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June 24, 2017June 30, 2017 by Lin Carson

The Pizza Diet: Day 80 and 81

I’ve wondered if I went on a pizza diet, how many slices would I have to consume a day? Looking at a crust like the Boboli 12” thin crust, that would be one and a half pizzas! Yeaaaaah. I’m not really that crazy about pizza, even though I think I can totally down that much in a day.

So I did what any sane person can do. Eat an entire pizza from Pieology.

It wasn’t an easy feat, after eating half a pound of bread earlier in the day. However, I did manage to make it healthier by adding spinach and pesto. I went light on the cheese too.

Why is pizza part of my bread diet? I believe that the pizza crust is a flat bread. It’s made of four basic ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt. However, it is much easier to eat sliced and loaf bread (for the convenience), than going for a pizza. Therefore, you will see pizza part of my diet, but not that frequently.

Pizza got its start in the Italian town of Naples, a port city with a large working class during the 1700s and early 1800s. Historians believe the need for an inexpensive, on-the-go food was why these flatbreads with toppings sold so well. Pizza (an Italian word for pie) soon spread through Italy. The first recorded pizza restaurant in the U.S. was in 1905 in Manhattan: G. Lombardi’s. It took quite some time, however, for it to move around the country and evolve into the dish we enjoy today.

So where can you find the best slice of pizza in the U.S.?

Well, according to a Travel+Leisure survey, try Phoenix, AZ! It was voted the best city for pizza. However, if you’re looking for something a little closer to home, find it on this list of the best pie by state, or here is a top 10 list of pizza joints around the country.

Here’s what I ate on days 70 and 81 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 80
Chocolate Brioche	1	250
Whole grain Artisan	3 Slices	400
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Nicoise Salad	2 C	350
Pizza	6 oz	990
Pineapple	3 oz	41
Cherries	1C	74
Run		-400
Total		1905
Day 81
Spelt bread		600
Raisin bread		600
Ricotta	1/4 C	100
Red Beet Salad		250
Ham and Cheese	4 Slices	160
Coconut water	2 C	100
		1810

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June 22, 2017August 7, 2017 by Lin Carson

Is it Important to Eat Bread in Your Diet? Day 78 and 79

I’ve heard that over and over again from people who are trying to lose weight. It is really misleading when someone says that the simple act of cutting bread out of your diet will magically make you lose weight. The immediate follow-up statement usually goes like this: “carbs are bad for you.”

Carbs are not bad for you. Based on a 2,000 caloric intake, a daily intake of 300g worth of carbohydrates is recommended. Everyone should at least eat 120 – 130g each day to meet the minimum required for your brain to function. In bread talk, that’s about 3 slices of bread a day.

It’s true, if you cut something out from your diet, you will lose weight because your daily habits surrounding that food changes and your consumption becomes more limited. This can be applied universally to all types of food, not just bread.

Why keep bread part of your diet?

Bread should be part of everyone’s diet because it is a conveniently nutritious product. If you followed my journey, you would have noticed that I consumed bread that is healthy and easily obtained off the supermarket shelve. You do not need to make these breads yourselves, nor do you have to specially order it.

Why are you eating a loaf? What are you trying to prove?

If this journey said, “I’m eating 3 slices of bread a day, and bread is not killing me” would you believe me? But I ate a pound of bread a day, 12-14 slices, and still, it hasn’t done anything bad to me or my weight. Now do you believe me that bread is not bad for you?

How do you eat so much bread in one day?

I’ve pretty much spaced out my bread eating all throughout the day. Anyone in our office will tell you that I’m stuffing my face with bread all the time. My children will tell you that all I eat is bread at the dinner table. If the clock is ticking, and I’m not in bed, I’m eating bread.

Don’t you get sick of eating so much bread?

Never been and never will. My critics, or the Bread Police (they seem to be hanging around in the office) keep asking me that question in hopes of seeing a white flag. I think the answer is pretty simple. I’ll never get sick of something I love eating. I’ve been loving this journey, and will continue to love eating bread, even after 90 days.

My days worth of delicious rolls with a beet salad.

Here’s what I ate on Days 78 and 79 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 78
Bagel	2 (100g)	420
Fritatta Croisant	80g	300
Purple Wheat Raisin	5 slices (39g)	400
Ravioli and Sausage	1 C	300
Canale		200
Steamed Brocolli	1C	30
Orange	1 orange	45
Total		1695

Day 79
Bun Rolls	1lb	1200
Beet Salad	2C	250
Croissant		240
Pork Watercress Noodles	1C	200
Marie Biscuits	5	100
Cherries	1C	74
Run		-200
Total		1864

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June 22, 2017June 22, 2017 by Katie Jones

Dietary Mysteries of the Dutch Revealed

How do they stay so thin and eat so much bread?

Do you love bread and cake? If you live in the Netherlands, consider yourself lucky. The Dutch consume a lot of breads and cakes AND remain thin. Two meals are considered bread meals consisting of rolls or sliced bread with an assortment of toppings. For example, wheat bread with butter, candy sprinkles or jam and two or three cups of black coffee, a glass of, milk or hot cocoa is standard breakfast fare. Dutch bread ranges from sweet to salty.

Traditionally, Dutch breads were unpackaged. Nowadays, they are turning to the consumption of already packaged bread. This increase in the consumption of industrially manufactured bread has not increased waist lines or health risks in the Netherlands.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Dutch Bakeries producing breads and cakes today.

Van der Mulen the Masterbakers is one of the most popular bakeries in the Netherlands. You might be familiar with the company’s main product, Melba toast. It manufactures Melba toast more than any other bakery in the world.
Soma is another Dutch bakery which has produced bread for more than 130 years. The most popular product of this bakery is the roggerbrood sliced rye bread. Soma bakes several types of bread such as Limburg’s rye bread, blackbread, raisins-krentenwegge and speltkorn.
In the northern part of Netherlands, Bollotje is one of the bakeries that dominates the market. The word “Bolletje” comes from the round balls of dough used to prepare beschuit. Beschuit is a round, hard, dry biscuit that is made from twice-baked bread. The bakery products range from whole grain biscuit, crisp breads, crackers, cereals, gingerbread, cakes, and pretzels. The website covers many suggestions on toppings and ways to enjoy breads and crackers.

Although the brands mentioned above are commonly consumed in Netherlands, the gluten-free craze is slowly revolutionizing the market. One of the companies offering gluten-free products in the Dutch market is Consenza. This bakery offers wheat and lactose-free products. Their products range from bread, cakes, biscuits and flour and much more. Having started in 2006, it is currently the largest seller of gluten-free products (Barbara Zec, 2016).

These are just a few examples of breads commonly consumed in Netherlands. These products are rich in carbohydrates.

However, the dutch are considered the least obese in Europe.

How is it that when they consume 2 bread based meals and snacks in-between? According to this article, they remain slim because of the following:

Portion control – supersizing is not a common practice in the Netherlands. Portion control is a well-known weight management tool employed with great success by the Dutch.

Milk consumption – they consume a lot milk which is high in nutrients and low in calories. Milk is considered good for reducing weight.

Low-fat foods – are the dominant snacking choice. For the most part breads and crackers are low to fat free. Indulging in high fats sweets is reserved for special occasions not a daily routine.

Exercise – they like riding bicycles. In comparison to the US the Dutch ride their bikes 30 times more. They also walk twice as much as the average US citizen. See the table below for comparisons to other countries.

Percent of Trips by Travel Mode (all trip purposes)
Country	bicycle	walking	public transit	car	other
Netherlands	30	18	5	45	2
Denmark	20	21	14	42	3
Germany	12	22	16	49	1
Switzerland	10	29	20	38	1
Sweden	10	39	11	36	4
Austria	9	31	13	39	8
England/Wales	8	12	14	62	4
France	5	30	12	47	6
Italy	5	28	16	42	9
Canada	1	10	14	74	1
United States	1	9	3	84	3
Source: John Pucher, Transportation Quarterly, 98-1 (from various transport ministries and depts., latest avail. year)

It seems as though the Dutch have perfected the right balance of eating what they want with the right amount of exercise. In a country where bicycles seem to outnumber cars this should not be a big surprise. Let this serve as inspiration for those of us not lucky enough to live in the Netherlands. We can carb up on crackers, breads, and biscuits as we ride our bicycles to the next café!

References

Zec, Barbara. “The Netherlands: The Sweet Side of Bread.” Joomag. European Baker, 26 Sept. 2016.https://view.joomag.com/mag/0290516001474879532/p18. Accessed 21 June 2017.
Dunlop, Mandy. “How the Dutch Stay Slim.” Insider Views | Expatica the Netherlands. www.expatica.com/nl/insider-views/How-the-Dutch-stay-slim_106416.html. Accessed 21 June 2017.

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June 17, 2017August 6, 2017 by Lin Carson

Gluten-Free Bread and Celiac Disease: Day 73 and 74

Canyon Bakehouse sent me a couple loaves of gluten-free bread today. It looks like bread, has the texture of bread and it ate like bread. In the gluten-free world, great tasting breads like these are hard to come by!

Why am I featuring gluten-free?

Because there are currently around 3 million people who have celiac disease in the U.S.

Some of them are reading my blogs and wondering what alternatives they have. How can they join me on my bread journey?

Here are a few gluten-free bread options:

Canyon Bakehouse - gluten free - celiac disease

Bread by Canyon Bakehouse.

Maya delivered fresh baked gluten-free bread and cakes to me from Brazil. BRAZIL? Yes, you heard right. She read that I was on this amazing journey and wanted me to try her bread. Her tapioca based gluten-free bread tasted great as toast, and lacked the after taste of most gluten-free bread. Perhaps it’s the tapioca that makes her bread special. Thank-you Maya!

Bread and brownies from House of Maya.

Although some people are gluten-free by choice, some don’t have an option. Celiac disease affects one’s digestive process. When someone who has it eats gluten, their immune system is triggered to attack the small intestine, and stops the absorption of key nutrients.

Side effects include bloating, swelling, constipation, gas, chronic diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting.

More serious issues such as osteoporosis or neurological conditions can come about if the disease is undiagnosed.

Celiac is an inherited disease, so if someone in your family has it, there’s a chance you may as well. It is also more frequent in people who have related symptoms. However, it often goes undiagnosed or there is a delay in pinpointing the problem.

Thankfully for those suffering from celiac disease, new labeling laws has made it easier to identify food that’s safe to eat and gluten-free products are becoming more abundant. The gluten-free market is a booming one, making life a little bit easier.

There is also a strong community of support, ready to offer advice and guidance.

What does the future hold for the treatment of celiac disease? Eating gluten-free is easier than ever before, and it looks like that trend will continue. However, new research is finding pills that would make the small intestine less permeable to gluten or that would break down gluten, and drugs to counteract the effects of gluten to the small intestine. But as we still search for ways to make life easier for those with celiac disease, gluten-free breads that taste good go a long way!

Rotella’s Italian Bakery gluten-free bun.

Here’s what I ate on Days 73 and 74 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 73
DKB 21 G	5 Slices (45g)	600
DKB WBDR	6 Slices (40g)	660
Canyon Bakehouse 7 Grain	1 slice (34g)	90
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Strawberries	1C	50
Apple	1	95
Cherries	1C	74
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Meatballs	4pc	290
Greek Cheese Spread	1 Tbsp	23
Cauliflower	1 C	188
Total		2310


Day 74
DKB 21 G	4 Slices (45g)	480
DKB WBDR	3 Slices (40g)	330
Butter Croissant	60g	240
Peach Tart	1 pc	280
Canyon White	2 Slices (34g)	180
Canyon 7 grain	2 Slices (34g)	180
Mozerella cheese	3oz	240
Cherries	1 C	74
Lima Beans	1 C	110
Banana	1 pc	110
Calcium Supp
Total		2224

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May 28, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Week Eight Weigh-in

Day 49 weigh-in

Day 56 weigh-in

Traveling this week to the International Symposium on Bread made the last few days busy and full. But even with flying across the country, not having time to fit in all of my regular exercise, and good food and bread everywhere, I STILL did not put on a significant amount of weight. The deeper I go into this diet, the more I get used to what works and what doesn’t, and I feel I’m really hitting my stride.

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May 23, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Bread-heads, Bread-heads Everywhere: Day 50 and 51

It is the bread-lovers dream! This week Peter Reinhart from Johnson and Wales University hosted the first ever International Symposium on Bread. I was honored to be invited to this event and hang out with crazy bread-heads like myself. Peter is true to his vision in bringing together so many bakers, and lovers of the bread trade. It’s a great event that gathered bread experts, milers, agriculturists, bread historians bakers, and more.

The speakers were amazing!

Stefan Cappelle gave a talk, “The Future of Bread Lies in its Past,” about how we are re-discovering sourdoughs as a solution to more than just flavors by having a sourdough library.

Bread Heads pack the lecture hall at the first ever International Symposium on Bread

A whole host of other topics were touched on like Dr. Ann Madden’s talk on microorganisms, “New Microorganisms from Strange Places for Better Breads,” Tom Gumple’s presentation “Innovation, Compromise and Real Life—Finding the proper Balance in a Multi -Unit, Growing Company, or Francisco Migoya’s “Insights from Modernist Bread—Shaping the Future of Bread through Science. The days were packed full of speakers, socials and Q&A Panel.

Peter Reinhart, Executive Director, International Symposium on Bread

Puratos was the main sponsor of this event. So of course we got to taste phenomenal sourdough breads from them. I even got to tour their Sensobus!

Hats off to Eric and Tom from Panera bread. I was not expecting such push back from bread heads on me consuming so much bread. Eric questioned the philosophy behind me eating so much bread and was concerned that I was sending the wrong message to people who have diabetes. Again, to concur with Eric, this is not a diet meant for diabetics.

Though, I do think diabetics shouldn’t give up on eating bread. They should look for options like the Alvarado St. Bakery Diabetic Bread. In addition, Tom said what I’m doing is not anything new; it’s an exclusion diet. I agree with this too because what I have been doing is following the information that science has given me.

Here’s what I ate on Days 50 and 51 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 50
Whole Grain Bread	6 slices (40g)	500
Whole Grain Baguette	250g	300
Bread from King’s Kitchen	6 slices	400
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Honey Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Chicken Salad	1 C	105
Salad	1 C	120
Fruit Salad	1C	150
Macaroon	2	200
Walk		-200

Total		1975

Day 51
King’s Kitchen Rye Bread	4 slices	300
King’s Kitchen Ciabatta	4 slices	400
King’s Kitchen Egg Challah	3 slices	400
Puratos Whole grain roll	1 roll	150
Pesto	1 Tbsp	80
Mrs T’s Bloody Mary Mix	1/2 Can	35
Greek Salad	1 C	150
Dry Airline Pretzels	2 bags	160
Chicken skewer	1	200
Baklava		200
Sugar Free Strawberry Jam	1 Tbsp	20
Nutella	1 tbsp	100
Justin’s Almond Honey Nut Butter	1 Tbsp	190
Calcium Supp
Total		2385

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May 21, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

Week Seven Weigh-in

Day 42 weigh-in.

Day 49 weigh-in.

Weigh-in time again! As these two pictures clearly show, yes, you can maintain or even lose weight on a bread diet. Of course, exercise, the other food you eat, and how much you eat is important. That’s why I post my daily food and calorie logs, so you can see just how possible it is. Now if you will excuse me, I have some bread to go eat.

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May 21, 2017June 28, 2017 by Lin Carson

You’re Being Paid for Eating Bread: Day 47, 48 and 49

Someone said that to me today, to which I replied, “I wish, but don’t you think free bread is payment enough?” I mean, could I not be more thankful than eating the thing that I love the most at no additional cost to me! A loaf everyday? Honestly, no one needs to pay me for eating their bread, or to get a feedback on it.

If you’re in this industry baking bread, I know you do it out of the good intention of your heart. I’ve met all kinds of bakers through the years, and the most passionate of all of them are the bread bakers. They know the art, the science and how hard it is to truly bake bread and make a successful business out of it. Bread bakers are the most hardworking food manufacturers in the world. With every bite I take from a bag of bread, I am truly thankful for their product that makes it all the way into our homes. Nobody needs to pay me for saying this.

Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels.

Dave’s Killer Bread Cinnamon Raisin Remix Bagels.

Returning to Derek’s Spanish Inquisition yesterday, where he said I was overdoing it: well, maybe. Even my mom tells me I’m overdoing this diet. “No rice? Are you crazy?” She shakes her head in disappointment as I skip her very special Singaporean sambal fried rice. I feel the need to push this needle on eating as much bread as I can, so that I can persuade people on the fence that bread is safe to eat. There are too many people falling onto the other side with all the misinformation.

I need to make this information available so that that they can make an informed decision on the types of diets they go on. Derek also said that a high carb diet is hurtful to people, together with that much gluten.

Seriously.

Eating a high carb diet will not kill you (unless you are diabetic, you should stay away from a diet like this). It gives you plenty of energy to burn fat, and it reduces your cravings. Together with an active lifestyle (mine is about 35 mins of exercise everyday), a high carb diet is beneficial to maintaining weight.

Eating a total of 2 oz of gluten per day (there is about 2 tablespoons in a pound of bread) will not suddenly make you allergic to gluten. That is much less protein, than most paleo or keto diets, and much safer because it is a plant-based protein. Honestly, many dieters are downing bacon, hamburgers and sausages in larger quantities, and they are definitely not developing allergies to pork anytime soon.

This is not to mock people who are celiac or have gluten intolerance, but to provide the fact that gluten is a protein. Like any other protein in a normal active person, it doesn’t get preferential treatment nor is it singled out during digestion as a more problematic protein to digest. Gluten is a safe plant-based protein, and you should not be threatened by it.

I can go on and on about how bread can be part of a healthy diet. I hope bread companies can use the information that I share here to educate people on how safe eating bread can be. In addition, I’m not just one data point. I am an example of utilizing the information science has given me to help me guide my diet.

Use Science. It will make you love bread and carbs again.

I received a handful of Dave’s Killer bread today. In their new line of organic bagels, the Epic Everything and Cinnamon Raisin Remix bagels are seriously awesome. Haven’t tried it? Well, true to their brand, they delivered. Packed with 27 g of whole grains and 12 g of protein in each bagel, these bagels were epic-ly delicious!

Strawberry cream Cheese with the Cinnamon Raisin Remix bagel.

Grilled Mozzarella Cheese on 21 Whole Grains and Seeds.

Fried Egg and Cream Cheese on an Epic Everything Bagel.

Honey Oats and Flax French Toast with Maple Syrup and a side of bacon.

Here’s what I ate on Days 47, 48 and 49 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 47
21 Whole Grains and Seeds	6 slices (45g)	720
Cinnamon Raisin Remix	1 bagel (95g)	250
Epic Everything	1 bagel (95g)	260
Mozerella cheese	3oz	240
Lemon Curd	2 Tbsp	120
Sauteed Spinach	1 C	48
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Ricotta Cheese	1/4 C	100
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Fried Egg	1	78
Orange	1 orange	45
Berries &Mango Fruit Salad	1 C	120
Spring rolls	2	100
Bike & Walk		-300
Calcium Supp
Total		2021
Day 48
DKB Honey Oats and Flax	7 slices (42g)	770
Cinnamon Raisin Remix	1 bagel (95g)	250
Epic Everything	1 bagel (95g)	260
Greek Salad		400
Egg (for French Toast)	1	78
Pizza	1/2 Slice	300
Banana		105
Bacon	2 strips	90
Lemon Curd	2 Tbsp	120
Butter	2 Tbsp	120
Apple	1	95
Coconut water	2 C	100
Bike		-300
Run		-500
Total		1888
Day 49
DKB Honey Oats and Flax	4 slices (42g)	440
21 Whole Grains and Seeds	3 slices (45g)	360
Cinnamon Raisin Remix	1 bagel (95g)	250
Sourdough bread	95g	200
Turkey sandwich		200
Philadelphia strawberry cream cheese	1 Tbsp	35
Lemon Curd	2 Tbsp	120
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Butter	2 Tbsp	120
Cobb Salad w Steak		600
Fruit Salad	2 C	150
Run		-250
Total		2265

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May 18, 2017August 7, 2017 by Lin Carson

Eating Lots of Bread Can’t be Healthy: Day 45 and 46

Here I am at the halfway point. It feels like I’ve been doing it forever because I’m so used to this diet now. A friend of mine, Derek, caught up with me and we talked about me eating lots of bread. “Surely, you’re not showing this diet you’re on is a healthy diet, eating this much bread can’t be healthy, and you can’t promote eating so much bread.”

Really? I can’t? It was time to tell Derek that he’s not getting the correct information from the correct source.

This is exactly why I went on this diet challenge, without this journey, I can’t prove my point: EATING BREAD DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT OR UNHEALTHY. To further prove my point, I’m eating as much bread as a woman my age can humanly do. I believe Derek was trying to do an expose on my journey, and I wasn’t going to crumble under his questions. He is a strong believer in a low carb diet, which was the reason for his recent weight loss. We had a strong discussion on calories in and calories out, and I asked him to check out the calorie math that I have logged so far on my journey. I consume about 14,000 calories per week in total. After exercising an average of 35 mins every day, I was able to target about 2,000 almost every day.

There is no magic to this. I’m able to keep to my target weight, even after eating lots of bread every day because the math is right.

This is no secret. Nutritionists have practiced this method for ages. I’m not doing anything new, but try to fight the wrong keto and low carb information out there about bread.

Softgrain Sprouted Rye_eating lots of bread

Softgrain Sprouted Rye bread from Puratos.

Is eating lots of bread healthy?

“You can’t recommend this diet to anyone, it’s dangerous,” he said. Well firstly, I don’t recommend eating this much bread, because it takes a lot of effort to eat that much bread in a day and to maintain your weight. Secondly, I doubt if anyone is going to follow my steps to eat bread at every hour, it’s too troublesome, and definitely not a catchy diet to sell. I asked Derek why he thought it was unhealthy, and he said it was too high in carbs and so much gluten is not good for my health.

And there you have it, my friends. This information is roaming freely around the internet, yet there is no one to challenge it but on this blog.

While I’m trying to fight all this information about bread and healthy eating habits, I’m supported by the folks at Puratos, who sent me delicious crusty softgrain sprouted rye Artisan bread. It took me 2 days to finish a loaf each. I love eating crusty artisan style bread. Thank goodness, this journey has it rewards, or I would have given up some time ago.

At a reception with so many food choices. It’s easy to go wrong without my bread diet.

A healthy sprouted grain artisan loaf by Puratos.

Luckily, I brought my sprouted grain artisan loaf. Here, I ate it with about 1/2 Cup of Ceviche.

Here’s what I ate on Days 44 and 46 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 45
Sprouted Grain Bread	1 loaf	1100
Smoked Ham	4 Slices	60
Ricotta Cheese	1/4 C	100
Ceviche	1/2 C	100
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Ricotta Cheese	1/4 C	100
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Orange	1 orange	45
Justin’s Nut Butter	2 Tbsp	190
Bike		-100
Coconut water	1 L	180
Calcium Supp
Total		2015
Day 46
Artisan sourdough	1 loaf	1100
Salami	6 Slices	180
Ricotta Cheese	1/4 C	100
Butter	4 Tbsp	400
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Ricotta Cheese	1/4 C	100
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Orange	1 orange	45
Papaya	1C	67
Steamed Brocolli	1C	30
Apple	1	95
Run		-300
Calcium Supp
Total		2057

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May 17, 2017August 9, 2017 by Katie Jones

Are Carbs Good or Bad for Your Weight?

We all have heard that carbs are bad when it comes to weight loss. It is no secret that eliminating ALL carbs from your diet will show weight loss in the short term. But, do you know how important carbohydrates are to keep your body functioning? Let’s take a look at this BAD molecule so you can see why it is really BAD ASS!

Can I eat a lot of carbs and still lose weight?

Carbohydrates are nutrients whose main role is to provide energy to the body. Carbohydrates are classified into various groups, the main ones being fibers, starches and sugars which are found in foods. Being one of the basic nutrients of the body, carbohydrates are important to your health. They are found in various foods such as bread, milk products, vegetable products, fruit and grains.

The nervous system and the muscles are involved in all of your daily activities. They require higher amounts of energy to function properly. This energy is obtained from carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates also prevent proteins from being used as alternative sources of energy and aid in metabolizing fat.

In general, carbohydrates provide energy to the body through oxidation, they supply the body with carbon which is essential in the synthesis of cell components, serves as a form of stored chemical energy, and they are part of the structures of some cells and tissues. Carbohydrates are classified into simple and complex carbohydrates.

Simple vs. complex carbs

Simple carbohydrates are those that that have only one or two sugars such as galactose which is found in milk products and fructose which is found in fruits. Those with single sugars are called monosaccharides while those with two sugars are called disaccharides. Simple carbohydrates are digested and absorbed quickly and easily. They have a huge impact on your blood sugar levels.

Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides and have three or more sugars. They are commonly called starchy foods and they include cereals, whole grains, bread, corn, potatoes, and peas among others.

carbs, weight, bread, simple carbs, complex carbs, diet

Health benefits

Carbohydrates have various health benefits according to an article by the Poliquin Group.⁴ Some health benefits of consuming foods rich in carbohydrates include faster loss of fat from the body, easy maintenance of the body weight, faster muscle recovery, reduced risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, reduced risks of type 2 diabetes when consumed as whole grains, and improved overall well being.

Bread, especially when it is made with 100% whole grains, are very important because they provide fiber to the body.

These fibers improve the movements in the gastrointestinal tract by softening and increasing the bulkiness of stool. Fiber also provides relief from irritable bowel syndrome.

As Lin’s “Eat Bread 90” continues you can see that eating bread has helped her stay fuller, maintain her weight, and hopefully have regular GI movements! For all these reasons we believe carbs are not BAD. We believe carbs are BAD ASS especially in the form of bread!

References

Shea, Lisa. Carb Charts: Low Carb Reference.Kindle ed., Minerva Webworks, 2015.
Ruud, Jaime S. Nutrition and the Female Athlete. Boca Raton, CRC Press, 1996.
Owusu-Apenten, Richard K. Introduction to Food Chemistry. Boca Raton, Fla: CRC Press, 2014.
“Seven Reasons To Eat Carbohydrates.” Poliquin Group. 16 Jan. 2014. 2017. http://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1100/Seven_Reasons_To_Eat_Carbohydrates.aspx Accessed 11 May 2017.

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