To see for yourself what I’m talking about, go get a loaf of bread that you’ve bought from the store, now read the ingredient list and google all of the really long words that don’t sound like natural ingredients. You will be shocked at what you discover.

For example, the ingredient “monoglycerides,” found in almost every store bought bread, is actually hydrogenated oil/fat otherwise known as trans fat. Hydrogenated oil is oil saturated with hydrogen at a high temperature. This creates tight bonds with the hydrogen which allows it to remain semisolid at room temperature and increases shelf life drastically by delaying rancidity. What allows it to be solid is how tightly the molecules of the fat bond to each other. In your blood stream this means the fat clumps to itself much easier and clogs your veins much easier.

This is why hydrogenated oils and trans fats have been labeled “the silent killer” because they dramatically increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The bread manufacturers try to be sneaky and put monoglycerides in the list of ingredients in place of hydrogenated oils to fool you. You could look at the nutrition panel on the same loaf of bread with the ingredient monoglycerides and under trans fats it will list zero grams. This is because under FDA regulations if the serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, the package is free to say it has zero.

But lets say you eat four slices of bread (with each serving containing 0.4 grams of trans fat) then you just consumed 1.6 grams of trans fat, despite the fact that the nutrition panel on your bread claims that it has zero grams of trans fat per serving.

You can’t trust store bought bread, it’s that simple. The bread manufacturing companies do what they can to save money in production of the bread but in the long run it costs you your health. The only solution that I’ve found is to bake your own bread. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds, it’s actually very easy once you learn how.

My favorite bread to bake is whole wheat bread because it’s so heart healthy and you get so many vitamins and minerals from it. If the whole wheat bread is made correctly you also get a really amazing tasting bread that can put store bought imitations to shame. I call them imitations because a lot of bread manufacturers actually use white flour to make “whole wheat” bread and then color it with caramel to make it look authentic. So again check ingredients on your bread. If the bread has unbleached enriched flour as the first ingredient you could actually be buying white bread disguised as whole wheat bread, look for caramel coloring in the ingredients list as well to prove this.

Other ingredients to watch out for:

Calcium sulfate: This is also known as plaster of Paris, this additive is used as a dough conditioner and firming agent. As it absorbs moisture and hardens quickly, one caution is that it can cause intestinal obstruction. It is banned in some countries.

Calcium propionate: This additive is used as a mold inhibitor but may be linked to migraines.

So do yourself a favor and start baking your own bread. It’s probably one of the greatest health choices you can make.

Why?

I think the number one reason everyone should bake their own bread is that it redeems you from years of bad health and medical bills. How so?

HOMEMADE BREAD IS HEALTHIER

It is much healthier to bake your own bread instead of buying bread that contains chemical additives, hydrogenated oils, unhealthy preservatives, and fattening sweeteners.

If you buy white bread you’re also getting bread that is nutritionless, but don’t be fooled, store bought whole wheat bread is just as bad for you.

A lot of times the whole wheat bread sold in stores isn’t really made out of “whole meal” but is just white bread that is colored (using caramel) to make it appear like it’s whole grain and healthy.

Store bought whole wheat bread also contains the same emulsifiers, and chemical by products that are in store bought white bread.

When you bake your own bread you never have to worry about these “hidden dangers” or chemicals in bread.

Instead you can control every ingredient that goes into your bread, and you’ll know exactly how it is processed and created.

There are many other great incentives for baking homemade whole wheat bread, and I’ll go into each one below.

HOMEMADE BREAD TASTES BETTER THAN STORE BOUGHT

Absolutely no argument here. Everyone I’ve met agrees that the taste of homemade bread far surpasses that of store bought bread, (some have even said they could taste the chemicals in the store bought bread and really hated it).

Taste is a biggie for a lot of people, and since everyone wants to eat tasty meals, you can’t go wrong by baking your own bread.

HOMEMADE BREAD SAVES YOU MONEY

It’s much cheaper to buy all the ingredients for making bread separately, than buying them already made into bread. You can easily save $30 or $40 dollars a month, by baking your own bread. This might not sound like much but over time, believe me, it adds up.

This is especially true if you buy as many of your bread ingredients as you can, in the bulk department of a supermarket.

An entire bag of whole wheat flour (enough to make 4 to 6 loaves) could cost $4.00 or less. This is just one example of how cheap baking your own bread is.

HOMEMADE BREAD IS LOWER IN FAT THIS = WEIGHT LOSS

My favorite reason for baking bread, is that, if you bake the right kind of bread (like whole wheat bread) it can be a great way to help you lose pounds or maintain a healthy weight.

I’m sure you’ve heard the myth before that bread is really fattening, it’s a myth at least for homemade whole wheat bread.

Store bought bread really is fattening because of all the extras that large scale manufacturers stuff their bread with.

Manufacturers do this to give their bread longer shelf life and to make the bread look more appealing so they’ll get more customers to buy their bread.

These big corporate CEO’s could care less if their bread causes you to pack on pounds. You’ve got to remember, after all, that they’re only in it for the money.

But if you bake your own whole wheat bread you’ll have a truly wholesome bread that will help you to achieve the healthy body and goal weight you desire.

Don’t think you can bake your own whole wheat bread? Don’t know where to start? I’ll teach you how to bake your very own bread with no hassle, in simple steps. Visit my Easy Bread Baking website for more details.

The truth is baking bread is not difficult. Even someone with little to no baking or cooking experience can make a scrumptious loaf of bread their family or dinner guests will gobble down. Making bread is fun, too â?? even therapeutic. The only real downside to homemade bread is that it disappears so quickly. Too, youâ??ll want to make sure you have a trusted, reliable bread recipe.

It does take a little bit of time to make bread â?? not so much actual work time, but waiting time (while the yeast makes the dough rise). So pick a day youâ??re planning to be at home, turn on some favorite music, and enjoy the process â?? and the smells! â?? of good, old fashioned bread. And if you have kids, theyâ??ll love to help, too.

Hereâ??s a favorite, easy recipe for warm, soft, homemade bread.

What youâ??ll need:

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 ½ packages dry yeast 4 1/2 cups flour, divided (for best results, use white flour)

1 tablespoon salt 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup oil 1 egg

How to do it:

In a small bowl, mix ½ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and the yeast; set aside. Good, active yeast will double in size by the time youâ??re ready to mix it into the dough. In a saucepan, mix 1 cup flour with 1 ½ cups water. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will get lumpy and stick to the pan, but if you keep cooking and stirring, it will smooth out. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from the stove and add 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, salt, milk, oil, egg, and 1 cup flour. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Add 2 ½ cups flour. Mix well. Leave the dough in the pan, covering it with a clean dish towel and placing it in a reasonably warm, non-drafty place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Sprinkle flour onto the kitchen counter or a cutting board and place the full lump of dough on it. (The dough should be shaped like a slightly flattened ball.) Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough. Knead* 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Cover the dough again and let it sit for 15 minutes. Knead a few strokes, then cut into two equal parts. Cover and allow it to sit another 15 minutes. Shape each piece into a rounded rectangle. Place each rectangle onto a greased cookie sheet, cover with towel, and let rise until about double. Bake at 375 º for 30 to 35 minutes and enjoy!

* HOW TO KNEAD BREAD:

1. Cover your hands with a light dusting of flour.

2. Using the heel of your hands, press down and push the dough away from you. Then fold the dough back over itself, toward you.

3. Turn the dough one quarter- to half-way around and repeat step 2.

4. Follow the recipe directions to know how long to knead the dough. When the recipe doesnâ??t specify, knead until the dough is smooth and shiny. When you pinch a bit of well-kneaded dough in your fingers, it should feel a lot like pinching your earlobe.

The truth is baking bread is not difficult. Even someone with little to no baking or cooking experience can make a scrumptious loaf of bread their family or dinner guests will gobble down. Making bread is fun, too â?? even therapeutic. The only real downside to homemade bread is that it disappears so quickly. Too, youâ??ll want to make sure you have a trusted, reliable bread recipe.

It does take a little bit of time to make bread â?? not so much actual work time, but waiting time (while the yeast makes the dough rise). So pick a day youâ??re planning to be at home, turn on some favorite music, and enjoy the process â?? and the smells! â?? of good, old fashioned bread. And if you have kids, theyâ??ll love to help, too.

Hereâ??s a favorite, easy recipe for warm, soft, homemade bread.

What youâ??ll need:

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 ½ packages dry yeast 4 1/2 cups flour, divided (for best results, use white flour)

1 tablespoon salt 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup oil 1 egg

How to do it:

In a small bowl, mix ½ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and the yeast; set aside. Good, active yeast will double in size by the time youâ??re ready to mix it into the dough. In a saucepan, mix 1 cup flour with 1 ½ cups water. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will get lumpy and stick to the pan, but if you keep cooking and stirring, it will smooth out. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from the stove and add 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, salt, milk, oil, egg, and 1 cup flour. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Add 2 ½ cups flour. Mix well. Leave the dough in the pan, covering it with a clean dish towel and placing it in a reasonably warm, non-drafty place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Sprinkle flour onto the kitchen counter or a cutting board and place the full lump of dough on it. (The dough should be shaped like a slightly flattened ball.) Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough. Knead* 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Cover the dough again and let it sit for 15 minutes. Knead a few strokes, then cut into two equal parts. Cover and allow it to sit another 15 minutes. Shape each piece into a rounded rectangle. Place each rectangle onto a greased cookie sheet, cover with towel, and let rise until about double. Bake at 375 º for 30 to 35 minutes and enjoy!

* HOW TO KNEAD BREAD:

1. Cover your hands with a light dusting of flour.

2. Using the heel of your hands, press down and push the dough away from you. Then fold the dough back over itself, toward you.

3. Turn the dough one quarter- to half-way around and repeat step 2.

4. Follow the recipe directions to know how long to knead the dough. When the recipe doesnâ??t specify, knead until the dough is smooth and shiny. When you pinch a bit of well-kneaded dough in your fingers, it should feel a lot like pinching your earlobe.