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On the Road to Eating Healthy
By Sean C (Age 17, USA)
Whole Wheat vs. White
Bread is a major factor in our everyday life. It’s in a lot of meals we eat each day. It’s very important that we know exactly what bread we should be eating, and what bread we should not be eating. This is not a “how many carbs should I be eating” article, it’s an article simply stating what bread is good for you nutritionally, and what isn’t. We’ll leave the carb-counting to the consumer.
Everybody knows that whole-wheat bread is better for us, but does anyone know why? Did you know that just because it says 100% whole wheat, that doesn’t mean that bread has even 60% whole-wheat in it? It’s time to get our facts straight, and here is where you’ll get it. Let’s start with how white bread is made:
White bread is made from refined white flour containing several unwholesome ingredients.
The white flour used is bleached using chemical bleaching agents, which contain chlorine and dried in kilns at high temperature to kill any remaining beneficial ingredients.
An average loaf of bread also has sugar added to allow the baker’s yeast to prove the dough and make it rise. Salt is also added to check the progress of the yeast and prevent the loaf from rising too much, or over-proving.
Now we’ll look at the effects of eating white bread:
Rise in blood sugar
High cholesterol
Blood clots
Reduced digestion (slower metabolism)
Greater fat storage
Now that you understand to dangers of white bread, let’s cover the benefits of eating whole-wheat bread:
Wheat contains vitamins and minerals as well as soluble fiber.
Whole wheat also contains powerful antioxidants. Selenium, vitamin E, manganese, and phenolic acid, which offer extremely valuable protection against free radical damage to our cells.
Research has shown that children who eat whole grains have a lower risk of obesity and diabetes, lower cholesterol, reduced risk of asthma, and may have reduced acne. Whole grains help children maintain their energy levels and feel fuller longer.
Whenever you go to the store and decide to purchase 100% whole-wheat bread, be very careful to look at the ingredients. This is a warning, sometimes when it says 100% whole wheat, it is most certainly not 100% of the bread. What it means is that the only grain being used in the bread is whole-wheat grain. There are many other ingredients inside that bread that can be harmful to your health. So make sure you know what you’re buying and consuming. So what are you waiting for, go purchase yourself some whole-wheat.
Resources:
www.greatharvest.com
www.hubpages.com
www.livingbeyondorganic.com
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