A healthy diet is key to a healthy body - especially when it comes to weight control.
While metabolism is influenced by a variety of factors, the foods we eat can also play a role. But it's not just the obvious culprits like chips and ice cream.
There are several types of bread that experts warn against if we want to maintain a slim waist and a fast metabolism, including those that could deceive us with their appearance.
White bread is a notorious culprit, and many types of multi-grain breads are no better, nutritionists say. Here are the types of bread they warned against.
White bread
White bread is delicious and a staple in many cuisines, but nutritionist Lisa Richards says it's important to limit your intake of these refined carbohydrates if you're trying to lose weight.
"White bread contains refined carbohydrates and is devoid of fiber or other beneficial nutrients. Refined carbohydrates are highly flammable and quickly convert to sugar, causing a glucose spike," she explained to SheFinds.
All of these refined components are packed with calories, but the body doesn't need much energy to process them, which can seriously impact metabolism over time.
Additionally, processed foods like white bread have virtually no nutritional value and won't keep us full for long, likely leading to overeating later in the day - which, of course, can jeopardize weight loss goals.
Whole grain products
Most people already know that white bread is the worst option, but that doesn't mean we're safe if we add multi-grain bread to our basket. There are many breads on store shelves that appear to be made from whole grains, but in fact they can be harmful to your health, reports Index.hr.
"Multigrain bread claims to contain multiple types of grains. The key question is: are these grains whole? Often, multigrain breads are full of processed versions of oats, wheat, and barley," says nutritionist and dietitian Erin McCarthy.
Like white bread, consuming these processed grains can cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin, which can negatively affect metabolism in the long term, reports N1.
To make sure we're choosing truly healthy bread, McCarthy advises choosing bread labeled "100 percent whole grain" or "100 percent whole wheat bread."
"Whole grain products should not be listed as enriched because whole grains still contain all of their nutrients. They will also naturally have more fiber," McCarthy concluded.
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