Different Diet, Same Idea: Calorie Deficiency.

Week 9: Different Diet, Same Idea: Calorie Deficiency

Did you know that approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese? These numbers are astounding as obesity has become the second leading cause of preventable death behind smoking. It’s not about looking good or attractive, it’s about the diseases that arise as a result of obesity like type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Remember, these are preventable, as long as you exercise and maintain a healthy BMI.

What is BMI?

BMI stands for body mass index. It measures your body fat compared to your weight and hight. Your total body mass is divided by the square of your body hight, which results in your BMI. You can calculate it with online tools like this one. Based on the ratio, BMI gives you a good idea if you are in a healthy range or not for your weight based on body build.

Can I control my BMI with calorie deficiency?

Calorie deficiency is by far the most effective and easily implemented method of targeting a lower BMI. Do I believe that other diets work besides a high-carb diet? I do, but these are harsher and most of them work on the same principles: calorie deficiency and limitation of variety.

Some of these diets have been around for ages:

  • Atkin’s Diet
  • North Beach Diet
  • South Beach Diet
  • Protein Power diet
  • Zone Diet
  • Fat Flush Diet
  • Schwarzbein Principle
  • Neanderthin Diet
  • Pritikin Diet
  • Ornish Diet
  • Keto Diet

Although each of these diets have their own nuances, most focus around the idea of a high-protein and low-carb diet. They also mostly include portion control and calorie deficiency.

So if they all cut out carbs, how can a high-carb diet be healthy?

Because it all comes down to the amount you put in, and the amount you eliminate through exercise.

These diets are built around the idea that carbs will add too many calories. True, there are bad carbs that come from simple sugars and starches which quickly turn into glucose. However, this doesn’t mean all carbs are bad, or that bread isn’t healthy. Whole grains provide needed nutrients. And bread can be be high in protein and fiber, which helps replace digestible carbs and fats.

 

Plus, a high-carb diet doesn’t have as many negative effects.

Still not sure about a high-carb diet? Just take a look at these two photos:

My weight at the start of the 90 days.

The first weigh-in: 147.4

 

Week 9 weigh in for Eat Bread 90: 142.4 lbs.

Week 9 weigh in: 142.4 lbs.

The perfect diet: is it bread?

Week 8: The Perfect Diet: Is it Bread?

Here I am at week 8, and slowly but surely losing weight using a high-carb diet. Why is this the easiest thing in the world? Well, because I don’t need to think too much about it. The nicest thing about sliced bread, especially the whole grain bread, is it’s very portable and tasty.

Alright, stop looking at me strange. It’s true. Try it for yourself. Reach out for a Dave’s Killer Bread, Eureka or a Franz organic loaf, and you will soon agree with me that these breads are so good, you can eat it without anything.

As I run from meetings to meetings at BAKERpedia, there is nothing better than food just waiting for me. I don’t need to think. It’s a grab-and-go situation. For this particular aspect, it’s not junk food that I am grabbing. It’s a wholesome, nutritious product filled with vitamins and minerals because I mainly consume whole grain bread.

The bran (outer layer) contains the largest amount of fiber, the endosperm (middle layer) contains mostly protein and carbohydrates along with small amounts of B vitamins, and the germ (inner part) is a rich source of trace minerals, unsaturated fats, B vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients

Thinking of cutting bread from your diet?

No way, I tell everyone. Here’s why:

  • It lowers your “bad” cholesterol, which lowers your chance of hear disease.
  • It’s high in dietary fiber, which is not only is good for you and your gut health, but also helps you feel full longer!
  • It’s full of essential minerals, such as  calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Like I talked about last week, it is a way to get needed nutrient density like thiamin, calcium folate and magnesium.
  • It gives you energy!
  • It’s quick, easy, and delicious!

There are few foods that can give you the nutrition you need, and also cut back on cravings for more food. And you can get bread anywhere, and take it on the go! Now that sounds like the perfect diet to me!

 

My weight at the start of the 90 days.

The first weigh-in: 147.4

 

Week 8 weigh in for Eat Bread 90: 143 lbs.

Week 8 weigh in: 143 lbs.

whole grains , wheat, grains, grain

So Many Grains, So Little Time: Day 39

I remembered asking Dave Dahl why he created 21 Whole Grains and Seeds. His answer was that he wanted to pack as much nutrition as he possibly could into one loaf of bread. Dave’s Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds has 5g of protein, 5g of fiber and 22g of whole grains per slice! You can get a whole day’s nutrition just by eating this loaf of bread.

21 whole grains and seeds by Dave's Killer Bread.

21 whole grains and seeds by Dave’s Killer Bread.

The proteins are from a combination of grains and seeds, so its amino acid profile is undeniably superior than any other breads. It is just an incredible loaf of bread packed with all the grains and seeds you can possibly imagine. No wonder it’s rated America’s Favorite Organic Sliced Bread (Source: IRI 2016).

This is an excellent bread for an active lifestyle. Especially for me this week, as I take my training outdoors to enjoy the start of sunny spring weather in Portland. I want you to know that eating 14 slices is not an easy task. It’s not the bread (because it is a really moist, delicious bread) but the task of eating and reminding myself to not stop eating throughout the day that is rather challenging to do.

On top of that, I had a brunch meeting (of Croissant and Cranberry Sourdough) which sent me into a bread overload today.  Fortunately, I had the chance to ride my bicycle and run outside.

Here’s what I ate on Day 39 of EB90:

Food Portion Calories
DKB 21 Thins 14 slices (28g) 840
Croissant 40g 171
Cranberry Sourdough 50g 200
Butter 2 Tbsp 200
Nutella 1 Tbsp 100
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam 2 Tbsp 40
Ham 6 slices 120
Carrots 100g 35
Hummus 2 Tbsp 100
Milk Chocolate 230 230
Calcium Supp
Bike & Run -200
Total 1836

 

bread misconceptions and myths

10 Bread Misconceptions Debunked

When did bread become the enemy to healthy living?  Bread has been around since the beginning of civilization. It is a fundamental food containing gut-healthy fiber, magnesium and protein.

Bread has served as a lunch time companion to meat and veggies or an accompaniment to soup at supper. And where would our breakfasts be without toast or french bread? Cruising around the internet, however, I read so many bread misconceptions and myths.

bread misconceptions, bread myths, bread, healthy

Here are the top 10 bread misconceptions:

  1. Bread makes you fat
  2. Bread causes bloating
  3. Brown bread is healthier than white
  4. Bread causes joint inflammation
  5. Bread is empty calories
  6. Bread causes diarrhea
  7. Eating bread is bad for your blood sugar
  8. Bread is less nutritious than it used to be
  9. Gluten Free bread is healthier
  10. Bread is high in salt

If you follow along with us at EB90 we will be setting the record straight on these common myths. But here I’ll address a few.

Bread makes you fat. False. A bad ratio of calories in and calories out, along with eating food low in nutrition and high in fats, makes you fat. However, by balancing your calorie intake there is plenty of room for bread in a healthy diet. In fact, whole grain breads offer needed nutrients, like fiber, and help you feel full longer.

Brown bread is healthier than white bread. Not quite. The color of bread depends on the type of wheat used: white wheat or red wheat. The nutrition depends on how much of the whole kernel of wheat is used. So you can eat whole grain white bread, that is chalk full of nutrition. Here’s one that I like. Just look for whole grain breads, and you’ll be getting the healthier loaf.

Bread is empty calories. Nope. Bread is bursting with ingredients we need in our daily diet. With whole grain bread, you receive high amounts of fiber and protein. Plus, whole grains are good for your heart.

Eating bread is bad for your blood sugar. Not with this bread! There are a number of breads that have a low GI index and still taste great.

Gluten-free bread is healthier. Actually, it’s usually the opposite. In order to replace grains that have gluten, gluten-free breads use ingredients like rice, potatoes and tapioca. These food are high in starch and sugar. Plus, there is usually little fiber. And unless you are suffering from celiac disease, there’s no reason to cut out gluten.

What bread myths have you been telling yourself?

whole wheat bread- eat bread 90-gluten myth-blood sugar-diet

Setting the Gluten Myth Straight: Day 4

I have met many concerned individuals these days. Some of them keep telling me the gluten myth: if I consume to much, I’ll develop an allergy. Really guys, if you studied my numbers, the amount of gluten (which is protein) in a pound of bread would be no more than 68g or about 2oz.

That is much less protein than a beef patty in a hamburger. Proteins are made of amino acids, and they all get digested the same way. I believe the likelihood of me developing celiac disease from eating 2oz of gluten every day is slim to none. So that deals with one gluten myth.

 

Klosterman Whole Wheat Organic_gluten myth

Organic 100% Whole Wheat from Klosterman Organic Bakery

The gluten myth aside…

Someone asked me yesterday if I felt hungry during the day, since bread is known to cause spikes in blood sugar levels. I explained to that person that I had to eat at least a slice of bread every hour. So no, my body will never have that opportunity to be hungry.

This is because my blood sugar will not rise or fall since I am eating all the time. Was that part of my intelligent eating strategy? No. As I said, my strategy is simple: eat bread regularly all throughout the day so that I don’t suffer in the evening stuffing my face.

Today, I opened a loaf of Organic 100% Whole Wheat from Klosterman Organic Bakery.  It is a tasty whole wheat, with a great aroma. Compared to many other breads, this bread was much lower in sugar and sodium. That is a great plus in my books. Why? Because I can plaster on more spreads, silly! No, I’m really kidding. I had to actually stop myself from putting on more spreads because my caloric count would be compromised. This is a bread diet, not a jams and spreads diet.

 

bread with curry-eat bread 90_gluten myth

Curry with my bread.

This bread was such a versatile bread, it went well with curry. I enjoyed my curry tonight, but I don’t think I will do it soon again because the fat from the coconut milk in the curry took away from my total calorie count.  “But coconut fat is good for you…” ladies and gentlemen, fat is fat in my books. I’ve heard people commenting that avocado and coconut fat is superior to other fats. What is the source of that B******?

If you’re measuring and comparing the quality of fat, you are consuming too much fat.

Fat should be consumed in small amounts, regardless of source. Yes, I’d rather eat lard than coconut fat, but that’s another conversation for another day. No more curry for the next 86 days please.

Here’s what I ate on Day 4 of EB90:

Food Portion Calories
Klosterman 100% Whole Wheat Bread 11 slices 1100
Weight Watchers Whipped Cream Cheese Spread 1 Tbsp 30
Almond Breeze Chocolate Almond Milk 1 Cup 100
Boar’s Head Smoked Ham 2 oz 60
Nutella 2 tbsp 200
Kale (cooked) 1 C 33
Strawberries 1C 47
Caramels 2 100
Curry 1 C 400
Orange 1 orange 45
Calcium Supp
Walk -152
Total 1963