bread Archives | Page 2 of 9

April 2, 2018May 5, 2018 by Lin Carson

Why I Revealed My Weight on Stage

Standing in front of hundreds of baking professionals this week, I was sharing about my EatBread90 journey. Many of them were there to see if I really ate a loaf a day.

Did you actually do it? What happened? Did you eat white bread as well? There’s no way you’re that weight! How can you not gain weight with this much bread? You must be really young to not gain all this weight.

The questions after the presentation were endless. This is what I wanted. I secretly planned the aftermath of this experiment. Which is, to get bread to be the topic of healthy eating again. And I did it. I sparked the idea in people’s minds that bread could possibly be healthy!

So why did I really reveal my weight in journey on stage?

Well, because I wanted to answer the varied questions about how bread can be healthy with just pictures. You see, if bread is the villain that everyone paints it to be, I would have gained a lot of weight. At 1 lb of bread a day, about 1,400 calories, I would have at least gained at least 30 lbs in 90 days right? These pictures pretty much said it all. The idea that eating bread makes you gain weight is a myth.

Now it’s time to take this experiment to the next level. Can you lose weight with bread in your diet? For the next 90 days tune in and read my blogs to see if I get lucky with this experiment.

As for the rest of you that consistently insist that bread still makes you gain weight, and that only a low carb and high protein diet works for you: understand that I will be using lipid catabolism, a well known fat burning technique, to use bread to loose weight. Wanna learn more? Go to eatbread90.com

My weight during Eat Bread 90

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July 13, 2017March 21, 2018 by Lin Carson

Is This the End of My Bread Diet? What a Journey it’s Been!

“Aren’t you glad you’re not on your bread diet anymore?”

Honestly, it’s with a heavy heart that I agree with that statement. Mainly because I am sad I’ve come to the end of this bread diet. I’ve indulged in eating a loaf a day, and It’s been 90 days of non-stop eating for me to get all that bread down.

I’ve eaten bread from far-away places, and more bread than anyone I know. I’m so honored to the bakers from around America, across the sea to Germany and Switzerland and all the way south from Brazil. Thank you for sending in your bread, thank you for supporting me on this journey. Thank you for assisting me in my message that BREAD IS NOT BAD.

Throughout my bread diet, so many people have pulled me aside to warn me. And here are what many of them said to me:

Bread is bad for you, it will make you put on weight.
Do you know gluten causes inflammation in your body?
Man was not designed to digest grains, eating all that bread would cause you to become intolerant to gluten.
Bread is a processed food that you need to avoid.
White bread is so bad for you, avoid at all cost.

Guess what? None of that is true.

I have not gained a single pound eating a loaf a day and my energy levels, are through the roof.

The whole purpose of my journey was to disprove these biased, non-science based information on bread. I’ve eaten bread all my life, I play with it, I research it. I know the science behind it. That is why I started this journey—to eat so much bread so that I can prove that it is safe to consume bread.

Is a Bread Diet for Everyone?

If you suffer from diabetes, absolutely not. But don’t discount the low GI breads that I experienced on my journey. You should check those out my blog on Days 19 and 31. For people with Celiac disease, you can consume gluten-free breads and they can be found on my blogs on Days 30 and 73. For the majority of the American population, bread is a nutritious portable food that is safe for consumption.

You know, I’ve received a lot of criticism concerning how I carried out my journey. One of them was, “Hey Lin, you are only one data point, that doesn’t prove anything.” Just let me be clear. I was not carrying out an experiment. I was using data and science-based information that has been generated from decades of research, to show that those experiments and nutritional information on bread work. And I’ve proven it.

king street station - eat bread 90, places - bread diet- healthy - bread myths

I want people to use the info on EatBread90.com to fight the common misconception of bread.

Know that all the information we have collected here is based on science. Thus information will be great to share with your families and friends that have all of a sudden developed a disliking for bread. They somehow become this way because some website selling new age remedies has turned them away from grains and wheat.

If you’re a baker, I hope you use our EatBread90 blogs to help you in your bread journey. I’ve created enough information for you to help you in your business. As you know, I have a soft spot for bakers. Check out my blogs on Days 12, 58, 62, 75, and 90 for innovative ideas.

For the Love of Bread

Because of you, I am working on our next project: Body by Bread. I can’t talk too much about it right now, but it does involve a community that supports bread and whose lifestyles are bread centric. So stay tuned.

It’s been an awesome and life-changing journey. Thank you for reading this blog, thank you for your tremendous support. Thank you for loving bread. This couldn’t be possible without you. Thank you.

Lin EB90cpodcast 2, pitching a loaf, podcast-bread diet- bread myths-whole grains healthy diet

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July 3, 2017July 13, 2017 by Katie Jones

Caution: May Contain White Bread

There is nothing quite like the soft, squishy texture of commercial white bread. These days your friends would call the food police if they found a loaf of brightly packaged white bread sitting on your kitchen counter. “Sally, step away from the loaf and put your butter knife down!”

White bread ranks highest of all the evils of bread consumption for being unhealthy.

But did you know you can still enjoy the doughy goodness of white bread with better nutritional value?

Not all white bread is created equal. If you want the best version, check the ingredient label for white whole wheat flour. The basis of good bread is flour. White whole wheat flour is not a bleached version of whole wheat flour; i.e., it is not the same as the white refined flour that many are trying to avoid. It is a flour made from grinding the entire hard white wheat kernel. You get all the fiber, vitamins and nutrients of the whole grain.

Let’s look at a nutritional comparison of three types of flour:

Flour	Calories	Fat	Carbs	Fiber	Sugars	Protein	Iron	Magnesium	Phosphorus	Enriched
Whole wheat	140	1g	27g	5g	1g	7g	10%	15%	15%
White whole wheat	130	0.5g	27g	9g	0g	4g	8%	10%	10%
Enriched white	100	0g	22g	<1g	<1g	3g	6%			10%/ 6%/ 8%/ 10%

Serving size is ¼ cup of flour.

From the table we can see that, nutritionally speaking, none of these flours is high in fat or sugar. I was surprised to see that the white whole wheat has a slightly higher fiber content than the other two. The enriched flour started as a red wheat berry that was milled and refined, removing the bran and germ. We started milling the flour this way to achieve a finer-texture grain and to improve the shelf life of the flour.

You have probably noticed that whole grain bread has a coarser texture than billowy white bread. Unfortunately, all of this processing removes fiber, iron, and B vitamins, which are then added back as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid. Many health issues point to refined white flour as the culprit. Its ease of digestibility due to lack of fiber is also to blame for blood sugar spikes.

Bakers are always innovating ways to keep bread in vogue. More whole grain breads line the supermarket shelves with seeds, nuts, and ancient grains. For those of us who just really loved white bread but were told to consume it with caution in order to stay thin and healthy, white whole wheat may be the answer.

Now we can choose the latest trend in the whole grain bread aisle — white whole grain bread!

If you want to learn more about whole grains, refined grains and healthy diet choices, check out choosemyplate.gov.

To read about baking with whole wheat flour, enriched flour, or white whole wheat flour, head over to BAKERpedia for all things baking-related.

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July 3, 2017July 13, 2017 by Lin Carson

A Tradition in Swiss Bread: Day 89 and 90

Eat bread from Switzerland? I don’t know if I’ve ever tasted bread from there before! I am really amazed that the news of me eating bread has spread all the way to that part of the world. Least to say, I was very honored when bread from Pain Paillasse® came to me overnight. All I had to do was refresh it in the toaster oven for 10 minutes. Just like that and it was crispy on the outside, but moist and chewy on the inside.

A delicious sesame loaf and a chunky olive loaf. Each of them had a great chew with a very crispy crust. A light sour lingers on the taste buds after eating the bread.

Pain Paillase is a unqiue hand-shaped bread made with a natural leaven and long fermentation time. It’s comes from the largest traditional bakery in Switzerland, with all bread cooked by wood fire. The bakery and bread owes it start to life-time baker Aimé Pouly. He opened his first bakery when he was just 24 years-old. By the 1990s, there were 11 bakeries and pain Paillasse bread—Pouly’s patented bread recipe—made its appearance.

“…we called this bread “pain Paillasse” in memory of the simple straw mattress on which bakers used to sleep while their dough rose.” – Aimé Pouly

The bakery and bread continued to gain popularity and awards. Pouly’s daughter, Sindy, now carries on the tradition paved by her late father, still using the original recipe.

What makes Pain Paillasse so special?

The key characteristics of the loaf is intensive dough hydration, extended fermentation time (24 hours), the use of a stone or wood oven and 100% all-natural ingredients.

The result is a beautiful crunchy crust, open crumb and rustic loaf with an authentic taste.

It’s a labor-intensive bread that needs highly-skilled bakers. Yet the bakery has created an industrial process. Anyone who produces Paillasse bread is carefully selected, trained and followed by the Pain Paillasse team. And you sure can taste the care and effort that goes into their bread!

Here’s what I ate on Days 89 and 90 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 89
Bagels	200g	520
Panne Paillaise Sesame	5 slices (30g)	450
Panne Paillaise Olive	5 slices (30g)	450
Berry Cream Cheese	2 Tbsp	50
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Brats	66g	196
Cauliflower	1 C	60
Banana	1 pc	110
Cycle/swim		-400
Total		1876
Day 90
Bagels	200g	520
Panne Paillaise Sesame	5 slices (30g)	450
Panne Paillaise Olive	5 slices (30g)	450
Hot Dog and Bun		270
Greek Cheese Spread	1 Tbsp	22.5
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Croissant		240
Asparagus	1 C	27
Steak and Onions		200
Egg	1	78
Zucchini	1 C	68
Peanut Butter	1 Tbsp	95
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Cycle/Swim/Run		-800
Total		1860.5

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July 1, 2017July 6, 2017 by Lin Carson

Not All Breads are Baked: Day 87 and 88

Steamed buns just might be the world’s most perfect food! Also known as Mantou, the history of steamed buns dates back over 2,000 years ago. The origin varies depending on who is telling the story. I discovered that Zhuge Liang (181-234), is credited with inventing the stuffed meat version of steamed buns.

Zhuge Liang was a military strategist on an expedition in southern China. Difficulties during the expedition called for the sacrifice of a human head to appease the gods. Rather than kill an innocent human, Liang ordered his solders to kill some of their animals. The meat was then placed in a flour dough and shaped like a head before being steamed. These fake heads tricked the gods and good fortune followed. It is our good fortune that Zhuge Liang created the first meat filled steam buns!

Today you can find steamed buns in many varieties. They can be plain or stuffed with meats, vegetables, or sweet fillings.

The simple combination of flour, salt, yeast and sugar is mixed together and allowed to rise. The dough is then cut into equal portions, filled, shaped, and placed in a steamer to cook. The result? Bread so light it melts in your mouth.

A handmade steam bun stuffed with pork from a food truck in Portland, OR.

Steamed buns are portable, delicious, and worthy of serving to the gods. For all the bread fans who want to try this form of bread, they are readily accessible at any Asian food supermarket in the frozen section.

Whole wheat steamed buns (Mantou) are delicious and nutritious. They are usually eaten with stews, or eaten instead of rice or noodles.

For a look at how pork buns are made see this video. The technique the baker uses to shape the buns prior to steaming is a true art form!

Sweet Azuki (Red) Bean filled steam buns are usually consumed as a snack or for breakfast.

Here’s what I ate on Days 87 and 88 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 87
Whole wheat toast	5 slices (40g)	500
Focaccia Bread	2 slices (60g)	280
Sourdough Bread	2 slices (38g)	200
Steamed Pork Bun	60g	150
Steamed Azuki Bun	60g	160
Whole Wheat Mantou	40g	100
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Cherries	1C	74
Tomato Soup	1C	75
Stir Fried Vegetables	125g	36
Total		2015
Day 88
Multigrain toast	3 slices	330
Panne Paillaise Sesame	5 slices (30g)	450
Panne Paillaise Olive	5 slices (30g)	450
Hard boiled egg	1	78
Steamed Brocolli	1C	30
Sausage Pesto Raviolli	1C	200
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Sugar Free Strawberry Jam	2 Tbsp	40
Strawberry Cake		350
Run		-300
Total		2028

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June 29, 2017July 6, 2017 by Lin Carson

Flatbread: Bread is Bread! Day 85 and 86

Every culture has a version of flatbread. Originally, it was an unleavened dough that was rolled out flat and baked. Bakers around the world have taken the simple ingredients of flour, water and salt and tweaked it slightly. In Greece we have pitas, in Mexico we have tortillas, and in Norway we have flatbrød. Pizza, though debated due to the addition of yeast, is now considered a flatbread.

Flatbread vs a similar loaf bread has the nutritional and calorie profile gram for gram.

Here is a nutritional comparison of some major brands and types. I added pizza to the comparison just for fun.

Brand	Type	Serving size	Calories per serving	Sodium/Carbs/Fiber/sugar/protein
Arnold	100% whole wheat sandwich thins	43 grams	100	170 mg/22g/5g/2g/5g
Arnold	100% whole wheat bread	43 grams	100	150mg/18g/3g/3g/4g
Mission	Tortilla whole wheat	45 grams	130	280mg/22g/3g/2g/4g
Stonefire	Whole grain Naan	63 grams (half of Naan)	180	400mg/28g/4g/3g/5g
Freschetta Artisan Crust Four Cheese Pizza	Whole wheat crust cheese pizza	126g	320	670mg/38g/4g/9g/15g
Pizza calculated to match other serving sizes	126/2.9=	63g	110	231mg/13g/1.3g/3.1g/5g

Flatbreads can be eaten with any toppings you can think of. How about fresh sliced peaches and ricotta cheese for a boost in calcium. If savory is more your thing try some grilled lamb or beef on your flatbread.

Lamb Shawarma served on an Egyptian flatbread from a Portland food truck.

I made my way down to a new Piadina food truck in Portland. My bread was made fresh on the grill. It took about 15 mins to get my Prosciutto Piadina, but the fluffiness of the flatbread, paired with prosciutto and crisp from the grill is worth it. Who knew that this form of Italian street food can contribute to my bread diet?

The Prosciutto Piadina was stuffed with mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, pesto, arugala and its crust was just crispy and delicious.

So eating artisan bread, whole grain bread, sweet bread, or flatbread all count the same as far as calories.

Thinner bread doesn’t always mean better just as artisan does not always mean healthier. Just breaking more bread myths on days 85 and 86!

Here’s what I ate on Days 85 and 86 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 85
Multigrain Bread	9 slices (40g)	990
Crab Legs	9 oz	260
Hot Dog	1	170
Fruit Salad	1 C	204
Lamb Shawarma	100g	450
Run		-300
Total		1,774

Day 86
Multigrain Bread	3 slices (40g)	330
Bagel	200g	520
Turkey Croissant	85g	240
Beef Ribs	1pc	430
Prosciutto Piadina	50g	400
Apple	1	95
Cherries	1C	74
Walk		-200
Total		1,889

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June 28, 2017July 6, 2017 by Lin Carson

Week Twelve Weigh-in

Day 77 weigh-in: 148.6.

Day 84: 147.4

I can’t believe it. Just under a week left in my ninety days. Of course, it would take until the end for me to start eating pizza. But as we draw near the end, my weight is just where I thought it would be. Are you surprised? Make sure to check back in at the end of the 90 days to see what I end up with!

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June 27, 2017July 5, 2017 by Lin Carson

I Found a Pearl in Portland: Day 82, 83 and 84

Delicious, crusty and full of aroma. The bread I received from Pearl Bakery had a great texture and was bursting with flavor. This is probably due to their different leavening methods and preferments that extends their fermentation and provides each variety of bread its own unique flavor. Pearl Bakery’s breads are made only with unbleached wheat flour, water, sea salt, and sometimes yeast. They do not add preservatives or dough conditioners. I examined their fermentation methods and these were what I learned.

Pearl bakery’s shelf is stuffed daily with a large variety of crusty artisan breads.

PAIN POOLISH

Pearl bakery uses a Poolish that is a liquid, yeast-based starter that is allowed to ferment for 16-24 hours before being mixed into dough. This starter imparts a nutty, rich aroma, crisp crust and soft, open crumb. Breads like their baguette, parisienne and ficelle use this polish.

My delicious Wheat Levain loaf that has a sweet and smooth sour to the bite.

PAIN AU LEVAIN

Some of their breads like the Wheat Levain, Walnut Levain and Pane Coli Santi are made with a special levain. Levain is a culture of flour and water in which wild yeast and flavor-producing bacteria naturally occur. This is a traditional french sourdough, with a mild, complex tang. No commercial yeast is added to these breads whose pre-ferments require daily feedings of flour and water to maintain the delicate balance between yeast and bacteria. Pearl Bakery’s Pain au Levain is characterized by a dense crumb, chewy crust, and slightly sour flavor great with cheeses and charcuterie.

A crusty loaf of Pane Coli Santi.

Pugliese is their signature bread. It has enormously large holes with a delicious, chewy crust. A silky texture is created through the addition of extra virgin olive oil. Their Ciabatta is merely a smaller version of Pugliese. They also offer it in loaf that is jam-packed with kalamata olives.

Pearl bakery olive ciabatta fermentation

An olive ciabatta loaf.

PAESANO

Their popular Paesano is an Italian country bread leavened with a pate fermentee: a portion of yesterday’s dough that is held over to spur fermentation and enhance flavor. A mixed starter is made from a hunk of pate fermentee, water and flour. This is fermented for a number of hours before being mixed into dough. With its fine, tender crumb and thin crust, Paesano is great for sandwiches bruschetta, or alongside a bowl of pasta. This dough also makes up our famous, hand-knotted Kaiser Rolls.

I ate their multigrain loaf that is loaded with whole grains and seeds, and it is absolutely delicious.

The Pearl Bakery is a Portland staple. Nestled on the edge of the Pearl District near Powells City of Books, it supplies bread to well over 20 local restaurants and stores. What started as a small bakery in the late 90s has sure grown! The company is very environmentally conscious, from their packaging, to power source (pollution-free wind power) to their baking formula. Their artisan, hand crafted breads are made with organic, sustainable, local ingredients as much as possible. Probably part of the reason their products taste so good!

Here’s what I ate on Days 82, 83 and 84 of EB90:

Food	Portion	Calories
Day 82
Pearl St
Multigrain	4 slices (40g)	600
Sourdough	4 slices (40g)	500
Croissant		240
Brioche	1 bun (80g)	177
Chicken and Spanish Rice and Beans	1 C	300
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Coconut water	2C	100
Pineapple	3 oz	41
Total		2,158
Day 83
Pearl St
Multigrain	4 slices (40g)	600
Sourdough	4 slices (40g)	500
Ricotta	1/4 C	100

Cherries	1C	74
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Oreo Thins		200
Hamburger and Corn on Cob		400
Total		2,074

Day 84
Pearl St
Multigrain	5 slices (40g)	750
Sourdough	4 slices (40g)	500
Nutella	2 tbsp	200
Coconut water	2C	100
Southwest Chicken Salad		300
Total		1,850

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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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