Love Bread? Try This Instead!!

Are you someone who loves bread and would have a hard time giving it up?  All the talk about the health hazards of gluten have made you feel a little bad about indulging in bread.

Here are the facts of the situation.  Many people do have a sensitivity to the gluten in bread and other foods.  Some even have celiac disease which is an autoimmune disease where the body basically attacks itself if it has gluten.  In either case, your body does not like it and it causes inflammation.

In addition, when you take the wheat and crush it down to make the bread, you are removing much of the fiber out of it.  When you eat it, it can cause a blood sugar surge and insulin response.  Too much insulin can lead to fat storage in your body, because insulin is a fat-storing hormone.  Between the inflammation, high blood sugar and fat storage, it can make you start thinking twice about eating bread.

But it's so hard to do it if you are a bread lover!  I've had clients say, "but I LOVE my bread"  or "It's so hard!"

My answer to that is:  yep, it can be hard.  When you eat bread, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released into your brain.  It's produces a "feel good" feeling!  That goes for most processed food and anything with sugar in it.  There is good reason why it's hard to stop it.

The good news is this:  ask yourself, have I ever done hard things?  My guess is that yes, you have done many hard things in your life and you can do this, too.  If you have an autoimmune disease or other health challenges, you really want to do it.

It can be done.  I promise.  I did it myself when I found out I had a sensitivity to gluten.  Those spikes in my blood sugar eventually led to prediabetes.   I got myself out of it by not snacking between meals, letting go of sugar and flour products, except for occasionally.  But definitely I do not eat gluten.

Now what can you do instead?  I have a couple of suggestions.  

1.  Focus on eating whole foods - protein, fat and vegetables.  Skip the bread and flour-based foods.  Limit sugar.  There are tons of choices.

2.  Gluten free options are plentiful, but stay aware of the sugar content.  Companies make up for the lack of gluten for other kinds of flour and sugar that can drive your blood sugar and insulin up as much as eating the wheat bread.

3.  Use your faith to help you when you are tempted!  You may experience a bit of withdrawal if you normally eat a lot of processed food and bread.  When you are having a moment and you are thinking "This is too hard!", remember what Jesus said:

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  John 6:35

When you are having that moment of craving remember, "Jesus is the bread of life.  If I fill myself with Him, I will not hunger, nor will I be thirsty."  Wait 10 minutes.  Cravings come and go.  Read all of John 6 - Jesus can feed you like no other food can.  I have tried this myself, when I have a craving for dark chocolate or nuts, and it works!

That's it.  Listen, if you need some help with this - if you know you want to feel better, calm down your autoimmune, or fibromyalgia or just want to lose some fat, shoot me an email at jane@janespringer.com.  We'll get on a call and talk about your challenges with bread or other health challenges where you are feeling stuck and can't move forward.  I would love to help you combine your faith with your success in feeling better in your mind, body and spirit.

Bye for now.

Jane

www.janespringer.com