Not necessarily. As we discussed recently on our social media pages it really is the amount, frequency and type that could conceivably be termed ‘bad’.
The problems with bread can be surmised by the level of refinement it takes to turn grains into a loaf. Flour is made by removing the husks and grounding cereal grains into powder. Even wholemeal bread is made with flour that has been ground despite the husk not being removed. A wholegrain is not a wholegrain in this case. Grinding cereal grains means the starches in the cereal are released into the blood stream quickly causing a blood sugar spike, a subsequent insulin response and then an associated crash.
Refinement isn’t restricted to breaking whole, nutritious foods down so they lose their natural goodness, it’s about additives and preservatives. Sugar is added to your bread to make it taste better, so you finish it quicker and then buy more. Salt is an added preservative and the remaining nutrients in cereal gains are not always absorbed readily by humans because of the presence of phytic acid in those cereal grains. This acid binds itself to the calcium, iron and zinc naturally occurring in the cereal grains making it difficult to absorb. These nutrients are then artificially added in ‘fortified’ breads. You can see the pattern; everything in the process is altered or added to. So much so that the original cereal grain ceases to exist in its natural, wholesome form.
Gluten is an issue that you are all no doubt aware of but perhaps don’t fully know about. It is a protein enzyme which is sticky; it is added to bread to make it take the form of a loaf as would buy it in the shop. Gluten sensitivity is genetic in that you do not have enough of the amylase gene that allows those without intolerance to digest gluten without problems. If you are gluten sensitive, you either already know about it or are exhibiting the symptoms without knowing about it (digestive issues, pain, bloating, tiredness etc). We will write about gluten issues in a separate post as this is about providing you with a means to make your own, healthy bread.
So, below is a recipe for a protein-rich banana bread. It is easy to make, devoid of any processed foods and refined sugars. The flour is made from coconut meat, the eggs are whole so you receive all their protein and vitamins (none of this egg white only stuff) and the sugars are natural and unrefined (honey and fruit).
We made it at the weekend and it has now all gone. Whether this is due to the fact it was delicious or just an indicator of a remarkable lack of self control, is up for debate.
Bake it for yourself, you will know exactly what went into it and why. Let us know what you think:
5 large, roughly mashed, over-ripe bananas
6 whole eggs
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon vanilla extract/essence
2 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup coconut flour
¼ cup chia seeds
½ cup frozen raspberries/strawberries/blueberries
½ cup walnuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 scoop vanilla/chocolate/strawberry whey protein (optional)
1. Pre-heat oven to 150c
2. Mix up bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon & baking powder
3. Melt honey and coconut oil together then mix in
4. Mix in the coconut flour and chia seeds then leave to rest for 10 mins- IMPORTANT!
5. Stir in raspberries, coconut and walnuts
6. Pour into a line tin, sprinkle whole walnuts on top and bake for 60 mins until centre springs back when touched.
7. Let it set for 15 mins, slice it, butter it, eat it.
