No bread= starving.

[regentrude]

To preface: I am not attempting a low carb diet. I do not wish to lose weight. I am only trying to cut out bread because I suspect that it might be the cause for my digestive problems (yes, been to doctor, all test results are OK, no organic cause found).

 

I am German. Which means, with our traditional diet, two main meals, breakfast and dinner, are bread based.

So, I am trying not to eat bread, and I am starving. When I am home, I wander the house in search of edibles and have the urge to eat all.the.time.

 

Since there are many low carbers on the board: is that normal? Will it get better? From everything people claim about diet these days, it should be the other way round .. but I don't find the extra fat and protein I eat instead to keep me full nearly as well....

 

[Greta]

Since there are many low carbers on the board: is that normal? Will it get better?....

Yes and yes! When I went gluten-free (before I went low-carb) the intense cravings and hunger lasted for three or four days, and then it lifted. I'm sure the length of time that it takes varies from person to person, but others that I've talked to had similar experiences. It will get better! Hang in there.

[kiana]

Is it possible for you to substitute a non-wheat-based starch instead, such as potatoes?

[regentrude]

Is it possible for you to substitute a non-wheat-based starch instead, such as potatoes?

 

I eat oatmeal for breakfast (but there is only so much oatmeal one can eat, and it comes nowhere near a wonderful bread slice with cream cheese and jam.) I eat sweet potatoes. I ate some rice last night - even though I don't really want a cooked meal for dinner.

 

I feel like food is constantly on my mind.

[SparklyUnicorn]

You are still eating a lot of carbs with all of that.  Low carb will curb your appetite, but you aren't really eating low carb.

 

I don't eat any rice or oatmeal.  Sweet potatoes are an occasional treat.

 

 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Anyhow, are you noticing a difference with the digestive issues without eating bread?  

[kiana]

I have never tried this (I am quite ok without bread on a daily basis) but do you make your own bread? Here's a link to a bunch of non-wheat bread alternatives -- http://paleogrubs.com/bread-recipes-- maybe one of those will seem enough like regular bread to be able to put cream cheese and jam on it.

[regentrude]

You are still eating a lot of carbs with all of that.  Low carb will curb your appetite, but you aren't really eating low carb.

 

I don't eat any rice or oatmeal.  Sweet potatoes are an occasional treat.

 

As I said in the OP: I do NOT WANT to eat low carb. I like my carbs just fine.

But by cutting bread I have increased the proportion of protein and fat and reduced the proportion of carbs - which I hear people claim should make me feel more full ... only it doesn't.

[regentrude]

Anyhow, are you noticing a difference with the digestive issues without eating bread?  

 

too soon to say conclusively... I have tried this a few times before and keep falling off the waggon. I think it gets worse with bread, but until i can do a clean elimination until I feel really fine and THEN go back and try, I won't know for sure.

 

[chiguirre]

Can you switch to corn tortillas? If you can find it, you can make thicker, more bread-like corn "rolls" (arepas in Spanish) from a corn flour called Harina P.A.N. Those are very filling and don't have any gluten.

 

You could also try tamales.

 

Buckwheat waffles are gluten free too and can be eaten with cream cheese and jam. These are really good. I still buy them almost 10 years after ditching our gluten free trial.

 

If you can go more American for breakfast, eggs, ham and hash browns are filling. You could also make Spanish potato and egg tortilla espanola.

[regentrude]

Can you switch to corn tortillas? If you can find it, you can make thicker, more bread-like corn "rolls" (arepas in Spanish) from a corn flour called Harina P.A.N. Those are very filling and don't have any gluten.

 

You could also try tamales.

 

Buckwheat waffles are gluten free too and can be eaten with cream cheese and jam. These are really good. I still buy them almost 10 years after ditching our gluten free trial.

 

the waffles sound yummy... but where would I find those in a store? I have never seen any.

 

This said: I don't think it has anything to do with gluten.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Hm...

 

Could just be psychological too.  Meaning since you declare you can't have it you want it even more.

 

I wonder if some sort of bread like substitutes would help. What about something like gluten free breads?  No clue how those taste, but I assume it is bread like. 

 

 

[Jasperstone]

I would increase good fats like avocado, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil etc... plus lots of protein.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I've seen buckwheat pancake mixes in the store, but they have wheat.

Maybe something like this:

 

http://www.dietdirect.com/now-foods-living-now-gluten-free-baking-and-pancake-mix-17oz.html?CAWELAID=120170500000016436&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=120170500000016380&cadevice=c&gclid=CjwKEAjwru6oBRDDp4jRj4bL_xASJADJ2oby_vavM-SKOF9DRyr1bnPporc52iYwdvq0zEkg3dryjBoC3Ynw_wcB

[chiguirre]

the waffles sound yummy... but where would I find those in a store? I have never seen any.

In Houston, they're next to the regular waffles in the frozen breakfast section. If they don't have them, you can order buckwheat flour from Amazon and make your own. This is a traditional thing, not a new gluten free alternative. My Polish granny made them when I was little.

[SparklyUnicorn]

The Aldi flier this week has a whole page of gluten free stuff.

 

 

[regentrude]

Could just be psychological too.  Meaning since you declare you can't have it you want it even more.

 

It's not a craving for bread specifically... it's just being hungry.

 

 

I wonder if some sort of bread like substitutes would help. What about something like gluten free breads?  No clue how those taste, but I assume it is bread like. 

 

The problem is that I have not yet determined that it is in fact the gluten and not something else.

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

It's not a craving for bread specifically... it's just being hungry.

 

 

 

The problem is that I have not yet determined that it is in fact the gluten and not something else.

 

 

Isn't gluten free usually wheat free?  So what else would there be in the gluten free that would be in regular wheat bread?

[regentrude]

I have never tried this (I am quite ok without bread on a daily basis) but do you make your own bread? Here's a link to a bunch of non-wheat bread alternatives -- http://paleogrubs.com/bread-recipes-- maybe one of those will seem enough like regular bread to be able to put cream cheese and jam on it.

 

I used to  bake all our own bread.. until I took over this big project at work and am now working many more hours... baking has fallen to the wayside. I NEVER had any issues with the bread I baked, so once I clear this up I will try regular homemade bread first, because I do not think it is wheat or gluten, but something specifically about store bought bread. But I need to feel consistently well first before exploring this avenue.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I used to  bake all our own bread.. until I took over this big project at work and am now working many more hours... baking has fallen to the wayside. I NEVER had any issues with the bread I baked, so once I clear this up I will try regular homemade bread first, because I do not think it is wheat or gluten, but something specifically about store bought bread. But I need to feel consistently well first before exploring this avenue.

 

Ohhh

 

See that could be it.  There are some funky things in store bread or even bakery bread . Could even be a soy thing.

[kiana]

Agree with sparkly.

 

I'd suspect it's something IN the store bread. I used to love cheerios and SOMETHING in them now gives me horrible digestive symptoms. I don't know what but it's not the oats and it's not the milk.

[J-rap]

We're mostly bread-free, but not because of me.  It's because three of my children are gluten-free.  At first I thought it would be really hard, and I'm sure I was hungry a lot at first, but now, two years or so into it, I'm surprise at how rarely I crave bread anymore.

 

I think the best thing for me to satisfy that hunger pit that used to be filled by bread is almonds and peanuts, or crackers with cheese, cream cheese or peanut butter.  (I usually eat corn or rice crackers.)  I can often be seen dipping my hand into a bag of nuts throughout the day.

[Rosie_0801]

You sound rather like me. I am misery itself without enough carbs. I don't see a reason to wait before switching back to home made bread, since it sounds like you're reacting to the icky additives. If you do that, and continue to have problems, you might have developed a sensitivity to bread wheat. Switching up to another form of wheat should solve the problems. For example, I can eat far more *clean* bread (made of wheat, yeast, salt and water) than I can regular shop bought bread, but too much will still put me off. I can eat pasta, since it is made from durum wheat, until the cows come home.

[Pawz4me]

I've heard speculation that the problem many people think they have with gluten could be from the yeast that's used in commercial bread products.  Apparently the yeast that's used in commercial bakeries has been developed to rise extremely fast.  And the speculation is that there may be something about the rapid rising action that causes problems.

[Pam in CT]

It's hard to change eating patterns, and particularly hard to give up something we really like.  I really, really like bread (and cheese and fruit).  I could give up a whole lot of other stuff without too much fuss, so long as I could hang on to those three.  

 

It also sounds as if your meal traditions are strongly associated with bread... so there may be something of an emotional deprivation in addition to the physical changes?  I think there would be for me, if I dramatically changed my habits for two meals a day all at once... 

 

Anyway.  No advice, other than obviously watch carefully the extent to which it really does make a difference for your digestion  :grouphug: .  I hope you get a handle on it... but at the same time, here's hoping it's something else!

 

 

 

ETA: just saw your last post.  Agree with pp re: rapid rise yeast and additives.  Teach a kid to make bread, or get a machine, and see what happens!

 

[3 ladybugs]

Try a 21 day sugar detox. I think that would help you in more ways then one. Often you can find the book at the library. If you need help, a Facebook group should be starting on Monday. 😉

[hornblower]

are you trying to cut wheat or rye?

[regentrude]

Try a 21 day sugar detox. I think that would help you in more ways then one. Often you can find the book at the library. If you need help, a Facebook group should be starting on Monday. 😉

Thanks, I know you mean well - but I do not feel in need of "detoxing" and I have no desire to permanently alter the way I eat.

Aside from the current stomach issues (which I suspect are caused by something specifically in commercial bread, not by wheat or gluten), I am healthy. I am of normal weight, have great blood values, have energy, can focus just fine, sleep very well, and have no "irrational cravings" from which the detox promises a cure. My grandmothers lived on a similar diet healthy productive lives well into their nineties.

I don't see more ways than one in which I would need help.

[regentrude]

are you trying to cut wheat or rye?

 

neither, just bread. FWIW, the only decent bread I can buy locally is wheat - but wheat itself is not the issue.

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Go back to baking bread?

 

Pay one or both of your kids to bake the families' bread?

 

Find a bakery that makes artisanal bread with no preservatives etc?  

[LibraryLover]

Mashed potatoes?

[regentrude]

Go back to baking bread?

 

Pay one or both of your kids to bake the families' bread?

 

Find a bakery that makes artisanal bread with no preservatives etc?  

 

Seeing that there are no artisanal bakeries in this town and the only child left at home is not interested in baking, I guess I shall go back to baking bread... once I figured out it is definitely the store bought bread and not something else.

:-)

[Pen]

Would something sweet help to feel more satisfied and full?  I find that some "trail mix" of choc' chips, dry fruit and nuts helps curb feeing hungry, and so can honey sweetened tea or hot cocoa.

 

Or maybe something like a banana?

[Liz CA]

Before you give up entirely on bread I would suggest getting some sourdough culture and baking pure sourdough with no yeast. I can pm you a recipe but of course recipes on the web abound as well. Add some caraway seeds and fennel seeds to a rye/white mix and it's almost bread from a German baker.

 

Digestive issues can sometimes be remedied by consuming more cultured food. See Donna Schwenk's website www.culturedfoodlife.com.

 

When you bake your own - or you get your kiddos to bake, you can mix up the type of flour used. I go back and forth between white and rye flour, white and buckwheat, etc., but always with only sourdough and no yeast. Having lived in what was then West Germany for a time, I know that the bread there is VERY different from bread on most grocery store shelves in the U.S. unless you have access to artisan bakers which does not seem to be the case. Even though here in CA, I can get all kinds of breads just about anywhere, I still prefer to bake it myself because I know exactly what goes into it and can vary the ingredients a bit.

 

If this does nothing to improve your digestion, you could try going gluten free and check out the many sites that teach how to bake without gluten, i.e., almond flour and coconut flour. I have never tried those with bread though since I have no digestive issues anymore.

 

ETA: Even though you don't think the problem is the wheat itself, you may come to find out that in Europe bread is often baked with an heirloom type of wheat whereas here it's a hybrid or even GMO. You could test this by ordering "Einkorn" Flour from Amazon and bake a loaf with it to see if it makes any difference at all. Good luck!

[Minerva]

My daughter gets terrible heartburn and gas whenever she eats most wheat products. The whole family had to give up wheat because otherwise my dd would get sucked back into the darkside with us.

 

The only thing that makes me feel less hungry is lots and lots of fat. I eat way more eggs, oil, butter, nuts, avocadoes than ever before. I feel pretty good and my bread and pasta cravings have completely disappeared. I used to LOVE bread and wasn't sure how I was ever going to give it up. It was hard for the first month and now I don't miss it at all.

 

I am not convinced that it is gluten making everyone so sick. I would not be at all surprised if it was the pesticides and/or genetic modification that is used in most American grown wheat. In any case, I hope you feel better soon. 

[Greta]

I see that I misunderstood. When you said you were giving up bread, I thought you meant wheat generally. My mistake. Your issue is more specific than that. Mine is an intolerance to most grains and anything made from them. Sorry I have no advice to offer. I hope that you get things figured out.

[idnib]

Have you calculated how many grams of protein you are eating? Try to aim for 0.8g/kg of body weight and see if it makes a difference.

[Trilliums]

Are there any health food stores, co-ops or even Costco where you might find bread with fewer additives?

 

Hope you figure it out soon.

 

ETA:

you coudl try a bread maker for quick home made bread.

[ElizabethB]

Corn tortillas, cornbread made from corn flour and corn meal, buy in hispanic aisle. Corn bread is easy to make and should freeze well, it shoud replace your breakfast bread, use a corn tortilla for lunch or dinner type things. Whole foods has a decent gluten free section if you are close to one.

[EKS]

If you want to stop being hungry, try cutting out carbs for a week or two and see what happens.  I know you said you don't want to go low carb, but in my experience, carbs are what cause hunger (I mean hunger a few hours after eating).

[El...]

When I eat less carbs, I find it very hard to feel full.  Sometimes just a little of something like dark chocolate or sweet potato will do the trick.  I feel that way mostly at dinner, and broccoli, at least at first, just doesn't hack it.  I second (third?) the idea of potatoes.  I know you aren't trying to low carb, but anyhow!  :)

[TeenagerMom]

I do low carb (I know, you aren't) and I ate a LOT of bread prior to it. My usual breakfast was 4 slices of toast with real butter on it.  The cravings & hunger were the worst about Day 6 then subsided. 

 

An acceptable bread substitute might help until it gets better.  I made Oopsie Rolls as a bread sub. They were quite good and make for a REALLY good peanut butter & jelly sandwich.  http://healthyrecipesblogs.com/2013/07/23/oopsie-rolls/

 

I also made cauliflower pizza crust which was REALLY, REALLY good.  You might try those to attempt to help fill you up more.

 

I also found eating a good healthy dose of peanut butter mixed with jelly or a Protein bar helps with the hunger too.

[3 ladybugs]

Thanks, I know you mean well - but I do not feel in need of "detoxing" and I have no desire to permanently alter the way I eat.

Aside from the current stomach issues (which I suspect are caused by something specifically in commercial bread, not by wheat or gluten), I am healthy. I am of normal weight, have great blood values, have energy, can focus just fine, sleep very well, and have no "irrational cravings" from which the detox promises a cure. My grandmothers lived on a similar diet healthy productive lives well into their nineties.

I don't see more ways than one in which I would need help.

I am on my iPad so therefore a short post when a longer one is needed. My apologies.

 

I am underweight, have been my whole life too. I thought I ate well, especially since the cancer diagnosis 5 years ago. I thought I knew what normal was and I was that. Then I had a baby who had food allergies that made him paleo. We as a family became paleo because it is easier.

 

The whole family has had improvements in digestion. To illustrate this further, we recently did the strictest version of the 21 day sugar detox. I thought that after the holidays it would be good for us. For the most part it was, however I lost about 8 lbs. NOT good. Knowing that my oncologist would want me at a constant weight from last year when I saw her, I immediately started trying to find a way to gain weight. Sticking paleo and gaining was HARD, so I decided to go off paleo just for me to gain. I started eating 1-2 bagels a day. The first week wasn't bad, then my digestive system started having issues. I am gaining, but I am pooing bricks!! It is so bad that I have decided to stop the bagels and deal with gaining eating only paleo. I HATE the way I feel on the bagels. 😥

 

My point is I thought I knew what normal felt like before I had my baby. I thought I was healthy and that I ate well. Then I figured out due to my son, what normal really feels like and how much better I could be.

 

The 21 day detox can ease someone into paleo if they are wanting to try it. That is why I recommended it. It may not be for you, but I thought I would at least explain myself. 😉

 

Good luck!

[ElizabethB]

Another nice gluten free grain that makes a good pancake is teff flour. in Ethiopa they make a sourdough bread pancake called Injira from it, but it is a pain to make, so I had Injira when we lived in Los Angeles but otherwise just make a pancake myself with water and teff flour. You can add a bit of sugar and it is nice sweet with fruit or a pinch of salt and have a sandwich pancake thingy with meat, it does not mix well with cheese IMO.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-24-Ounce-Packages/dp/B000EDI0X2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427938630&sr=8-1&keywords=teff+flour

[Ausmumof3]

To preface: I am not attempting a low carb diet. I do not wish to lose weight. I am only trying to cut out bread because I suspect that it might be the cause for my digestive problems (yes, been to doctor, all test results are OK, no organic cause found).

 

I am German. Which means, with our traditional diet, two main meals, breakfast and dinner, are bread based.

So, I am trying not to eat bread, and I am starving. When I am home, I wander the house in search of edibles and have the urge to eat all.the.time.

 

Since there are many low carbers on the board: is that normal? Will it get better? From everything people claim about diet these days, it should be the other way round .. but I don't find the extra fat and protein I eat instead to keep me full nearly as well....

I have issues with digesting bread as well but I find I can handle it for one meal a day just not two. I also try to avoid breads with a long ingredient list and look for the stuff that is the same as what you make at home. Wheat flour, salt, yeast, oil or milk. Stuff with soy flour or lots of mystery numbers seems to be more problematic.

 

This means paying a bit more a loaf but if you aren't eating heaps of it that isn't as important.

 

For alternatives I find lentil based stuff very filling like Dahl etc. also if it's the yeast not the gluten that is a problem pasta might be a good alternative. Baked potatoes are filling, as is rice.

[bethben]

Nuts?

 

[AK_Mom4]

DD13 has intolerances to barley and rye that show up as digestive issues (gross).

 

DH makes all our bread in the bread machine he bought at Goodwill for $7.

 

As far as store-bought bread, we only found a few of the brands of potato bread were without those two ingredients. And something they called Hawaiian Rolls.

 

I would make yourself a batch of biscuits and smear them with jam and cram cheese.

[regentrude]

If you want to stop being hungry, try cutting out carbs for a week or two and see what happens.  I know you said you don't want to go low carb, but in my experience, carbs are what cause hunger (I mean hunger a few hours after eating).

 

Well, the thing I don't understand is that I normally eat a diet much higher in carbs than now and am NOT permanently hungry. Carbs do not normally cause me hunger.

 

[LMD]

I was going to say nuts too, macadamias or Brazils, higher fat/protein ones.

 

My dh is a baker. We very rarely have store bread in the house, and only then trusted brands. Yeah, I don't at all trust labels anymore...

[wapiti]

It sounds like maybe you're not eating enough carbs (for a carb-eater)?  You probably don't have the time, but it might be interesting to track/calculate how many grams of carbs you've been eating lately vs. normally.  (Eta, or, maybe it indeed is the store-bought bread - that would make sense to me)