Bread Habits - staff of life or contributor to chronic disease?

This habit change will be about bread. Bread has been known throughout history as 'the staff of life'. For most people bread is a huge part of the diet, and we're told it's good for us, which is easy to believe since humans have eaten it for several thousand years. However the reality is that bread is now a very different beast than it was even 150 years ago, increasingly so, and it has become a big health problem for everyone in the developed world today.

Just pause a minute to consider your bread habits. How much bread do you eat in a day? Which bread do you buy? Why do you buy it? Are you buying the 'healthiest' bread available? Or do you choose based on taste? Or texture? Or the brand you grew up with?

What if I told you that bread in general is a very nutrient poor food? It's marketed as a fibre rich food, but compared to any fresh vegetable or fruit, stacks up very badly. A wheat grain is indeed high in fibre, however about 94% of it is lost in the milling process. Bread is so nutrient deficient, in fact, that if synthetic vitamins and other guff weren't added it'd be downright poisonous (like confectionery). As it is, I class wheat bread as an 'antinutrient'.

To get right to the point about bread; there's only one in Perth I'd recommend consuming regularly. It's the Organic 100% Rye from Bodhi's Bakery, and you can buy it almost anywhere these days, even supermarkets. There are four things that make this bread a better choice than any others. (Unless, of course, you're gluten intolerant, in which case either avoid bread at all, or find one made from sprouted gluten free grains.) It's probably significantly more expensive than what you're buying now, that's fine. Don't eat it every day, and don't have more than two slices per day. And remember that health is worth paying for, slow acting poison is not!

1) It's Rye, not wheat.

There are several problems inherent in wheat itself, in its current, selectively bred incarnation, which make it worth avoiding. The reasons for its wide use in baked goods are that it gives a good yield to farmers and an attractive and tasty product to food industry. But compared to other grains it's not even close to being the best nutritionally. Wheat is also known to be a great favourite of opportunistic gut flora, like candida albicans, so avoid it for the sake of your gut flora!

2) It's stone ground.

In the late 1800's a brilliant breakthrough was made in flour milling. It put an end to inefficient, laborious stone grinding of grain. It was steel rolling! Problem with it was, unbeknownst to anyone, steel rolling was causing a health crisis. This new processing method was busting up the endosperm in every little grain. Stone grinding didn't do this, thus the most nutritious part of the grain was left intact. When steel rolling became widespread, people started to suffer on mass from symptoms of nutritional deficiency. The remedy was the addition of a few synthetic nutrients to the flour after it was milled, however they have never matched the levels found in an original wheat grain. Yet this seemed to fix the problem and no one has questioned it ever since. However it is widely documented that the omission of bread from the diet can be an effective treatment for many chronic diseases, so the problem has not gone away at all, it's simply less acute.

3) It's sourdough.

Our ancestors have always soured their grains. They knew this was the only way to render them digestible. We now know why. Grains contain phytates, chemicals which block digestion and make it difficult to absorb nutrients. Souring predigests the grains somewhat, neutralising the phytates. This takes the pressure off our digestive system and renders the bread less acceptable food for opportunistic gut flora, like candida. It's important to avoid any bread that isn't a REAL sourdough (and plenty of so-called sourdoughs out there aren't real these days). In fact, most bread is given no time at all to ferment, more yeast is added instead, which gives another set of problems for the gut.

4) It's organic

For obvious reasons, this is ideal! Don't need pesticides in your bread.

So that's why I choose Bodhi's Organic 100%. You try it too, and see if it gives you a happier tummy!

Healthy Habits - Shopping

This weeks healthy habit is all about where you choose to do your food shopping.  Your choice of shop can affect your health enormously. Where you shop determines the quality of the food you buy. Supermarkets take about one third of all the money spent on food in this country. They have a huge influence on the market, and their priorities are profits and shareholders, not health or even quality. Therefore the stuff you buy there is the lowest quality available. They exploit our weaknesses and addictions, providing far more processed 'food' than fresh. Yet they survive by selling convenience. They have a version of everything, so it's a no brainer.  For many years now I have been systematically reducing my dependence on them. I find it difficult, sometimes more expensive, but endlessly more rewarding to shop anywhere but at the supermarket. I have not yet broken my reliance completely, but I'm getting closer!

Here are the food products (stuff other than toilet paper and dish washing liquid!) that I still get at the stuipidmarket:

yoghurt
cheese
coconut cream
tinned beans
rice

I'm working towards not going there at all, ever, and in fact even the above list is just laziness. I should not need tinned beans, I must get more organised at meal planning and legume soaking. Coconut cream is a tricky one because I only know of one brand who don't use thickeners and water down, but if I find it elsewhere... The dairy will soon be produced at home by my man, from raw milk. He has been taking cheese-making classes so we can supply ourselves. And the rice is just a lot more expensive from the organic shop. I should probably just cut down my consumption!

Everything else I need I buy either from my local organic shop, my local (truly) independent grocer, (not IGA) and my local farmers market, where we get our biodynamic eggs and organic meat from Robyn at Redtail Ridge. We buy our milk from a raw milk supplier.

So in essence we have to spend a lot more time shopping, because it's not a one stop affair, but so worth the bother! My first stop in the week is always the organic shop. It's a family owned business and they now know me and my boy, so shopping there is a social event! (It's made even more special as the owners' daughter is an ex Masterchef star! Her sugar free cakes and salads are always a treat.) I get as much as I can there, in terms of fruit and veg, then, if need be, I top up at my local independent grocer. But I try not to. If you can't get to your local organic shop because of work, most will deliver a mixed box in various sizes to your door. On Saturdays we go to see Robyn at the Subi Farmers Market. She knows us too, so it's another social occasion, the way shopping was until the evil, impersonal supermarkets took over. Very olde worlde!

Buying most of my food from the organic shop automatically ensures that my food is healthy. I hardly need to think about it. Most food is not even in a packet, and there are few 'ingredients lists' to read or 'nutrient profiles' to interpret, simply because most things there are whole foods, and a whole food doesn't have an ingredients list. At the organic shop I'm also able to buy good quality natural salt, bulk nuts, seeds, oats and legumes, dairy, frozen berries and peas, various types of flour....And best of all, if I'm feeling lazy, I can get a masterchef quality lunch!

Ideally though, in the long run I'd prefer to grow as much of my own fresh food as I can. Currently we aren't set up to do so, but working towards that too. If you do have the space to grow food, I envy you! Get outside and plant some!!

Meat and eggs raised ethically, organically/biodynamically have higher nutrient profiles and don't contain antibiotics or any other nasties. I feel much safer feeding them to my toddler, than their supermarket counterparts, and I know that they are providing him with awesome nutrition. The same is true of raw milk. This is a whole food, while pasteurised milk is a highly processed, very damaged food. Of course, you don't have to drink cows milk at all, but if you like to, raw is the only healthful way to do so.

These habits aren't just healthy, they're ethical too. Supermarket corporations are pretty evil in general, and I feel good when I support the 'little guys'. It's also more ethical to buy organic vegies, because they're farmed using sustainable practices, and as far as animals are concerned, biodynamic eggs and ethical AND organic meat (one does not equal the other, hence I don't buy organic meat from the supermarket) is obviously the best choice for an omnivore.

Finally, I'd like to quote Tom Hodgkinson, from the great work, "How To Be Free", which I highly recommend you read. "The supermarkets have sold us a myth of cheapness, convenience and variety. But the reality is none of those: they are expensive, a hassle and you are forced to buy from someone else's selection...I would like to bomb them, but it's probably more effective to boycott them."

Salty and delicious - healthy salt habits

Salt is a much maligned and very misunderstood nutrient. Most people think, because they have been told by mainstream nutritional advisers, that salt is "the most harmful food additive". The general view is that salt is responsible for the rampant epidemic of cardiovascular disease of our time. It's simply not true. Studies show that blood pressure is negatively impacted by salt intake in some sensitive individuals, however they are in the minority and for most of us, salt should not be restricted.

The reason we are told all this nonsense is unclear, but one fact stands out from all the murky science; salt is essential to human life. On a totally salt free diet, we simply die. Cause of death? Dehydration. But long before that happens, we become foggy of brain, exhibit poor memory, coordination goes wonky, then after about a week we become clinically insulin resistant... What does all that mean?

It means that to maintain good balance, cognition and have normal blood sugar levels and fluid balance, we need some salt with each meal. We also need it to produce stomach acid and absorb our food, maintain the correct ph, and to allow our muscles to contract. Pretty basic stuff. You need all those things just to get out of bed in the morning. No kid can sit in a classroom and learn under these conditions. They must have salt with breakfast.

Salt is also very grounding to our energy or etheric bodies. It keeps them firmly planted in our physical bodies, which makes us feel balanced and calm. If you're every feeling 'up in the air', try taking a bath with a handful of crystal salts. You'll feel yourself coming 'back down to earth'.

In the Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems, salt is considered a calming influence.  In ancient times, medicine people of these two disciplines understood the great effect of flavours on our health, and used them to create health changes for people who were suffering. Salt is prescribed for stress and anxiety, constipation and other digestive imbalances, weakness of the muscles and fatigue.

So we have established that we need some salt in our diets. But what kind and how much? This is where the 'good habits' come in.

I'm of the opinion that our taste buds are our best nutritional guide. We simply need to become adept at interpreting our cravings correctly. If you have a craving for maccas (hey, it's ok, it happens to me!) try thinking, 'I must require some salt. I'm obviously deficient.' To remedy this, simply add salt to a healthy meal. To prevent it, add salt to every meal, even for your children when they begin to take solids. Kids' growing brains are particularly susceptible to salt deficiency. When you have had enough of the right kind of salt (see below), your body will tell you to stop. You don't need to restrict your intake. There is a very efficient inbuilt system which will shut off hunger when you have had enough (here is one reason why I don't make my toddler finish his plate of food. I want him to learn to trust his hunger reflex).  If you do overdo it, you'll crave water. Simple.

Now, what kind? This is the big one. That processed, refined salt, easily mistaken for white sugar? The stuff in the uniquely shaped container? Without mentioning brands, you know the one. DON'T EAT IT! If you have some at home, stick it in the laundry cupboard for colour-fixing. The salt you want is at the health food shop, or your local organic shop. Any they stock are fine. They will have sea salt, rock salt, river salt and crystal salt. Take your pick. They're all perfect for our bodies for the simple reason that these are the exact substances that our ancestors have consumed since we became homo sapiens. They are complexes of different minerals, not just pure sodium chloride. They are what our bodies are asking us for when we have a salt craving.

The problem with the salt in processed foods and fast food is that it is highly refined. Food industry knows very well that we crave salt. The more salty flavour they can cram into each mouthful, the more money they will make. To achieve this, they use the most refined form of sodium they can get. This is a major issue. That's the stuff to avoid.

Sometimes our taste buds can lose sensitivity to salt, so that we can't taste it properly. This happens as we age, in times of great stress, and for smokers especially. It can actually indicate deficiencies in other minerals, especially zinc. So if other people are saying your food is over-salted, try increasing the zinc rich foods in your diet.

So the habit to change this week is your salt habit. Make sure you get enough of the good stuff and avoid the bad. If you have been actively trying to reduce your salt intake, switch to natural salt, add it to each of your meals and watch your hunger fall away! You'll be eating far less than before, without any effort, and your body and brain will thank you!