Walter Bread cashes in on the weight-loss craze

MANILA, Philippines - Way before the reality TV show Pinoy Biggest Loser aired, Filipinos have been frantically trying out different approaches to losing weight – from skipping meals, rigid diet programs, strenuous workouts, and avoiding foods that are deemed fattening and unhealthy, specially those that contain carbohydrates.

But for nutritionist and health experts, a common mistake made by many people trying to lose weight is eliminating essential nutrients like carbohydrates.

“The most common myth in weight loss is taking out carbohydrates. This is definitely wrong,” says Nadine Tengco, weight loss expert, sports nutritionist at Philippine Olympics Committee, and Pinoy Biggest Loser resident nutritionist.

She says among many dieters in the Philippines, rice and bread are the ones that they commonly eliminate from their diet. However, Tengco believes that there are many good sources of carbohydrates, particularly in bread.

“Carbohydrates, or complex carbohydrates, in particular, are necessary to fuel the brain because they are a good source of glucose, which our brain needs,” she says.

She adds that glucose can rather be sourced from what are called complex carbohydrates, which could be found in high-fiber breads. Because if it is obtained from simple sugar and already processed sugars, it will increase the blood sugar and will make the body store fats.

“In complex carbohydrates, you can see the brain with glucose because if not, the body will find a way to get the glucose and it will break down your muscle to get it from there, and what will happen is that your body fats will increase. This will cause you to lose lean muscle mass, which slows down the metabolism. So in fact, taking out carbohydrates contributes to weight gain.”

The right choice of bread

Most of the time, people who are trying to lose weight hardly find a good option of food that has these complex carbohydrates. For example, only a few brands offer breads that are low in sugar and high in fiber.

Some brands of bread that claim to be high in fiber and low in sugar often come out as tasteless and even taste awful. Because of this, those who try to lose weight rather give up eating bread. But one brand that has stood out among other healthy lines of breads in the market is Walter Bread, manufactured by Creative Bakeries Co. Inc.

In fact, Walter Bread has been the only brand that Tengco recommends to her clients, and even for the contestants of the Pinoy Biggest Loser.

“I want them to have at the very least 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates. So, I recommend that they could have at least two slices of high-fiber bread because there are other sources of carbs like rice that they could mix and match once in a while. But if the source is purely bread then they could have four or five slices a day,” she says.

Eric Limatog, one of the contestants of the reality TV show, revealed that these breads helped them in the whole process of losing weight inside the camp. “Madalas, kulang kami sa oras para makapagluto pa kaya imbis na magsaing pa ng kanin, Walter Bread na lang ang madalas naming kainin,” he recalls.

Eric, who lost a more than 150 lbs during the whole season of Pinoy Biggest Loser, even shares that the most favorite Walter Bread variant in the camp was the Weight Control Bread because it helped them avoid constipation.

This is because Walter Bread’s fiber-rich breads enable a healthier digestive process. “Fiber is universally known to help in achieving good digestive health. With a healthy digestive system, our bodies are able to remove toxins that predispose us to diseases including cancer — fiber as a source of antioxidants, helps protect our cells from within,” explains Walter Co, president of Creative Bakers.

Fiber-rich

Walter Bread’s Weight Control bread, for example, is high in fiber, which helps allow a feeling of satiety to a person who’s controlling his calorie consumption. “Fiber helps one feel full as it aids in the release of hormones that prolongs hunger – the longer the onset of hunger, the higher the possibility of lesser caloric intake,” Co says.

Additionally, some studies have shown that with good amounts of fiber, lesser fats from the meals are absorbed. With less fat absorption, the additional deposits of unwanted fats among already over-weight or obese individuals are reduced.

When choosing the right type of nutritious breads, Tengco suggests that whole-grain breads that are high in fiber and that are low in sugar are the ones that should be picked.

For example, Walter Bread’s Weight Control bread is very rich in fiber. “That ingredient may not really sound so unique but we’ve made our bread so tasty, and that’s a winning difference,” says Co.

Aside from the health benefits of fiber that he mentioned, this nutrient also assists in lowering cholesterol levels, one that is good for those with known lipid disorders and cardiovascular disease.