We've been told Carbs BAD, but are they when they have been sprouted and fermented?

As you read this blog post it may make you ponder. We have been taught that a carb is a carb. That a carb is BAD! That we need to either stay away from as many carbs as possible or eat low carb at all costs. What does that really mean? Is this really the best for our bodies and realistic? The more I think about this the more I want to share what I have learned a long the way. I believe we need to bring back simple, and traditional eating habits. We should question what we have been told by our food companies and re-learn what was lost and not passed down from generation to generation. Carbohydrates sound like such a debbie downer, but maybe if we know the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs it will be easier to pick healthier foods. Maybe glancing at the carb count on the food label isn't the best thing to be doing. 

So let's dig in here! What happens to the carbohydrates when grains are sprouted and fermented? As I mentioned above, there are different types of carbohydrates. Simple or complex. Not all carbs are created equal. Some give us quick energy like simple carbs, while others keep you feeling fuller and fuelled longer like complex carbs. But what happens when ancient grains like spelt, rye, khorasan, or oat are sprouted and fermented like we do here at Pastorey Pasta?

The carbs that are not good for our health are the simple carbohydrates. These carbs are sugar, they are fast- digesting, and quick- burning. They can spike your blood sugars, give your body nothing to work on, and leave you crashing and looking for more carbs to get the same fix. The body is looking for nourishment, and it is trying to pull out any nutrient value possible, but these simple carbs have none. The body is left crashing and burning out. This results in poor health, diabetes, even weight gain, to name a few. 

The carbs that ARE GOOD for our health are the complex carbs. The name even sounds hardier, healthier, more complex don't you think? These I refer to as Healthy Carbs, which come from whole grains. Like the grains I use at Pastorey Pasta. They're packed with fiber and take longer to digest, giving your body something to work on. In return, these complex carbs give you back energy and keep you feeling fuller longer so you are not looking for more carbs to get your next fix. 

Now, heres where sprouting and fermentation change the game. When a grain begins to sprout, enzymes break down some of the complex carbs, into simpler forms. This makes the grain easier to digest and the nutrients more available to the body. This process changes the structure of the carbohydrate and filters out the simple carbs, and keeps the complex carbs. The sprouting creates more nutrients and decreases the sugars. The fermentation of sourdough is a slow and steady transformation and further breaks down the grain. The healthy bacteria feed on the gluten in the grain and fart out an acid called lactic acid. This acid feeds on the sugars from the simple carbs lowering the sugar content and increasing the fiber. While these healthy bacteria are eating up the simple carbs, they are more or less cleaning up the garbage for us and leaving the complex carbs for your body to fuel up with energy and get to work.

To wrap this up, sprouted and fermented grains offer the best of both worlds. Both these processes eliminate the simple carbs, and keep the complex carbs, ending with easier digestion, steady energy, and deeper nutrition- all without needing the next fix of simple carbs. That's why every bite of my sprouted sourdough pasta is not just delicious- its built to nourish!