Healthier food choices and portion sizes is a big part of managing diabetes and blood sugar levels.
At Bon Ton, we have a wonderful lineup of full fermentation, naturally leavened sourdough breads that are diabetes-friendly in many ways.
The glycemic index is a measure of how a food can spike blood glucose levels. Knowing the glycemic index of the foods you’re eating is important to managing your blood glucose levels. A glycemic index value of 100 is pure glucose so foods with GI between 70 and 100 are considered high on the GI and can cause rapid rises in blood sugar levels. Foods ranking between 56 to 69 are considered medium, and GI of 55 and below are low GI foods. Foods with a low GI value slowly and gradually release glucose into your blood rather than causing spikes in your glucose levels.
A major contributor to high blood glucose levels in the average North American diet is regular white and brown breads which have a GI around 70-80. However, naturally leavened long fermentation sourdoughs like the ones we make here at Bon Ton have a GI around 53 to 55! This is because the long fermentation process allows the living yeast to break down the sugars in the bread into a more digestible form.
Complex carbohydrates and fibre content are also important factors when choosing healthy foods that help maintain stable blood glucose levels. Complex carbs are broken down slowly by our bodies and absorbed into the blood gradually which helps reduces the likelihood of blood sugar spikes. Additionally, the fibre found in whole-grain foods helps to slow down movement in your gut which allows for greater nutrient absorption. High fibre foods have many health benefits; from keeping you regular to lowering blood cholesterol levels, and making you feel fuller longer.
If you’re looking for high fibre, low GI bread options with complex carbohydrates, our Organic Heritage Multigrain bread, and our Alpine Rye Sourdough are some of the best you can find. Our diabetes-friendly breads are made with whole grains (grown locally by Gold Forest Grains) and freshly stone-milled so that we retain all the fibre and nutrients of these wonderful ancient grains.
Try them today and let us know the difference they make in your diet!
