Get To Know 6 Great Grains
By Tracey Neithercott; Recipes by Robyn Webb, MS, LN If you're still spreading peanut butter and jelly on colorless Wonder bread or heaping your stir-fry on top of a pile of Uncle Ben's, it's time to wean yourself off the refined stuff and explore whole grains. Kudos to you if you've already made this trade-in; whole grains are higher in nutrients and will raise your blood glucose less than their refined counterparts do. Plus, unlike refined grains, they may protect your heart and help you maintain weight loss. The reason for the nutritional disparity between refined carbohydrates and whole grains lies in the processing. Whole grains contain an outer bran layer, a middle endosperm, and inner germ, but refined grains are stripped of everythingincluding protein and many key nutrientssave for the endosperm. Because they're less processed, whole grains have a lower glycemic index value than refined grains. Another point in the whole-grains column is their relatively high fiber content, which can help lower cholesterol levels, control blood glucose, and keep you feeling full long after eating. "It's really important to eat foods that are going to fill you up and not leave you hungry an hour later," so you don't binge post-meal, says Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and author of the book Nutrition at Your Fingertips. Zied suggests gradually replacing your current processed foods, such as regular pretzels, with whole grains like air-popped popcorn (sans butter, of course, and not the microwave stuff). "You just really have to be aware," she says. "You need to think, 'Where am I willing to compromise?' " Many of these grains can be cooked just as you prepare rice. To do this, boil water or stocklook to your grain's packaging for grain-to-liquid rat Continue reading >>
Is It Ok To Eat Chapatis Made From Multigrain Atta?
Is it ok to eat chapatis made from MULTIGRAIN atta? It is good because most other grains are consumed whole ,so get more fiber.But how much you eat is equally important. From the stable of Indias most trusted Atta brand - Aashirvaad - comes a new variety Aashirvaad Atta with Multigrains. This all-new variant is designed to provide nourishment for people of all ages and is an integrated mix of six different grains wheat, soya, channa, oat, maize& psyllium husk which gives a healthy option for the consumers. Aashirvaad Atta with Multigrains is an excellent source of vitamins which are vital in strengthening immunity and extra protein content to improve body strength. The extra fibre makes your food easier to digest; low content of saturated fat keeps your heart smiling. And above all, it still retains the same great taste!! Eat one chappati now and another chappati two hours later and so on.This method of eating less quantity of food more times in a day will not elevate your blood sugar level. "Eat one chappati now and another chappati two hours later and so on.This method of eating less quantity of food more times in a day will not elevate your blood sugar level." "Eating smaller portions, spread out over the day" I have conveyed this message in my own words. If you consume 100 gms of sugar, you will have hyperglycemia for several hours. If you consume sugar 10 gms each during a period of 10 hours, the blood sugar level will not go beyond high normal limit. I have read this in several medical books. Please also see Google search on the subject. low carbs and high fat means which atta to eat to sugar and bp lady. give name of atta or which grains to mix and its proportion in kg in detail 2nd is which atta for colestrol trygcl and piles man age 48 Honestly we should skip Continue reading >>
What's The Best Bread For People With Diabetes?
By Brandon May Bread is perhaps one of the most widely used types of food on the planet. It can also be a food that poses a health risk for people with diabetes. Despite the risk, bread can be one of the hardest foods to give up. Fortunately, there are breads on the market that don't raise blood sugar to extreme levels. Whole-grain breads with high-fiber ingredients, like oats and bran, may be the best option for people with diabetes. Making bread at home with specific, diabetes-friendly ingredients may also help reduce the impact bread has on blood sugar levels. The role of nutrition in controlling diabetes Diabetes has two main types: type 1 and type 2. People with type 1 diabetes have difficulty producing insulin, which is a hormone that "captures" blood sugar (or glucose) and transfers it into cells. Glucose is the preferred energy source for cells. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. This type of diabetes is also the easier form to prevent and manage with lifestyle changes and medication. According to the World Health Organization, over 422 million people have type 2 diabetes worldwide. In the earlier phase of type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can produce insulin, but cells have become insensitive to its effects. This is sometimes due to poor diet, genetics, and lifestyle habits. Because of this, cells can't access blood sugar following a meal. Nutrition plays a crucial role in diabetes control. It's only through putting proper dietary planning into practice that good blood sugar management can be accomplished. A good diet must also be combined with lifestyle changes and medication. A carbohydrate is one of the three major nutrients essential to human health. However, carbohydrates also raise blood sugar and can reduce effective diabetes control. This Continue reading >>
Top 10 Worst Foods For Diabetes
These foods can can cause blood sugar spikes or increase your risk of diabetes complications. White Bread Refined starches — white bread, white rice, white pasta, and anything made with white flour — act a lot like sugar once the body starts to digest them. Therefore, just like sugar, refined starches interfere with glucose control and should be avoided by those with diabetes. Whole grains are a better choice because they’re richer in fiber and generally cause a slower, steadier rise in blood sugar. Instead of white bread or a bagel for breakfast, opt for a toasted whole grain English Muffin (topped with a slice of reduced-fat cheese or scrambled egg for protein). At lunch and dinner, replace white carbs with healthier whole grain options such as brown or wild rice, barley, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread to minimize the impact on your blood sugar. Even high-quality, whole grain starches elevate blood glucose to some degree, so it’s still important to limit portions — stick with ½ to ¾ cup cooked grains or just 1 slice of bread at meals. Continue reading >>
The Whole Grain And Nothing But The Whole Grain (part 1)
Every day you make choices about what to eat. If you have diabetes, you’re likely thinking about how many carbs you can or should eat, and how you’ll spend those carb choices. Many of you are making a conscious effort to eat more fiber, too. And maybe some of you are even trying to fit more whole grains (whatever that means) into your eating plan. Nutrition and meal planning can be baffling enough without trying to have to decipher just what the term “whole grain” means. And it may not be quite what you think. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans urge us to “consume 3 or more ounce-equivalents of whole-grain products per day.” Unfortunately, most of us are lucky if we eat a single ounce-equivalent, or serving, of a whole-grain food per day. So, what are whole grains, anyway? Whole grains contain three layers: bran (outer layer), endosperm (middle layer), and germ (grain core). Each layer provides us with specific nutrients and health benefits. The bran provides fiber, phytonutrients, B vitamins, and minerals. The endosperm contributes carbohydrate, protein, and B vitamins. And the germ supplies vitamin E, B vitamins, unsaturated fat, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Refined grains (think white flour and white rice) have the bran and germ layers removed, which means that many of the nutrition and health benefits have been removed, as well. Compare these examples of whole-grain and refined-grain foods: Whole Grains Amaranth Barley Brown rice Buckwheat Bulgur Oatmeal and whole oats Popcorn Quinoa 100% whole wheat bread Wild rice Refined Grains Cornflakes Couscous Grits Pasta, enriched Pretzels White bread White rice White flour Wheat flour Multigrain bread Are most of your “grain” choices from the top column or the bottom column? And are you surprised that Continue reading >>
Multigrain Vs. Whole Wheat Bread
Both multigrain and whole wheat breads undergo less processing and retain most of their natural nutrients. Tania Tarafdar | Updated: February 4, 2015 10:57 pm Bread is not only a convenient meal option, but it can also offer you with a host of health benefits. However, with so many options in the market, it can be difficult for you to decide which one is the healthiest. A whole wheat bread may encourage you to think that you are buying the healthiest, but multigrain bread also offers many essential nutrients. Both multigrainand whole wheat breads undergo less processing and retain most of their natural nutrients. You may also want to know why brown bread is healthier than white bread. Let us have a look at the nutrient value inmultigrain and whole wheat breads. Multigrain bread can be an amazing way of incorporating whole grains in your diet. Rye, barley, buckwheat and oats are the commonly found whole grains in multigrain bread. People who eat whole grains tend to weigh less andhave lower body mass indexes and cholesterol levels. A diet rich in grains can also lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and digestive problems. On the other hand, a 100%whole wheat bread is made entirely with one or two whole grains. Both whole wheat and multigrain breads can introduce more fibre to your diet as they are enriched with extra fibre in the form of wheat bran or oat bran. A slice of multigrain bread can provide as much as 4 g of fibre. A diet rich in fibre can be a good way to keep your blood pressure and sugar levels under control. Fibre can also help you to maintain a healthy weight. For additional fibre, you can look for breads containing rye and quinoa. Multigrain bread contains bran and the germ of the grain that makes it low in glycemic index. Foods low in gly Continue reading >>
What To Eat With Diabetes: Best Cold Cereals
Looking for a better breakfast cereal? Try one of our 18 cereal winners or finalists that are dietitian-approved and taste-tested. We conducted blind taste panels with more than 100 people, including people with diabetes, and awarded the top-rated flakes, O's, and puffed cereals our Diabetic Living What to Eat seal of approval. Please note that product information, packaging, and availability may have changed since our story first appeared. Looking for a better breakfast cereal? Try one of our 18 cereal winners or finalists that are dietitian-approved and taste-tested. We conducted blind taste panels with more than 100 people, including people with diabetes, and awarded the top-rated flakes, O's, and puffed cereals our Diabetic Living What to Eat seal of approval. Please note that product information, packaging, and availability may have changed since our story first appeared. Looking for a better breakfast cereal? Try one of our 18 cereal winners or finalists that are dietitian-approved and taste-tested. We conducted blind taste panels with more than 100 people, including people with diabetes, and awarded the top-rated flakes, O's, and puffed cereals our Diabetic Living What to Eat seal of approval. Please note that product information, packaging, and availability may have changed since our story first appeared. Looking for a better breakfast cereal? Try one of our 18 cereal winners or finalists that are dietitian-approved and taste-tested. We conducted blind taste panels with more than 100 people, including people with diabetes, and awarded the top-rated flakes, O's, and puffed cereals our Diabetic Living What to Eat seal of approval. Please note that product information, packaging, and availability may have changed since our story first appeared. Continue reading >>
Whole Grain Bread Vs. Whole Wheat Bread For Diabetes
Just walk down the bread aisle of your local supermarket and you will be bombarded with health claims -- some of which are true and some are misleading. It can be difficult to muddle through all of the jargon on food labels, especially if you are a diabetic. One of the most confusing topics may be the difference between whole grain and whole wheat, especially when it comes to bread. But, with a little knowledge, you can identify the best bread choices for you. Video of the Day The Food and Drug Administration describes a whole grain food as one that contains grain that is whole, ground or flaked, but still contains the main anatomy of the endosperm, germ and bran. By this definition, whole wheat bread can also be considered a whole grain food. However, for it to qualify, whole wheat bread must be made with a whole wheat flour that is made from whole grains. A Carbohydrate is a Carbohydrate? To understand how carbohydrates affect your body, look at how your body digests them. Any carbohydrate you eat is broken down into its smallest possible molecules by your body. Most of this is glucose, which is why carbohydrates directly affect your blood glucose. However, the makeup of a carbohydrate, including how it is processed and what it is eaten with, can also affect your blood glucose. While both whole wheat and whole grain breads are less processed than their white bread counterparts, a whole grain bread may be the best for you. This is where the glycemic index comes into play. The Glycemic Index and Diabetes The glycemic index rates the effect a food -- more specifically, a carbohydrate within a food -- has on your blood glucose. This system takes into consideration the processing of the food as well as the other nutrients that accompany it. For example, a less-processed gr Continue reading >>
What Kind Of Bread Is Best For Diabetics?
Diabetes and bread… So many questions come up about good ‘ol bread. And not surprisingly because it's a staple food that we've all grown up on. Toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, a side of bread for dinner, it's a pretty common practice right? But if you're diabetic, should bread get the cut? Is it okay to eat? Are there certain types of breads that are better than others? These are all great questions so let's dig in and go over this together now. If you have any questions, just leave them at the bottom of the post and we'll chat about it. JUMP TO MENU: What Kind of Bread Is Best? | Wheat & Rye Breads | Sourdough Bread | Does Cutting Bread Help? | Making Low Carb Breads At Home | Is Bread Better Than Cereal? | Low Carb Bread Options You Can Buy | Free Bread Baking Class What Kind Of Bread Is Best For A Diabetic? We've recently covered the types of flours that are best for diabetes, so before we dig in and talk about breads, let's briefly look at the flour cheat sheet. See how everything above coconut flour goes up from 30 g net carbs and above, which is really getting up there. In reality, the best breads for you to eat are ones made from flaxseed, almond, chickpea or coconut flour, which are a bit more difficult to come by. Of course, the simplest way to overcome this is to make your own. But, I understand that not everyone wants to make their own, and thankfully, there are quite a number of companies that supply great low carb bread options you can buy. Whole Wheat & Rye Bread and Diabetes It's often recommended that you eat whole grains instead of the white stuff and it's true, whole grains are a better choice because they are complex carbs, rather than simple carbs. But, when you take the whole grain and grind it into a flour, it changes the way your bo Continue reading >>
Best Bread For People With Diabetes
The smell of a freshly baked bread, or the sight of bread, is enough to send your senses reeling. Though people with diabetes should eat bread in moderation, sometimes it can be easy to get carried away. After all, bread is one of the most popular foods all over the globe. Just because you have diabetes, it doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on all the great bread that life has to offer. In order to be able to eat bread if you have diabetes, there are a few things that you will need to know. Sonya’s Story Sonya sat across from me. She looked defeated. She hung her head low. “I don’t know how I’ll ever give up bread,” she said. “It’s my favorite food. Now that I have Type 2 Diabetes, I know I can’t eat bread, rice, or pasta.” “You can have bread, rice, and pasta in small amounts. I can teach you which kind of breads are best for you, so that you can get some of your favorite food,” I said. “That would be great,” said Sonya. “Wow, I feel a lot better! When can I come to class and learn about this?” “You can come tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll find you some bread recipes that you can make at home with diabetes-friendly ingredients, so that the bread you do eat is healthier. It will also be lower in carbohydrates than some other breads, and the carbohydrates will be good carbohydrates.” Sonya came to class where she learnt valuable information about making diabetes-friendly breads. Now she makes them for herself, and a few other friends with diabetes that she happened to have met in her diabetes classes. Breads with high fibers Breads that are whole grain, and high in fiber, such as oats or bran, are the best type of bread for people with diabetes to eat. While you can have a serving or two of bread, you still need to stay within the Continue reading >>
Can Diabetics Eat Whole Wheat Bread? August 23, 2011 Return To Blog
Diabetes is a metabolic disease, meaning there is a glitch in the way the body converts food energy into usable energy. A healthy reaction to eating carbohydrate is a rise in blood sugar (glucose) followed by insulin being released as a response. The insulin acts as a key to open up cells within the brain and organs to let glucose in to be used as an immediate source of energy. Any unused energy is then stored in the liver, muscle, and fat tissues. Someone with diabetes has a rise in blood glucose but insulin is either not released or cells are resistant to the insulin. This is why diabetics have difficulty returning their high blood sugar levels back down to normal and thus need to control how much carbohydrate (glucose source) they put into their body throughout the day. Control carbohydrates. With a little effort and control diabetes can easily be managed. Diabetics should not condemn, but rather control carbohydrates. They should focus on allowing their body only the amount of carbohydrates it can handle at one time (this can be determined by a doctor or registered dietitian). Despite being diabetic, the body still needs and uses carbohydrates as its preferred source of energy. In fact, it is the only source of fuel for the brain! So it should never be eliminated, just merely controlled so your body can handle the glucose load. Stick to an eating plan. There is no single ideal eating plan for those with diabetes; the recommended plan is specific to a person’s weight, medication, blood sugars, cholesterol, and other medical conditions or concerns. Despite the varying eating plans, all diabetics should be consistent with their eating habits. Also, they need to eat about every 4-5 hours to prevent blood sugars from getting too low. Additionally, breakfast is an impor Continue reading >>
What Are The Best Breads For People With Diabetes?
Is bread an option for people with diabetes? Food may be one of life’s simple pleasures, but for people with diabetes, deciding what to eat can get complicated. Foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates can spike blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates are found in many different kinds of food, including desserts, grains, and bread. Giving up carbs completely isn’t realistic, healthy, or even necessary. What matters is that you’re aware of your carb intake and make nutritious food choices. Breads can often be high in carbs. Some are overly processed, high in sugar, and filled with empty calories. Healthier options can be part of a satisfying meal plan for people with diabetes. If you’re trying to figure out which breads work best for diabetes management, this information may help. When a person has diabetes, their body doesn’t make or use enough insulin to process food efficiently. Without enough insulin, blood sugar levels can spike. People with diabetes may also have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. This means that it’s important to keep an eye on fat and sugar intake. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin injections daily and follow a specific type of eating plan. This eating plan is geared towards keeping blood sugar levels low. People with type 2 diabetes often follow an eating and exercise regimen geared towards reducing blood sugar. If diet and exercise aren’t enough to control blood sugar, insulin injections or oral medication may be a part of a daily regimen. Creating a food plan, making smart nutritional choices, and watching carbohydrate intake is recommended for people with both types of diabetes. Creating a meal plan can help people with diabetes control blood sugar and provide satisfying nutrition. There isn’t a one-size-fits-a Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Whole Grains
Whole grains are found in wheat, oats, barley, maize and brown rice People with diabetes are often advised to eat a good selection of whole grain food. However, people are often confused as to what counts as whole grain. Much of the produce which many of us have grown up with consists of refined wheat products lacking very much of the nutrition within better whole grain equivalents. If you have wheat or grain based foods, try to find whole grain varieties. They will be better for your sugar levels as well as your health in general. Whole grain foods are found in cereals such as wheat, oats, barley, maize, rye and brown rice, amongst others. The grain is made up of three constituent parts: Germ: the germ is the reproductive part of the grain and is packed with nutrients Endosperm: accounts for about 80% of the grain, this is the starchy part Bran: the fibre rich outside (shell) of the grain Much food sold these days is made from highly refined flour and wheat products. The more refined the food is, the less nutrition it carries. White bread for example is made from highly refined flour which has very little nutritional value as the refining process strips out much of the vitamins. Furthermore, products that are highly refined, such as white bread, are very quickly turned into glucose by the body and therefore they are best avoided by those with diabetes . For food to count as whole grain, it should include each of the three parts (germ, endosperm and bran). However, shop produce can make it very difficult to tell what is actually whole grain. Be wary of terms like wholemeal, granary and multigrain as these offer no guarantee that the bread is made from whole grains. Look instead for use of the term whole grain or wholegrain. As a general guide, look for items such as th Continue reading >>
Which Is Better For You — Whole Wheat Bread Or…
A: Actually, whole wheat bread is a healthy choice, along with any whole grain bread. But not all whole grain breads are necessarily good choices. The way to determine if a bread, or any foodfor that matter, is truly “whole grain” is to read the ingredient list on the package. The first ingredient should be a whole grain food, such as whole wheat, whole rye, stoneground whole wheat, wheatberries, oats or oatmeal, or brown rice. The words “multigrain,” “wheat” or “stoneground” don’t necessarily mean that the food is a whole grain. For more information, visit the Whole Grains Councils website at www.wholegrainscouncil.org. Continue reading >>
Best Flour To Use If You’re Diabetic?
When it comes to flours, making the right choice is very important to blood sugar control. So we've gathered some great info here for you to use in your kitchen and menu preparations. Are Grains & Flour Really Good For Fiber? We've often been told that eating whole grains is a great source of fiber. And while ‘whole grains' do provide some fiber they are not the only thing that provide us with our daily fiber needs, vegetables do too. For example: 1 slice of wholewheat bread has 1.9 g of fiber, while a carrot has 2.3 g. All grains and vegetables do range in fiber content, but vegetables are a great source of daily fiber and are also higher in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than grains. So we don't have to eat grains in order to get adequate fiber. Changing A Grain Into A Flour Changes The Way It Affects Blood Sugar Often when we take a grain and make it into flour, it changes the carb and fiber content. So what tends to happen for you as a diabetic is that most types of flours will make your blood sugar spike like wild fire. At least that's what most people experience, which is why our meal plans contain virtually no grain flours at all. An example of this is buckwheat. Eaten whole it has a glycemic index (GI) of around 49, which is a low GI. But take it and turn it into bread and it changes to a GI of 67, meaning it affects your blood sugar more rapidly and more intensely than eating the whole grain itself. Here is another example using wheat. Whole wheat kernals are a very low GI of 30, but we don't tend to eat whole wheat kernals, we eat whole wheat flour and it has an average GI of around 74. Whole Grain Flours Are A Better Option It's true that whole grains are better as far as nutrition goes. As the Minnesota Department of Health explains, the whole grain Continue reading >>
