# Burgen Soya & Linseed



## Lurch (Apr 9, 2014)

After I was dx'ed last year I tested on one slice of wholemeal bread (five seed variety) and spiked to 10 mmol/L from 6.  So I've never had any bread since.

Having read about it here, today I tried a half slice of Burgen Soya & Linseed with Flora Pro-activ fully expecting a spike but hoping I could tolerate the occasional half-slice at least.  

My immediate pre-reading was 5.5. One hour post-meal it was 5.4. Ninety minutes later: 4.8 

Burgen S&L contains wheat flour.   And I'm not miraculously 'cured'... last week I spiked a fair bit just trying a small portion of porridge oats.

This tolerance malarky is surely confusing.  I'll test again tommorrow just in case it was a fluke.  If not, I can have toast again! 

[Burgen Soya & Linseed has 12g Carb -  a bit less than my previous wholemeal bread but that can't be the only reason]


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## AlisonM (Apr 9, 2014)

I tried it a couple of times last year since Northe swears by it and didn't spike, but don't like the taste much. So I've gone back to my usual wholegrain which also doesn't cause me problems but which I think tastes much better.

But then I'm odd, I don't get high with oatmeal either.


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## Northerner (Apr 9, 2014)

The seeds in it are said to help slow the digestion, and the use of soya flour means that less wheat flour is used  

It's one of my favourite breads. Favourite of all time was Fletcher's Wheaten from back in the 80s/90s (pre-diabetes). It was one of those really solid, doughy loaves, gorgeous toasted with liberal spreading of salted butter! Slurp! 

I've just been out this afternoon and cleared my local Sainsbury's of Burgen S&L - they only had 4 loaves and I bought the lot!


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## Lurch (Apr 10, 2014)

Today I tried a full slice of B S&L at the same time with the same spread. Pre-reading was 5.3.  Plus 1 hr: 7.0.  Plus 90 mins: 5.0.

And therein lies the challenge for diabetes.  'Science' is all about limiting the variables.  Carb tolerance is clearly affected by various factors including other ingredients, recent exercise and even the morning fenominum.  And then there is the test strip itself, hand cleaning and the way home meters can vary slightly.

A top-end of 7.0 isn't bad.  But I'm curious to see if a half-slice can really make the difference.  I'll test a few more days at the same time... it's almost fun and I like this bread. 

And I don't want to be on a very low carb diet now the weight is stable.  I'd like to get up to around 100/120g a day if only for the extra fibre.  Work to do...


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## Lurch (Apr 11, 2014)

Purely in interests of science and to promote self-testing, I have completed my small experiment.  Just done third test of Burgen S&L keeping to the same time each day. (No exercise prior to or during test. No different ingredients). Here are three days' results:-

Half slice.......Pre: 5.5......+1 hr: 5.4.......+1.5 hr: 4.8
Full slice.......Pre: 5.3......+1 hr: 7.0.......+1.5 hr: 5.0
Half slice.......Pre: 5.7......+1 hr: 5.2.......+1.5 hr: 5.0

If nothing else this little experiment proves to me that you can't predict how any food will affect your blood sugars, or how varying the portion will change the result. Nothing linear in blood sugars!  And somebody else might get completely different results.

Some might see a 'spike' of 7.0 as safe but all I see is a pointless increase for the sake of denying myself half a slice of bread for another hour.  

You couldn't make this up.


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## trophywench (Apr 11, 2014)

No you couldn't make it up; but it does reinforce the fact that every single person is different and only by testing with your meter can each of us discover what's good for us personally to eat, and what ain't.

I'd be exceedingly interested to see what happened if you spread that Burgen with BUTTER ! (fat 'slows down' carbs)


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 12, 2014)

Great test, and very useful info for you. The possibility of meter variation is frustrating. It would be interested to see the same full slice test repeated over 3 days to be sure.


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## Lurch (Apr 12, 2014)

I am a disgrace to science.  I gave the wrong results for my last full slice test.  The final test was at +2 hours, not 90 mins 

Today I tested a full slice with butter (not low fat and unsalted) at the same time:

Pre: 5.2......+1 hr: 6.6......+1.5 hr: 6.5......+2 hr: 5.5

Compared to full slice with Flora Pro-active last time:

Pre: 5.3......+1 hr: 7.0.......+2 hr: 5.0

So, butter reduced the 1 hour 'spike' but reduced slower.  (We know this delaying effect of fat of course).

My meter has proved to be very consistent and predicts lab results pretty well and a variation of 0.5 is insignificant for the purposes of 'science'. 

Not sure I'd automatically trust a universal "fat improves control" hypothesis if all that happens is a delayed effect that over-runs into the next meal . 

But knowledge is power!


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## trophywench (Apr 12, 2014)

Well fat doesn't 'improve control' - it just 'slows carb down'!

But as I prefer the taste of butter anyway, if I'm gonna spread my bread with anything - let it be with butter, or full-fat Hellmans - or both !

But then, I am T1 and not in any case overweight or needing to limit fats for any other reason.

We do the Alan Shanley mantra in our house - ALL things in moderation -  except laughter!


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## Maryanne29 (May 31, 2014)

The size of a slice of Burgen S&L seems to have got smaller lately (might be my imagination) but the carb count is still 12g.


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## Northerner (May 31, 2014)

Maryanne29 said:


> The size of a slice of Burgen S&L seems to have got smaller lately (might be my imagination) but the carb count is still 12g.



Not just me noticing that then? Some loaves do appear to be bigger than others. Presumably though they all have to be pretty close to 800g or Weights and Measures would be on to them?


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## trophywench (May 31, 2014)

Well WEIGH it then (a slice not the whole loaf) and then using the 'per 100g' amount of carb, to calculate you will know if it's still 11.9g per slice or whatever it was.


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## parrdale (Jan 13, 2015)

have been eating Burgen S&L now for a few weeks tastes pretty good and now waiting for ordered meter to start testing myself.
do people use butter, olive spreads or lactofree spreads.


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## Northerner (Jan 13, 2015)

parrdale said:


> have been eating Burgen S&L now for a few weeks tastes pretty good and now waiting for ordered meter to start testing myself.
> do people use butter, olive spreads or lactofree spreads.



Personally, I use butter, but olive spreads are good also


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## megga (Jan 14, 2015)

Lurch said:


> Purely in interests of science and to promote self-testing, I have completed my small experiment.  Just done third test of Burgen S&L keeping to the same time each day. (No exercise prior to or during test. No different ingredients). Here are three days' results:-
> 
> Half slice.......Pre: 5.5......+1 hr: 5.4.......+1.5 hr: 4.8
> Full slice.......Pre: 5.3......+1 hr: 7.0.......+1.5 hr: 5.0
> ...



I would say if a whole slice takes you up a bit and half slice drops it down a bit. Why not just have two half's 

But on a serious note, I found that it took longer than two hours to spike on this bread.

Gone of it now, every time I get it from Iceland it tends to go hard after a day, despite the date. I wonder if they buy it in bulk and freeze it as if I get from Asda it stays softer for longer.
Asda 15 miles from me, so not just a nip down the shop for a loaf, back on Warburtons seaded, nice but 18g per slice


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## Northerner (Jan 14, 2015)

megga said:


> I would say if a whole slice takes you up a bit and half slice drops it down a bit. Why not just have two half's
> 
> But on a serious note, I found that it took longer than two hours to spike on this bread.
> 
> ...



I find it lasts about a week for me, one of the things I like about it,  so it does sound dodgy if it's going hard after a day!


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