Eat bread, lose weight?

When lecturing on weight loss and health, I typically receive many questions on the "hot" nutritional topics. Of the many questions I am asked, the issue about how to eat bread and lose weight always pops up. I often see skeptical faces when I mention that eating the right type of bread is totally acceptable and even recommended for weight loss and weight maintenance. In fact, I can always pinpoint the former low-carb dieters in the crowd. They are the ones who appear confused with a scrunched-up look on their face as if to say, "Do you mean that bread is back in?"

In truth, bread was never "out." However, eating the right type of bread and the proper amount is critical to weight-loss success.

Many different types of bread
There is an enormous variety of bread. From white bread to seven grain, whole grain, whole wheat, rye, sprouted and omega-3 enriched, you name it – you can find it! With all this selection, making the right choice can be daunting. Keep in mind that the most important type of bread to keep out of your diet is that made from white, refined and bleached flour. This bread is ranked high on the glycemic index and will promote the oversecretion of insulin. In a nutshell, excess insulin = excess fat.

When selecting bread for weight loss, the key to making sure you are selecting high-quality bread that is filled with fibre, minerals and vitamins and is low on the glycemic index. Simply follow the steps below to make sure you're choosing the right bread.

Dr. Joey's bread test
• When selecting bread, check the ingredient list and look for the words 100% whole wheat or whole grain before the name of the grain. Terms such as "wheat flour" do not necessarily indicate a whole-grain product.

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