1st November 2004
nairn’s oat cakes – the ideal Holford Diet food
"The secret to successful dieting is to keep blood sugar even and the single best
carbohydrate food is oats," says top nutritionist Patrick Holford. "For example, having
wheat-free oat cakes is four times better than bread for balancing blood sugar levels.
Keeping your blood sugar evenly balanced not only determines your weight, it is also
key for high energy, stable mood, concentration and longevity.”
Patrick Holford is the founder of the Optimum Nutrition Institute, and the author of
forthcoming book “The Holford Diet” which is based on balancing blood sugar levels by
controlling the GL (Glycaemic Load) of your diet. GL is the quality measure of what
particular carbohydrates do to your blood sugar. The lower the GL of a food the better
they are for losing weight, gaining energy and feeling good. The Glycaemic Index (GI) is
a rating of certain foods depending on their effects on blood sugar levels.
“Carbohydrate foods that keep your blood sugar level even give you balanced,
consistent energy and concentration. Oats are the best grain, and berries, plums and
cherries the best fruit. Brown basmati rice, quinoa, lentils and beans are also excellent.
When a carbohydrate is eaten with protein the net effect if even more energy sustaining.
So, oat cakes with hummus, or scrambled eggs on oat cakes, or a bean curry with brown
basmati rice would all be excellent choices. Starting your day with a croissant, or a
sugared cereal, or white toast and jam, plus a coffee will drain your energy. Both the
food and the caffeinated drink cause a short-term boost to your blood sugar level, and a
crashing blood sugar low a few hours later, leaving your feeling exhausted." Patrick
Holford.
“The low GI of nairn’s oatcakes at 55 and their good GL factor make them an ideal
food for following the Holford Diet and losing weight,” says Patrick Holford.
…/..
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GL of nairn’s Oat Cakes Compared with Other Foods
Key: Good = GL of 10 or less; OK = GL of 11-14; and bad = GL of 15 or more
Item Serving GLs per 10GLs 5GLs 5 GLs in g
size in g serving
nairn’s oat cakes 21.2g 5 4 oat cakes 2 oat cakes 10.6g
Cream cracker 25g 11 2 biscuits 1 biscuit 11g
Rye crispbread 25g 11 2 biscuits 1 biscuit 11g
Water cracker 25g 17 2 biscuits 1 biscuit 7g
Rice cakes 25g 17 2 biscuits 1 biscuit 7g
White wheat flour bread 30g 10 1 slice ½ slice 15g
1
Baguette, white, plain 30g 15 /20 baton 1/40 baton 10g
Corn flake cereal 30g 21 ½ serving ¼ serving 7g
Wheat biscuit cereal 30g 13 2 biscuits 1 biscuit 12g
Wheat (shredded) biscuit
cereal 30g 15 1 biscuit 1/3 serving 10g
nairn’s nutritious oat cakes help with weight management by sustaining your energy and
keeping you feeling fuller for longer which can mean you find you need to eat less. It’s
the high proportion of soluble fibre in the oats that gives the fuller for longer feeling and
stabilizes blood sugar levels which is ideal for dieters, and of key importance to
diabetics.
And if you’re always on the go, the slow energy release properties of nairn’s oat cakes
will keep you going longer and help give you the boost needed to cram the most into a
hectic day.
Made mainly with oats and other natural ingredients, nairn’s tasty oat cakes are baked
until crisp and invitingly brown around the edges using a simple recipe that is wheat-free,
high in fibre, GM-free and has no added sugar and is an excellent energy sustaining
source of nutrition and vitamins.
They’re a convenient and naturally tasty way of enjoying the goodness of oats. Eat them
straight from the pack or try these good GL suggestions from Patrick Holford’s “The
Holford Diet Book” and his 100% Health Newsletter:
Breakfast: Boiled, scrambled or poached egg with two oat cakes
Lunch: Apple and Tuna Salad with three oat cakes
Beany Vegetable Soup with two oat cakes
Flageolet Bean Dip with vegetable crudités and three oat
cakes
Chestnut and Butterbean Soup with two oat cakes
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Hummus with vegetable crudités and four oat cakes
Blueberry and Cottage Cheese Salad with three oat cakes
Lentil and Lemon Soup with three oat cakes
Daytime/evening Two oat cakes with hummus, or peanut butter
snack:
Choose from Rough, Fine Milled, Cheese, Organic or Mini varieties, available from
supermarkets, independent grocers and health food shops, priced from 83p.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. nairn’s is the no 1 oat cake producer in the UK and has been making oat cakes in
Scotland for over 100 years.
2. nairn’s oat cakes are made from best quality oats grown by Scottish Border Farmers to
Conservation Grade standards, using traditional farming methods and reducing the need
for unnatural supplements.
3. nairn’s oat cakes are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
4. nairn’s website address is: www.nairns-oatcakes.com
5. nairn’s oat cakes were award winners in the 2004 Great Taste Awards.
DIGITAL IMAGES (jpeg 300 dpi) AND SAMPLES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
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Julia Laflin/Kathryn Murphy/Jenny Harrison Tel: 020 7736 3665
Norton Cowan Communications Ltd Fax: 020 7736 3608
22 Breer Street, London SW6 3HD E-mail: mail@nortoncowan.co.uk
