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Authentic Greek Pies
Taste & health

Hellenis komatia pitas web

The greek pie, part of the greek food culture, is a true masterpiece of flavour which combines homely and fresh ingredients with high gastronomic value.

All of us at Helleni’s Bakery, have created authentic country pies with homemade phyllo, keeping up the tradition and adjusting it to current nutritional trends.

For the filling we carefully choose the purest and finest ingredients which combine sustenance with exquisite taste.

Helleni’s Bakery pies with country phyllo and whole grain flour contain large amounts of dietary fiber, nutrients and vitamins.

They form the ideal solution for all of you who desire a healthy, complete diet that covers your daily nutritional needs.

By choosing one of the Helleni’s Bakery pies, you get yourselves a fast, tasty and mainly a healthy meal or snack with all the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.

Enjoy our traditional pies every moment of your daily life with your family or friends!

Benefits of the Meditteranean diet

The Mediterranean diet contains large amounts of fruit, vegetables, and vegetarian proteins, extra virgin olive olive oil, moderate amounts of whole grains, and small amounts of red meat.

People who live in the area around the Mediterranean Sea have been found to have a lower risk of heart disease. Research studies show that when people in other parts of the world eat a diet similar to that eaten in Mediterranean countries, they reduce their risk of heart disease.

Some indicative studies are mentioned below :

  • The PREDIMED study

-The PREDIMED study is a randomised clinical trial being undertaken by 16 research groups in seven communities in Spain.

-Following the Med diets was inversely associated with diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Lisa Yates, B.Sc, MNutr&Diet, Adv APD, MSDA, 2012

 

  1. Protective mechanisms of the Mediterraneandiet in obesity and type 2 diabetes

Several mechanistic links offer potential explanations of the Mediterranean diet’s protective effect on obesity and type 2 diabetes.

  • Diets rich in plant foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, provide a high amount of, as well as a variety of, both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Experimental studies showed that high fiber intake increases satiety or reduces hunger in comparison to low fiber intake.  Additionally, the majority of studies investigating the effect of high fiber diets on energy intake and weight loss reported a reduction in both
  • Antioxidant rich foods: Results from epidemiological studies indicate that a high

consumption of fruits and vegetables, either alone or as components of a healthy dietary pattern, reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Helmut Schrfder, Spain, 2006

 

Rye and health benefits

A) RYE REDUCES BODY WEIGHT COMPARED TO WHEAT

i) Study Conducted at Lund University in Sweden.
Nutrition. February 2010; 26(2): 230-9. E pub 2009 Jul 31.

ii) The studies under the HEALTHGRAIN project show that rye products promote higher feeling of satiety after meal and cause a reduction of voluntary energy intake at a later meal.

B) RYE LOWERS INSULIN RESPONSE, IMPROVES BLOOD GLUCOSE PROFILE

i) In the fight against diabetes and obesity, foods that produce a low insulin response and suppress hunger can be extremely useful. A cross-over study by Scientists at Lund University in Sweden showed that the endosperm rye bread and the whole grain rye bread best controlled blood sugar and regulated appetite. Nutrition Journal. September 25, 2009; 8:42

ii) The studies under the HEALTHGRAIN project show that the products which produce rye generally have a positive blood glucose profile after a meal, with a low and sustained response of blood glucose. The rye also caused a reduction of the response to insulin compared to white wheat, causing high saturation after the meal, and reduction of energy intake at a later meal.

C) RYE BREAD SATISFIES LONGER THAN WHEAT

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala Nutrition Journal. August 26, 2009; 8:39
D) RYE AND DIGESTIVE SYSTEM HEALTH
Dietary fiber from rye appears to be more effective than wheat, improve general health of the digestive system.

E) RYE FOR CANCER PREVENTION

Lignans are natural components of plants found in rye and other foods. Enterolactone may potentially reduce the risk of certain cancers. The fiber in rye may also reduce the risk of colon cancer due to improved bowel function.
F) RYE FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION
The consumption of bread such as rye bread or rye associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a higher intake of breakfast cereal associated with a lower risk of heart failure. It has also been suggested that the elderly by increasing consumption of dietary fiber breakfast cereals have a low risk of cardiovascular disease.
H) RYE TO REDUCE CHOLESTEROL
In a 4-week study of 18 men and 22 women who consumed random bread of wheat and rye, it was concluded that rye bread in daily eating habits is an effective and practical method for reducing LDL cholesterol levels in men. Another study showed that cholesterol levels were significantly higher after a diet low in fiber than following a diet high in fiber.

I) RYE MAY REDUCE INFLAMMATION IN PEOPLE WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME

At the University of Kuopio in Finland, the researchers concluded that choosing cereal foods wisely may be important to reduce diabetes risk, especially in those who already have metabolic syndrome. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 2008; 87(5): 1497-503.

 

Whole grains and dietary fibers

  1. Whole Grains and Starchy Vegetables 

6-inch whole rye or wheat pita:

  • Whole grains are high in fiber and have less effect on blood sugar and triglyceride levels than refined, processed grains.
  • Whole grains also keep the stomach full longer, making it easier to control hunger.

Source: University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. Produced by the Clinical Nutrition Services Department PI 410.  Published: 11/2009

  1. Wholegrain cereals and derived products: a duet of the Mediterranean diet for the prevention of chronic diseases

A review of the fundamental studies that support the consumption of wholegrain cereals and bread to prevent chronic diseases.

General: Wholegrain cereals and derived products (pies) are rich in nutrients and many phytochemical compounds, with recognised benefits for health, including dietary fibre, a number of phenolic compounds, lignans, vitamins and minerals and other bioactive components.

Results:

  • Several studies show consistently that subjects who ingest three or more portions of foods per day based on wholegrain derived products have a 20–30% lower risk of CVD than subjects who ingest lower quantities.
  • Likewise, high intake of wholegrain cereals and their products, is associated with a 20–30% reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Finally, protection against the risk of colorectal cancer and polyps, other cancers of the digestive tract, cancers related to hormones and pancreatic cancer has been associated with the regular consumption of wholegrain cereals and derived products.

Angel Gil, Rosa M Ortega and Jose´ Maldonado, 20113

     3. Whole grains and risk of pancreatic cancer in a large population-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area, California

Pancreatic cancer is the most fatal cancer in the United States.
Previous studies have suggested that diets high in fiber, low in glycemic load may confer benefits.
These data provide support for the hypothesis that whole-grain foods and fiber, but not refined grains, are associated with reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.
Plausible biologic mechanisms for the reduction in pancreatic cancer risk are via decreased levels insulin, cholesterol, and/or inflammation.

Chan et al., Am J Epidemiology, 166:1174-1185, 2007.

4. Improvement of insulin resistance after diet with a whole-grain based dietary product: results of a randomized, controlled cross over study in obese subjects with elevated fasting blood glucose. 

Type 2 diabetes and its long-term complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and the prevalence continues to rise.
A diet therapy that achieves weight loss and improves insulin sensitivity can potentially reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in obese individuals.
In the present study, a hypo-energetic diet with a whole grain dietary product and a meal replacement resulted in weight loss and a decrease in blood glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance in obese subjects with elevated fasting glucose.
Adjusting for the amount of weight lost revealed a better improvement insulin resistance after the diet with whole grains than meal replacements.
The beneficial effect of the whole grain product likely resulted from synergistic effects from properties of the whole grain product including a high content of insoluble fiber, low amount of digestible carbohydrates, and low glycemic index.

Rave et al., Br J Nutr., 98:929-936, 2007.

    5. Whole-grain consumption, dietary fiber intake and body mass index in the Netherlands cohort study.

Whole grains may help in preventing overweight and obesity by increasing satiety and by slowing down starch digestion and absorption, which can favor fat oxidation and lipolysis rather than fat storage.
The results of this study in a healthy middle-aged population indicate that men and women with a high intake of whole grains have a lower Body Mass Index and lower risk of overweight and obesity than men and women with a low intake of whole grains.

Van de Vijver et al., Eur J Clin Nutr., Epub Sept 2007.