The 'Simple' Loaf of Bread

It all began when Lucy, my editor, told me she was making sauerkraut. The word, 'homemade' entered our conversation, as she spoke of her excitement over her first attempt at fermenting cabbage. She is a company president, musician, singer-songwriter and 23 years old! Who has the time? ... Why bother, I wondered? ... But it was very important to her. (She was avoiding starches, too, temporarily.) Then it began: a three-part series on the role of fermented foods & starches in our diet, a fictional account of the world-wide elimination of starches and now, the final installment, The 'simple' loaf of bread. ...

I was shocked to learn how unscrupulous things had become in the making of a loaf of bread. I was bewildered to learn that a chocolate bar was said to be a better food choice than a whole grain slice of toast. ... I had to find out why. Flowery language on bread's brightly coloured 'happy' cellophane packaging helps paint a glowing picture of this baked product in our diet. We have now entered the land of make-believe. ... 

 

An endless array of preservatives, flavour and colour enhancers, dough conditioners, bleaching agents for flour and bread now greet us in the grocery aisle. Bread is no longer about flour, water, salt, and yeast, anymore. It is now something else and I am not sure what. 

 

We have potassium bromate, a recognized industry dough conditioner, whose entry into our bodies, via bread and flour, began decades ago. It has been banned in many countries. Canada banned it in 1994. Bromine, the element, is a member of the group of 7 elements that include fluorine, chlorine and iodine. (It is a poison, in its original 'costume') ...Potassium bromate becomes bromide during baking.

Numerous scientific studies, examining its use and supposed benefits, in bread, have found no health benefits, whatsoever. Bromide is also an endocrine disruptor which competes for the same receptors as iodine. Guess who wins? Not iodine. Thyroid, the master gland now begins to malfunction on a grand scale. 

Bread is the star attraction in fine dining. Breakfasts are its premiere platform. Children, especially, love hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, wraps and grilled cheese, foods that use bread/flour in various forms to showcase the real food we are eating. Bread speaks to us on a primitive level. Lunches are made of it. Toast is its cousin with bagel or English muffin as its stand-in. Growing up, I ate rye bread with caraway seeds, regularly. White bread was not a feature of my childhood, though, at times, I wish it were. It was always rye bread with seeds bought from the Health Bread Bakery where my mom worked. ...

When potassium bromate is present, iodine, the critical element in thyroid function, is adversely affected. Iodine is also the weakest link when forms of fluorine and chlorine are present in the food supply, too. It is then that the chain of metabolic functions in our bodies begin their erratic decline. Welcome sluggish metabolism and weight gain. Every cell in our body has an ongoing metabolic duty to perform. If the thyroid malfunctions, the relentless war within our bodies continues. All major organ systems are affected. ... 

 

We have welcomed the 'enemy' inside, those preservatives and additives that help sculpt the picturesque loaf of white bread we are eating. Our cravings are also a testament to this dietary criminal act. Bodies never used to 'crave'. Once upon a time, food was eaten because of hunger, a word used to describe our relationship with food. Now, we have become addicted to poor starchy foods, not healthy greens, fruits or lean protein. It is usually, “Time to Eat” not “I'm hungry”, in our search for food satiety. 

Science is fact based. Mathematics is a numbers' game, not easily manipulated by opinion or belief. How does any chemical used in non-food products such as pesticides, carpeting, or anti-freeze cross the food barrier and end up in bread? Does it have something to do with the PPM - parts per million - rule, the safe dose for that food grade label? How far are we willing to go with commercially made 'food'?

Women's health is more adversely affected than men's when it comes to the ingestion of chemically laden foods. I should know. My thyroid is slow. When does it end? (And what agency is deciding the parameters of this PPM rule?) Did we have a say?

A sluggish thyroid is just one of the many dietary ills we might face today from eating grains.  It seems like a diabolical threat to our body that the simple loaf of bread is not simple, anymore. Grains - these grasses from the land - have been around for thousands of years, having fed billions of people around the world. In all shapes, tastes and forms, bread has fed the earth. 

 

A look at some of the 60 approved additives that may be lurking in bread today is a premonition of bad things to come. Momsey was shocked. There is chlorine dioxide forming a compound called dichlorostearic acid, maturing and bleaching agents added to flour. (Vitamin E is then destroyed) Oh, My! Then there is soy lecithin from soy, derived from GMO plants that softens bread and emulsifies fats. (An egg is an emulsifier, too, but that would be a costly move, albeit nutritious.) ... 

 

Because grains are susceptible to mould, propionic acid is added to solve that problem. Then there is azodicarbonamide, (found in the  production of foamed plastics) another bleaching agent found in bread flour, along with amylase, xylanase, L-cysteine hydrochloride,- (derived from feathers or hair ) - and polyoxyethelene monostearate. I promptly threw out my bag of flour when I read this list. I was not prepared to be a guinea pig any longer.

Are we re-structuring our DNA eating foods or breads that have been 're-formulated', time and time again? And what does secret recipe really mean? What about reproduction and the health of our children? The word 'element' from the periodic table is such a sweet sounding word until it appears in our food supply in some PPM form while having played a role in other non-food products, unknown to us. ... 

 

The Momsey is neither a chemistry major, a chemist or biologist. Some healthier breads, I was shocked to read, have had extra gluten added to make them more 'appealing', mimicking that tender light crumb taste of white bread.  More gluten? Really? Then we wonder why bread is bloating or inflaming our gut interior. Is that the reason? “Enrichment' makes bread seem more nutritious until we learn the original nutrients were lost during modern processing methods. 'Enrichment' is simply a tactic of returning some of the nutrients back to the bread in perhaps synthetic versions of the original minerals and vitamins lost. Oh, my goodness! Grass fed butter with more Vitamin A and D and butyrate promotes a healthy gut. Who knew??? Slather it on.

A slice of toast. A ham sandwich. A dinner roll or pizza slice should not be a slippery slope to ill health. The process of proofing is now a quickened process from days, hours to minutes, in some cases. Gluten, therefore, does not have a chance of breaking down into its digestible amino acid compounds. Has the  bread making process been dramatically shortened now? Is the profit motive in charge? I wonder. ... 

 

Chemical additives, conditioners, softeners, and taste enhancers are just some of the 'ingredients' being added to keep these mechanized loaves of starch moving quickly within a system designed for immediate maximum profitability. What would happen if we all simply stopped eating bread for just one day? Would things be any different tomorrow? Maybe, just maybe they would. ...

The epilogue to this series on grains, starches and fermentation rests with sourdough, the final chapter.

The 'Little' Puppy That Could

He is a chartered member of the tallest breed in the world and now, the newest member of a family who longed for his entry into their waiting arms. 'Harry', the Great Dane, debuted last year as the cherished 8 week-old 'son' of my daughter-in-law's sister and her husband, becoming their special wedding 'gift', a celebratory note to last summer's main event: their wedding. ... He squirmed his adorable way into their hearts, arriving full of mischief and warmth, all wrapped up in a soft, satiny blue-grey coat, floppy ears, magnificent adornments to his fun-loving spirit and charming, inquisitive persona. “Here I am world”, he seemed to say.

The cage that houses this busy miniature 'pony' occupies a large part of their living room, for now, nothing but the best for their little boy. (It is a welcome 'short-term babysitter' whenever circumstances dictate.) Cages have come a long way since the days of the appliance box that housed our first and last litter of 9 retriever pups. (We'd been so busy caring for our 'abandoned in a park' 3 month-old female retriever that we'd forgotten, months later, to have her spayed. We'd been visiting a family friend and his retriever 'son' in western Canada. Never again. All puppies found homes by 10 weeks.) 

Harry's cage is a beautiful addition to the living room furniture. He is part of the excitement and enrichment, in and outside of this 'container' box with a door, not an onlooker to the events happening around him. His parents insist. With canines, large and small, suitable squeezing, carrying and chewing toys are critical to their health and development. The cage offers him the interim safety, comfort and solitude required to develop well, in a tumultuous modern world. Sometimes this 'home' away from home is a quiet refuge, especially when nap time is near. Everyone needs quiet time. Puppies need it more. They need time to think and grow.

Harry is growing quickly into this majestic beautiful boy while leaving his footprints on our collective hearts. He is an 8 month old, telling us, in no uncertain terms, that he is a playful presence, not to be ignored. ... Believing he is much smaller than he is, Harry walks under tables, often, thinking it is a normal part of his day. I smile. What a funny boy you are. He manages to maneuver towards the wall and squeeze between it and the chairs where family members are seated. But there are only few inches to spare, he realizes, and proceeds in reverse, to untangle himself, once again. He does it with such aplomb. He knows how. Mom and dad have shown him how to retreat, easily and calmly, in the kitchen and dining room. These are the special rooms, the food rooms, Harry has discovered. 

He can clear a table or counter in seconds, if given the chance. He stands tall. We all understand his uncanny ability in being able to clear tables, instantly. A twelve inch swath along the length and width of any table is his domain, he thinks. But mom and dad know better. There is nothing there, now. An advance guard was waiting. He meanders here and there. The food is gone. He will try again later. Will he jump, lick or nibble? His tackling skill has been challenged and is now a distant memory.

He is growing taller as his voice is becoming deeper. You know the baritone is here even if you cannot see him. His mom, a feisty young woman, a naturopathic doctor, too, takes her parental role very seriously. I am pleased. She does not allow for insubordination from her little boy. She is teaching him the ways of proper etiquette amongst humans and canine peers, alike. Harry listens, ever so intently. Mom knows best and is doing a marvelous job, ever watchful over Harry's antics with Mall Cop and his sister, Ella, his smaller older cousins.

Being a parent to a giant breed is no easy feat. I was, once upon a time, a parent to a retriever who became a 125-pound furry dynamo. Harry knows he is just a puppy. Mom and dad remind him daily of his place in their world. He fits their way of life, not the other way around. He is like a bendable tree, out for a jaunt, until there is a roadblock and dad or mom tells him, 'No'. They love him so. He is learning to be a companion with his cousins and respects the hierarchy. He is learning fast. Harry is not top dog, he is beginning to discover! 

He is restless but his daily walks with mom and dad help   sustain him while his toys provide another avenue of healthy 'exercise'. His bark, its deep baritone sound, resonates around the room, commanding attention from all who hear his roar, except from Mall Cop and Ella. Though Harry is over 140 pounds, they, a diminutive 40-pound brother and sister act, do not care. He is simply the newest and youngest member of their extended family. He'd better listen. And so he does.

At a recent gathering, Harry began 'talking', his deep voice penetrating the air around us, in a gentle swirling inquisitive way, hoping his 'words' would illicit a response from one seated guest. He sat and waited ever so patiently for the smiling guest to react, then turned his attention to another more interesting human whose attention to Harry bore witness to the exuberance of the puppy in our midst. The discussion began as Harry licked the face of the man, seated in the opposite chair,  in a face-to-face meeting of great minds, bound by love and respect. Who allows any gentle canine giant to lick his face without pause? When he roars, the nibbles and licks soon follow on the chin of the laughing guest. It is another spontaneous moment with Harry, the little puppy that could. 

Harry is not responsible for his DNA. He is tall, yet 'small'. ... He is boisterous, yet respectful. ... He is strong, yet gentle. ... His capacity for love knows no bounds. Harry is part of a family of dog owners who care about his ever-changing canine footprint. His mom and dad, new to the dog owning tradition, see beauty, love and a future of untapped potential for their soft cuddly 'teddy bear'. ... 

Once upon a time, this couple was building and shaping their careers and planning a wedding. Now, all of that pales in comparison to the joy that abounds and greets them every morning. Life is so precious. Their big boy with the puppy mind is a remarkable creature, chosen by them, to make the moments of their pet loving life special, every step of the way.