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 may be delicious, but we eat far too much of it and it's now becoming a major cause of weight gain, particularly in the Western world.
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.
Because white bread is made from refined flour it has a high glycaemic index (GI) which means that it causes a rapid rise in blood sugar which in turn affects the amount of insulin the body produces. Insulin increases appetite. The more white bread we eat (and that includes things like burger buns) the hungrier we feel. The effect this can have on weight gain is easy to see.
Another alarming fact about white bread - and some other more healthy breads too - is that it contains lots of salt. We get nearly 25% of our daily salt intake from bread - particularly white bread.
Too many of us get too much of our daily energy requirements from white bread. It has been put at over 20%. This is an extremely worrying trend.
Why is a high level of salt intake harmful? Because it makes us retain too much water which in turn can lead to bloating, high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also makes us thirsty. As the signal for thirst is similar to that of hunger, we often answer a thirst signal with food. The result is weight gain.
If you're trying to lose weight then you need to cut down the amount of white bread you eat. Cutting it out altogether would be the best plan. Adopt a slim habit of not eating white bread and your weight loss efforts will receive a welcome boost. - 16752
White bread may be delicious, but we eat far too much of it and it's now becoming a major cause of weight gain, particularly in the Western world.
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.
Because white bread is made from refined flour it has a high glycaemic index (GI) which means that it causes a rapid rise in blood sugar which in turn affects the amount of insulin the body produces. Insulin increases appetite. The more white bread we eat (and that includes things like burger buns) the hungrier we feel. The effect this can have on weight gain is easy to see.
Another alarming fact about white bread - and some other more healthy breads too - is that it contains lots of salt. We get nearly 25% of our daily salt intake from bread - particularly white bread.
Too many of us get too much of our daily energy requirements from white bread. It has been put at over 20%. This is an extremely worrying trend.
Why is a high level of salt intake harmful? Because it makes us retain too much water which in turn can lead to bloating, high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also makes us thirsty. As the signal for thirst is similar to that of hunger, we often answer a thirst signal with food. The result is weight gain.
If you're trying to lose weight then you need to cut down the amount of white bread you eat. Cutting it out altogether would be the best plan. Adopt a slim habit of not eating white bread and your weight loss efforts will receive a welcome boost. - 16752
About the Author:
A Well known speaker, writer and commentator on diet and health matters, 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 know more about how to lose weight permanently visit www.slimhabit.com
