White flour and sugar

Kalikel wrote: »

abetterluke wrote: »

Kalikel wrote: »

abetterluke wrote: »

Serious question though regarding white flour -- it's bleached right? Does anyone know the process of bleaching the flour and how that effects it from a health standpoint?

Most developed countries have outlawed bleached flour. I think the US is the only one left who hasn't. Even here, though, you can get unbleached flour. You can even get unbleached cake flour, if you want to. I use mostly bleached flour in cakes because the unbleached stuff...it just doesn't pass muster there. Cakes sink too often with the unbleached flour. Most people who want cake aren't too concerned about bleached v. unbleached. Nobody has ever asked me about it, ever. Not once.

More and more companies are offering unbleached flour as word spreads about the bleached stuff. Even in the last five years, I've seen a huge difference in the grocery store.

If you can get it in your store, Wal-Mart carries it...or you can order online.

I know the target near my house carries unbleached. I almost bought it one day but I wasn't sure how it differed from bleached. Interesting that cakes sink with unbleached. I wonder why that is?

They can't support themselves, so they sink in the center. I never tried using a pin in he center. I've heard that can be helpful, but I just stick with mostly bleached flour. Again, people who are indulging in cake rarely (for me, NEVER) ask questions about the health aspects of it, lol.

I use King Arthur flour. It performs consistently. They're really good about protein content, those guys. Nary a trouble/problem/issue with their flour - EVER. Except for one of the cake flours, it is ALL unbleached. And, again, works well.

Oh, just saw this.

I approve.

Whole 30 says no fake flour replacements either, though, right?

There's always cricket flour (http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/08/15/340653853/startups-pitch-cricket-flour-as-the-best-protein-you-could-eat).

Of course, it's really more of a protein powder.

omg i didn't know about the laxatives properties. There was a great panic to find a bathroom soon enough

abetterluke wrote: »

Serious question though regarding white flour -- it's bleached right? Does anyone know the process of bleaching the flour and how that effects it from a health standpoint?

Flour is bleached with different agents icluding benzoyl peroxide, calcium peroxide, potassium bromate, and chlorine (cake flour is always chlorinated). There are also some common added preservatives in flour, such as calcium propanoate, sodium benzoate, tricalcium phosphate, and butylated hydroxyanisole.

Aside from Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, some people choose to stay away from white flour because it is not nutrient dense and has a very high GI Index score (71) so it does raise blood sugar. Refined sugar is also not nutrient dense and has a high GI score (68). I know the debate rages on the boards about things like added sugar (which is different than sugar already present). I'm not a medical professional or nutritionist, but I see a cardiologist and he took me off refined/added sugars because it contributes to cardiac disease. Before someone jumps in - yes I eat whole raw fruit - that is not refined or added sugar. It is a whole food with the water and fiber intact, which impacts the way the body is able to process it. When I eat yogurt I eat Quark (better protein to carb ratio, no added sugar). I don't buy bread or muffins, etc either or chips. Added sugar is in just about everything a person can buy and it adds up quickly. Just look at the back of a ketchup bottle for example.

I eat very clean, but lots of people here don't. It's not a matter of losing weight. You can do calorie in/calorie out and eat pretty much whatever you want as long as you keep within a deficit.
I have food allergies and personally choose to eat whole foods, nutrient dense choices versus processed food but that is a personal choice and preference.

merlins93 wrote: »

Thinking about staying away from white flour altogether. Diabetes runs in my family and I keep hearing how white flour and sugar spike your blood sugar. But how do u ever eat anything sweet if u follow that rule.

Fruit! (Not juice or dried fruit.)

I've had spectacular fruit from the farm stand this year, plus a month of strawberries from my garden, followed by two weeks of raspberries.

My husband is type 2 diabetic that once he loses another 10lbs, it will go away. Anyway...we DO stay away from refined sugars and refined grains right now, because he doesn't want to take medicine. BUT, for instance...sourdough bread...REAL sourdough bread can be gluten and sugar free. When you eat bread made with a sourdough starter, the natural yeasts feeds off the gluten and sugar. Breads w/commercial yeasts never get this opportunity. We kinda shot ourselves in the food with this invention. I make my own sourdough and it probably takes me 5 min of my own time to bake it (oven takes 45) and 15 min at night to prepare the dough for an overnight rise. Can we say happy husband and household? You can take this bread and make biscuits and buns and pizza crusts and then life seems pretty nice. --- We do stay away from pasta, but I have been having fun using spaghetti squash and hope to try zoodles. Plus with that, it is another vegetable AND it is less calories then pasta. Rice spikes his sugar...all of it, so we stopped eating it. I want to try grated cauliflower, I hear it makes a great fried rice, etc. People think getting rid of refined foods is the end of the end. I think it is the beginning of a cool journey. I have actually learned to be a better cook and I thought I was decent before. Just recently made a DELICIOUS cheese cake with a crust made of almonds, pecans & butter. A tiny bit of Stevia in the cheese part and it's sugar free and grain free. It is great you are thinking about your health now. It just takes patience and a little research and the changes won't be as bad as you think.

PS: whole fruit and dairy sugars do not bother my husband's blood sugar

merlins93 wrote: »

Thinking about staying away from white flour altogether. Diabetes runs in my family and I keep hearing how white flour and sugar spike your blood sugar. But how do u ever eat anything sweet if u follow that rule.

This is not how it works. Keep your weight in a healthy range, make sure you are physically active, and eat everything in moderation, there are no evil foods. Try to not overindulge in sweet snacks, a diet including 3 sodas, 5 chocolate bars and 5 servings of ice cream will not be the best for you, but there is no reason to completely avoid these things either. As for flour, in general whole grains have more health benefits but white bread will not kill you.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

ABeautifulDistraction wrote: »

PB2 mixed in with an individual serving of vanilla Quark or Dannon Triple Zero vanilla yogurt. Raw food bars made with fresh dates. Fresh fruit (try grilled pineapple - YUM). Pumpkin "pie" in a cup made with packed pumpkin, stevia, pumpkin pie spice, unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Microwave for 3 minutes.

I thought you claimed not to eat processed food. I think all of this is fine (just like I think the processed foods I choose to eat are fine), but other than the fresh fruit they are processed, of course.

People get confused because they are told not to eat processed foods and most who tell them that eat lots of processed foods. It seems dishonest to me.

The original poster asked what to eat when craving sweets. I just provided options. And my raw food bars are homemade, so not processed neither is the grilled pineapple. I don't eat yogurt, but I used to so I know that trick and I think PB2 is considered minimally processed. The pumpkin pie in a mug was something I ate when I first started out. I'm not trying to come across as dishonest here, just giving op some ideas.