Insulin Resistance

by Shumaila

Visitor Question:

Hi,

I have insulin resistance. What kind of flour is good for my health like durum flour,oat meal flour ,or semolina flour?

Lifetime Fat Loss Answers:

Hi Shumaila,

You are right to be considering whole grain flours when you're insulin resistant. Whole grains are usually low glycemic, meaning they won't raise your blood sugar. Durum flour or macaroni wheat as it is sometimes called, is high in protein and used primarily to make pasta. This is why pasta is low glycemic. The higher the protein content of a grain the lower the glycemic index it has. However, durum flour is very low in gluten which doesn't make it a good choice for baking bread.

Semolina flour is sometimes called durum flour but it's actually the coarse by product of durum also used to make pasta. It can be used in breakfast cereals and couscous as well. It's the by products of wheat milling when producing white flour that actually contain all the nutrients. These are the unrefined parts of wheat, the bran and the germ that contain all the proteins, vitamins, lipids and minerals. So it's a good choice for you too.

Oat flour is a whole grain flour too made from ground oats. It has the same problem as durum and semolina flours in that it doesn't contain gluten so it's not good for baking. It has to be combined with other whole grains to make bread. Baked goods will not rise or hold together well without gluten.

For breads stick to the sprouted grain breads made by Ezekiel, Alvarado St. Bakery and Food for Life. There may be others but those are the ones available here on the west coast. You can probably order them online if you can't find them locally. They are the lowest of the low glycemic grains. The grain has been allowed to germinate so it's the least refined (processed) and has the most resistant starch. These breads are full of B vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Read more about the best whole grains to eat when you have insulin resistance.

And for more information about what else to eat on an insulin resistant diet click here.

This website is all about how to increase your insulin sensitivity by eating the right foods and getting into the aerobic exercise habit! Lots of tips here. See the site map at the top of the navigation bar.