Yes, that’s right. What you thought was healthy wheat and whole grain does not turn out to be so healthy after all. Bread, pasta, mozzarella sticks, pretzels, bagels, etc… As a matter of fact, you are probably better off drinking a can of Pepsi. This can sound absurd at first, since most of the printed text books teach you otherwise; that wheat products should form the foundation of our diets.

The bread that Jesus from the Bible shared and the bread we consume today are totally different. The wheat crops grown in the last 50 years are a result of genetic manipulation and hybridization. This has brought upon the creation of a super starch called amylopectin A. This starch is present in normal bread, whole wheat bread, whole grain bread, high fiber bread, you name it. Two slices of whole wheat bread now raise your blood sugar level by more than two tablespoons of sugar. The health claims written on these products are as misleading as the Fox News news anchors.

What you need to know about blood sugar levels is that starches cause it to spike, some more than others. When blood sugar levels rise, the body releases insulin from the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that tells the body to start to store the dietary sugars into its fat stores, and does not allow for an easy way for you to burn that fat while insulin levels are up.

Here is an easy way to remember the aforementioned:

YOU EAT SUGARY OR STARCHY FOOD → BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS UP → INSULIN UP → FAT STORAGE

Of course, this does not mean that you should completely remove starch and carbohydrates from your diet. Carbohydrates are very important for bodily functions, especially for fueling your cells. But certain carbohydrates do more harm than good.

Now that we covered the super starch amylopectin A, you should also know that current wheat is also made up of super gluten. There is nothing super about it though, except that it makes you super sick and fat. Gluten is a protein that stops the bread from falling apart and gives it a sticky texture. The modern genetically modified wheat contains twice as many chromosomes and produces harmful gluten that triggers obesity, body inflammation, as well as Celiac disease, which now affects at least 21 million Americans.

On a happier note, I am sure there are many people like me who just cannot quit on bread, crackers that go well with cheese and wine, etc… You do not have to quit these. There is a vast number of alternatives to wheat products such as rice and buckwheat. You can make bread and crackers out of rice flour. There is also quinoa flour and oat flour.  Most of these alternatives are gluten free, and none of them contain the super starch that makes your blood sugar levels sky rocket.

So instead of cutting any limbs, let’s work towards defining a more accurate food pyramid.

 

 

 

Suggested Reading: Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health

Sources:
Huffington Post 
The Atlantic 
Health Central