Athletic Performance/ Nutrition for Sport/ Wellness

Is Bread Making you Feel Crumby?

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If you loaf something, set it free

Baby I’m-a need you, you’re the only one I care enough to hurt about. Maybe I’m-a crazy, but I just can’t live without…bread.

If you’re feeling crumby, you may consider changing up your daily food and activity regimen. When you’ve got hunger pangs, it’s important to not pollute the body with junk—particularly, foods such as refined bread, that can hike inflammation.

A toast to a healthier you

When you reduce your bread intake, not only will you notice how quickly weight falls off due to water retention and unnecessary stored fat from increased insulin, you’ll also feel your energy levels rise by swapping for more nutrient-dense foods.

Are you feeling baked?

Unlike acute inflammation from trauma, such as from a broken bone or muscle strain, chronic inflammation is a persistent, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. It’s important to understand inflammation, because it underlies nearly every disease of aging, from diabetes and obesity to cancer and heart disease.

Causes of Inflammation

As we age, many people talk about the aches and pains and increased discomfort in the body. To some extent inflammation is just a part of life, but for a variety of reasons such as these, it can be a lot worse than it should be:

  • Exposure to a low level of food allergen
  • Excessive stored fat
  • An autoimmune disorder
  • Increased production of free radicals

Risk Factors

Several risk factors have been found to be correlated with inflammation:

  • Age Increasing age is correlated with elevated levels of several inflammatory molecules.
  • Diet Diet rich in saturated fat, trans-fats, refined breads, or refined sugar is associated with higher production of pro-inflammatory molecules.
  • Low Sex Hormones Studies show that sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen can suppress the inflammatory-fighting function.
  • Asthma Food sensitivities can cause inflammation of the air passages that carry oxygen to the lungs.
  • Stress and Sleep Disorders Both physical and emotional stress is associated with inflammation. Since individuals with irregular sleep schedules are more likely to have chronic inflammation than consistent sleepers, the sleep disorder is also considered as one of the independent risk factors for chronic inflammation.

Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation

Some of the common signs and symptoms that develop during chronic inflammation:

  • Constant fatigue and insomnia
  • Depression, anxiety and mood disorders
  • Body Pain
  • Swelling
  • Bloating
  • Gastrointestinal complications like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux
  • Weight gain
  • Frequent infections

Anti-inflammatory lifestyle

Several dietary and lifestyle changes may be helpful in reducing chronic inflammation. One way to combat inflammation is choosing healthy low-glycemic foods…

Low-glycemic foods

A glycemic food is essentially determined by, how much and how quickly glucose (sugar) will be released into your bloodstream. So, a food that quickly releases a lot of sugar and causes a large blood sugar spike would fall higher on the glycemic index.

Low GI Foods:

  • Vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, squash etc.)
  • Legumes (lentils, beans, etc.)
  • Carrots
  • Quinoa
  • Wild Rice
  • Berries
  • Apples
  • Blueberries
  • Citrus fruits
  • Unsweetened Nut Milk
  • Ancient grain/seed loaf

High GI Foods (Avoid these)

  • White bread
  • White rice
  • White Potato
  • Crackers
  • Breakfast cereals and instant oatmeal
  • Chips

The Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan

Breakfast

Ditch the bagel and get a healthy dose of energy from a green smoothie, or superseed blend of Chia Seeds, Hemp Hearts, Ground Flax, Nuts & seeds, cinnamon and nut milk, or avocado toast using gluten-free ancient grain/seed bread.

Lunch

Toss that white bread sandwich and opt for salad with loads of veggies, or a Buddha Bowl full of plant protein for more sustained energy.

Snack

Grab an apple, handful of nuts, Hummus with Veggies, or a Zesty Life Superseed Trail Bite.

Dinner

Leave out the white rice and potato, and choose a nutrient-dense bowl filled with protein-rich Quinoa, turmeric roasted veggies, kale, spinach, avocado, gut-healthy sauerkraut, topped with raw pumpkin seeds.

Important Insights for Athletes

You require inflammation in exercise, and that the inflammatory response should not be suppressed—for example, by taking ibuprofen—because that signal is likely “telling the muscle to remodel.”

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