Knowledge is King & Breaking Bad…A Tale of Bread Addiction

I’ve been counting Points for nearly 7 years without giving much thought to how my diet breaks down in terms of fat, protein and carbohydrates. I lost counting Points, I became a vegetarian counting Points, I maintained counting Points, I gained some counting Points, and I’m losing once again counting Points.
Then along came the class “Fundamentals of Nutrition” and last week’s 3-day Intake Analysis assignment, and it was like someone opened the curtains in a dark room. All my nutritional info tumbled out on the screen and it took my eyes a few minutes to adjust and my brain to assimilate. It was the darndest thing.
Being a vegetarian, I'm asked a lot, “How do you get your protein if you don’t eat meat?” I’ve been a little concerned about that myself. Obviously not concerned enough to actually track my food intake, but I wondered. Apparently my concern was for naught. I exceed the recommended daily intake of protein for a woman my age and size by 30 percent! I take in a solid 61-80g of protein per day, well above the recommended 54g. How, you ask? Here is a list of my top 15 as it pertains to my 3-day intake. Keep in mind this does not include other protein sources such as legumes, oatmeal, and peanut butter as this is only a snapshot of three days.
Soymilk – 5.1g
Homemade Curry Carrot-Leek Soup – 5.67g
Roasted soybeans – 7.57g
Genisoy soy chips – 7g
Asparagus – 4.37g
Egg whites – 10.79g
Sargento reduced-fat Swiss cheese – 7g
Homemade vegetable soup – 4.11g
Ak-Mak crackers – 4g
Homemade horseradish hummus – 3.16g
Crimini mushrooms – 3.74g
French bread – 3.76g
Cabot 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese – 9g
Veggie burger – 7.13g When combined, my spinach salads weigh in at over 15g of protein. My salads always include some type of protein (cheese, beans, edamame) in the 7-10g range, and together the vegetables contribute another 5-8g.
This analysis confirmed for me once again why I became a vegetarian: I like to eat. A lot. I’d rather obtain 15-20g of protein by eating a bigass salad that takes me 20 minutes to consume than eat a 3-oz piece of white meat chicken that’s gone in a few minutes or less. Other things I learned: I’m smack dab in the middle of the recommended daily intake for each of the macronutrients. Approximately 53% carbs, 15% protein, and 21% fats.

I started reading “Wheat Belly” yesterday while sitting in an Irish pub in downtown Lancaster. I was dining alone, so I brought my Nook. I was enjoying a glass of wine (yes, it was 1:30 in the afternoon…*grin*) and had ordered a chicken and bacon salad sans the meat. The greens and veggies sounded awesome, as did the accompanying avocado slices and gorgonzola cheese (I’m a freak for bitter cheese). I wondered if they’d serve it with bread. The thought wouldn’t have crossed my mind a few weeks ago, but I’ve been giving serious consideration to going wheat-free, thanks, in part, to my friends Debbie (who recommended the book) and Lori at Finding Radiance).
Sure enough, on top of the salad was an amazing looking whole-grain-something kind of breadstick with little seeds in it. I wanted to eat it sooooooo badly, to dip it in the roasted tomato vinaigrette and take in every last bite until I was in a temporary psychedelic carbo-coma. But I didn’t. I ate all but one avocado instead. And to think, I used to be afraid of avocados! I mean, come on…avocados are nothing but fat, right? Run away! Run away!
But avocados are NOT the food to freak out about. Avocados are rich in poly and monounsaturated fats, the “good guys” of fats. Not that it’s wise to overindulge on the good guys, but eating avocados was a better choice than the god-only-knows-what’s-in-that-breadstick breadstick.
I admit…it was rough. I’m so completely and utterly devoted to wheat it’s sick. Yes… sick. I want it all the time. Some people easily control themselves, and I do control myself most of the time, but it’s a fight every day. The craving has me in a stranglehold, baby. (OK, now I have Ted Nugent in my head.)
So…what to do, what to do? The answer is obvious. I need to cut out wheat for awhile and see how I feel. Be my own science experiment. This will take some planning. I don’t do cold turkey well. If any of you have ideas, please pass them along! If you limit or have eliminated wheat, how did you do it? How do you feel when wheat-free?
As to the nutrition assessment, I learned a lot from the analysis assignment, but I’m not going to quit Weight Watchers. Counting Points works for me and I’m not in the mood to reinvent the weight-loss wheel. But I highly recommend that those of you who count Points, or anyone who doesn’t know their dietary intake numbers, to track their food intake in a program such as SparkPeople’s nutrition counter or Calorie King’s Nutrition and Exercise Manager. Know your numbers! It’s pretty darn empowering.

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Bimbo Whole Grain White Bread Review

The actual name of the product on the bag is Bimbo Made With Whole Grain White Bread - and the "made with" type is much smaller than the rest of the product name. Across the front of the packaging, along with "Say Beembo" is "Made with Whole Grains, no artificial colors or flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, and good source of calcium, vitamins A, D & E."

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 2 sliced (52 grams)
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 1.5 grams, 2%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 240 mg, 10%
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 2 grams, 8%
Sugars: 4 grams
Protein: 5 grams

You might be tempted to think "whole wheat flour" would be the 1st ingredient - but alas, you would be wrong. Whole white wheat is the 3rd ingredient after enriched wheat flour and water, and there is also only 2 grams of fiber. In my mind, this pretty much makes it white bread - or at least more similar to white bread than it is to whole wheat bread.

Not surprisingly, the taste and texture is also similar to white bread - i.e. soft, fluffy and deelightfully delicious. Perfect for all kinds of SandwichYums (see how I naturally inserted a plug for our new sandwichy sister website there - hehe)!

Each serving of 2 slices of Bimbo Whole Grain White Bread provides 130 calories from 1.5 grams of total fat (2% of the daily value), no saturated fat, 240 mg sodium (10% of the DV), 2 grams of fiber (8% of the DV), 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. The ingredients list includes, "enriched wheat flour (flour, malted barley flour, reduced iron, niacin, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (B2), folic acid), water, whole white wheat flour, sugar, yeast, wheat gluten, salt, soybean oil, enrichment (calcium sulfate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3), calcium propionate (preservative), datem, calcium sulfate, grain vinegar, monoglycerides, citric acid, soy lecithin, azodicarbamide."

I purchased this bread on sale for $2.49 and yes it made some really good sandwiches, but don't buy this thinking it's a close cousin of wheat bread. The store brand white bread in my supermarket costs $1.00 - and I would probably buy that over this (even though it uses HFCS). Otherwise, I prefer the hearty texture and higher fiber content of wheat bread like, Arnold Healthy Multi-Grain Bread.

{Website: Bimbo Bread}

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Arnold Healthfull Hearty Wheat Bread Review

I have an affinity for sandwiches and so I'm always checking out new whole grain breads. The other day, I saw Arnold Healthfull Hearty Wheat Bread on sale, so I decided to try it.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 slice (38 grams)
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 0.5 grams, 1%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 150 mg, 6%
Carbohydrates: 17 grams
Fiber: 4 grams, 16%
Sugars: 2 grams
Protein: 5 grams

The taste is typical of other Arnold Breads I've tried before - slightly sweet and soft in the middle in just the right way. The only other thing is that the crust of this bread is a little too ... crusty (ha) - I mean hard. When the bread isn't toasted, I could handle it, but when toasted, it gets even harder and I ended up cutting it off - and I hate wasting food.

Each slice weighs 5 grams less than Arnold Healthy Multi-Grain Bread - 38 grams (compared to 43 grams) and provides 80 calories, 4 grams of fiber (16% of the daily value), 2 grams of sugars (2 grams less than the Hearty MultiGrain Bread) and 5 grams of protein.

I bought it on sale for $2.99 (prices can go down to $2.50 on sale) and although I prefer the Arnold Healthy Multi-Grain Bread (and would buy that over this), I would buy the Arnold Healthfull Hearty Wheat Bread again since it has a decent amount of fiber and protein, and it's low in calories.

{Website: Arnold Bread}

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Panera Bread Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Review

One of my favorite places to sit and get some work done, is at Panera Bread. The Panera Bread in my 'hood is great because the atmosphere is very inviting, and the staff makes everyone feel comfortable - no matter how long you're in there hunched over a laptop. Since I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables in my daily eats, I decided to try the Panera Bread Chicken Caesar Salad. It's described as having all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, romaine lettuce, Asiago-Parmesan cheese, homemade Asiago Cheese croutons & our special Caesar dressing.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 374 grams
Calories: 510
Total Fat: 29 grams, 44%
Saturated Fat: 9 grams, 45%
Sodium: 820 mg, 34%
Carbohydrates: 29 grams
Fiber: 3 grams, 12%
Sugar: 2 grams
Protein: 37 grams

I ordered the half portion, along with a (half-portion) of a sandwich, but just the half-portion of salad was a big serving - so the full thing would certainly be very filling. The only modification I made was to use Reduced-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing instead of the Caesar ... am I the only one that doesn't like creamy dressings?! The salad was oh so tasty - The chicken comes well seasoned - you can see it on the big strips of chicken - and the rest is your basic lettuce & shredded cheese.

One really nice thing about Panera Bread is that the nutrition information is readily available at PaneraNutrition.com - and you can easily switch out ingredients and see how they affect the nutrition facts.

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A full-sized serving of the Panera Bread Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad provides 510 calories from 29 grams of total fat, 9 grams of which is saturated fat (both 45% of the daily value), 820 mg of sodium (34% of the DV), 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein and 37 grams of protein.

To improve the nutrition facts of the salad - get rid of the croutons. This will remove 170 calories (now that huge salad is 340 calories), 7 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat & 320 mg of sodium. The Caesar dressing also contributes 150 calories, 16 grams of total fat & 2.5 grams of saturated fat. The best substitution is with the Asian Sesame Vinaigrette which provides 90 calories, 8 grams of total fat, only 1 gram of which is saturated. Plus order it on the side as you might not need to use as much

As I mentioned, the portion is huge and rightly so because Panera Bread does not have the cheapest prices - this salad cost $7.99. I would buy this again, and make the above substitutions, because I know that I will be full for a few hours after.

{Website: Panera Bread}

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Greedy Recipe! Lazy Man’s Banana Bread

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Huh? FREE Shakeology from the Yum Yucky?

The requests for free samples has been overwhelming and I want to share with as many people as possible. Soon I will reveal how YOU can get your own free sample, courtesy of the Yum Yucky! (and I am happy that the Shakeology t-shirt makes my boobs look bigger)

90 Days of Shakeology: Days 42-62 It was a rough 20 days. I got super busy with just about everything – work, home, kids, blogging, ebook writing – I’ve been late for work, running on about 4 hours sleep each night, and NOT slurping my Shakeology consistently. In the time when I need it most, I slacked off and made excuses why I couldn’t take 5 dang minutes every day to make the shake that has personally proven itself to give me the energy I so desperately need. In the last 20 days, I’ve had my Shakeology probably 10 times. So that’s basically every other day instead of consistently EVERY day. What’s wrong with that, you say? Welp, I do feel the difference. It’s had a backwards affect and been serious energy drain. I’ve skipped days of Shakeology here and there before with no lost affects, but to skip days for such an extended period of time does not work for me. I’m glad I know this now. I’m listening to my body and back doing what I need to do, so perhaps this was a necessary lesson. I’ve always looked at Shakeology in terms of what it can do for ME and me only, but it’s benefits were actually helping me to also do what I need to do for my family, while giving me the natural boost I need to do everything that my crazy days demand….. Check out what a Twitter bud of mine says about Shakeology. And if you haven’t watched this video yet: See What Doctors Are Saying About Shakeology, do yourself a favor and watch it.

Weight Progress

Day 1: 172.8 pounds

Day 62: 166.4 pounds

I’m not intimidated by slow weight loss, especially since I’m building muscle, and that affects the number on the scale. I’m in a size 6 and have noticed more muscle definition. My abs are especially coming along nicely.

Get the complete details of my 90-Day Shakeology experiment.

Read the Shakeology success stories.

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Tasting! Weight Watchers Multi-Grain Bread

Frivolous Demands: *Subscribe to the blog *Follow me on Twittah *Like me on Facebook *YouTube my videos

Huh? FREE Shakeology from the Yum Yucky?

The requests for free samples has been overwhelming and I want to share with as many people as possible. Soon I will reveal how YOU can get your own free sample, courtesy of the Yum Yucky! (and I am happy that the Shakeology t-shirt makes my boobs look bigger)

90 Days of Shakeology: Days 42-62 It was a rough 20 days. I got super busy with just about everything – work, home, kids, blogging, ebook writing – I’ve been late for work, running on about 4 hours sleep each night, and NOT slurping my Shakeology consistently. In the time when I need it most, I slacked off and made excuses why I couldn’t take 5 dang minutes every day to make the shake that has personally proven itself to give me the energy I so desperately need. In the last 20 days, I’ve had my Shakeology probably 10 times. So that’s basically every other day instead of consistently EVERY day. What’s wrong with that, you say? Welp, I do feel the difference. It’s had a backwards affect and been serious energy drain. I’ve skipped days of Shakeology here and there before with no lost affects, but to skip days for such an extended period of time does not work for me. I’m glad I know this now. I’m listening to my body and back doing what I need to do, so perhaps this was a necessary lesson. I’ve always looked at Shakeology in terms of what it can do for ME and me only, but it’s benefits were actually helping me to also do what I need to do for my family, while giving me the natural boost I need to do everything that my crazy days demand….. Check out what a Twitter bud of mine says about Shakeology. And if you haven’t watched this video yet: See What Doctors Are Saying About Shakeology, do yourself a favor and watch it.

Weight Progress

Day 1: 172.8 pounds

Day 62: 166.4 pounds

I’m not intimidated by slow weight loss, especially since I’m building muscle, and that affects the number on the scale. I’m in a size 6 and have noticed more muscle definition. My abs are especially coming along nicely.

Get the complete details of my 90-Day Shakeology experiment.

Read the Shakeology success stories.

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French Meadow Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

French Meadow Bakery offers a line-up of organic, all-natural products. In addition to products that are yeast-free, vegan, made with sprouted grain and Kosher Parve options, they have quite a few gluten-free options as well, including the French Meadow Bakery Sprouted Cinnamon Raisin Bagel, which they sent me to try out.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 slice (50 grams)
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 5 grams, 8%
Saturated Fat: 3 grams, 15%
Sodium: 270 mg, 11%
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Fiber: 2 grams, 6%
Sugar: 2 grams
Protein: 2 grams

The French Meadow Cinnamon-Raisin Bread is described as, "an all-natural bread, with plump juicy raisins, fragrant cinnamon, and a touch of honey." Are you a fan of sweet breads? I don't eat them much and contemplated how best to enjoy it. In the end, I decided to spread 2 toasted slices with light cream cheese and had it with my morning oatmeal (I kept the loaf in the freezer because I knew that I wouldn't be eating this right away, so I wanted to make sure it remained fresh as long as possible).

The toasted, cream-cheesed bread was absolutely delightful. It had a pleasantly sweet flavor, but not overly so, and the texture was similar to regular bread. There were quite a few raisins dotting the landscape of the bread as well. I found myself eating the crust first - something I don't do ever - because it was a little sweeter and crunchier than the bread "insides." For folks who eat a gluten-free diet, there is no absence of taste with this product!

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Each slice of French Meadow Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread provides 150 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3 grams of which is saturated (8% and 15% of the daily value), 270 mg of sodium (11% of the DV), 2 grams of fiber, sugars & protein.

I think this is a wonderful gluten-free bread option, but for folks watching their calorie intake, be mindful of the saturated fat content, especially with your toppings. Use real butter or regular cream cheese which has about 5 grams per tablespoon (25% of the DV) very sparingly. Peanut Butter & Co All Natural Peanut Butter Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Spread might go great with this as well, but again, don't use more than the 2 tbsp serving, which has 11% of the DV for saturated fat and 24% of the DV for total fat.

For some reason, I think of this bread more as a treat. I could eat one slice with tea as a snack and be quite satisfied. As I mentioned before, I received samples from the company, but the bread costs close to $5.00 in the grocery stores. Yikes! But it seems like most gluten-free products are more expensive than "regular" products.

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White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference {Poll Results}

There were 121 votes in our poll, White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference. 54% of you selected, 100% whole wheat all the way!

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A distant 2nd choice was the "I do whole wheat but I don't check if it's 100%" option which 23% selected followed by 10% which selected I buy whole wheat sometimes but still buy white too. There are still some white bread fnas out there, and that got 6% of the votes along with "I don't eat bread." There were 4 votes for "other" which including baking your own bread - pretty cool!

All polls (past and present), can be found on our polls page.

View the original article here

White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference {Poll Results}

There were 121 votes in our poll, White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference. 54% of you selected, 100% whole wheat all the way!

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A distant 2nd choice was the "I do whole wheat but I don't check if it's 100%" option which 23% selected followed by 10% which selected I buy whole wheat sometimes but still buy white too. There are still some white bread fnas out there, and that got 6% of the votes along with "I don't eat bread." There were 4 votes for "other" which including baking your own bread - pretty cool!

All polls (past and present), can be found on our polls page.

View the original article here

Clif Bar Banana Nut Bread Bar

As I was adding to my stash of nutrition bars, I purchased a few Clif Bars to try out. One variety was the Clif Maple Nut Bar (delicious), and another was the Clif Bar Banana Nut Bread Bar.

Clif describes this as, "what happens when bananas, chocolate chips, and crunchy walnuts get friendly." My description would be a totally delicious nutty, chewy, banana-y delight. Although this doesn't taste exactly like banana bread - it's a little too sweet for that - it is still is a delicious, tasty interpretation.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 bar (68 grams)
Calories: 240
Total Fat: 6 grams, 9%
Saturated Fat: 1 grams, 5%
Sodium: 120 mg, 5%
Carbohydrates: 42 grams
Fiber: 4 grams, 16%
Sugars: 22 grams
Protein: 9 grams

Each 68 gram Clif Bar Banana Nut Bread Bar provides 240 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 1 gram of which is saturated, 5% of the daily value for sodium (120 mg), 4 grams of fiber (16% of the DV), 22 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein, as well as a slew of vitamins and minerals (~10-35% for most).

The ingredients list, although slightly lengthy, is all natural and 70% organic, like all other Clif bars. It starts with organic brown rice syrup - which accounts for the sweet taste and amount of sugar in this bar.

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I picked up a bar for $1.89 at a local health foods store. Is this a spot-on swap for banana nut bread? Not quite. Is it delicious enough to be dessert? Yes! The Clif Maple Nut Bar is just as tasty and has the same number of calories, but there is 1 gram more fiber and protein, as well as 2 grams less sugar, so I would probably buy that variety more often than this one.

But since the calorie count in Clif bars is a tad high, I reserve these bars for days when there is some intense working out going on.

{Website: Clif Bar}

View the original article here

White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference {Poll}

(Photo Credit: little blue hen)

Are you eating whole wheat bread? Is it 100% whole wheat, or you don't really check to see if it is? Let us in on what you think about this whole wheat bread business by taking our poll, White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference.

View the original article here

White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference {Poll}

(Photo Credit: little blue hen)

Are you eating whole wheat bread? Is it 100% whole wheat, or you don't really check to see if it is? Let us in on what you think about this whole wheat bread business by taking our poll, White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference.

View the original article here

White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference {Poll Results}

There were 121 votes in our poll, White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference. 54% of you selected, 100% whole wheat all the way!

sponsor

A distant 2nd choice was the "I do whole wheat but I don't check if it's 100%" option which 23% selected followed by 10% which selected I buy whole wheat sometimes but still buy white too. There are still some white bread fnas out there, and that got 6% of the votes along with "I don't eat bread." There were 4 votes for "other" which including baking your own bread - pretty cool!

All polls (past and present), can be found on our polls page.

View the original article here

White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference {Poll}

(Photo Credit: little blue hen)

Are you eating whole wheat bread? Is it 100% whole wheat, or you don't really check to see if it is? Let us in on what you think about this whole wheat bread business by taking our poll, White or Whole Wheat Bread - What's Your Preference.

View the original article here