Health Freak Alert Part 2

I struggled with what to blog about next because there is so much.  Next to cutting out the HFCS, MSG and Trans fats I feel like the next most important thing is wheat.  This one is tricky because the food industry is tricky.  Again it goes back to reading labels and understanding what's on them.  Did you know that you could go to the store and buy loaf of bread that says on the front Whole wheat and it's actually not? Yup...that's how tricky they are.  Here is an example of some bread that you might buy because it looks healthy and says whole wheat.  I couldn't get the picture of it but it's Sara Lee Wheat Bread...

Water, Enriched Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid], Wheat Gluten, Whole Wheat Flour, Cottonseed Fiber, Wheat Bran, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Honey, Whet Protein Isolate, Cornstarch. Contains 2% Or Less of Each of The Following: Salt, Vegetable Oil (Soybean And/Or Cottonseed Oils), Distilled Vinegar, Guar Gum, Dough Conditioners (May Contain One Or More of The Following: Mono- And Diglycerides, Ethyoxylate Mono- And Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Peroxide, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Enzymes), Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Yeast Nutrients (Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate), Natural Flavor, Sucralose, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flavor. Contains Wheat And Soy.

You will notice that after water, Enriched Flour is the next ingredient.  This is NOT whole wheat.  This is your run of the mill 'deadly' white flour.  Notice that whole wheat flour isn't until the 4 ingredient.  So not bad but just because they throw in a little bit of whole wheat flour they can claim 'wheat' on the front.  Also notice all the other horrible stuff in this bread.  Ingredient labels for bread do not need to be this long.

Here is another example...This is Country Hearth Honey Wheat Bread...

Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Honey, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whole Wheat Flour, Rye Flour, Wheat Bran, Yeast, Contains 2% Or Less of Each of The Following: Wheat Gluten, Salt, Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Cultured Wheat Flour, Dough Conditioners (Contains One Or More of The Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, Monoglycerides And/Or Diglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Iodate, Datem, Ethoxylated Mono- And Diglycerides, Azodicarbonamide), Yeast Food (Ammonium Sulfate), Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Enzymes, Soy Flour, Soy Lecithin.

Again first ingredient is good ol white flour.  And looks what's before wheat flour!  Our old friend...why is that in bread? Honestly!!

You might be noticing that if a bread just says 'Wheat' on it it might indicate this problem...but there are so many more deceiving ways they get us...take this '7 grain Oroweat Bread'...You might think healthy right?  Well not bad but look...

Whole Wheat Flour, Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Reduced Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavoin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid], Water, Sugar, Molasses, Yeast, Wheat, Cellulose Fiber, Wheat Gluten, Rye, Soybean Oil, Ground Corn, Salt, Brown Rice, Oats, Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Monoglycerides, Datem, Grain Vinegar, Triticale, Calcium Sulfate, Barley, Flaxseed, Millet, Citric Acid, Soy Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Nuts [Walnuts And/Or Hazelnuts (Filberts) And/Or Almonds], Whey, Soy Flour, Nonfat Milk. Manufactured In A Facility That Uses Wheat, Milk, Eggs, Soy And Tree Nuts.

This still has that pesky white flour in it.  If you don't know already I'll explain why white flour should be avoided like the plague.

So back to that 100% whole wheat...even if you are lucky enough to find one that doesn't contain any white flour but is indeed just whole wheat chances are you are still going to find this...

Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Gluten, Yeast, High Fructose Corn Syrup Or Sugar. Contains 2% Or Less of: Molasses, Soybean Oil, Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Honey, Dough Conditioners (Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Mono- And Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Mono- And Diglycerides, Datem, Calcium Dioxide, Dicalcium Phosphate And/Or Azodicarbonamide), Vinegar, Yeast Nutrients (Ammonium Phosphate, Ammonium Chloride, Ammonium Sulfate And/Or Monocalcium Phosphate), Wheat Starch, Cornstarch, Soy Flour, Whey, Calcium Propionate (to Retain Freshness), Soy Lecithin. Allergy Warning: Contains Milk, Wheat And Soy. May Contain Traces of Eggs And Walnuts.  

This is a Great Value Walmart brand 100% whole wheat...not bad right because it doesn't have any white flour in it which means their claim of 100% is true! Yay!  But look at the rest of the ingredients...believe me you can do better.  Again bread ingredient list DO NOT need to be this long.

Here is one where we're getting closer...This is Nature's Own 100% Organic Whole Wheat...

Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Brown Sugar, Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Raisin Juice Concentrate, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Cultured Wheat Flour, Vinegar, Soy Lecithin, Calcium Sulfate, Enzymes, Wheat Starch. Topping Mixture (Wheat Cuts, Wheat Flakes, Wheat Bran, Flaxseed).

This is still unfortunate because it contains soy (really hard to find one without it) and I think we can still do better.  I can't think of the brand we buy when I slack on making our own but this Great Harvest Brand is about the same...it has 5 ingredients...

1. Fresh-ground whole wheat flour
2. Water
3. Fresh yeast
4. Salt
5. Something sweet (usually a local honey)

That's what I'm talking about. :)  That's what bread should be.  We really don't need all this other stuff in our bread!  We just don't.  

Now on to why this white flour stuff is so bad for you.  Again if you're serious about this stuff I would just do some simple research on it and I think you'll get sucked in and be amazed that it's allowed in our food!  Without going into too much detail here, enriched white flour was once a whole grain that went through a process to strip it of all it's good parts.  Seriously.  They took all the good stuff out...why?!  I don't know!?

After this refinement, it goes from being a grain, healthy and beneficial to being just a starch.  A starch that our bodies process just like sugar.  No fiber or anything beneficial.  That's why they have to enrich it so it has some value at all.  Unfortunately this enrichment isn't that great either.  The vitamins and minerals they use aren't the best quality and can even be dangerous to eat.  The biggest thing with white flour is that by eating it instead of it's healthier and more beneficial counterpart whole wheat you are missing out on a ton of nutrients that your body needs.  A TON! 

Also if you need a little bit more of a push to stop eating it, I read somewhere (legit) that it was used on cargo ships carrying food as an insecticide.  This way the bugs and things on the ship wouldn't eat the food but instead eat the flour and they would die.  Hmmmm....

K but seriously this stuff is bad...just read something about it.  It's never good.  

I didn't cut white flour out of my diet until 2010 when I was seriously dating my husband and then married him.  He cut white flour out of his diet in junior high.  He is now 32 years old.  He's been doing it for a lot longer than me but I've had the experience for a little over 2 years, almost 3 I guess.  And I can tell you that it has changed my life.  I just 'feeeeel' healthier.  It's a great feeling.  And not only do I feel healthier, I am healthier.  There are numerous benefits from cutting white flour out that really don't end.  Some of the big ones are more energy, stronger immune system, being regular (if you know what I mean), healthier skin (no break outs, this is also why my husband quit and continues) which includes no stretch marks!  Yay!

David is one of the healthiest people I know.  He like a horse.  A machine.  And even though he would say he is 'out of shape' right now he is still in better shape than a big percentage of the population.  He is my inspiration.  I am so blessed to have met and married him and to have learned what I have from him.  He is so happy and positive all the time.  He loves gardening and working hard.  Being healthy and feeling healthy is such a blessing. I am certain he and I would be different people with a sub par diet.  There are so many worries and concerns that can be completely dismissed because of good nutrition.  So many.

Of course we are not perfect and we don't strive or claim to be.... :)  We splurge every once and a while.  We enjoy some good ol Papa Murphys pizza or a burger with a white bun or some other decadent white flour treat...but we always 'feel' it the very next moment and into the next day and can't wait to revert back to our whole wheat diet.  It DOES make a difference.  You WILL feel better.  I PROMISE.  Even if you can't cut it our completely (this is really really hard and requires some big changes in your life and is even harder doing it alone) try cutting it out partially in ways that you can.  I write all of this in love.  If you are reading my blog then I probably know you and I love you.  That's why.  :)  But take it or leave it.