Nutriciologist named 5 rules to eat flour and not get fat

Flour is a wide range of confectionery and culinary products made from flour: breads, pies, rolls, cookies and other pastries.

Rahvusvahelise Integratiivse Toitumisteaduse Instituudi asutaja

Eating pastry and not gaining weight is the dream of all thinners and lovers of croissants. I am sure that it can become a reality if you follow five rules that will help you eat pastries and bread without harming your figure.

Strong cravings for flour can indicate an imbalance of nutrients and a number of other problems:

• A lack of slow carbohydrates in the diet;
• insuliiniresistentsus;
• chromium deficiency (causes constant fatigue and rapid fatigue);
• nitrogen deficiency (necessary for protein synthesis).

To restore the balance of substances in the body, it is recommended to reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates and add sources of slow carbohydrates to the diet:

• uncooked cereals;
• whole-grain bread;
• coarse flour;
• durum wheat pasta;
• legumes;
• köögiviljad;
• greens.

Bananas, apples, apricots, paprika, spinach, beets, avocados, broccoli and carrots can help replenish chromium.

To balance the nitrogen content in the body, you need to eat enough protein foods:

• meat;
• poultry;
• kala;
• mereannid;
• fermented dairy products;
• legumes;
• pähklid.

With strong cravings for flour and sweets, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive glucose test to rule out the presence of hypoglycemia (lower blood glucose levels) and insulin resistance (low sensitivity to insulin).

Do not buy flour products that contain margarine and hydrogenated oils, bromates (flour clarifiers), dyes, artificial thickeners, flavor enhancers, starch and artificial flavorings.

Not all flours are equally harmful because the composition of products varies. Useful types of pastries and breads are considered those that are produced on the basis of whole-grain and gluten-free flour, without added sugar, yeast, preservatives.

I recommend choosing baked goods with added bran, grains, seeds and cereals.

You won’t have to give up your grandmother’s pies and homemade pancakes on Sunday if you follow the five rules of nutrition.

Choose healthy baked goods with a low glycemic index

The glycemic index (GI) of baked goods plays an important role in weight gain: the higher the GI, the faster glucose levels rise after a meal, followed by insulin concentration in the blood, which lowers sugar levels and increases appetite.

The height of the glycemic index depends on the composition and quality of flour, the amount of sugar added to the dough and sweet fillings.

Cakes, cookies, buns from white flour, pancakes have the maximum GI (from 70 to 100 units). Wheat flour without added bran and whole grain has the highest glycemic index – more than 70 units. Rye, whole grain and bran flours have the lowest glycemic index (30 to 45 units).

I recommend choosing baked goods from the latter types of flour.

To minimize the glycemic index, you should eat bread in combination with protein (eggs, cottage cheese, meat) and fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) – this helps to reduce the glycemic index of the food eaten.

Don’t eat too many flour products

A piece of whole-grain bread for breakfast or a piece of birthday cake will not seriously harm the body. But eating unlimited amounts of bakery products every day is dangerous for your figure and health.

It is recommended to eat no more than two pieces of flour products a day, taking into account the amount of carbohydrates consumed.

It is better to choose rye and whole-grain bread (about 250 kcal per 100 g product), as it has a lot of whole grains, fiber, it has a low glycemic index.

A small portion of sweet pastries and desserts can be eaten no more than twice a week.

From dietary (extrusion) breads with an unclear composition is better to refuse, they often hide added sugar, margarine, flour, trans fats. In addition, breads are often more caloric than regular bread.

If you buy bread, then carefully studying the composition, choosing baked goods made from buckwheat, corn and rice flour without yeast and preservatives.

Refuse baked goods with margarine

Margarine is a high-calorie product that belongs to the category of trans fats. Such products provoke weight gain, negatively affect the work of the cardiovascular system.

When choosing bread, cookies, confectionery, carefully read the composition and refuse to buy a product if the label indicates margarine, hydrogenated fats or oils.

I recommend choosing breads and pastries with a short shelf life. Natural bread without preservatives will not keep for more than three days.

Buy cookies and baked goods with bran, cereals and seeds, which supplement desserts with micronutrients and vitamins and satiate well due to slow carbohydrates.

Prepare a healthy alternative on your own

Live sourdough bread, sugar-free cookies and yeast-free rolls can be prepared in your home kitchen. Such flour products will benefit the whole family, and you will be sure of the composition of the product (it is free of sugar, yeast, preservatives, gluten).

Breads, muffins and buns can be baked from vegetables, eggs (for example, egg muffins), yams, whole-grain cereals and flakes, bananas.

If there is no time for preparation, pay attention to ready-made mixes from proven manufacturers of healthy food.

Follow a regimen and move more

The eating regimen is important for weight maintenance. Therefore, I recommend consuming carbohydrates (all flour products are rich in carbohydrates) in the first half of the day, and make dinner eubiotic (meals designed to feed the normal intestinal microflora) with a predominance of plant fiber, fermented foods and protein.

A muffin eaten in the morning or at lunch gives the body energy by breaking down carbohydrate. The energy gained can be spent on physical activity like going for a workout, visiting a swimming pool, going for a brisk walk.

Activity during the day will help to burn the calories received from flour, without harming the waistline. To improve digestion and reduce cravings for flour, I recommend adding ginger and black pepper to food.

Ground black pepper can be added to cooked dishes, and fresh ginger can be cut into thin slices, splashed with lemon juice, salted and eat one piece before eating. Spices improve digestion and discourage the desire to snack on tea and lambs.