By following this principle, doctors and nutritionists agree that you can eat 2 to 3 pancakes without disturbing your blood sugar balance.
Behind the conviviality of Candlemas lies a nutritional reality that is less encouraging for health. Crepes, as good as they are to eat, are real glycemic “bombs” for the body. Between the refined wheat flour that they typically contain and what is added to them (jam, chocolate, etc.), they suddenly increase the caloric density and make digestion heavier. Result: a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and a “slump”. Without forgetting the immediate glycemic peak that they cause, which promotes fat storage and awakens cravings 2 hours later. But a cardiologist has the solution to alleviate all that and still have fun.
Dr. William Davis found the solution to savor this moment by making a healthy choice. According to him, the solution to minimizing these blood sugar peaks does not lie in deprivation, but in the strategic replacement of white wheat flour (T45) with a specific alternative with an extremely low glycemic index (GI 15), making it the best option for diabetics or people following a ketogenic diet. Plus, since this flour is rich in protein and healthy fats, you’ll feel full much faster than with a wheat pancake. With this flour, “you radically change the metabolic situation: you benefit from a slow diffusion of energy, you avoid intestinal inflammation often linked to gluten and you protect your arteries from the deleterious effects of sugar“, he explains.
The doctor suggests replacing 100% of the white flour with almond flour for almost zero glycemic impact. The only drawback: the pancake will be slightly more fragile and will tend to break more easily, so don’t hesitate to make it a little thicker like a flat pancake to compensate for this different texture.
By following this method, doctors and nutritionists agree that you can enjoy 2 to 3 pancakes without disturbing your blood sugar balance, provided of course that you remain reasonable on the filling (fruit, compote, oilseed purees, peanut butter, cream cheese, melted dark chocolate, etc.) or even eat them plain because almond flour naturally gives a slight frangipane taste.
The expert also gives the “fiber mesh” tip: always start your meal with a savory pancake garnished with vegetables (spinach, mushrooms) before moving on to something sweet. Fiber mechanically slows down the absorption of subsequent sugars. Finally, in the dough, replace part of the cow’s milk with sparkling water. Not only will your pancakes be lighter and more digestible, but you will reduce the lactose content, limiting the bloating often associated with this traditional dessert.
