Sometimes I get asked about what foods to eat (healthy, natural foods!) and what to avoid.
Where to start.
I think the first thing to say in response to this question is that treating food as a potential control substance or purely as fuel is the wrong road to go down. Food is a part of our lives and should be a source of pleasure in our lives, as well as being primary physical sustenance.
There are, however, certain foods which are better for us than others.
Unprocessed foods are, in general principle, better for our bodies than processed foods (particularly heavily processed foods). We generally know processed foods when we see them. They are usually heavily marketed, packaged so as to grab our attention on supermarket shelves and easy to consume.
Convenience can be a good thing of course, and with a busy working life part of the deal sometimes in getting through the week. It can also be a trap and, on occasion, we can fall into depending on convenience in a trade-off between time and health. Being aware of this risk and becoming an active shopper, cook and consumer is part of the strategy we should all adopt to avoid becoming over-dependent on processed food and vulnerable health-wise as a result.
For myself, and to get back to the original question, I avoid processed white bread. Why? Because it tends to come with additives, is packed with yeast (which can cause bloating), lacks fibre or taste and robs the process of eating of its pleasures.
Sure, white processed white bread can be cheap, but the life we live shouldn't be and anything that detracts from that fact is to be avoided.
So leave the processed white bread on the shelf and pick up tastier, healthier and more satisfying alternatives from the nearest baker.
Your taste buds and stomach will thank you for doing so.