The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies - Meri Raffetto [49]
Look for breads that contain rye or buckwheat flours, two grains that have a lower glycemic index number.
Several low-glycemic breads are now on the market. Some are made with sprouted grains that have already started to germinate, which lowers their glycemic effect. Ezekiel 4:9 bread is probably the best-known bread that's made from a variety of sprouted grains as well as legumes. Other breads contain added soy protein or have a higher fiber content than more traditional types of bread. Resistant starch, a form of starch that digests much more slowly, can also be added to some commercial bread products.
If you're looking for alternves to soft white bread, which typically has a high glycemic index of 75, look for Food for Life's Original Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Bread and Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Flourless Cinnamon Raisin Bread (find them at www.foodforlife.com). Also check out Natural Ovens Hunger Filler Bread, which is low-glycemic and loaded with wheat bran, wheat germ, oats, flaxseed, and sesame seeds. Your local bakery may also produce breads made with whole or sprouted grains, so don't hesitate to ask.
If you enjoy baking your own bread, you have numerous options for preparing delicious low-glycemic breads by incorporating lower-glycemic ingredients. Note: You'll need to use some whole-wheat flour to provide sufficient gluten to allow the bread to rise. Experiment with rye, buckwheat, or spelt flour, and add in fiber with ground flaxseeds, barley flakes, or steel-cut oats. King Arthur Flour (www.kingarthurflour.com) has several different whole-grain, lower-glycemic types of flour, including an Ancient Grains Flour Blend that contains 10 percent quinoa flour. Bob's Red Mill (www.bobsredmill.com) is another well-known provider of whole-grain flour for baking, including a 10 Grain Flour that contains whole-grain wheat, rye, oats, barley, and flaxseed. Both Web sites also provide whole-grain bread recipes.
Picking the right pastas
Many people believe that pasta has a high glycemic index. Au contraire! Spaghetti made from white durum wheat, the most prevalent type of pasta available, has a glycemic index of just 44. Macaroni has a similar low glycemic index of 47. So why all the fuss about pasta? The problem is that people confuse the glycemic index with the total amount of carbohydrates in the pasta and the amount of pasta they usually eat.
A recommended serving size of pasta is 1/2 cup of cooked pasta, which is the amount you can hold in one cupped hand. If you were served that amount at an Italian restaurant, you'd most likely demand your money back! Most people eat 2 cups of pasta for a meal. That amount of, say, spaghetti has a glycemic load of 26, whereas the glycemic load of a 1/2-cup serving of spaghetti is only 7. See what a difference the amount of food you eat makes?
Add seafood, grilled chicken, or grilled vegetables along with some grated cheese to your pasta, and the total glycemic load falls even further. Filled whole-grain pasta, such as whole-grain tortellini with cheese, has a lower glycemic load even before you add anything to it.
Some pasta manufacturers are now adding soy protein to their pasta, which increases the nutritional value and decreases the glycemic index. The Dreamfields brand uses technology to make most of the carbohydrates in its pasta nondigestible, meaning it doesn't raise blood sugar levels as high as you'd expect from a similar amount of traditional pasta.
Here's a three-step plan for choosing the healthiest, lowest-glycemic pasta out there:
1. Look for whole-grain or protein-enriched pasta that tends to have a lower glycemic index, or choose a pasta that's filled with cheese, chicken, and/or vegetables for an overall lower glycemic load.
2. Eat no more than 1 cup of cooked pasta in a sitting.
3. Add protein such as chicken or fish and at least 2 cups of cooked vegetables to your plate.
The pasta should cover only one-quarter of your plate.
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