Beloved bread and cheese

Along with cutting out sugar the 100% health survey recommends reducing wheat consumption to one serving max per day and dairy produce to 1 serving max per day.
However your average british diet probably contains at least one, if not both, of these in every meal; toast or cereal with milk for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a pasta dish with a creamy sauce or pizza with cheese for dinner.

So why did the survey find eating wheat and dairy was detrimental to health?

For starters both foods are common allergens, triggering immune reactions and digestive problems in intolerant or allergic individuals. This will then have knock on effects through poor nutrient absorption and over-active immune systems as well as unpleasant symptoms such as constipation (common with wheat allergies) and diarrhoea (common with dairy allergies).

Wheat also contains phytates which can irritate the digestive tract in non allergic individuals as well as binding with nutrients in food preventing your gut from absorbing them.

Dairy foods can also acidify the body causing calcium leaching from bones and other imbalances. It may seem counter intuitive as dairy is high in calcium so supposedly good for bones, but the governments recent attempt to stop free school milk was based on a review of the research finding no health benefits for drinking milk. Cheese is particularly detrimental and should be avoided by those at risk of or suffering from osteoporosis.

But it's not all bad, wholemeal pasta and bread are both low GI carbohydrates providing good sources of energy whilst natural yoghurts and low-fat soft cheese are relatively healthy protein sources. The key is not to eat wheat or dairy to excess, and for optimal health limit to one portion of each per day.

I personally avoid both wheat (and gluten) and dairy, but it is with great sorrow as I think a good brie spread on some french bread is one of lifes great pleasures! Before you get the violins out I must confess I do occasionally let myself indulge and savour every bite!
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