Carb content in wholemeal

[slayed-61]

Hello everyone
I`m still getting some mixed signals regarding whether or not the carb values contained within wholemeal bakery foods are something you need to be concerned about or not.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 back in January, and have worked hard to get my weight down by a strict diet (which includes wholemeal as being "okay"), and exercise if I can everyday. I have lost well over two stone, and reduced my hb from 51 in January to 42 this month.

I`m trying my best to keep medication at bay for as long as possible, and i`m obviously doing something right, but have often found the carb thing for wholemeal is seen differently by people. For example, the diabetic food videos, diet sheets etc all find wholemeal acceptable whatever, but other fact sheets seem to emphasise the carb values (from any source - including wholemeal) must be watched carefully. I`ve taken my rough guide to carbs as being around 130g per day if possible, but have come across some `Wholemeal Bagles` that come in as 40g carb per bagle. My dilemma is do I need to be concerned about the high carb content, and therefore avoid it, or because it is Wholemeal it is okay whatever the value?

I`m posting this as I can`t find a straight forward yes or no answer as experts send out different signals, but as a wholemeal convert I just want to know that the carb content isn`t really an issue!

Thanks for much.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I`m posting this as I can`t find a straight forward yes or no answer as experts send out different signals, but as a wholemeal convert I just want to know that the carb content isn`t really an issue!

Sorry, carbs are carbs. I'm in favour of wholemeal bread because I think the flavour (and texture) is just more interesting, and the extra stuff left in (the fibre) presumably helps a little in slowing down absorption. But I'm afraid the carbs are still real. (I'm not suggesting you shouldn't eat them. Just don't pretend they don't have any carbohydrate.)

 

[Eddy Edson]

I think wholemeal gets seen as "good" because (a) it's assumed that most people are going to eat lots of bread and other grains no matter what (b) wholemeal is better than refined grains in terms of fibre and nutrients so better for health in general. It's not really a matter of differences for carbs and BG control, though some people's BG levels may react better to wholemeal than refined - it's really variable; personally I certainly don't notice any difference.

How well you cope with a wholemeal bagel is a personal thing - you'll really only be able to tell by testing before and after eating and seeing what effect it has on yr BG. Ignore any general rules that people tell you - unfortunately, there aren't any.

 

[grovesy]

I used to be able to tolerate but as the years have gone I not longer can.

 

[DaveB]

Yes, carbs are carbs. Wholemeal is always better as it has the whole wheat content but that only helps the carbs to digest a bit more slowly but the quantity is the same and turn to glucose in the stomach. So, keep any carbs down and look for the Total carbs on the rear of food packaging.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

It sounds like you have done a fantastic job so far losing so much weight and reducing your HbA1c. A huge WELL DONE
for that!
As the others have said carbs are carbs. They all break down into glucose in the digestive tract. Wholemeal may be a bit slower to break down and therefore may release the glucose slightly less quickly but some people's gut is very efficient at breaking it all down quickly regardless of the fibre content.
Wholemeal is healthier from the point of view of fibre and nutrients, so if you allocate yourself a set amount of carbs per day then certainly choose wholemeal versions where appropriate but they still count towards your total carbs for the day.
You might also want to check how much sugar is in that wholemeal bagel.... It will all be part of the total carbs but any sugar will outweigh some of the benefit of it being wholemeal. Not saying it does contain sugar, but it may well.

Do you test your BG before and 2 hours after meals? This is really the only way to know what your system will cope with. You might be lucky and get away with the bagel without it having too much impact on your Blood Glucose levels but there are a lot of type 2 diabetics who would see a significant spike in their BG from eating 40g carbs and consider it out of bounds You could perhaps cut it in half and have half one day and half the next although at 20g for half I would probably choose a slice of wholemeal bread at 15g over half a wholemeal bagel or a nice seeded low carb slice of bread for half that.
Not sure if you are aware but carbs in fruit and porridge and lentils and pulses also count. It is not just about grains but carbohydrates in all their forms no matter how healthy that food is assumed to be.

 

[trophywench]

Gosh! I appreciate I'm a 5ft 3ins lady and likely to be smaller than blokes but 130g carb was a ruddy high carb day for me prior to diagnosis and still is now I'm 70. I've far from starved myself for the last 5 or 6 decades, obviously.

Anyway - the inner workings of the human body can't detect colours!

Two full slices of any thick sliced bread, is only 40g too and a far bigger space to get your protein onto (cos normally the main ingredient in a sandwich is protein, plus any salad etc) and because I'd far rather eat the nice bits - protein and veg - than any accompanying 'stodge' anyway if I wanted to eat 40g carb, I know which I'd choose.

 

[slayed-61]

Thank you EVERYONE for your replies and views on the wholemeal / carb issue. Much appreciated.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you EVERYONE for your replies and views on the wholemeal / carb issue. Much appreciated.

Glad you have found the responses helpful @slayed-61

Well done on your terrific progress so far - whatever you have been doing so far has clearly been working really well for you, and it seems like you’ve found a level of carbs-per-day that suits you well.

 

[slayed-61]

Thank you. I have found wholemeal / wholewheat pasta / brown rice thing very beneficial, and starting the day with porridge (whole oats) too. When you look at the carb levels it still makes you want to triple check everything, so i`m grateful for responses I received about carbs which were very helpful. I`ve ditched the bagels! The strict diet, portion size changes and brisk walking have all helped control things so far, so thanks for your help too.