I have been on SB for about 3 weeks. I have lost 6.5 pounds. But I do have some questions. I've skimmed through the book, perhaps I should read it more thorougly. But here are my questions:

1. I understand no white rice, brown okay, no white/red potatoes, sweet okay. I found the sugar in white rice not much different the sugar in brown. Also, I have found some rice, like Uncle Bens Long Grain with different flavors has no sugar. So, are those okay?

2. Pasta has me really confused. Pasta is made with semolina flour which is the hardest whole wheat flour. So, it's made with whole wheat. The sugar level in regular pasta is the same as whole wheat pasta. So can I eat any of it?

3. Many whole grain breads actually have more sugar than many white breads. Also many white breads are made with wheat flour. So, how do I choose a bread, just go for the lowest sugar possible?

4. Bisquick is made from whole wheat flour, so can I eat that? ( my sister-in-law actually makes pancakes with it and uses sugar free syrup and has lost 15 pounds or something like that)

5. I also noticed on the SB pyramid it shows dairy products. Now, I love milk and have to have a glass a day with my arthritis meds. But milk, all milk is so high in sugar. Is this a problem?

It's all very confusing. Now someone told me it has something to do with how white rice, bread etc. breaks down in the body. But it is hard to shop not understanding all this.

Can anyone explain some of this? Thank you in advance.

Great weight loss! You really need to read the book! It's not so much about how much sugar is in a food, but what the Glycemic Index is of the food. Highly processed foods, like things made with white flour, potatoes, white rice, turns into sugar faster once you eat it. That's a very simplified way of saying it but that's how I think of it. The stoneground whole wheat has not been processed like white four and has a lower blood glucose response (less sugar). The higher the level of glucose in your system the less able your body is to utilize it right away and it generally gets stored as fat.

The sugar in milk and dairy are natural sugars so it's ok. If you see sugar listed as an ingredient it's been added in and is not legal, unless it's under 3 grams. That's why tomatoes sauce is legal when it lists a high sugar content. Tomatoes have natural sugars. Look for tomatoe sauce and ketchup that don't list sugar or corn syrup in the ingredients.

The regular Durham pasta has a glycemic level of like 60.
I believe, and the whole wheat is something like 40.
Look for bread that has stoneground or whole-wheat flour with less then 3 grams of sugar.
Unbleached whole-wheat is no good because it's been processed.

Thanks this is helpful. I know I need to read the book more fully, as I said I simply skimmed through it for now. But I know my sister-in-law has read it and she was still confused about those things, so I decided to ask. Wouldn't it be nice if they put the glycemic value on food.

The info on pasta was very helpful. I just couldn't understand that one at all and neither my sister-in-law or I could find anything in the book we have from the library that really discussed it very well. So, whole wheat pasta okay, regular pasta (even though it is made with whole wheat flour) is not.

Hmmmm, fascinating. Thanks again.

I recommend this site for some good info
A sane eay of eating
and this has
The Glycemic Index

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