Here's why is baking so good for you

We know baking is fun, but why is it so good for you?  

Who better than a keen baker and bakery owner to ask to unveil the reasons why baking is the best. Rosie Daykin, begun a career as an interior designer but she then transformed her dream of opening a bakery into a true success story. She is the owner of Butter Baked Goods in Vancouver and the author of the book of the same name.

Procrastibaking

I can always find a reason to bake something. Quite often that reason is to avoid doing something else. Like, for instance, writing this essay. I just realized as I am sitting here trying to compose my thoughts in a cohesive and compelling manner that I have a really, really important batch of cookies to make. I’ll be right back, I swear.

It’s therapeutic

I subscribe to two kinds of therapy: baking and hot baths. No matter how stressful a day at work I may have had, there is peace to be found while standing at the mixer. And no, the irony of me also being a bakery owner is not lost on me. There is something about the simple act of gathering the most basic of ingredients, carefully measuring, mixing, and scooping in the quiet of my kitchen that causes my shoulders to drop and my breathing to slow. It’s a task that requires just enough focus to help me forget the issues of the day but not taxing enough to distract me from daydreaming about a tropical vacation.

Life skills

I can’t sing or play a musical instrument. I’m not that sporty or a whiz at math. I can’t juggle or whistle and while I didn’t learn to drive until well into my twenties, I taught myself to bake as a child. It’s a skill that has only improved, as most do, with years of practice and patience. I’ve built a career around baking (strangely, no one invited me to join their band) and have been able to feed myself and my family all the while. Sure, sometimes I wish I could tap dance but then I remember how good pie tastes.

You are what you eat

I like to know what I’m eating, even if that turns out to be a lot of butter and sugar. The grocery store shelves are lined with goodies that are created with unpronounceable ingredients, laden with additives and preservatives all for the sake of a longer shelf life. I’d rather just bake with the basics and eat my cookies quicker.

The most selfish reason of all

I like to make people smile. I like to see their eyes light up. I like to watch little kids hop up and down in front of the cupcake cooler. I like to watch friends and family blow out candles on their favourite cake. I like to make someone’s lousy day a little better or celebrate their success. I like to say thank you or I’m sorry. I like to make people feel loved and comforted. I like what I like. I can’t help it. I’m selfish like that. This story first appeared on Culture