brown eat bread 90

Control Your Blood Sugar with This Low GI Bread: Day 29

Yes. I ate a lot of bread today. It’s almost half a day of yesterday’s loaf, plus today’s bread. Least to say, it was a lot of calories, but I had to make up for the bread I didn’t eat yesterday. I’m on a schedule, and my plan was not to break up the 90 days.

assorted bread- eat bread 90

Toasted Ciabatta that melts in your mouth from Grand Central Baking, with Rye Sourdough, Low GI and Paleo bread. Oh what a mix!

A low GI bread?

A special bread arrived at my office today. It was a low GI bread (Glycemic Index) from Holista Foods. We tried this in a group setting and I found the feedback interesting. Most people are not aware that white bread sends their blood sugar up the roof. Therefore, diabetics tend to shy away from white bread.

Holista Foods has patented an ingredient system, when used at 8% in the formula, lowers your GI index. I thought maybe it was a system of gums and starches that they were using, but I was so surprised when I talked to Nadja Piatka (CEO, Holista Foods) and learned it was not so.

low GI bread by Holista Foods.

Low GI Bread by Holista Foods.

They use a patented system of fenugreek, pulses, okra and fiber to achieve this low GI application. They even had tests confirm this system at the GI labs in Toronto, The University of Sydney, Australia and the University of Oxford, England.

Their readings were below 55m which is unprecedented for white bread!

Here’s what I ate on Day 29 of EB90:

Food Portion Calories
Low GI bread 6 slices (25g) 334.5
Paleo bread 4 slices (25g) 173
Grand Central Baking Ciabatta Loaf 200g 560
Grand Central Baking Rye Sourdough 4 slices (50g) 560
Almond and cashew nut butters 2 Tbsp 190
Apricot Sugar-Free Jam 2 Tbsp 40
Grilled Chicken 1 Thigh 180
Green Beans 1 C 30
Apple 1 95
Orange 1 orange 45
Total 2207.5

 

No Need for a Sugar-high: Day 19

sugar-diabetic-eat bread 90

Sprouted diabetic lifestyle bread from Alvarado St. Bakery.

I’m really digging this Sprouted Diabetic Lifestyle bread from Alvarado St. Bakery. Their organic grains are sprouted and directly made into bread sweetened by only organic dates. This produced a bread that was clinically proven by the Glycemic Research Institute in Washington DC, to be low glycemic.

A low-glycemic diet is one that selects foods on the basis of minimal alteration of circulating glucose levels. Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are measures of the effect on blood glucose level after a food containing carbohydrates is consumed. Remember, a low glycemic diet is helpful to diabetics managing their blood sugar. Whether it applies to the rest of us or not is arguable. The push that all carbs are not created equal, and the creation of the low GI diet has propelled the South beach and high protein diets.

I believe this bread would suit those diets very well. However, I still like eating this bread because it has a very low sugar content, and yet, it was very palatable when eaten by itself. I have a lot of respect for Alvarado St. Bakery who has put so much work into producing this type of bread. Today is unusually sunny and in the 70s in Portland. I ended this long crazy week with w 5K run down the waterfront corridor. Portland weather is turning amazing and I may eat more bread because of this.

Here’s what I ate on Day 19 of EB90:

Food Portion Calories
Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted California Style 7 slices (34g) 630
Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted Diabetic Lifestyle 6 slices (34g) 480
Apricot preserve 3 Tbsp 150
Salami 6 Slices 180
Barney ® Almond butter Vanilla + Espresso 1 Tbsp 95
Orange 1 orange 45
Quiche 1 250
Run -444
TOTAL 1386

 

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?