Dr Dawn Harper is supporting the We Heart Bread campaign, championing the importance of eating carbs over the festive season. We talked to her about bread- a carb that gets a lot of bad press and why we need to change our perceptions about a food that's actually pretty good for us!
Dr Dawn Harper
Please can you tell us a bit about the We Heart Bread campaign?
The We Heart Bread campaign is trying to put bread back on the agenda. There has been a lot of press saying that carbs are the devil incarnate- which they absolutely aren't! If we look at all the balanced and nutritional advice that we are being given, carbs should form between a third and half of our total calorie intake. The idea that carbs are the cause of all weight gain has actually been quite damaging I think. What we are really trying to say is that carbs are part of a well-balanced and healthy diet.
What made you want to get involved with this campaign- why was it so close to your heart?
I think it's about readdressing that apparent imbalance. I hear people quite often saying 'I don't do carbs' because they believe they are the complete explanation for weight gain and they aren't. There are about 4 calories per gram whereas fat is about 9 calories per gram. We need both in our diet and the idea that we should be cutting out any whole food group is just wrong. For me it's about readdressing that balance.
Why are women so afraid of carbs now when they used to be a diet staple?
There has been a feeling that carbohydrates are what cause us to gain weight. I have always believed that there is no such thing as a bad food- but there a plenty of bad diets. For me with my GP hat on, it's all about balance. Across the board if you look at any reliable advice; carbohydrates form a significant part of a healthy balanced diet.
Why is bread such an important carb? What does it do to our bodies when we eat it?
Bread like all carbohydrates gives us a slow release of energy, it's less calorie dense than other foods. I often hear a lot of people talking about not eating breakfast. I see it at work- people who miss out on breakfast and grab a biscuit at 10/11 o'clock in the morning because they are starving. What would be a much healthier thing to do is have a piece of toast in the morning which will give you that slower release and stave off the hunger.
We know bread is good for us but there are so many variances- brown and white, best of both, ones with additives like seeds or oats- so which is the best bread to consume overall?
I am a real granary bread fan- I love it. But bread just like pasta and rice is all part of that balance. People are often a little bit anxious about white bread. White bread is fortified with calcium- which is a good thing- it's all about balance.
Why is there pressure for women to diet at this time given that we celebrate other things throughout the year?
If I am honest I think there is pressure on women throughout the year. There definitely is. We are all looking at beautifully photo shopped and airbrushed images and pictures of celebrities who look slim and perfect. I think women and men to some extent feel that is the perfection they need to strive towards. I guess at this time of year we all are about to enter into that slightly indulgent season where all the wrong foods are going to be available. There is perhaps a pressure to slim down now before we hit that party season.
You say there's no harm in enjoying festive treats- so which ones would you recommend and which ones would you stay clear of?
I'm still going to go back to balance on that. I think the more you promise yourself that you will never have chocolate again or will not have it through the whole of the festive season- your brain will focus on chocolate. It will be the one thing you absolutely want and it will be a matter of time depending on how strong your willpower is before you will fall by the wayside. There is nothing wrong with having the occasional chocolate if they are in the office, if you are eating them every day you are going to run into trouble. It's about being balanced. I love canapes especially at Christmas parties, but I know that I have to be careful because they are usually loaded with calories- it's about enjoying in moderation.
What would you say is the maximum amount of bread you should eat in one day?
I think that carbohydrates should form a third of your calories intake. The average woman needs about 2,000 calories a day and a man needs about 2,500 calories per day. About 6-700 calories should come from carbs per day for a woman and some of that should be bread.
You have said bread can help with weight loss even though so many diets tell you not to eat it, so how so you include it in your diet?
For me, what I do is I enjoy a piece of toast with marmite in the morning and I know that it will see me though till lunch time without me feeling hungry.
What is next for you?
Oh crikey- loads! I am on book 10 in a series of ten books for Sheldon Press, Dr Dawn's Guide and it's a little bit like the fourth road bridge if I'm honest. I am just getting there with book number 10- then that was going to be the end- but I am in negotiations for the next series of titles.
I have a couple of TV projects coming up next year that I am not allowed to tell you about yet, which if I'm honest are slightly daunting! My You Tube Channel is launching on the 1st Decmber and I am doing lots of big projects for my favourite charities which is lovely. We are still in negotiations about where embarrassing bodies is going next so I am not hanging up my stethoscope just yet!