Grain Free Bread?

Grain-free bread? Yep, that is what I said.

It seems impossible that grain free and even the word bread could even go together. But they do.

This is a whole new world for me. I used to love bread; I still do. In fact, my daily menu used to consist of peanut butter on toast. Eggs with toast. Bread with every meal; you get the picture. I still have peanut butter, but now on an apple slice, and my eggs are now served with a few slices of nitrate free bacon. There are delicious replacement options.

It is doable and the results in how I feel are worth the extra planning.

And planning is necessary. If you want to be successful, you will need to have prepared food with you at all times. It only takes one slip up to derail some of us. It has happened to me and I had to get back on the grain free train.

You can be successful eating out too. I will often check out the restaurant’s menu before I leave my house so that I know roughly what I will purchase. Most restaurants are accommodating. One item I often do not see available is gluten-free soy sauce. No problem. I take my own!

The biggest change I feel is that I now look at food as fuel, not as a reward.

You can still enjoy eating but I also think we need to be conscious about whether that bite will take away or add to our health. Not to be doom and gloom here, but the food of 2019 is not the food of 50 years ago. Diseases such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer, and Alzheimer’s are on the rise at a time when we have advanced technology and research. If anything, diseases should be decreasing. And it is not just adults that are sicker. Childhood diseases are on the rise as is the epidemic of obesity and all the complications that come with it.

So I do what I do. I read, do research, and start cooking. I love to cook.  Cooking brings me joy and having food in the house to grab makes staying grain free easier. Also, I don’t know about you, but I like variety and that is when experimenting with recipes kicks in. There are so many online sites with recipes but currently, I am sticking with recipes from Dr. William Davis book, Wheat Belly. Some of the items on my menu this week are crab cakes, broccoli salad, and bacon wrapped chicken breast stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and roasted red peppers. For those not fond of meat, there is eggplant lasagna and spicy minestrone soup. Food for the whole family to enjoy.

And today is a perfect day for cooking. With the chill in the air, and the beautiful leaves showing their fall colors, I am reminded that life is a cycle of change. I do feel like I have changed too. Raquel, my grain-free buddy, notes she sees a light-hearted happiness in my voice that she has not heard in years. And I see increased energy, stamina, and joy in her. Could removing sugar and grains really make such a huge change? The simple answer is, YES!

Starting in January, Kathy Ginn and I will be having informative talks on various issues that can improve your quality of life. I hope you take the time to come and listen. The topics and dates will be in the 4 Rivers Center For Well Being newsletter, or you can check out there events on their website at : https://www.4riverscentercbd.com/seminars-workshops-webinars.html#/ ; all talks will be held in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Even better, bring a friend! Knowledge is power.

A few simple changes in your lifestyle today, can dramatically improve your quality of life tomorrow.