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Friday, February 5, 2010

Q&A with Jamie Geller and Ilan de Leon of Carb 1 Low Carb Gluten Free Muffins and Breads

Carb 1 Low Carb, Gluten Free Muffins and Breads

By: JAMIE GELLER

Carb 1 is such an amazing product with so many benefits and such great taste. What inspired you to create your line of low carbohydrate muffins and breads?
I created the products for people with diabetes. My mother and son are diabetic. A diabetic can't easily enjoy products made with wheat flour or sugar because those items raise their blood sugar levels.
When my son went to yeshivah as a kid, he had to take five syringes to school so he could give himself insulin shots before he ate snacks and meals.
A normal person's body creates insulin, which naturally keeps down blood sugar levels produced by high-carb foods. The insulin prevents the sugar level in your bloodstream from getting too high.
A diabetic's body doesn't produce insulin or enough insulin, so they have to take pills or shots of insulin before they eat items with a lot of carbs or sugar. Since our products were created to really taste good and we guarantee they will not raise your blood sugar, they are 100% safe for any kid or adult with diabetes to enjoy without any problems.
There are a lot of so-called low-carb products out there. How are Carb 1 products different? Why are your products safe for diabetics to eat? 
Our bakery goods are low carb since we use no flour, grains or starches, and they therefore will not raise blood sugar levels. This means that a diabetic will not have to take insulin before they eat our breads or muffins. 
To put it into perspective, our muffins have 1 carbohydrate whereas regular muffins made with wheat flour have 50 to 60 carbs.  A diabetic can safely enjoy our muffins and bread, which really is a new experience for someone used to taking insulin before each meal.
Your breads and muffins are so moist. I'd never guess they are low-carb. What's your secret? How do you keep the carbohydrates down without sacrificing flavor?
You're right on the money. People can't believe our products are practically carbohydrate free. The secret is that instead of wheat flour, we use almond flour. A lot of times, low-carb products are dry and tasteless. Almond flour makes products moist and rich-tasting. It took us two years to develop the formula but we are tremendously happy with the results.
And for sweetness, what do you use in place of sugar?
Well, in our breads we don't add sweeteners. In the muffins we use sucralose, which is Splenda.  This is a sweetener designed specifically for diabetics.
Carb 1 is such an innovative product. What kinds of muffins and breads do you offer and what are the plans for the future?
Currently, we offer three types of sliced breads; plain, onion, and garlic, that come in 24 slices per loaf. We also offer muffins in chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, and hazelnut flavors. They come 6 in a package.

All our products are available in the freezer section. They will last indefinitely in the freezer or 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

In terms of the future, we have other products in the works that we haven't introduced yet. Currently, we are working on things like rolls, biscotti, cereal made with pistachio nuts-lots of yummy things.
By the way, all our products are made under the guidance of Dr. Joel Goldman, chief endocrinologist, (the head of the diabetes department) at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn.
I'm getting hungry just hearing about Carb 1. Do you have to be diabetic to enjoy your products?
No way! The product was designed with diabetics in mind but everyone can enjoy them.
People who have Celiac disease will love them because they are gluten free. To put it into bold terms, our products are wheat free, gluten free, sugar free, transfat free and dairy free. If you are conscious of any of these things, you'll love our products. Most importantly, our products taste great so anyone can enjoy our delicious breads and muffins.
Author Bio:
- JAMIE GELLER is a best selling author (Quick and Kosher Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing, 2007), an internationally syndicated food and lifestyle columnist, an award-winning television producer, a motivational speaker, and the host of popular Internet cooking shows "Quick & Kosher" and "Simply Kosher." -

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