Breaking Bread

Let’s talk about bread -- sliced, rolled, loafed, French toasted, bagels, English muffins, crunchy coating, pudding, tortilla, pita pockets -- well, you get the idea. Bread is something that some of us have grown up eating at every meal. But, for many off us, bread is a food we must eat oh, so sparingly, if not a complete no-no!

Think about it. Sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, fried chicken, breaded zucchini, hot pockets, it’s everywhere! Bread and bread products have become a major food staple in our culture and in many other cultures worldwide.

Bad news is, as part of this new journey we are on together, we will need to find ways to cut back on this “filler food.” Believe me, we don’t really need much bread, but some of us definitely crave bread. If you've already had weight loss surgery, you've already had to cut back considerably so you know all about it.

So, here are some suggestions I have come up with. I look forward to reading your creative ideas.

Season and broil or barbeque your favorite chicken pieces. Ask your server to kindly remove that bread basket from your table (no explanations are necessary) and play a game of hangman to pass the time until your real meal arrives. Eat a sliced apple with your morning omelets. Spread your peanut butter on celery or a banana instead of toast. Have a big taco salad instead of a burrito. If you're really brave, try stuffing your sandwich filling into a cabbage leaf. Be creative!

But if you want to have some bread, be aware that not all bread is created equal. Carefully chose only breads made OF whole grains, and not breads just made with whole grains. There is a big difference. Even some “whole wheat” breads that are supposedly good for you can be little more than white bread disguised with molasses or enriched wheat flour. These breads have very little fiber, protein, or nutritional value. You will need to read the list of ingredients, that dreaded fine print, to really know what you are sinking your teeth into. If you see the words “enriched flour” anywhere, or if it contains corn syrup or sugar, put the package down and walk away. Shoot for the breads that have high fiber, high protein, and the fewest sugars, corn syrups, or ingredients you can't pronounce.

Yes, bread is a filler food, a reminder of days past, a bad habit, a delicious waste of carbs, a demon you can do without. If you decide to contact Dr. Garrison and seriously consider weight loss surgery, breaking the bread habit now will aid you tremendously. In the meantime, breaking the bread habit could reward you with a healthier lifestyle and maybe even the loss of a few pounds!

Challenge
Go through you home, cupboards, fridge, pantry, bread box and make a list of all the different bread products you have. How many of these can you switch to whole grain, cut back on, or eliminate completely? Next time you go shopping schedule an extra half hour, take your list, and take your time learning about your alternatives.

Tip #1
Most anything you put in, on, or between your bread can also do great as a salad topping! Well, maybe not peanut butter…

Tip #2: If you want to enjoy healthy bread, buy a breadmaker and bake it yourself (they can often be found at garage sales and thrift stores for cheap!). When you make it yourself, you can use healthy, fiber-rich flours, nuts and seeds, and you can eliminate artificial ingredients, sugars, and other unhealthy additives found in most store-bought breads. But be forewarned, the smell of fresh bread is more than most of us can resist, so you might end up eating more of it than you want to! In addition to being healthier for you, baking your own bread is less expensive than store-bought bread.