Experiment time!
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been eating
like an oversized hog. With traveling, participating in Ashley's
wedding, planning my own wedding, taking on a new job, and now with
being a temporary non-runner, my food intake has completely
sucked! Through it all, I am now serious about a new food plan and I
have recently become intrigued by gluten-free and paleo. Though I do not
think that I will ever become a full-fledge gluten/grain-free eater, I
do believe it is a good idea to reduce some
of it in my diet.
Ever since I can remember, bread has held a special place in my stomach heart.
When I was younger, I can recall waking up on a Saturday
morning and finishing nearly half a loaf in toast alone. To add to it,
when we would have pasta dishes,
like spaghetti, having buttered bread with it was a staple at dinner! I
never had just one piece either. It may have been 2-3 slices! That was
on top of having a couple servings of pasta!!!
In general, my portions were out of control as a
kid, but my bread intake alone was outrageous! It is quite obvious that
my addiction was strong. I was able to gain some control as I got older,
but the cravings have not truly ceased.
As I began reading up on wheat, it seems to be
linked to a lot of digestion issues. That's when light bulb #1 turned
on. I have NEVER had normal digestion. Sure, I have seen MAJOR
improvements since I have upped my water intake and added
fiber/digestive supplements, but even still, there are some
irregularities that I would love to get worked out.
I also seem to have a permanent bloat in my
stomach.
It has reduced greatly with my water intake and posture modifications, but again, it never completely went away. I always have
had this little pooch that continues to haunt me day to
day. Perhaps, bread is the culprit? It seems to be the case according
to several articles I have read. I could place the blame on being
overweight as a child, but it doesn't look/feel like loose skin to me.
The problem is underneath the skin.
Stomach and digestion issues are just 2 of several
linked to eating bread, but other impacts may include migranes,
diabetes, depression, feeling sluggish or tired, and much more!
Again, I am not trying to stop eating bread and
other grains, but I want to reduce my intake dramatically and see where
it takes me. Who knows, maybe it will be amazing and I will want to say
goodbye to bread completely or maybe there won't
be any changes. We will see.
For starters, I am going to stop having both cereal
and 2 pieces of toast in the morning for breakfast. I can easily switch
out one of those items for a piece of fruit instead. This morning, I
replaced my toast with a banana and I was just
as satisfied.
Also, the sandwiches I love so much can be
open-face.
That cuts out one slice of bread, but does not sacrifice the
flavor I want. I did that over the weekend (not on purpose, I just was
running low on bread...story of my life) and I did
not feel hungry. I was just as satisfied. It was a little messier, but
that's probably the only reason a 2nd piece was added.
Anyway, I will keep you guys updated. Fingers crossed that this is worth it. If not, I will let you know that too!
Have you experimented with Gluten-Free or Paleo Diets? Any results?
For pasta dishes, I have substituted the actual pasta noodle with butternut squash. It's way better and definitely better for you. Pasta, even the whole grain or wheat noodles, leave me feeling sluggish and its substitute gives me a burst of energy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren! I also heard you can do zucchini as well. I bought some and was thinking of having it for lunch tomorrow. Do you cook it?
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