Home baking, which includes all muffins, cakes, slices, biscuits, scones, savouries and much more; whether baked in your home or bought at a cafe forms a big part of the diet of many New Zealanders. Some form of home baking is considered a necessity in “Morning Teas”, “Smoko’s”, “Afternoon Teas”. Home baking also has a status greater than mere food alone. As parents, and grandparents will cite it as evidence of caring and nurturing their families “well I may not be the best Mum – but at least I always have home baking in the cupboard”. This idea that home baking is the same as love often continues when you look to such food for comfort in difficult times.
The truth behind home baking is in fact quite the opposite of its nurturing image. In fact home baking and the shop bought equivalents are destructive to health in New Zealand. The sugars added to home baking depletes the body of important nutrients needed for health. Far from helping you or your family cope in challenging times the depletion of these nutrients will lower your tolerance to physical and mental stress. The sugars increase your risks of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, mental health problems and many other health problems. The refined grains such as the white flours provide very few nutrients and are also likely to cause the same problems as the sugars. Whole grains are marginally better but unless the grains have been soaked overnight first the levels of phytates present are also likely to deplete the body of nutrients. Poor quality fats used and colourings can cause further damage.
The size of individual cakes, muffins slices etc. have increase enormously over the last 25 years or so; some three times as big as before, which increases the likelihood of damage to your health.
The sorts of ingredients in home baking are likely to cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall rapidly. The swings in blood sugar levels affect your energy, far from making you feel more energetic the home baking causes a depletion in energy as the blood sugars sink low after the cakes etc. These fluctuations in blood sugar levels put an enormous strain on the body, especially the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas can no longer stabilize blood sugar levels . It is no wonder that NZ has such appalling levels of Type 2 diabetes; is this really something you want to risk for yourself your family, your friends?
“What about treats?” The definition of “treat” is “an event or item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure”. If you are having a treat every day or even every week it is no longer a “treat” it is simply “ordinary”. Think of other ways to give and demonstrate your love and care, a hug goes a long way. Consider non-food ways to comfort yourself when you are down, sing, read, walk , talk , watch a movie, relax in a bath. And when you’ve found what works for you, tell someone you care about to help them too.
Contact us for more information and to book your consultation.
Original Article June 2012
Copyright Jaine Kirtley
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