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.

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 light 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 most 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 an excellent sources.

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

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].

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 bran containing the lignans has been extracted.

The germ contains most of the protein in wheat though there is some in the bran too. It is also 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 and used to raise that for tomorrow. Carbon dioxide is released by these naturally-occurring moulds, trapped in cells in the ferment by strands of gluten.

This leavening process also makes some of the important nutrients in 100% whole flour more readily available for absorption. The acids released by the 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 many of 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.

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-eaten.

Real bread contains the natural protein from the grain and all the wheat-germ oils. It has the fibre too; 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. 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. Living to 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.

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 all the coloured fruit and veg. 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. You can purchase 100% flour with all these amazing nutrients that the Good Lord provides in true wholewheat at Reko Hilton. Better still, start to plan on your own mill.

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 good food it is now essential. We are trying to create a Cyan Zone; good for us and Mother Earth.

So we grow our own food insofar as we are able, capture the sunshine and rain that fall 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 is still important to keep the blood glucose from spiking.

One slice of real bread is enough

One slice of real bread is enough carb at one meal; perhaps one and a 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.