Does Bread Make you Fat ? ( part I)

NO, bread does not make you fat! White (nutrient-depleted) bread, and putting lunch meats, spreads and some of the things people put in between the bread can make you fat. The good news is that there are more high-fiber, whole-grain bread choices today than ever before in supermarket aisles. The bad news is that with so many breads on the shelf (and 90% of them are junk and contain sugar), choosing the most healthful bread has become an even tougher task. When picking up the bread, it should actually feel slightly heavier due to the higher fiber content. You will not be able to roll this bread into a small ball like you can with white bread. Look at the ingredient list rather than the color of the bread to select whole-grain breads. Don't judge whole grain products by their colour because many dark breads have caramel or molasses for color and contain mostly refined grains. Read ingredient lists to find whole-grain products and look for the word whole in front of grains such as wheat and rye.

How can I tell if a bread or other product isn’t made from 100% whole grains?If the first ingredient has the word "whole" in it, you know that the most prominent grains are whole. If the product isn’t 100% whole grain, the second ingredient will typically be unbleached wheat flour, which is not whole.

What makes up a whole-grain? A whole grain has three parts: the outer layer, or bran; the inner part, or germ; and the endosperm. When grains are refined, the nutrient-rich bran and germ are removed, leaving only the endosperm.

Whole-grain breads typically contain more fiber. Look for a minimum of two grams of fibre per slice of bread. Do not be fooled by the words fortified with. Fortification typically occurs with refined grains. Precious nutrients that have been stripped away during the refining process are added back in. Manufacturers are sometimes required by law to fortify refined grain products to make up for the loss of vitamins and minerals.

After you eat the bread, notice if you feel tired soon afterward. It could mean that you have a junk bread. Food items that are higher on the glycemic index bounce blood sugar around and often leave you in a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and fatigued state. This is also the time that cravings for starch or sugar usually kick in.
Research clearly demonstrates that whole-grain foods are an optimal source of nutrition for overall fuel and even for weight loss. Instead of dropping all grain products in an attempt to lose weight, simply switch to whole-grain products and watch your energy soar as you healthfully shed those excess pounds.

Stay tuned to find out the benefits of "good breads" and the best ones on the market today........