Diabetes
One of the biggest public health concerns in the UK today is the levels of obesity. In England alone over half of women and around two thirds of men are either overweight or obese*, putting them at increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease and type-2 diabetes. As many as 1.5 million people in Britain have already been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes with a potential one million more remaining undiagnosed**.
Although it is vital that we all adopt a healthier lifestyle it can be difficult to change our whole diet overnight. However, new scientific research, published by Professor CJK Henry of Oxford Brookes University, has shown that just one simple change in diet, switching from ordinary white bread to low Gi wholegrain bread, can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.
Professor Henry’s results showed that just this small modification to diet, if adopted in the long term, could improve glucose control and consequently reduce the risk of chronic disease in both diabetic and non diabetic individuals. Since low Gi foods reduce hunger through producing a slow steady rise in blood sugar levels, they also play a key role in weight management.
* Source: Department of Health ‘Forecast for Obesity 2010’
** Source: Diabetes UK
Weight control in children
One of the most worrying trends in recent years has been the steady rise in childhood obesity. An unhealthy diet and lack of exercise in childhood can lead to poor health both as a child and in adulthood. A growing number of children are also being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, a condition that used to be found predominantly in adults.
A recent report from the Department of Health (Forecasting Obesity 2010) states that, if we as a nation do not start to change our lifestyle, by 2010 the UK will be home to a staggering one million obese children. Furthermore, girls are forecast to overtake boys in the obesity stakes, with nearly one in five girls aged between two and 10 expected to be obese by 2010.
A varied and balanced diet can help children improve their concentration and fulfil their potential both inside and outside school. A healthy diet should ideally contain plenty of fibre-rich carbohydrate foods such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and yams.
The added advantage of serving Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed bread is that, apart from all the health benefits, kids love the taste which comes from its unique blend of seeds not from lots of salt and sugar.
Click here for some Low GI lunchbox serving suggestions.
Weight Control in Adults
Current healthy eating advice recommends that we should all be eating more low Gi foods such as wholegrains, pasta, fruit and vegetables, beans and lentils. The Gi concept encourages eating these foods in place of more processed carbohydrates and foods high in added sugars.
Low Gi foods have been steadily gaining in popularity and the Food Standards Agency has given its backing to low Gi diets in a recent press statement: “Some low Gi foods such as wholegrains, pasta, fruit and vegetables, beans and lentils, are foods we should be eating more of. The Gi concept encourages eating these foods in place of more refined carbohydrates and would discourage the consumption of foods high in added sugars. This follows the principles of current healthy eating advice
Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed Bread is ideal for serving at any mealtime, either toasted for breakfast, as a tasty sandwich or as an accompaniment to other dishes, such as soup. Country Oven is a good source of protein, fibre, calcium, zinc and iron whilst also being suitable for vegetarians.
Added to this, Country Oven Low Gi Multiseed has a fat content of just 1.3g per 32g sandwich bread slice with only 0.4g of this from saturated fat. Fifty percent of the calories of Country Oven Multiseed are derived from protein – from the seeds – with only 13 percent of the calories coming from fats.