Nutritionist named 5 rules to eat flour and not get fat

For those who are not ready to give up their favorite confectionery.

Flour is a wide range of confectionery and culinary products made of flour: bread, pies, buns, cookies and other pastries.

Nata Gonchar

Founder of the International Institute of Integrative Nutrition

Eating confectionery and not gaining weight is the dream of all losing weight 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 harm to the figure.

A strong craving for flour may indicate an imbalance of nutrients and a number of other problems:

• lack of slow carbohydrates in the diet;
• insulin resistance;
• chromium deficiency (provokes constant fatigue and 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:

• unpolished cereals;
• whole grain bread;
• coarse flour;
• durum wheat pasta;
• legumes;
• vegetables;
• greenery.

Bananas, apples, apricots, paprika, spinach, beets, avocado, broccoli and carrots will help replenish chromium reserves.

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

• meat;
• the bird;
• fish;
• seafood;
• fermented milk products;
• legumes;
• nuts.

With a strong craving for flour and sweets, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive analysis to determine glucose levels in order to exclude the presence of hypoglycemia (decreased blood glucose levels) and insulin resistance (low insulin sensitivity).

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

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

I recommend choosing pastries with the addition of bran, grains, seeds and cereals.

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

Choose healthy pastries with a low glycemic index

The glycemic index (GI) of baking plays a big role in weight gain: the higher the GI, the faster the glucose level rises after eating, followed by the concentration of insulin 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, white flour buns, pancakes have a maximum GI (from 70 to 100 units). Wheat flour without the addition of bran and whole grains has the highest glycemic index — more than 70 units. Rye, whole grain and bran flour have the lowest glycemic index (from 30 to 45 units).

I recommend choosing bakery products from the latest types of flour.

In order for the glycemic index to minimally affect the functioning of the body, you need to 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.

Do not eat too many flour products

A piece of wholegrain bread for breakfast or a piece of birthday cake will not cause serious harm to the body. But the daily consumption of an unlimited amount of bakery products is dangerous for the figure and health.

It is recommended to eat no more than two pieces of flour per 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 of product), since it contains a lot of whole grains, fiber, and has a low glycemic index.

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

It is better to refuse dietary (extrusion) loaves with an incomprehensible composition, they often hide added sugar, margarine, flour, trans fats. In addition, loaves are often more calorific than ordinary bread.

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

Give up baking with margarine

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

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

I recommend choosing bread and pastries with a short shelf life. Natural bread without preservatives is stored for no more than three days.

Buy cookies and pastries with bran, cereals and seeds, which complement desserts with trace elements and vitamins, saturate well due to slow carbohydrates.

Prepare a useful alternative yourself

Live sourdough bread, sugar-free cookies and yeast-free buns can be prepared in a home kitchen. Such flour products will benefit the whole family, and you will be sure of the composition of the product (it does not contain sugar, yeast, preservatives, gluten).

Bread, muffins and buns can be baked from vegetables, eggs (for example, egg muffins), sweet potatoes, whole grains and cereals, bananas.

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

Observe the regime and move more

The diet is important to maintain weight. Therefore, I recommend eating carbohydrates (all flour products are rich in carbohydrates) in the morning, and making dinner eubiotic (a meal designed to feed the normal intestinal microflora) with a predominance of vegetable fiber, fermented foods and protein.

A bun eaten in the morning or at lunch gives the body energy when splitting carbohydrates. The received energy can be spent on physical activity, for example, go to a workout, visit a swimming pool, arrange an active walk.

Activity during the day will help burn the calories obtained 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 ready-made dishes, and cut fresh ginger into thin slices, sprinkle with lemon juice, add salt and eat one piece before eating. Spices improve digestion and discourage the desire to snack on tea with bagels.