Should I cut bread out of my diet, and maybe replace the calories i get from the bread with differnt carbs(sweet potatoes) ? And is bread really that bad for me, becasue it is processed? all I eat is wheat bread, and its a daily part of my diet because it is cheap.
Thanks
Will Rouse
Go to jayrobb.com and read what he says about grains. Depending on your training, you may be able to have some grains in your diet, but overall, he recommends staying from all grains other than the occasional meal of brown rice. I like his dietary recommendations and have always followed similar eating patterns. I’ve recently removed all breads (not that I eat much anyway), rice (rarely eat) and pasta (rarely eat), from my diet in order to get nice and lean and stay healthy. Check out his web site and articles for more info on the reasons why to avoid grains.
I guess it depends on what your goals are. If you’re looking to get ultra-lean, then most breads are NOT the way to go. Strength training would allow you to eat some bread although it is not one of the better carb sources out there. What are your goals?
Right now I am training to improve my work threshold, and my funtional strength. So i think that haveing a lot of extra weight is not what I need, but I still want to gain extra weight just as long as it is muscle weight, and not fat.
Thanks will42
Hey Will, I understand your concerns. I am rather slim by nature so I try to incorporate some grains in diet, just to keep up carb intake with my training. Otherwise I lose too much weight. Oatmeal with whey protein and small amount of whole wheat bread 1-2 hours post workout after my post workout drink does a good job for glycogen replenishment. But other than that, I don’t eat much for grains at all.
They’re kind of a double edged sword. If you eat whole grains, they have more nutrient value, fiber, and elicit a lower and more prolonged insulin response, but in the whole grain you get phytic acid and phytates which bind to minerals like iron, magnesioum, selenium etc, which you body needs for muscle growth, and they also are hard on the bowel, causing food allergies. If you refine the grain, these ‘anti-nutrients’ are milled out, but you basically get glucose left which shoots up insulin big time, wreaking havoc with blood sugar.
Sweet potatoes unfotunately produce much the same response as white bread - it’s all pure sugar, so you’ll probably want to eat it only within a couple hours after workout in a meal.
I sympathize with you on the matter. I love my bread, but the health of the body wins out on this one. Hope the info helped a little. Post a reply if you have any more specific q’s. G’day
Without being technical, any processed bread that you purchase at a store is a poor choice as a carb source.
I have a question regarding bread too! I am trying to put on some weight (I am currently around 185-190 lbs with BF of 8-9%. My goal is to get to 195-200 lbs now…and then get my BF down to 6-7% later on. So, as part of my diet the only time I eat bread is at lunch…where I eat two slices of 7 Grain Bread with a can of tuna fish and a slice of fat free cheese (total protein intake is around 45 g)…and then I am starting to eat a cinnamon raisin bagel with a little peanut butter in it too (John Berardi mentioned that he did this back in the day to put on some mass). Is eating bread at lunch time an ideal way to out on some weight??? Its pretty much the only time I eat bread during the day. Any ideas??
eat home made bread, it is very simple to make and cheap and you can control the contents, if you want get a bread machine and it will do it all for you, i have one and we make all our bread with it, we are thinking about getting a second one so we can make even more bread in less time, bread is in my opinion very good food
I agree with the majority of the above. In terms of carb sources, I would take a vegetable over a grain almost every time; this is espesically true if you are trying to get lean. Simply more nutricious and lower in GI, generally speaking.
Of course, this would be even more applicable to processed breads, even "7 Grain" and so forth. A good rule of thumb is that just about anything store bought and wrapped in plastic is not the best choice for your carbsource. A decent store-bought alternative is flax bread, although that can be somewhat difficult to find, as even some health food stores do not carry it.
There is always the option of making your own bread, which is not nearly as difficult as you would think, especially if you have a bread machine. As mentioned above, you control the contents.
On a personal note, the only time I consume bread is when I am bulkling, and then only during times during the phase when I am not overly concerned with fat gain.
Generally speaking, therefore, I would suggest keeping bread intake to a minumum, perhaps when having a sandwich is simply the only option--even then it should be whole wheat, etc. When you have the time to prepare it, sweet potatoes, green veggies, lentils, and the like are a much better choice.
Hope this helps.
Whether it’s good or bad is more a matter of how well you handle carbs. I am extremely active, and maintain a low level of bodyfat, so I eat bread/pasta whenever I want. If you put on fat easily, and have a hard time losing it, then you may want to stay away from it.
OK here is my big issue I eat bread at every meal… I usually eat sandwiches (Chicken, turkey or tuna) and can’t justify not eating bread with my meals. And now Oatmeal is out of the question? What Am I soposed to eat for carbs? Not white potatoes I hope!
Thanks
WIll42
Look into the sprouted bread varieties as these are made with unrefined grains and are high in fiber, throw in 3-4 grams of protein and can be fairly moderate in carb count (11-18g per slice). This is the best choice for store bought bread. Just make sure you keep it in the refrigerator as it contains unprocessed ingredients and no preservatives.
Try Whole Foods, Trader Joes or any of the more natural grocery stores.
You’re better off with white potatoes, sweet potatoes and brown rice as carb sources. I’d take a vegetable over a bread product anyday, even if it has the same insulin response as the bread. A vegetable will be more nutritious, so it’s a better choice. If you’re going to eat bread, try to limit the amount, and try to stick to whole wheat. I’ve gotten used to eating sandwiches without the bread. Just eat more meat. And I routinely make hamburgers (lean beef, grilled just right) and eat them without a bun.
How do you eat it without the bun to hold everything together? I’ve seen some people will do this with lettuce, they wrap the lettuce around everything. Is that your method?
What is the general consensus of pita/lebanese type breads?
Go with spelt bread. Much better than wheat and one of the only carb sources I ever crave.
Fuck that shit, I gots an apple
Bread every meal?!? Unless you are the skinny bastard to end all skinny bastards, you’re eating too much of it. Replace some of it with veggies. Also, what’s your macronutrient breakdown? Sounds to me like you’re seriously carb-heavy.
I second the spelt bread, if you’re gonna eat bread. Pretty sure Poliquin recommended this, but I can’t remember where I saw it.
I third the spelt bread suggestion…spelt and flax bread are the only two breads I eat, and even then it is only on bulking cycles. By the way Monty, I think Poliquin mentioned that in the “Preparing for the Ultimate Workout” article here on T-Mag.