Let’s talk flour: refined versus unrefined & a gluten free bread receipe

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Merriam-Webster

bread : noun \ˈbred\
usually baked and leavened food made of a mixture whose basic constituent is flour or meal.

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White bread, brown bread, white bread with unbleached flour, sourdough bread, etc. So many options these days!  If you are being careful with your diet, you have certainly heard that it is better to eat unrefined whole bread or cereal. And you agree. But  what exactly is the difference between a whole-grain and a refined bread or cereal ?

To tell the truth, only the word refined is refined in a refined cereal (or any carbohydrate)! Since the beginning, Man consumed grains in their complete form. But with the industrialization era, the need to store grains in large quantities became quite urgent. The food industry realized that by removing the bran and the germ (rich in fiber, vitamins, proteins and minerals) of a cereal grain, they could keep it longer on the shelves. This technique spread quickly and is still very commun today, mainly in the Western world.

A refined ingredient is therefore an ingredient that has been modified, altered and deprived of its nutrients in order to make it last longer. The end result: a food low in fiber, vitamins, proteins and minerals which are all essential and needed by the body. So when we eat these altered grains, they  end up in our bodies in form of sugar or fat, and they are rightfully called empty calories. And these empty calories are more harmful than you think.

Common refined items in the food industry are cereals, flours, sugar, oil and salt.

Consequences of refined cereals in your body

Not so white! When cereals are processed, bleached by abrasion, and left only with their starch, they work as a simple sweet starch in our body. Their glycemic index is high. So after eating a so called” soft white bread” or  “good pizza” that the food industry  has (so warmly) prepared for you, Hyperglycemia is favored in the body. In other words, there is a high rise of sugar intake in your blood. A little white bread here, a small muffin there, a nicely packaged sweet treat and you provide continuously a metabolic overload in your body.
Moral of the story: it is best to avoid refined white bread (or grain) as it does not its have fiber and vitamins. Remember that its high glycemic index will turn into sugar in your body.

Which bread to choose?

Simple! Choose whole-grain breads, called wholesome. Once you get used to them, you would not want any white bread anymore. For example, choose:

• Wholemeal bread (wholesome) for its  insoluble fiber. It is rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Oatmeal  bread for to its soluble fiber. Oatmeal lowers cholesterol.
• Rye bread for its nutritional advantages. Could be interesting when you want to lose weight.
• Sourdough bread  for your gut flora. Its also helps mineral digestion.

Finally, do not rely on labels only because they have written organic or multiple cereals on the package. Sometimes, it is only a white flour bread to which  cereals have been added. Make a habit to read the ingredients and make sure that the flours or cereals are not refined.

The best bread is home made. -Catalan proverb.

Here is a recipe for a gluten-free bread from the website of Jacqueline Lagacé .
http://jacquelinelagace.NET/2013/12/02/la-Recette-de-pain-traditionnel-de-Pierre/