Bread diets kill cravings

Week 6: Bread Diets Kill Cravings

Bread diets are so great, because it takes away cravings. So, my day goes like this:

  • Morning – eat bread
  • Afternoon – eat more bread
  • Evening – eat bread with family

Don’t you crave for other things on a bread diet?

That’s the monotony of this journey. When your diet is so predictable and restrictive, you put very little thought into your meal plan. Someone asked me, “Don’t you have any cravings during the day?” I really don’t. I believe I don’t have any cravings because bread fills me up very efficiently. As you may have noticed, all the breads that I have eaten are mostly whole grain or whole wheat. When I eat a couple of slices of bread, I can feel full for a couple of hours. Not only that, but because bread is so high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, it satiates me and prevents me from feeling any cravings.

With most diets that I have tried, especially with low-carb and low-calorie diets, I would be craving the entire candy store by the end of the day.  I find it pleasantly surprising that I don’t yearn for that sweet treat at the end of the day. I could pass by my favorite bakery and not buy a cream puff! Overall, a bread diet, even with sugar in the bread, has reduced my total sugar intake in my diet. I wasn’t expecting that!

 

Eat bread, fill full, no cravings. Wow. What a deal!

 

Food Portion Calories
Sprouted bread* 4 slices 440
Fried egg sandwich 2 slices 400
Butter 2 Tbsp 200
Coconut water 8.5 oz 45
Strawberries 1 80
Soup 1C 200
Sauteed spinach 1C 56
Excercise -100
Total Calories 1321

* This week, I am finishing up the bread that BBU Brasil sent me.

 

My weight at the start of the 90 days.

The first weigh-in: 147.4

 

Week 6 weigh in: 143.6 lbs.

Week 6 weigh in: 143.6 lbs.

bread whole grain

Whole Grain Bread is a Whole Food

Whole grain bread is a whole food. A quick look at Dave’s Killer Bread 21 whole grains and seeds nutritional panel shows a food that is low in saturated fat (0g), a good source of dietary fiber (3g), and a good source of  manganese (25%). Let’s take a look at the benefits of eating whole grain bread and the nutrients found in them.

What are the benefits of low saturated fat?

Saturated fat can be recognized by its ability to stay solid at room temperature. Think about coconut oil, butter, and lard – they are all solid when left on the counter. Those are the obvious examples. Saturated fat can be kind of sneaky when it comes to processed foods. Aside from being incredibly tasty, pizza,bacon, donuts and ice cream are high in saturated fat.

So, what is the big deal? Why is the American Heart Association against fun foods?

It comes down to a pretty major disease known as heart disease. Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the US. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 614,348 people died from heart disease in 2014.

And 23.4% of all deaths were from heart disease.

What does that have to do with whole grain bread? Well, decades of scientific research have proven whole grains can lower your “bad” cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease. Eating foods that are low in saturated fats can give you a 23.4%  better chance to live to 101.

whole grain bread, whole grains, fiber, heart, healthy, diet

What are the benefits of dietary fiber?

You have probably heard that we all need to eat more fiber. Whole grain breads that contain at least 3% dietary fiber can  positively affect your  health. Did you know that eating high fiber foods can make you feel fuller longer?  This is because the fiber slows the rate that sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. This slow absorption keeps blood glucose from spiking then falling rapidly. That feeling of hunger is due to rising and falling glucose triggering us to overeat. Foods high in fiber also keep your intestines working properly. Think of fiber as an internal loofa! It cleans bacteria and waste buildup in your intestines reducing the risk of colon cancer and keeping you regular.

Forget about those new cleansing diets where all you do is drink juice; a few slices of whole grain bread with your favorite spread will help you go with the flow!

What are the benefits of manganese?

Whole grain bread is full of essential minerals. What makes minerals essential? All that means is that your body requires these workhorses to continue to function. Essential minerals are categorized by how much our bodies need. You are probably most familiar with the macro minerals: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. However, there are also important trace minerals our bodies require such as iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.

Manganese is a mineral needed in trace amounts by our bodies. Manganese is found in the bones, liver, and kidneys. It is an essential part of many important enzymes involved with energy production, bone and ligament formation, protein and fat metabolism. More study is needed to fully understand how this trace mineral help our bodies function, but researches have learned that deficiencies in manganese can result in arrhythmia, epileptic seizures, abnormal bone, cartilage and disk degeneration (Campbell 2001).

How can you get whole grains in your diet?

Whole grain bread provides some pretty great health benefits when eaten as part of your diet. Aside from the benefits of low saturated fat, being a great source of fiber, and containing many essential minerals it is incredible versatile. You can eat it with an endless selection of toppings from sweet to savory or just toasted with some butter.

When choosing a whole grain bread check for these ingredients on the label:

  • whole wheat
  • graham flour
  • oats
  • brown rice
  • whole-grain barley
  • whole-wheat bulgur
  • whole rye

If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of eating whole grains, check out the research published in the Journal of Nutrition:

If you would like to learn more about essential minerals and your health read:

  • Campbell, J.D. “Lifestyle, minerals and health.” Medical Hypotheses 57.5 (2001): 521-531.
Daves Killer Bread whole grains nutrtional pannel

Nutritional panel for Dave’s Killer Bread 21 whole grains and seeds.