Use your loaf, and discover how nutritious a staple food can be

A baggy jumper can hide a bloated stomach, but a swimming costume reveals all! Bread is a wonderful food. Why then do many people feel bloated, lethargic, and sapped of energy after eating it? Nutrition consultant and Shaw Method swimmer Dr Chris Fenn explains …

Although wheat has been part of our diet for thousands of years, the digestive problems associated with bread have increased rapidly since the 1960s. This coincides nicely with the invention of the “Chorleywood” bread making process (CBP) – a triumph of technology which produces over 80% of the “bread” in the shops today.

If you make bread at home, in the traditional way, you need only four ingredients – flour, water, yeast (or natural yeasts in a sourdough bread), and salt. You also need time – to knead the dough and for the bread to prove and rise and bake.

Time is money in the food manufacturing industry and CBP uses a new strain of wheat, high speed mixing, flour improving additives and enzymes to slice away the production time. The end result is bread without a crust, but with phenomenal volume and lightness, and a soft squishy texture that can last for several weeks before the chemical preservatives can no longer hold back the growth of mould. This is British bread. It is cheap, easy to produce, with a long shelf life – a dream product for the food manufacturers.

CBP celebrates its 50th birthday this year (so pappy birthday to them). White sliced, wholemeal or granary – it’s all the same, if it is made by the high speed, automated, process. In contrast, real bread should appeal to all of your senses – sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. Traditional crusty white bread has a definite flavour and texture. Just spread with butter for a divine combination. Quality wholemeal bread is a good source of fibre and also B vitamins. These vitamins are vital for the energy metabolism. They act as a spark to release the energy from the foods you have eaten, and put a spring back into your step on the way to the pool.

Thanks to the efforts of The Real Bread Campaign, there are a growing number of artisan bakers producing the real thing. If you want to enjoy eating bread, and not suffer from it, seek out a traditional loaf made by the growing number of artisan bakers across the country. The Campaign website has a map of bakers around the UK. Sourdough bread or bread made from an ancient variety of wheat, known as spelt, are traditional foods which can energise your system. These are not gluten or wheat free, but people who suffered from digestive problems and irritable bowel system often find that they can enjoy this wonderful food again.

Find out more about Dr Chris Fenn

Photo supplied by The Real Bread Campaign