[Lizzie G]

Originally Posted by Eddy

My usual spaghetti routine:

• 1 package Tinkyada whole-grain rice pasta (258 g net CHO)
• 1 jar Kroger pasta sauce (45 g net CHO)
• 1 pound ground buffalo
• "that looks about right" olive oil with the noodles

Cook meat. Add sauce. Set aside. Cook noodles with olive oil. Mix pasta and meat/sauce.

I'll eat it in three or four sittings, meaning 75g to 100g CHO per serving. My usual insulin mix for this dish:

• 20% rapid
• 20% R
• 60% N

I also seemed to need approximately 80% as much insulin as calculated. Yet I've had postprandial hyperglycemia the past few times I've made spaghetti, with the highest numbers at two hours postprandial.

After some experimentation, I've determined that the proper mix now is:

• 20% rapid
• 35% R
• 45% N

...and I need the full 100% of calculated.

What am I doing differently?

To give the spaghetti a little kick, I've started adding balsamic vinegar to the meat/sauce. I don't know exactly how much; probably between two tablespoons and a fourth of a cup. (The added CHO is negligible, so I don't worry.)

I now wonder if the vinegar catalyzed complex-CHO breakdown. It's very interesting that the change in preparation correlates with both increased insulin need and proportionately less NPH.

Hmmmm....

Hi Eddy, just a guess based on very old and half forgotten knowledge of Chemistry (!). Balsamic Vinegar is pretty acidic (as well as very tasty in spaghetti sauce). As the various digestive organs tend to function in an acidic environment (and thus catalyse the various reactions by suppling H+ ions into the mix) I guess its plausible that the acidity of the food itself further promotes breakdown of carbs....but i am probably completely wrong so dont laugh too hard at me!