Grain-Free Protein Bread

I wish I was one of those people who could eat whatever I want without consequence. I'm not talking about my metabolism either. As I've gotten older I've learned more (the hard way) about the connection between what I ingest and the way I feel.

The past few weeks I have constantly been exhausted. Two weeks ago when I was out on a run I felt like falling asleep while running. It was a crazy feeling. Most days I was walking around in a fog, doing stupid things like locking myself out of the house, constantly forgetting what I was looking for, and falling asleep at 8pm without doing anything tiring during the day.

There is only one thing to do in this situation - strategic detox. Time to cut out sugar (including sweeteners), caffeine and wheat and see what the culprit is. After just a few days, I already feel worlds better. I'm pretty sure the Easter holiday and all of the lovely chocolate I've been consuming since contributed to my downfall.

I've replaced morning coffee with hot lemon water and luckily the smoothies I usually have I still can. Spinach, berries, banana, a splash of OJ - I'm addicted. Steamed veggies, lean protein, and a thinly sliced orange for dessert at night. It's really not so bad. Of course as soon as you start telling yourself you can't have something, that's when you really, REALLY want it.

I usually don't care that much about eating bread in my daily routine, but man I want some now. What's a girl to do? The low-carb queen The Londoner had my answer. This bread is fantastic. It's not the kind of bread you'd want to make a sandwich with necessarily, it's more like a quick bread in consistency.

I've gotten in the routine of making a loaf when it's convenient and then putting it in the fridge and slicing off a few pieces in the morning for breakfast. I like to have it toasted with a little bit of butter, I'm simple that way, but it's good with peanut butter too. I've also had it with eggless "egg salad," and it worked beautifully.

Because it's made with flax seed, it's loaded with good-for-you nutrients. Almonds round out the flavor, and the eggs pump up the protein. It's a nutritional dream! You can buy almond meal for a smoother bread, or grind your own almonds to give your loaf a more rustic, grainy texture. Either way, you can't lose.

Grain-Free Protein Bread
from The Londoner

Ingredients

• 1 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup ground almonds or almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400º. Spray or line a medium sized loaf pan with parchment paper. 

In a small bowl beat eggs and water.

In a medium bowl mix flaxseed, almonds, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs to dry mixture and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch.

Remove from the pan and cool on a rack. Slice and enjoy!

The above nutrition facts are for one slice when the loaf is cut into 12 slices. I'm just estimating, but I think I get more than 12 out of each loaf. I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! I will share some of my other detox recipes soon. Cheers!