Sometimes we get lean but forget the type of foods we were eating that helped get us there.

 

I've put on a few pounds during quarantine.

 

Perhaps you can relate.

 

I was quite a bit leaner a year ago.

 

Part of this is that I haven't been as active, but I also know my diet isn't as dialed in as it was back then.

 

One thing I ate more of was bread.

 

 

You might be thinking...

 

How can bread be good food to eat to get and stay lean?

 

It is because it satisfies cravings enough.

 

There is a nutritionist from Israel named Olag Raz, who wrote a book called The Bread for Life Diet.

 

According to Olag...

 

Bread's carbohydrate content causes the body to release tryptophan, which helps it produce the chemical serotonin. Seratonin is a mood booster and he believes that people are less likely to want to binge on high-calorie desserts because of this.

 

It could be that eating 200 calories of bread now causes you to AVOID 400 calories of food later.

 

I definitely find this is the case for me.

I usually work first thing in the morning and drink black coffee.

 

Once I get hungry, I'll do a short home workout that is a combo of bodyweight and resistance bands.

 

I'll wait about 30-60 minutes after my workout for my first meal/snack.

 

At that time, I'll a piece of fruit and brew a cup of tea.

 

I wait for about an hour and then toast 2 pieces of sourdough bread.

 

 

About 2 hours after that, I will eat some type of soup along with a bit of non-fat yogurt.

 

Dinner will be the main meal.

 

Typically lean protein and low fat with carbs.

 

• Chicken tacos with corn tortillas heated in the oven
• Chicken teriyaki, rice, and broccoli
• Chicken tamales
• Spaghetti with french bread
• etc.

 

Since weight loss is the goal I won't have dessert.

 

That being said, I keep apricot jam in my fridge.

 

 

If I'm extra hungry and craving something sweet, I'll toast up 2 more pieces of sourdough and spread jam on it as a snack.

 

The ideal bread you want to look for follows this rule...

 

The 10:1 Carb-to-Fiber Bread Ratio Rule

 

For every 10 grams of carbs you want 1 gram of fiber.

 

If a slice of bread has 20 grams of total carbs, you would want it to have AT LEAST 2 grams of dietary fiber.

 

I don’t think bread is bad for you if it doesn’t have enough fiber to hit 10:1, but the closer the better.

 

Including whole grains and fiber in your diet is a BIG deal when it comes to long-term health.

 

 

A large-scale study was published in June of 2016, by Dagfinn Aune.

 

This research is a meta-analysis looking at a total of 45 studies.

 

This meta-analysis provides further evidence that whole grain intake is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and total cancer, and mortality from all causes, respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes, and all non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes.

 

Bread isn't just something you can "get away with" eating, it can absolutely contribute to good health.

 

Just make sure to follow the 10:1 carb-to-fiber rule.

 

 

My main point is that you can not only eat bread and lose weight.

 

Bread can be an excellent source of whole grains and fiber, which is tied to long term health and longevity.

 

If you want to bring some bread-love back into your life?

 

 

 

When you eat carbs, people will think you are being naughty with your diet.

 

It will almost feel wrong...

 

...but how could it be wrong when it feels so right?

 

Serotonin gets released.

 

It will feel too good to be a fat loss diet.

 

Ignore those thoughts!

 

Toast wants back into your life.