The Free Ride Blog
MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Is Whole Wheat Really The Healthiest Bread?
When making a sandwich, most folks will usually end up opting to use white bread. Sourdough, brioche, sliced Hawaiian bread (which is my personal favorite)…styles like those are the most popular by a large margin. And that’s mainly because those kinds of breads are genuinely the most delicious in taste, texture, and flavor. They’re fluffy, with almost sweet creamy textures, and they’re genuinely the most pleasing palate pillow for your meats, cheeses, and other preferred toppings. But while white breads are usually considered the most delicious, society has long wanted us to believe that white breads are not the healthiest sandwich base option, with the title of “most beneficial bread option” usually going to “Whole Wheat Bread”. But is that really true?
The majority of us, for pretty much our entire lives, have all just assumed that whole wheat bread is better for you…right? It’s certainly been marketed that way…it very much looks that way…and it definitely tastes that way. Just one bite will force pretty much anyone to agree that whole wheat bread absolutely tastes “healthy” (with “healthy” actually being code for “bad”, or at least “not as delicious as white bread”). But is whole wheat really the healthiest bread option?
That’s actually a rhetorical question, mind you. Of course, whole wheat bread is the most nutritional bread option. Registered dieticians & other health professionals have been preaching it for a long time, they still preach it today, and there are plenty of good reasons that they’ve been trying to drill it into our heads (and stomachs). You see, making whole wheat bread requires using the entire wheat kernel: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. And all of those elements being present together in the final product is what gives whole wheat bread its superior nutritional value. By comparison, white bread sadly doesn’t have any decent nutritional value, primarily because the wheat kernel’s bran & germ elements ultimately end up getting stripped out during wheat flour enrichment, leaving only the starchy endosperm as the lone remaining kernel element at the end of the process.
Now, you might’ve picked up on this already, but I’ve only been touting the benefits of whole wheat bread. And that’s because breads just labeled as “wheat bread” actually might still contain refined flour & ultimately lack the full nutritional profile that you could, would, and should get from whole grain varieties. Whole wheat bread’s super high fiber content is very helpful in maintaining optimal digestion, managing heart health, and regulating blood sugar. Plus, it also ends up leaving you feeling fuller after you’ve eaten it (versus white bread), which can help with healthy weight management.
So, go ahead & fire up that toaster! Just do your best to be sure it’s whole wheat bread you’re popping in there.
Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send it to me in an email: [email protected].
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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: How Does Blood Pressure Work?
Your heart is your blood pumping epicenter, with every beat sending blood to all the vital parts of your body along a network of arteries, capillaries, and veins. And as your blood flows through those arterial passageways, it presses against the arterial walls with different degrees of strength. And the strength of that pressure at any given point in time is known as your blood pressure, or “BP”.
Each time your heart squeezes & moves blood through your body, your blood pressure goes up, a number known in blood pressure readings as your “systolic” pressure. Then, as your heart relaxes following each contraction, your blood pressure goes down, and that’s known as your “diastolic” pressure. Those two numbers together, with systolic over diastolic, are known as your blood pressure score. And according to the American Heart Association, a normal BP reflects a systolic pressure between 90 & 120 over a diastolic pressure between 60 & 80.
Some healthcare providers may check your blood pressure with something called a “sphygmomanometer”, which is an inflatable rubber cuff that’s attached to a manual air pump. When using a sphygmomanometer, the cuff will be inflated with air around your arm to temporarily cut off blood flow, before being released to let the blood start flowing again, with the doctor noting the two key numbers (systolic/diastolic) along the way. But nowadays, automatic blood pressure cuffs are actually recommended, since they rely on a different methodology & are considered to be more accurate. While manual cuffs rely on auscultation, where the doctor listens for the key pressure readings via stethoscope, automatic blood pressure cuffs are what’s called “oscillometric”: when blood passes under the cuff, your arm increases slightly in circumference, and the automatic cuff will measure the amplitude of those oscillations at continuous intervals to get your blood pressure reading.
If you’re told you have “hypertension” (a BP of around 130/80 or higher), what that means is your heart’s working overly hard to pump blood throughout your body. And that can be dangerous. And while there are different stages of hypertension, if your BP hits 180/120, that’s what’s considered to be “hypertensive crisis”, meaning you should seek medical intervention as soon as possible. Now, BP can temporarily go up because of stress, pregnancy, or even some common medications (like antidepressants & even OTC pain relievers). And one high reading doesn’t necessarily mean you’re hypertensive. But it’s always a good idea to stay vigilant, since high BP can be a side effect of other diseases (diabetes) & can frequently be a precursor to heart disease or a heart attack. If you are, or become, hypertensive, then your doctor will most likely recommend that you make changes to your diet & your exercise regimen, while also possibly prescribing medication.
Regardless, your blood pressure is something that you’ve always had & will always have. So, as you age (since we’re all getting older, no matter how much we don’t like it or try to fight it), the best thing you can do for yourself is to monitor your BP & do all that you can to keep it in check.
Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me an email: [email protected].
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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Happens If You Mistakenly Call 9-1-1?
If you have a cell or landline phone, then you should have the ability to call for urgent help when there’s been an accident, crime, or injury by dialing 9-1-1. But sometimes, 911 calls happen by mistake. But what happens if/when you dial 911 in error? Are there consequences?
A lot of 911 misdials are usually the result of things like “butt dials”, kids dialing it without supervision, or by accidentally triggering a phone’s emergency service shortcut. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Emergency Medical Services, which houses the National 911 Program, it doesn’t really matter how the mistake was made. If you dial 911, you should never hang up. If you do, the 911 operator will have to assume an emergency is in progress & will either dispatch first responders to your location, try to call you back, or both. Instead, remain on the line & tell the operator that you dialed 911 by accident. Reassuring the call center that there’s no emergency makes it much more likely you’ll avoid a cautionary welfare check by police.
But suppose you hang up…what then? Well, there’s no hard & fast rule about whether a dispatcher can trace your call to a physical address or whether a certain number of rings is required. It’s possible your cell carrier may only be able to pinpoint your location to within 300 yards. Updated 911 systems might employ “DBH”, or “device-based hybrid” location accuracy, which is the same thing ride-sharing apps like Uber & Lyft use. (Landline phones are a bit easier to track, since they’re normally registered to physical addresses.) But it’s safe to assume you’ll get a visit from a police officer or sheriff’s deputy, at which point you’ll have to explain yourself & the situation.
Mistakes happen, though, and it’s highly unlikely any local government is going to legally pursue you for accidentally phoning 911. However, if you intentionally dial 911 & make a false report of a crime or emergency, you can expect to have a very real problem on your hands, since a lot of states have specific laws on the books that prohibit prank calls. Here in Maryland, a false emergency report is considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in prison & a fine of $500. So, it’s best to make sure any/all 911 calls made from your phone are for genuine emergencies.
Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me an email: [email protected].
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Andy Webb, a 30-year Radio entertainer & content creator, is WFRE’s Program Director & host of “The Free Country Free Ride” weekday afternoons from 3pm-7pm.
From his first job in 1995 in his hometown of Meridian, MS, Radio has been the only occupation Andy’s ever known. From the age of reel-to-reel tape to today’s digital audio, he worked his way up through late-night air shifts all the way up to morning drive. And Andy’s been featured across many different formats, primarily Country, but also Classic Rock, Adult Contemporary, Hot AC, Southern Gospel, and even Urban AC.
As testament to his talents & commitment to fun-yet-informative Radio, Andy was awarded the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters’ “Radio Personality of the Year” award 4-out-of-5 years, from 2006 to 2011. And he’s been named one of the “Best Program Directors in Country Radio” by Radio Ink magazine for three years running (2022-2024).
Andy attended The University of Southern Mississippi on an Opera Performance scholarship. Yet he always followed the path Radio set before him, a path which has taken him from his hometown to Hattiesburg, MS, to Charleston, SC, and now Frederick, MD.
Andy is devoted to his wife, Emma (WFRE’s Midday host), and his daughter, Isabel. With his infrequent free time, he enjoys golfing, shooting sports, wood-working, motorcycle riding, and horseback riding.
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