Breaking Bread
Breaking bread has been a tradition for centuries. Bread, in various forms is the most widely consumed food in the world. In fact, scholars believe people have been baking bread for over 30,000 years. The Mesopotamians refined this process around 800 B.C., by using two flat, circular stones, stacked on top of one another, in which to grind the bread. Initial milled bread in the European culture was comprised of dark, coarse grains, like pumpernickel, buckwheat, and barley, that were milled with stones and contained large amounts of fiber.
In the 20th century, however, bread has become so refined and processed that there is little nutritional value in white bread. Multiple health professionals now claim that bread and other sources of gluten grains can be potentially harmful in large quantities.
Essentially, white bread is made with “enriched” flour.
Have you ever wondered why bread is white when wheat is not? It’s because the flour used to make white bread is chemically bleached, just like you bleach your clothes. You won’t find good nutrition in white bread. In the process of making flour white, half of the good unsaturated fatty acids, that are high in food value, are lost in the milling process, and virtually all the vitamin E is lost with the removal of wheat germ and bran.
As a result, the remaining flour in the white bread you buy, contains only poor-quality proteins and fattening starch
Recent studies also have proved that milled breads contain many residual chemicals and pesticides. If bread is something that you must have, perhaps you want to remember the following facts.
· Bread contains gluten, a glue -like substance that can reek havoc on the digestion system. Studies have shown that the immune system in our digestive tract "attacks" the gluten proteins and may cause “leaky gut syndrome” which can contribute to autoimmune diseases.
· White bread and rolls are high in calories and spike the blood sugar levels.
· Most processed breads do not contain fiber and are empty calories.
· A consistent high carbohydrate diet can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
To replace white bread with healthy grains is a good start in the right direction. Things like quinoa and brown rice, or oat bread, can lend a helping hand to your digestion while moving up the amount of fiber in your diet.
More information can be found in the article written by Dr. Vandana Shiva “The Truth About White Bread”, or refer to the Livestrong article “Diet for Leaky Gut Syndrome”.