Open up your bread box and read the ingredients of your

favorite bread. Chances are the first ingredient is going to be

enriched wheat flour.

What does "enriched" mean?

Enriched flour is flour in which most of the natural vitamins

and minerals have been extracted. This is done in order to give

bread a finer texture, increase shelf life and prevent bugs from

eating it (bugs will die if they attempt to live off it).

Why is enriched flour bad?

When the bran and the germ (the parts of the wheat that contain

vitamins and minerals) are removed, your body absorbs wheat

differently. Instead of being a slow, steady process through

which you get steady bursts of energy, your body breaks down

enriched flour too quickly, flooding the blood stream with too

much sugar at once. Your body then has to work hard to absorb

the excess and stores it as fat. This causes quick highs and

lows in your blood-sugar level which can lead to type-two

diabetes and obesity. All this and you’re not even getting

close to the amount of nutrients that whole grains contain.

Whole grains

Whole grains are richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein

(and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals

(including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and

vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E).

Health benefits

By eating whole grains you reduce the risk of some forms of

cancer, digestive system diseases, coronary heart disease,

diabetes, and obesity.

Don’t be fooled

There are many products that seem healthy on the front but in

reality they are not. If the bread you are buying says “soft

wheat” or “multi-grain” make sure you still read the

ingredients. Most of these breads are primarily made with

enriched flour. Even if the word “enriched” is not there, if it

does not say “whole” then it’s the same junk. Don’t get fooled

by color either. Even if it’s brown, unbleached wheat flour is

still missing the bran and the germ that contain essential

nutrients as well as the fiber that aids digestion.

Look for products that say 100% whole wheat. Trader Joes

carries spaghetti that is 100% whole wheat and tastes great.

Even my father-in-law, Mr. Anti-health, likes it.

1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20

…You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore

honor God with your body.

Foods that commonly contain enriched flour

Bread

Pasta

Chicken nuggets (breaded)

Pizza

Pie crust

Crackers

Cake

Cookies

Brownies

Pretzels

Donuts