Is Bread the Staff of Life?

People often ask me for my “feelings” about eating bread. Those would be concern, doubt and disappointment. Besides the health issues associated with the gluten that’s contained in the wheat, the process of refining bread can deplete 18 key elements—and don’t get excited about enriched bread because only five elements are added back in the “enrichment” process. Also, many grain products have substances such as phytic acid that interfere with the absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.

The above facts come from The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., and Joe Friel, M.S. (Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press. 2005) I would refer you to this resource for a more detailed explanation of why bread is not the staff of life. Although it’s directed more toward endurance athletes, the book does have much to offer strength athletes in terms of practical application of the Paleo diet principles.

Also, if you already don’t have a copy, I highly recommend Dr. Cordain’s The Paleo Diet, as it discusses the science behind this sound nutritional program and provides practical information on how to improve your diet for maximum performance and improved quality of life.