 12.5% of these have been diagnosed.
Coeliac is an auto immune disease, where the body produces antibodies that attacks it’s own tissues. This attack is triggered by the protein gluten and can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition.
Common symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, weight loss, headaches, tiredness, anaemia, and skin problems. However not all Coeliacs show obvious symptoms.
In addition to this, the majority of commercial brands add fast acting yeast, industrial flour improver, sugar, oils that turn rancid under heat and chemicals to create fast processed bread that is cheap and has an extended shelf life.
“There are many good reasons not to eat processed bread of any kind in any form.”
– CHARLOTTE PALME
The most well known brands of industrially made processed wholewheat bread use up to two teaspoons of sugar to every 3 slices of bread. Far beyond the necessary amount to feed the yeast. They have also been known to use rapeseed oil (a cousin of canola oil) considered to be toxic to the nervous system.
“If you really are attached to eating bread, don’t despair there are better choices available.”
– CHARLOTTE PALMER
We are as a nation growing more and more sensitive to food and developing allergies. If you eat too much of one thing the body develops an unhealthy relationship with that food; wheat sensitivities and allergies are a growing concern as processed wheat is so frequently available and over consumed in our modern society.
One way to prevent wheat sensitivity and prevent allergies developing is to try cutting out all bread and cereals for a while to see if you have more energy and to gently ease out any digestive issues. Then try reintroducing a better quality organic, gluten free or sourdough choice of bread to upgrade your bread and your health too.
Try sourdough bread that has been naturally fermented.
Try ancient grains such as Spelt, Einkorn, Kamut or other heritage grains, which tend to be lower in gluten, and higher in protein and vitamins.
Rye is a good choice as it is low in gluten and easier to digest than wheat.
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