Food For Life Sprouted Grain Bread

For all my non-gluten free fans, this bread is fantastic and low glycemic. My husband loves it for sandwiches, and toast with all natural peanut butter and low sugar jelly. I posted some information from the Food For Life website below so you can learn more about the benefits of sprouted grain breads and why they are a much better choice than enriched white or wheat bread. A trick that we use to keep the bread fresh is to store it in the freezer right away. Hope this helps!

 

What does "Live Grain Difference" mean?

Through the sprouting process the grains become living, nutrient-rich, food. It is these “live” grains we use to make our breads. Different from other breads, we sprout all of the grains used in our bread prior to using them in our products. During our unique sprouting process, enzymes are released from the germ of the grain

What Is The Difference Between Enriched White Breads And Sprouted Food For Life Breads?

“Enriched” Breads are made from the endosperm of the wheat kernel (the inside portion), which contains few vitamins and minerals (most carbohydrates). The milling of grain into white flour requires the removal of the bran and the germ. During this process, important natural fiber and bran are lost (including 21 vitamins and minerals). 5 vitamins and minerals (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid) are added back into the flour and are thus, called “enriched”. By contrast, Food For Life sprouted breads are made from freshly sprouted grains which contain all of the fiber, bran, vitamins and minerals of the original grain plus an average of approximately 100% increase in those vitamins and minerals.

Sprouting Grain and the Glycemic Index

High-glycemic-index foods trigger strong insulin responses, exposing the
body to stress. By comparison, low-glycemic value foods usually do not provoke a strong, stressful insulin response.
When sprouting occurs, the grain is partially predigested. This creates vitamin nutrients which help your body digest and absorb the healthy content of the grain. As well, the starches have already started being converted into maltose during the sprouting process, reducing the final maltose content and producing a lower glycemic response. People who are diabetic do a lot better eating our sprouted grain bread.

Cooking With Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient grain that is is grown in the Andes Mountains of South America and dates back for over 5,000 years. Quinoa is low GI and gluten free, and has a similar consistency to couscous. It has a good amount of protein, amino acids, essential minerals and fiber. Below is a recipe that I just got from my friend Jaclyn and it looks really good. Let me know if you have any tasty Quinoa recipes. Enjoy!

Ground Turkey and Quinoa Meatballs

Serves 6

Sneak whole grains and veggies into crowd-pleasing meatballs with this easy recipe that will stretch your food dollar, too. Serve with your favorite low GI pasta and marinara sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 4oz/113g-wt.): 150 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 75mg cholesterol, 470mg sodium, 8g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 17g protein

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound (95-percent) lean ground turkey

3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup grated zucchini
2 tablespoons organic ketchup
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil then grease with cooking spray; set aside.

To cook quinoa, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Pour in ½ cup quinoa, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside off of the heat for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

In a large bowl, mix together turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, carrots, zucchini, ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, salt, oregano, thyme and egg until well combined. Shape mixture into 16 balls and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Roast until cooked through and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

(Note: To cook quinoa, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Pour in ½ cup quinoa, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside off of the heat for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)

Cedar Plank Salmon on the Grill

 This beautiful day in Jacksonville, FL makes me want to make something tasty on the grill tonight. I found this great recipes on www.allrecipes.com. This would be delicious served with some grilled brussels sprouts (just toss in olive oil and garlic salt and grill for about 10 minutes) and basmati rice. Extremely healthy and easy. Enjoy and let me know if you try it and like it!

 

Ingredients

• 3 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 (2 pound) salmon fillets, skin removed

Directions

1. Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water. Soak longer if you have time.
2. In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to one hour.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. Place the planks on the grate. The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
4. Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade. Cover, and grill for about 20 minutes. Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.

Trying to Get Pregnant?

OPC's are a widely studied group of anitoxidants that are used throughout the world to treat people who suffer from diseases like high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, MS, asthma, allergies and even infertility. I have been taking Isotonic OPC-3 for about 5 years and while pregnant. I believe this is why I have had no swelling, no morning sickness and lots of energy throughout my pregnancy. I am 35 weeks pregnant now and starting to feel a little tired from not sleeping as well as usual, but I made it pretty far in my pregnancy feeling great and I attribute a lot of that to OPC-3!

Check out this great website and article that I found on OPC. Also, on this website there are many articles and tips on getting pregnant, even what types of foods to eat to help support fertility. 

OPC Article

*It is recommended to stop taking OPC later in pregnancy because it thins the blood and if you have an emergency C-section it is best to not be taking it. It takes about 72 hours for OPC to leave the system.*

Some of My Favorite Low Glycemic Items

Dreamfields Pasta - it actually says its low GI on the box
Agave Nectar  - low GI sweetner
Stevia or Truvia - low GI sweetener. Stay away from Sweet n Low, or Equal, or Nutrasweet
Low Fat Greek Yogurt - it's better if you get the plain vs. the flavored ones b.c. it has less sugar, but you can add Agave Nectar to it to sweeten it. Add berries, bananas, or any fruit to add flavor. It's really rich and creamy
Lara Bars - you will find only all natural ingredients in these bars, and they are sweetened with fruit
Transitions Chocolate or Vanilla Shake Transitions Shake - these are what I use for my weight loss clients, but anyone who wants a healthy treat can enjoy these! They have 2 grams of sugar, 18 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. We blend them with milk and add berries, or bananas, and ground flax seed. They are really thick and creamy and are great for breakfast or an afternoon snack, minus the nasty taste that some weight loss shakes have

Sprouted Grain Bread - this bread tastes delicious. The grains are not finely milled like regular bread so it is low GI and won't spike your blood sugar
Kashi Go Lean Cereal (in a Red box) - 10 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, only 6 grams of sugar. I also use this to make trail mix. Just pour some of the cereal in a big bowl, add chopped walnuts and almonds and a small amount of dark chocolate chips. It's great for on-the-go.
Steel Cut Oats - these are much lower GI than rolled or quick oats. I put walnuts, ground flaxseed, berries, bananas, a little agave and cinnamon in it to make it tasty
Emerald Almonds that are dusted with Cocoa Powder - these are so good and taste really chocolately, but are very low sugar
Archer Farms Organic Blue Corn Chips with Flax Seed - you can only find these at Target, but they are so tasty!
Chrunchmaster Mulit-Grain Crackers in Sea Salt flavor (gluten free)
Kashi High Fiber Waffles - we like to put Smuckers all Natural, No Sugar Added Peanut Butter on these with bananas and blueberries. The fat from the peanut butter lowers the glycemic index of the meal.
Quinoa - it kind of tastes like couscous, but is a gluten- free grain and low gi
Long Grain Basmati Brown Rice