Give Us This Day Our Daily Italian Bread
Let’s talk about pane (Italian for bread). As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not much of a bread person in the USA or UK, which probably won’t surprise those of you who’ve been following me for a while. I’d take good natural protein over bread any day! In fact, I’ve made videos exposing the junk added to our bread (if you haven’t seen one of my most-viewed ones, where I highlight the dangers of bread shopping in the USA—click here). The cleanest option I’ve found back home is Ezekiel bread.
However, after spending nearly a week on the Amalfi Coast, I must confess: I’ve been eating a ton of bread—with every meal in generous portions (of course, I’m pairing it with Italian extra virgin olive oil). And guess what? Here’s the proof of me enjoying some of it!
Could I do this in the US or UK without feeling awful and sluggish? Absolutely not. But bread in Italy (and even in countries like France) is a completely different story.
For starters, aside from being absolutely delicious, most of the bread I’m eating here is baked fresh with minimal ingredients. I have been researching bread in Italy, and even checked the ingredient labels at local grocery stores—the difference is shocking (the same by the way also applies to pasta).
What Went Wrong?
How did we manage to corrupt such a staple food that’s been around for thousands of years? Bread is supposed to be one of the purest, most essential foods—mentioned numerous times in religious texts, including the Bible. Here are a couple of examples:
Matthew 6:11: "Give us this day our daily bread."
John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry."
In ancient Egypt, bread was a symbol of life and sustenance, baked fresh daily for workers and royalty alike. Even the Rigveda, a sacred text in Hinduism, mentions grain and bread as offerings to the gods.
Historically, bread was associated with purity, made from just three or four ingredients—flour, water, yeast, and maybe salt. But nowadays, in many Western countries, bread has become packed with a toxic mix of seed oils, added sugars, and a long list of other additives and fake preservatives. How did we let this happen and corrupt what’s supposed to be a food symbolizing purity? The answer we all know: pure corporate greed and lack of real health leadership from the top.
The Italian Difference
So here I am in Italy, eating bread and feeling great. Why? Because it’s pure and unadulterated. Freshly baked, with no junk added. I’ve heard numerous stories from people who have specific health issues with bread back home— including intolerance and bloating— who say that they don’t have these issues with bread in Europe. Astonishing isn’t it? Yet the medical establishment, which profits so much from adults and kids getting sick, doesn’t seem to care one bit to look into this massive problem we have in our country.
So if you live in the USA or UK, here are a few action steps to ensure your bread is as clean as possible. Feel free to warn family members to, I know many of you have children and grandchildren who are being fed copious amounts of bread daily.
1. Diligently read ingredient labels. Bread should contain minimal ingredients. If you haven’t already, watch my video on how to shop for bread wisely. In the USA, Ezekiel bread is still my go-to when I do buy bread.
2. Eat bread in moderation. Even if I could find this quality of bread back home, I still wouldn’t regularly eat as much as I am in Italy. At the end of the day, bread is high in carbohydrates, which convert into sugars. As I emphasized in my last newsletter, moderation is key.
3. Consider making bread at home. This is always the best option if you can. That way, you control the ingredients. Nothing beats homemade.
4. Beware of pesticides and GMOs. Bread in Europe is often made from grains that aren’t subject to the same GMO crops and pesticide sprays as those in the USA. It’s worth considering the other chemicals that might be in your daily loaf back home. Europe has way stricter, less corporate-driven rules, than the USA sadly.
The Reality Back Home
I wish bread in the US and UK were as pure as it is here in Italy. It horrifies me to think of the bread that millions of people, including children, are consuming daily in our countries. The reality is, it’s hard to find good quality bread without the added junk, and groceries are getting more and more expensive for hard-working families.
I hope we can raise more awareness about this core staple food and how far we’ve gone off track.
Do you have any stories or favorite breads you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below.
Wishing you continued good health,
Dr. Suneel Dhand
www.drsuneeldhand.com
I bought some delicious looking bread. It said “straight up ingredients” whatever that might mean.
Flour, water, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, oat fibre, wheat gluten, yeast, Seasalt, cultured wheat flour, tapioca flour, sugars (barley and malt syrup) cultured wheat starch, wheat starch, Rowan berrry fruit extract, ascorbic acid, citric acid, tricalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, enzymes ( amylase, xylanase, glucose oxidase, lipase,)
What are all those acids and enzymes for? Are they necessary?
When I make pizza dough at home, I ferment it in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. I find that far easier to digest.
Here in the UK I've switched to making my own sourdough with only organic Einkorn wholegrain flour , salt, filtered water and my own starter. We love it and bloating has gone!!!!!!