One slice of real bread is enough

One slice of real bread is enough since it's full of protein, friendly-fat and all the fibre; it is quite sufficient to bring satiety.

Folk enjoying our sourdough bread made from 100% flour with all the parts of the wheat in their exact proportions often express surprise just how light it is. They expect it to be dense like German roggenbrot; not fluffy as an English cream-scone it's true but nevertheless definitely not heavy.

A grain of wheat is made up of three parts; the outer bran that keeps the air out, the germ where much but not all of the goodies are to be found and the endosperm which is very similar to cake flour. That provides the energy for our bodies.

The bran contains the fibre that gives our stool its bulk. It keeps us regular helping to prevent constipation leading to all the attendant colo-rectal diseases. It enables us to go to the toilet easily without stressing and straining. Chew your food thoroughly; it even reduces the likelihood of dementia.

One also needs the soluble fibre found in fruit and veg; the beta-glucans in unrefined oats and the pectin in an apple are excellent sources.

The bran also contains much of the B complex without which we simply cannot be healthy; and some of the vitamin E that is nature’s own natural anti-coagulant. Prior to the refining of flour to remove the "pericarp," heart attacks were almost unknown.

The bran also contains some of the less available essential amino acids.

The bran contains many different phytonutrients, one of which is called a lignan. It has a chemical structure very similar to female oestrogen, competing with the hormone at sites on the breast.

Lignans have a very important function in helping to prevent malignant tumours of the breast^[3]; and the prostate gland too.

It comes as no surprise that the prevalence of diseases of the boob too have soared since we turned to the commercial loaf for food; the protective bran containing the lignans has been extracted.

• What are lignans?
• Lignans protect the prostate gland
  

The endosperm contains most of the protein in wheat though there is some in the bran and germ too.

The germ is where the very important fatty acids are stored, protected from air. When exposed to oxygen they immediately start to go rancid so millers extract them; the pigs get the best parts.

One slice of real bread is enough, particularly if you have another starch at the same meal.

Going back into the mists of time, flour was leavened using a sourdough mixture of wild yeasts found in the bran. Each day a portion was held back to raise that for tomorrow. Carbon dioxide is released by these naturally-occurring moulds; it is trapped in cells in the ferment by strands of gluten causing the loaf to rise.

This leavening process also makes some of the important nutrients in 100% whole flour more readily available for absorption. The acids released by the natural bacteria and yeasts give it the flavour of the sourdough that we all love so much; they also slow the release of the starch from the stomach reducing surges in blood sugar as happens with the modern loaf. Thus it’s less fattening too.

During this leavening process the gluten is predigested; that is why those with an intolerance can enjoy sourdough. In fact many folk suffering from Coeliac disease can eat bread prepared in this way if it’s fermented for at least 24 hours.

The modern industrial loaf I think we will all agree is largely tasteless. It demands layers of sugary jellies, cold meats and cheese to give it flavour. Sourdough bread is so good, one is reluctant to put anything on it other than butter or perhaps olive oil.

• Butter is back
  

Having said that we do love peanut butter, natural honey and strawberries on our real bread.

• Is peanut butter keto?
  

Real bread contains the protein and fats that give it satiety. Unlike the commercial loaf where we have become accustomed to needing three or four slices to fill us, one is enough; perhaps another half but generally two is too much. You will feel bloated and sense that you’ve over-indulged.

Real bread contains the natural protein from the grain and all the wheat-germ oils. It also has the fibre. These are the nutrients that bring satiety; they activate the stretch receptors in the stomach wall. You know that you don’t have to eat yet more slices to feel happy. We do not end up stuffing ourselves with too much starch.

I have alluded before to the five areas of the world that have been called the Blue Zones. Enjoying a zestful and vigorous ninety is not unusual and ten times as many of the folk live to an amazing one hundred. Researchers looking to see what makes these people tick have noticed they never leave the table feeling stuffed; if anything slightly hungry. Unprocessed natural foods make us feel satisfied much sooner.

One slice of real sourdough bread is enough; two and you will feel stuffed. That leaves room for all the other important nosh that we should be eating; like plenty of green beans, salads and the myriad of coloured foods.

They provide the phytonutrients that come from the so-called functional foods; those that promote health and help prevent disease.

The hyper-inflationary rise in the price of electricity alas has made making your own real bread very expensive; combine it with a roast. Nevertheless using solar power means we can bake the healthiest, most tasty loaf in the world for well under ten rand; half a dollar.

• What is artisan bread?
  

You can purchase 100% flour with all these amazing nutrients that the Good Lord provides in true wholewheat at some farmers' markets like Reko Hilton. Better still, start to plan on your own mill.

• The Stunting Story recommends local mills
  

Putting our money where our mouths are at our green home, we are seeking to become self-reliant. This should always be a priority I think you’ll agree; but coupled with a government that is clearly unable to provide clean water, reliable electricity and nutritious food it is now essential. We are trying to create a Cyan Zone; good for us and Mother Earth.

So we grow much of our own food insofar as we are able, capture the sunshine that falls on our roof and get our weight-training by gardening. One still needs to walk over and above that especially after a starchy meal; one slice of real bread may be enough but exercise remains important to keep the blood glucose from spiking.

Steatotic (fatty) Liver Disease

 More commonly understood as Fatty Liver Disease this condition is increasing in leaps and bounds. There are two primary causes.

• Chronic Excessive Refined Carbohydrate Consumption
• Excessive Alcohol Consumption
  

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver

Very briefly excessive alcohol damages the liver. It causes nearly 4 million deaths worldwide annually.

The "standard drink" is a can of beer, a glass of wine or one shot of spirits; they all contain 14 grams of pure alcohol.

2 standard drinks daily for ten plus years for the ladies will causes cirrhosis; for men its about 3 or 4. It causes progressive liver fibrosis.

Chronic excessive refined carbohydrate consumption

Whilst deaths from excessive refined carbs causing liver disease is considerably lower than than that from alcohol, the rate of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is increasing alarmingly; globally it is estimated that 32% of the adult population is affected.

The new term that is being used by scientists is MASLD; Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Liver Disease^[3]. All four of the risk factors are caused primarily by refined carbs though there are obviously many others too. Mortality has risen four times in the last fifty years; it's being driven by the obesity pandemic.

• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Lipid abnormalities

One slice of even real bread is enough at a meal.

Metabolic Alcohol Liver Disease

A combination of excessive refined carbs plus alcohol abuse is a real killer. Known as MetALD the liver has no chance, advancing rapidly to fibrosis, cirrhosis and death.

In a real sense it's just another form of malnutrition. Just as kwashiorkor is caused by a deficiency protein, MetALD is the result of excessive sugar, refined carbohydrate and alcohol consumption.

Lifestyle intervention is pivotal. Regular short brisk walks after starchy meals and less than 50 grams of carb per day are the solution. Just a 5 - 10% loss of weight would lead to a dramatic improvement.

• Myths about dieting

The first step in the direction of MASLD is prediabetes. A simple recommended test is a finger prick one hour after glucose challenge.

• How to test for prediabetes
  

One slice of real bread is enough

One slice of real bread is enough carb at a meal; perhaps another half depending on what other rapidly-digested starches you have also enjoyed.

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Create a Cyan Zone at your home; one which complements blue areas for longevity with green for protecting Mother Earth.