Bread or Not To Bread?

As we age, we don’t regulate our blood sugar levels as well as we used to. An ultra-processed, white loaf is very starchy which means it is released as sugar very quickly into our bloodstream which can cause energy highs and lows throughout the day. 

Bread, however, can be a great source of fibre & proteins which doesn’t have the same impact on our blood glucose levels. Diverse and complex fibres also have a really positive impact on our gut microbes, immune system and metabolism. 

The best thing we can do is to always check the label on a loaf of bread. Ideally we want a loaf that has 6g per 100g of fibre or more and that it’s a whole grain variety. Breads can be dyed brown to make them look wholegrain and dressed up with seeds and called granary or malted to sound like it’s healthy, quality bread. So check that there isn’t a really long list of ingredients (you only really need flour, water and salt to make bread), that there’s nothing included that you wouldn’t have in your kitchen cupboard at home, and that there’s no words you can’t pronounce! 

The tricky thing of course is when you go into the supermarket and there’s the overwhelming smell of freshly baked bread! Again, check if there’s a label as supermarket bakery bread is often pre-frozen and pre-cooked so can be up to a year old - it’s then given a final toasting on site. 

Sourdough is a great option if you find that bread can bloat you. The long, slow fermentation process unlocks minerals to make it more nutritious and also makes it more digestible. But again, read the label of sourdoughs! Check that it says long, slow fermented sourdough using live cultures for it to be a genuine sourdough. 

Try to look for bread that will nourish you! Whole grain varieties, live bacteria, time and with as low a carb to fibre ratio as possible and a simple ingredients list. Go to an artisan baker where possible. My favourites are rye and spelt sourdoughs!