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Bread

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sachin

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Hi all,

I've been told that wholemeal bread is good for diabetics so I've started eating Kingsmill wholemeal bread. I do have a few questions about this though. This bread has 36.7g/100g of carbs. Is this bad? Is there a better bread for diabetics? Also, it has 6.8g/100g of fibre which doesn't sound like a lot to me (as if I would know) and the bag contains a claim that two slices gives you 100% of the daily recommended intake of wholegrain (at least that's what I remember reading on th bag this morning). Is this true? I had two silces of toast with a bioled egg for breakfast - does this mean I've had enough wholegrain for the day?

Thanks.

Sachin
 
Hi Sachin

If you wanted to cut down on carbs but still eat bread then try the Burgen Soya and Linseed. Its only 29.8g/100g. If you are really looking to low carb then I guess no bread is best option.

The fibre content is about the same (6g) but slightly higher in fat. The biggest drawback is probably the relative cost but I think the taste is well worth the extra.

Stewart
 
Hi Sachin and stewpid.

You should try this bread mix that I use, pm Fergus for more details.
JAG BANTAR

PRODUCT Weight Carbohydrate Protein Fat
JAG BANTAR 100g 4.25g 31g 11g

HOVIS 100g 38g 4g 3g


Extremely tasty and a minimal effect, if any on BG levels.
 
Hi,
You can decide not to eat grains, and go down the low carbohydrate route but there are good reasons that you have heard that wholegrains are good for you so its worth investigating them.
Summaries of recent research:
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-are-the-health-benefits
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/health-studies-on-whole-grains

When wholegrains are milled to make flour it makes it quick to digest and absorb into the blood stream. Whilst wholegrain bread has the advantages for health of wholegrain for many people with diabetes it acts also very quickly in the bloodstream causing blood sugar levels to spike. (it is termed high GI and sometimes no different to white bread in this respect) .
Some breads are better than others, including mixed cereal breads with whole grains (literally intact seeds) , bread that is made with some rye, oats and even better if made with a sourdough process. These are usually lower gi. Burgen bread is one commercially produced lower GI bread.

But wholegrains don't have to be eaten in the form of bread, nor are they just wheat. Bread and breakfast cereals seem to be one of the worst ways for some people with diabetes to eat whole grains. Whole meal pasta maybe better since pasta itself can be lower GI (portion size is important though). I find pancakes made with buckwheat flour very low GI . Bulgur is another grain that though partly processed is 'whole' and fairly low GI. Oatmeal in small 30-40gm portions for porridge is another (peoples reactions to it seem to vary)
Other grains are fine cooked whole ( pearl barley, quinoa, and of course brown and wild rice . )
Theres a list of wholegrains, some of which I've never seen, on the above site.......
....and the basic way to cook them and some recipes in this online book here:
http://www.drmirkin.com/goodfood/index.html
(I think the writer is actually vegetarian and her diet as a whole , based on the DASH heart diet will be controversial on this forum but I was led to her site by a person with type 2 who has recently adopted the diet and claims to be doing very well on it )
 
I disagree Pheonix. There is nothing essential to human health in grains whether whole or refined. Especially refined! Given that there is nothing in those foods that cannot be obtained from other sources with a much lower impact on blood sugars, there's no need to suffer unnecessary blood sugar surges from eating them.
Most wholegrain or brown breads have very little reduction in starch content compared to white bread. And white bread is little different from sugar. Since no-one is ever going to suggest we need to eat sugar, I don't see why diabetics should feel it's essential to eat these breads.

All the best,

fergus
 
fergus said:
I disagree Pheonix. There is nothing essential to human health in grains whether whole or refined. Especially refined! Given that there is nothing in those foods that cannot be obtained from other sources with a much lower impact on blood sugars, there's no need to suffer unnecessary blood sugar surges from eating them.
Most wholegrain or brown breads have very little reduction in starch content compared to white bread. And white bread is little different from sugar. Since no-one is ever going to suggest we need to eat sugar, I don't see why diabetics should feel it's essential to eat these breads.

All the best,

fergus
Click to expand...


Bread may not be essential, neither is beer but I actually enjoy eating a sandwich and drinking a beer, each to their own eh? :D
 
Having reviewed The Whole Grains Council's "corporate bedfellows", I've decided that their advice my not be in my shareholder's best interests.
 
I knew that someone would have to respond!
Note, I have not argued that it is a good idea to eat over refined grains.
Read the summaries given earlier, do as I do and read as many of the originals as possible. Read the research suggesting that there are some phytonutrients in whole grains that are not available elsewhere (Joanne Slavin). Think about the deficiency in B vitamins often apparent in people with diabetes . Look at what the DCCT had to say about the diets of Type 1s in the study with the best control. Actually I'm not going to spend hours citing sources, nor analysing reports.
You disagree with me, I have put the evidence for others to read. The majority of dietary researchers and health professionals, worldwide, support the benefit of eating whole grains as part of a varied diet. Believe it or not they are not all in the pay of the food industry,even the report on polyphenols and refined carbs this morning was you might like to know, University not industry funded. ( incidently, this will be my last posting on the thread as there is no point in developing an argument)
The original poster you will remember was not asking how to cut his carbs but about bread and eating his daily dose of wholegrains.

Edited to ask Timo, To suggest he reads what Oldways is and how it is funded (the parent of the wholegrain council, ) I'm very sure membership benefits the companies that join ie advertsing the health benfits, but that is not the function nor the purpose of the charity. And as for the individual research cited, check the individual funding before you cast aspersions, much is not industry funded. (just as I did on the polyphenol research)
 
It's the wholegrain industry's response to falling sales, Phoenix. They have to sell wholegrains by hook or by crook. That's what they do.
 
I have no doubt whatsoever that wholegrains are better for you than refined flour. That still doesn't make them good, just less bad. We do not have the enzymes to digest unprocessed whole grains. that's why breakfast cereals are one of the most processed foods that most people eat.
I have come to believe that we should eat those foods which we evolved with. In other words foods we CAN eat raw, even if we choose to cook them. Wholegrains don't come in to this category.
 
Sachin

I would rather not comment on the debate concerning grains, whether they are whole, refined or any other form. Stewpid suggests trying Burgen Soya & Linseed bread, this I would certainly reccomend. It is delicious on its own or toasted, and because it is packed with seeds, it is low GI. I have a slice at breakfast and it does not cause spikes in blood sugars. At 11.9g per slice, it is less carbs than most other branded bread, but I think nutrition wise it leads the way.

No doubt a low-carb bread, such as the one Fergus provides is by far the best for serious low-carbers, and would be more suitable should you be low-carbing yourself. Good luck.

Nigel
 
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