Cut It Out

Most of us just LOVE bread- but we limit how much bread we intake 99% of the time. It is definitely good to eat in moderation, and I'm not saying not to pay attention to how much bread that you eat- I'm just saying maybe there's another answer.

First of all- lets look at the kind of bread that you are eating. Have you ever stopped to read the ingredient list? Do you know the words that are on there? Do you really feel OK not knowing the ingredients of what you are eating? Maybe this is the first problem with eating so much bread- is that we aren't actually eating bread at all- we are eating genetically modified particles that make up this "bread." And is there a reason that it lasts SO long? How can you eat on the same loaf of bread for two weeks when your fruit and vegetables due date have already come and gone? Now I know what you are thinking- because we have all gone to make a sandwich and the bread has been moldy- and it ruins your entire lunch (or at least it does mine). But think about it- shouldn't all food last as long as a banana or a grape and if it doesn't it's because it has been modified- so maybe this (the genetically modified food) is what we shouldn't be putting in our bodies- not the bread, the real bread anyways.

When picking out a bread look for no "enriched" or "bleached" flour. I know that "enriched" sounds good, but all that really means is they took out what was good in there- genetically modified it- and put it back in. So as long as you are dealing with whole grain flour or whole wheat flour you are on the right track. And also, I can't emphasize this enough, there should NEVER ever ever EVER be high fructose corn syrup in your bread. There is no need for it- it will only make you become hungrier sooner, as will white flour and white sugar.

So now that you know what to look for- lets talk about how to eat it. One of my favorite books in the entire world, Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel, says one important trick is to "scoop" your morning bagel. The simple task of pulling out the extra bread in the middle of your bagel before you eat it and throwing it away lowers your calorie intake from that bagel immensely. Now, Bethenny only talked about doing this to bagels- but you can do it to any type of bread essentially. I saw a girl on the Biggest Loser show the other night have them scoop her bread at Subway. What a great way to save a few calories and not have to sacrifice ANY flavor!

Picking up these two tricks (1. checking the label of your bread and making sure that it is a REAL food and 2. scooping the real bread that you do eat) will help you to cut down your bread consumption- and help you to live a healthier lifestyle.

Although I know that it is hard to buy bread that will only stay good for 3-4 days because we are all on a budget (and trust me, I'm on a budget too)- I promise you it will be worth it. You can buy 2 or 3 loaves at a time and freeze the ones you aren't using. When you go through your bread just unthaw the next loaf of bread on the counter and you are all set! And if you are buying your bread at Whole Foods- ask them for a bread card- where if you buy a certain number of loaves you will get a free loaf of bread! And all of these rules go for hot dog or hamburger buns too! Those are easy to find at Whole Foods and will make your veggie hot dog or hamburger that much better!