Can someone please tell me what the problem is with white flour? Is it just that it's "processed"? Can I substitute whole wheat flour instead, in any recipe that calls for flour? From what I've been reading, the "bake mixes" and protein powders don't seem to cut it.

Flour made of wheat, be it brown or white, contains the starchy, inner part of the wheat kernel. Whole wheat MAY have a role in the maintenance stage if you can tolerate the extra carbs, but white flour needs to be banned. It's a refined "simple" carb that will make your blood sugar do awful things.

The bake mixes will not taste just like the bread and baked goods you're used to, but they're made of ingredients that won't make your blood sugar go sky-high. Check out the Products and recipes forums for hints!

Even whole wheat flour is processed, if you think about it. Potatofree is right, the problems with wheat flour or any grain flour, whole or otherwise is the high starch content. And the starch is typically high glycemic, which means it is quickly absorbed and will cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin.

One cup of all-purpose white flour provides 96g carbs / 3.4g fiber.

One cup of whole wheat flour provides 96g carbs / 16g fiber


Unfortunately, the high-carb baked goodies, breads and biscuits that we crave cannot be duplicated exactly because they rely on the high starch content of the flour. Baked goods made with low-carb mixes will make satisfactory substitutes, but you must use recipes designed specifically for them ... they can't be used in your old flour recipes.


Doreen

I have not used white flour for years, but I still was addicted to the starchy carbs as well as the sweets. I was happy to find a reduced carb bread at Krogers that has 5 gms/slice when the fiber is subtracted. I'm sure it has some soy flour in it and it's whole wheat.

One thing no one mentioned is that the body turns starches into sugar. So it's just like eating sugar. It has the same effect on insulin levels.