Biblical bread

Flex, June, 2007 by Jordana Brown

If you follow Jay Cutler's career at all, you'll know that he had a little secret that helped him win the Olympia last September. That secret? Bread. Yes, Cuts is probably the only bodybuilder ever to consider bread among his Olympia-winning nutrition tools.

Keep in mind, we're not talking about Wonder Bread. What Cutler consumed during his competition training was Ezekiel 4:9 bread. Named for a passage in the Bible (bonus points if you can guess which one) that advises taking grains and legumes, mixing them together and making bread, Ezekiel bread contains no flour. Instead it's a mix of--surprise--organic sprouted whole grains (wheat, millet, spelt and barley) and legumes (lentils and soybeans). The result contains a mere 80 calories and 0.5 gram of fat per slice.

The real story here (and the science behind Cutler's nutritional successes) are the protein and carb counts in Ezekiel bread. Because it mixes grains and legumes (and contains soybeans), the bread is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine of the amino acids your body can't produce on its own. Complementing the 4 g of complete protein per slice is its low carb content. All the grains are whole and not ground into flour, so Ezekiel bread boasts 15 g of extremely slow-burning carbs per slice. Whereas childhood favorite Wonder Bread gets a ranking of about 71 on the glycemic index, Ezekiel rates a demure 36. The lower the number, the slower digesting the food. That equates to a more modest insulin response, which can help keep off bodyfat. That, of course, means that you shouldn't eat Ezekiel bread within an hour after working out, which is when you want a quick and powerful insulin response. Otherwise, though, it can be a potent weapon in your nutritional arsenal.

--Jordana Brown FLEX