Food is what you put in your mouth accompanied by bread. So versatile and delicious, this thousand-year-old companion links us –in one bite– with almost everyone in the world, despite their different diets, and at the same time massages our cravings and nourishes us. Is not it wonderful?
Who could not eat bread? Well, believe it or not, there are people who have stopped eating it due to baseless myths.
Many of them have chosen to eliminate it from their diet –and surely not without suffering in between–, since for some time it began to become fashionable to ban carbohydrates in weight loss dietsnonsense if we recognize that, for example, we should be exercising to get good results, and to exercise, we need a lot of energy that the body distils from carbohydrates.
Among these data that, beyond helping us, misinforms, it is said that
eating bread is fattening, inflammatory or easily substituted.
But the truth is that it is not that easy. So we invite you to continue reading to find out why YES you should eat bread or continue accompanying your meals with it (of course, with intelligence and moderation), if you are one of those who still have their doubts.
Where did the idea that carbohydrates – and bread – make you fat?
First of all, many people have adopted strict eating regimens in which carbohydrate intake is restricted –and with them, the bread–, because in theory “they make us fat”. But this is not a good idea! Carbohydrates are our primary energy source: our bodies need them to function and, in fact, our diet should have at least 45% carbohydrates.
There is also the idea that carbohydrates supposedly increase the production of insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps regulate the supply of nutrients to cells. But when it is produced in excess, insulin stops being effective, and nutrients – which are turned into fat – begin to accumulate in the body. However, science has proven in numerous studies that excess insulin is not directly caused by high carbohydrate intakebut it occurs in any diet in which excesses are incurred – even in low-carbohydrate diets.
Also, there is another reason to eat bread…
Bread is not pure carbohydrate
When you eat bread, you are also consuming a high dose of fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals that are very difficult to obtain in any other way. Each slice of bread contains a portion of these elements, which not only keep you healthy, but they can promote weight loss thanks to regulating blood sugar and helping to feel satiety.
But if you thought that we are only talking about whole wheat bread, you have something else to know: it is not the only healthy one.
White bread can also contain essential whole grains, and is a good source of vitamins and minerals. Also, its fermentation process it breaks down the nutrients, in such a way that they become more assimilable for the organism. As if that were not enough, this process creates good bacteria that restore the intestinal flora – as in the case of yogurt or pickles. That’s why fermented foods are essential in the diets of the oldest peoplebut few know that bread falls into that category.
And the gluten?
Much has been said that gluten, the wheat protein, is an enemy of our digestive well-being. But, as some passionate bakers have pointed outis it credible that after millennia of consuming bread, suddenly millions of people are becoming gluten intolerant? Many point out that not eating gluten has become more of a fashion than a real necessity and that it has more to do, again, with the desire to lose weight.
But for those of you who are not part of the 1% of the world’s gluten intolerant population, not eating this protein only amounts to unnecessary spending of money –since the products “gluten-free«They are very expensive.» Additionally, a diet followed without supervision can cause malnutrition, not because of the lack of gluten, but because it implies stop eating a large amount of essential foods that are part of recipes with wheat and bread.
But if you don’t eat bread because you’re vegan, there’s another good news for you!
If your diet is vegan and is based on an ethical imperative that prohibits you from consuming foods of animal origin, You should know that this does not imply that you abandon the bread. Perhaps you already know that there are vegan options, or that you can make your own bread yourself. But you don’t have to go that far: many artisan breads, and even commercial ones, are usually vegan. (yes, you read that right), as there is a wide variety that does not contain eggs, milk or any other ingredient of animal origin.
Eating bread under a vegan regime is even more necessary, since it is a great source of energy.
So, as you can see, not eating bread can be very counterproductive to your health. Besides, there is already a lot of ugly in the world: Why add abstention from something as delicious as bread, which undoubtedly makes us happier?
If this made you hungry, look at some recipes that will satisfy your craving instantly. And long live the bread!
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