The smell of freshly baked white bread is fantastic, isn't it? A crusty slice of white bread covered in butter and jam...wow! It's difficult to imagine that anything so tasty could be bad for you, but don't be fooled!
White bread is one of the causes of the current worldwide obesity epidemic. We are all eating far too much white bread.
There are two problems with white bread. The first is that it's made with refined flour. Nothing wrong with that, you might think, but that's not the case. 'Refined' means that most of the goodness has been taken out. In the refining process, essential minerals, vitamins and fiber that we need have been 'refined away'. What we're left with might taste good, but its nutritional value is low. All that white bread does is to keep our jaws busy.
The refined nature of white bread means that it is not a complex carbohydrate like wholemeal bread, it is a simple carbohydrate like sugar. Our body reacts to white bread in the same way as it reacts to sugar. It produces insulin, which in turn increases our appetite. Eating white bread actually makes you hungry...that's quite a thought!
Another problem with white bread, burger buns and bagels is that they contain huge amounts of salt. We get nearly 25% of our daily salt intake from bread. Daily levels of salt intake have risen to an average of nearly 12g, and the recommended daily allowance is 4g.
In a recent study it was found that in a significant number of cases, nearly 20% of daily energy intake came from white bread. In all cases the daily salt intake was well above recommended levels.
High salt intake is very dangerous indeed. If your salt intake is too high, your body retains too much water and the level of bodily fluids increases. This in turn increases blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to heart attack and stroke. Too much salt also increases your thirst. If you quench that thirst with water you are compounding the problem. If you drink cola of a similar drink you will dramatically increase your calorie intake and weight gain will be the result.
The best thing to do is to get into the habit - the slim habit, of not eating white bread. Eat bread if you have to, but not white. If you keep to the slim habit of not eating bread, it will help you to lose weight, and that's got to be good! - 16003
White bread is one of the causes of the current worldwide obesity epidemic. We are all eating far too much white bread.
There are two problems with white bread. The first is that it's made with refined flour. Nothing wrong with that, you might think, but that's not the case. 'Refined' means that most of the goodness has been taken out. In the refining process, essential minerals, vitamins and fiber that we need have been 'refined away'. What we're left with might taste good, but its nutritional value is low. All that white bread does is to keep our jaws busy.
The refined nature of white bread means that it is not a complex carbohydrate like wholemeal bread, it is a simple carbohydrate like sugar. Our body reacts to white bread in the same way as it reacts to sugar. It produces insulin, which in turn increases our appetite. Eating white bread actually makes you hungry...that's quite a thought!
Another problem with white bread, burger buns and bagels is that they contain huge amounts of salt. We get nearly 25% of our daily salt intake from bread. Daily levels of salt intake have risen to an average of nearly 12g, and the recommended daily allowance is 4g.
In a recent study it was found that in a significant number of cases, nearly 20% of daily energy intake came from white bread. In all cases the daily salt intake was well above recommended levels.
High salt intake is very dangerous indeed. If your salt intake is too high, your body retains too much water and the level of bodily fluids increases. This in turn increases blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to heart attack and stroke. Too much salt also increases your thirst. If you quench that thirst with water you are compounding the problem. If you drink cola of a similar drink you will dramatically increase your calorie intake and weight gain will be the result.
The best thing to do is to get into the habit - the slim habit, of not eating white bread. Eat bread if you have to, but not white. If you keep to the slim habit of not eating bread, it will help you to lose weight, and that's got to be good! - 16003
About the Author:
A Well known speaker, writer and commentator on dieting and health, Henry John's special interest is permanent weight loss and behavior change. He is committed to helping people with weight problems achieve permanent weight loss. If you would like learn more about how to lose weight permanently visit www.slimhabit.com
