Food & Drink Since childhood, I’ve always loved peanut butter toast. It was my go-to breakfast before school and, on camping trips, my mom would make us “Camping Toast” prepared right on the burner of a green Coleman stove. While I’m not sure how healthy that open-flame method would be considered today, I’ll never forget that characteristic “camping toast taste.” The bread would come off the burner charred with black marks. The toast was smothered in peanut butter and then coated with salted butter, which nicely offset the bitterness from the charring. At the age of 64, I continue to love this morning ritual of peanut butter toast. Only now, I prepare my toast from a bread that I created called MAC’s Morning Ritual. This bread, toasted and then smothered in chunky peanut butter and a heaping spoonful of salted butter (I still love that combination!) is deeply satisfying. Paired with a cup of coffee, it keeps me satiated for hours. And the next morning? It’s pure gold. There are three secrets that make this bread truly special: by Shari McIntyre For more information on wine and food, go to Ketopaleosharimac.com My Morning Ritual: Wisdom in a Loaf Secret #1: The Power Team The first secret is the specific combination of three distinct types of fibre that work together like a well-co-ordinated crew: ▶ The Gel-Makers (Psyllium & Flax): These provide the soluble fibre which creates that “slow-down lane” for your blood sugar. They transform into a soft gel that keeps the digestive path hydrated. ▶ The Mover (Pumpkin Seed Flour): Pumpkin seed flour is rich in insoluble fibre, which provides the gentle “bulk” needed to keep things moving. It acts like a soft broom that helps move everything along. ▶ The Relaxer (Magnesium): Because you use the flour and the seeds, you get a high dose of magnesium. Magnesium is essential for helping the muscles in your digestive tract relax, preventing the cramping or “stuck” feeling that can sometimes come with high-fibre diets. Secret #2: Reduced to No Sugar The second secret is what you put on the bread. To keep your blood sugar truly stable, choose a peanut butter brand with zero to no added sugar. Most commercial brands sneak in sugar that causes the very spikes which we are trying to avoid. By sticking to just peanuts and salt, you allow the fibre in the bread to do its job perfectly, keeping your energy steady and your hunger satisfied for hours. Secret #3: Let’s Rest You should wait for at least two hours but, for the absolute best results, let it cool completely to room temperature. (Then toast if desired.) Super crunchy! Why the wait is so important: ▶ The “Setting” Phase: Because of the high amount of psyllium and flax gel, the bread is technically still “cooking” and setting its structure as it cools. If you slice it while it’s hot, the inside can seem gummy or “wet,” even if it’s fully baked. ▶ Clean Slicing: Waiting until it is stone cold allows the pumpkin seed flour and flax to firm up, giving you those perfect, sturdy slices that stand up to a heavy “smothering” of chunky peanut butter and salted butter. ▶ Moisture Distribution: Letting it sit on a wire rack allows the steam to escape evenly. If you leave it in the pan or slice too early, that steam stays trapped, which can make the crust soft instead of hearty. This high-fibre bread excels as a spring reset tool, helping shed winter weight through proven mechanisms of fullness and metabolic support. Its dense psyllium and flax boost the thermic effect of digestion – burning extra calories to process the fibre – while slowing glucose absorption to stabilize insulin and promote fat oxidation over storage. Enjoyed with peanut butter for added protein and fats, it sustains energy without crashes, making goal-reaching feel like a comforting ritual, rather than restriction. 52 | www.snowbirds.org
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