Mr. Bakerman: Using and overusing white flour and other baking ingredients like starch, baking powder, and dextrin. And, consuming too many baked goods like cookies, donuts, pies, and cakes.White flour intake (bread, cereals, crackers, noodles, pasta, pastries, tortillas, etc.)
White flour encompasses a big part of the American diet. It is included not only in the foods list above but in many others like gravy, dips, and condiments.
A diet of refined foods can leave many women malnourished, constipated, and vulnerable to chronic illnesses. We eat a great deal of white flour—and then wonder why we are sick and fat!
* Notes
- Highly processed white flour (enriched wheat flour) is missing the two most important, nutritious, fibrous parts of the seed: the outside bran layer and the germ (embryo).
- These contain nutrients like fiber, B-complex vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and iron and trace minerals.
- Phytochemicals (naturally-occurring health-promoting substances found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts) are also lost during the refining process.
- Other ingredients we need to be leery of are the ones we frequently use in our cooking and baking and that are found in many man-made products: breads and baked goods, beer, wine, cereal, waffles, pancakes, pudding, sauces, condiments, etc. Common ingredients found in these products include yeast, starch and starch derivatives like maltodextrin, and baking powder, just to name a few.
* White Flour Intake Rules
* FYI’s and Other Flour Rules
- Avoid white flour (enriched wheat flour).
- Select breads and other products made with grains (grain products) that use the whole grain and have the whole grain listed first on the ingredients panel.
- Some of the best grain products are “sprouted” grains which provide better nutrition, enhanced digestion, and less allergic potential. You can find good sprouted products at:
- Food For Life (www.foodforlife.com)
- Trader Joe’s sprouted breads and other healthy grain products(www.traderjoes.com)
- Your local health food store
- “Stone ground” grains are also wholesome, and are usually coarser and have the germ intact. The bran portion may or may not be included.
- Be sure to check the ingredients in man-made food products for white flour and other baking ingredients, which should be avoided.
- Be extremely cautious with pancakes, waffles, muffins, tortillas, etc., even if they are labeled healthy.
* FYI’s and Other Flour Rules
- Wheat is not the only grain used to make flour. Others include amaranth, arrowroot, barley, buckwheat, corn, flaxseed, kamut, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, soy, spelt, teff, and triticale.
- Vegetable and nut flours are also available, including bean flour, chickpea flour, chestnut flour, peasemeal (pea flour), potato flour, sweet potato flour, and almond and hazelnut flours.
- Flour and products made with flour other than wheat or white are okay to eat providing the other ingredients are clean and pure.
Paw “10 Directives to Bread” Guide
- #1. They should be made with whole grain like amaranth, barley, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt, and wheat.
- #2. They can contain added legumes, nuts, and seeds–if they are pure.
- #3. They are best if they are organic and sprouted or stoned ground.
- #4. Flour-made breads are okay, as long as it is not white flour.
- #5. Gluten-free, wheat-free, and yeast-free are good options.
- #6. They can have multiple ingredients but should be made with only clean and pure ingredients
- #7. They should be high in protein, fiber, and other nutrients, and low in fat.
- #8. They should be low in preservatives and additive-free.
- #9. They should have limited or no sugar, sodium, or oils, however, if they do contain these they should come from natural and healthy sources
- #10. MY DIVA DIET: A Woman's Last Diet Book offers a list of recommended breads. They are calorically dense (a slice or two equals anywhere from 100 to 250 calories and 2-20 grams of fiber) and they require refrigeration.
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