Well, I don't know which is easier to do without -- white sugar or white flour, but I'm leaning toward white flour.
So here is an article from Women Fitness that helps me with my no white flour endeavors.
Highly processed white flour (alias "enriched wheat flour" or "wheat flour") is missing the two most nutritious and fiber-rich parts of the seed: the outside bran layer and the germ (embryo).
A diet of refined foods leaves many women malnourished, constipated, enervated and vulnerable to chronic illness. Popping fiber, vitamins and mineral supplements, in the hope of compensating for what's missing from our diet, will not work. For just as "enriching" refined flour with spray-on nutrients can't make up for those lost during refining, health experts say supplements can never replace whole foods.
Recent studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health show that taking beta carotene in supplement form may actually increase the risk of some cancers, even though all evidence shows that getting the same vitamins in whole food form is beneficial On the other hand, there is no risk of imbalance involved in getting nutrients from whole foods. For example, most experts agree that beta carotene is effectively absorbed only when taken in conjunction with one or all of the 500 other carotenoids found in vegetables.
The more refined foods a person eats, the more insuli n must be produced to manage it. Insulin promotes the storage of fat, making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, which can lead to heart disease. Over time, the pancreas gets so overworked that insulin production grinds to a halt, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or diabetes sets in. Either way, the body is getting little or no fuel from the food you eat and tries to convert muscle and fat into energy.
Besides, refined/bleached flour and wheat products, is the fuel of infection and high blood sugar levels created by the consumption of these products decrease immune reservoir and response.
Don't be fooled by the term "enriched flour," because only . . .
To read the rest of this article, click here. If anyone wants to join me in the challenge to eat less white flour, please leave me a comment. OR if you don't want to eat less white flour (and white sugar) leave a comment anyway ;-)
wow! I didn't know how bad it really is! Refined foods are something I never would have given a second thought about.Thank you for the post!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! I'm learning as I go, and try to cut back a little here and there on the whites (sugar and flour).
ReplyDeleteTake good care, Mom