Do You Crave Bread All The Time?

Someone very near and dear to me mentioned recently that this blog always "had a go" at other people ... and that wasn't always pleasant.

So I thought for today's post I'd be nice and find something interesting to say that didn't involve disrespecting anyone, or any one thing. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, but here goes anyway.

If you ever wondered why there are times when we become fixated with grain-based foods like pasta or bread ... well, I think I stumbled upon the reason.

You're probably thinking that bread and pasta are carbohydrates ... and so they turn to sugar and that's pretty addictive. But I'm talking about whole wheat granary bread and durum wholewheat pasta. You know, the healthy stuff. The complex carbohydrates that release their sugars into the bloodstream at a much more sedate pace.

So, if sugar isn't the culprit (and I don't think it is), then what else could it be? Well the answer I think will surprise you. Grains (particularly wheat, rye, oats and barley) contain a protein called gluten. And gluten is far more notorious because of all the bad press about food intolerances.

But get this ... gluten does not digest properly and along the way it turns into a host of chemicals with structures not too disimilar to an opiate. You know, like morphine or heroin!

So your addiction to grain products starts to make sense after all. We are told that cravings have psychological roots. Perhaps that's why they are so powerful. What better answer to an itch that is never satisfied than a food that metabolises into one of the most powerful sedatives known to mankind.

At least for a while.