Cereal recommendations

[oao]

Hi,

I don't seem to be able to find a cereal that is diabetes friendly, but also tasty (it's true that I don't like cereals in general, but there must be one out there that would be OK).
The only time I found one I like it was high-carb.

Can you recommend any candidates to try? What is a reasonable portion size? And should I use no-fat milk (how much?) or something else?

Thanks.

[Jan B]

Personally, I use non-fat milk. I've trained myself to taste the fat, and it's nasty to me.

Any cereal will have carbs . . just find something without a bunch of extra sugar added. One of my favorites is Fiber One. Very good for you. One cup (2 servings) is all the fiber you need in a whole day. Be sure to read the serving size -- it's usually much less that what people tend to pour in their bowl!

[princesslinda]

Cereals are a big "no-no" for me...the ones I like aren't diabetic friendly. I have found that I can have the Kashi Go Lean Crunch or Go Lean Protein without a big problem...still it causes more or a rise in blood sugar than I like. I basically avoid it.

[oao]

I don't need advice on avoiding them -- I can do that pretty well by myself :).

The thing is I have not found a better substitute. I won't have eggs because I am taking medication for high-cholesterol and high BP.

It is said that they are a good source of fiber, which should be OK for diabetes, no?

In principle, I could do without breakfast, but there is an argument that that's not a good idea.

Anyway, if anybody has found a better, healthy substitute, I'm game.

[panda1076]

This is one of my biggest challenges, finding good breakfast foods. I have tried the new Glucerna cereal. It is supposedly diabetes friendly, but my BG still spikes over 200 when I eat it. The flakes taste a little hard but it's not bad for a high fiber cereal.

I have also been trying to carb, low glycemic index bread, and having 2 slices of toast with sugar free jam. That's okay, but still not great for post meal BGs.

Eggs and protein definitely seem to be the best approach. sometimes i eat lox on toast or leftover chicken or turkey as my breakfast :)

[xMenace]

I've found very few that behaved and tasted good. I'll eat a small bowl of Muesli or Alpen (http://www.weetabix.co.uk/brands/alpen-cereals/)sometimes. Try some sliced bananas with sweetener/sugar and milk. I use 1% milk. For me the carbs in each type of milk are so close that I don't even try to find a difference.

Aa far as skipping goes, I can't argue against it. With our high dawn phenomenons, sugar and hormone release, I have a hard time saying we even need to eat in the mornings. My only issue is if I don't, I experience a nasty liver dump whenever I do eat.

[shabbie6247]

i have given up cereals as i cant find any that suit me either.

i choose to eat baked beans for breakfast nowadays, sometimes with scrambled eggs and corned beef. (tastes better than it sounds...trust me ;))

i dont get any spikes and it keeps me going til lunchtime.

[oao]

I have no problem with the taste and I would not mind having that, but I gotta watch my cholesterol and calories too, so that's not an option for me.

[oao]

Incidentally kinds of good bread or substitutes would also be of interest -- the combination of diabetes friendly and good taste is also hard to find.

I find some low carb pita bread (seems like corn-made) that claims 12mg of carbs.

[mho357]

Oao,

I like Flax Plus from Nature's Path. Lots of fiber and 500 mg Omega-3 - which is supposed to be good for cholesterol. I have some every morning along with an Egg Beaters omelet (no cholesterol).

My BG tolerates this just fine - your mileage may vary...

Mark

FlaxPlus® Flakes (http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold_cereals/flaked_cereals/flaxplus_r_flakes)

2779

[princesslinda]

Try the Kashi...its quite good. Also, the Fiber-One chewy bars are really tasty....29 carbs, 9 fiber, 140 calories...they don't raise my blood sugar and are a good change from the eggs I usually have.

Could you eat the egg substitutes with Turkey bacon?

As for bread, I use the low-carb Mission brand tortillas with good results...or the Nature's Own Double Fiber bread...it's got the soft texture I enjoy and the occasional sandwich on it doesn't give me much problem.

[mho357]

I forgot to mention that I eat the Flax Plus without adding anything sweet to it - it has enough natural sweetness for me.

Mark

[princesslinda]

I forgot to mention that I eat the Flax Plus without adding anything sweet to it - it has enough natural sweetness for me.

Mark

Mark, is this a hot cereal or flakes? I'm not familiar with it but have heard a lot of benefits from flax seed, so i'd like to give it a try...how is it texture-wise?

[BlueSky]

.... I won't have eggs because I am taking medication for high-cholesterol and high BP.....
You are basing your your food choices on a faulty premise, IMO. Food containing cholesterol and fat doesn't actually affect serum cholesterol at all. You need to watch the calories, though, as these foods are energy dense. But eating eggs, cheese, bacon, sausages etc for breakfast is so satiating (satisfies hunger) that you end up eating fewer calories anyway.

[ozbuc]

Mccanns oatmeal seems to work for me. I poor 1 third cup with 2 thirds cup of water then 1 min. in the micro. After it is cook I mix 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese and the same amount of ground almonds then sprinkle with cinnamon. Two hours after eating my bg tests out to be the same as when I wake up which is usually in the high 90s to about 105.

[oao]

From your data it seems like you're at the start of the disease, like I was in 2000 when I was diagnosed. I started with 7.4% and within a few months I was 5.4%. I managed for 7 years to control it primarily with exercise, diet and later 2x500mg metformin and 25mg precose in the 5.6-5.9% range.

But last test showed a jump to 6.6% and my meter has shown higher results (although compared to lab they've been about 20% higher, what's your experience?). I've been under a lot of stress and there's slippage in exercise and diet, but I dk if that could cause the whole jump. I'll be more rigorous and wait for next test, but if persists, I guess I'll have to change my diet significantly, because I won't be at your level anymore.

So real bread may not work. I've used in the past Whole 1hrWheat Carb Watch pita bread, 6g (3g net) of carbs each.

Here are the ingredients: Water, whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, soy flour, oat fiber, pea fiber, guar gum,, fresh yeast, salt, fumaric acid and mono-diglycerides. Not great, but the closest thing to real bread I can tolerate.

What converns me is that I've just come across the following site which suggests that the goals by ADA and doctors in the US--which I have been trying to achieve--are too high, and that's the reason most diabetics deteriorate. So we may be fooling ourselves that we're OK. Do you manage to keep your 1hrPPG at 120 and 2hrPPG at 140? My A1c is under 6 even though I can't.

(link deleted)

OTOH, reading the diet profile they use to control sugar at the lower levels I don't think I could live like that. So I guess it's a tradeoff of shorter but more normal life.

[princesslinda]

When first diagnosed, the doctor gave me my blood sugar goals and told me that if I managed to keep my blood sugars as close to "normal/non-diabetic" levels as possible, that my risk of complications would be the same as that of a non-diabetic....I don't know if that's proven to be true over the long haul, but it's goals that I strive for anyway.

These include fasting of 110 or less, 2 hr post meal 140 or less and random 110 or less.

I don't know for sure that keeping levels low will stop progression, but i've seen first hand in my mom what uncontrolled levels will eventually do.

[Jill-O]

Cheerios usually do okay for me and I like them.

Usually though for breakfast, I have no sugar added yogurt :)

[oao]

Unfortunately, no, that's not true. The presence of diabetes already increases your risks relative to somebody normal; even those with IGT and IFG have increased risk.

What is true is that keeping your levels close to normal is the best you can do with the risk the diabetes has imposed on you. IOW, the further you go up from the normal levels you FURTHER increase the increased risk you already have.

My impression after 7 years is that the A1c can stay at <6% (doctors consider the 6.7% the bad threshold) even if FPG >110 and PPG >120 and >140. Some research questions whether focus on A1c is a good idea.

Since diabetes is a hereditary disease, my guess is that the deterioration is likely to have some genetics roots too.

[Cyborg]

I avoid all cereals. I sure do miss the days as a kid when I could eat fruit loops. Or even the teenage years eating granola. And the adult years when I was eating raisin bran... :(

[oao]

I don't have a problem avoiding them, I did not grow up with them and I never liked them.

However, they are said to contain fiber and are healthy, so if they are low carb and decent tasting, I would have them. But I have not found any with this combination.

And I can't say I found a substitute either. I usually drink tea, but I need something with it. Until now I used foods that had carbs. I need to cut that out and I substitute something and I can't think of anything attractive.

[oao]

I am not sure you're right.

As far as I know heavy breakfasts are not the healthier thing.
Not to mention they make you sleepy.

Eggs and meat every morning is sure to raise cholesterol. There are instructions to limit them for the likes of me. Once or twice a week they're OK.

But I agree about the calories and I do watch them. Several months after DM diagnosis I went from 178 to 148. now i'm hovering around 155, seems like that's my "natural" weight.

[BlueSky]

... Eggs and meat every morning is sure to raise cholesterol. ....
I also thought so before I tried it. After three years of eating 3 eggs a day, every day, my cholesterol is the same as it was before I started. If anything, my cholesterol has improved as triglycerides have come down and HDL has gone up. Reducing carb and increasing fat in the diet does this.

[princesslinda]

I also thought so before I tried it. After three years of eating 3 eggs a day, every day, my cholesterol is the same as it was before I started. If anything, my cholesterol has improved as triglycerides have come down and HDL has gone up. Reducing carb and increasing fat in the diet does this.


I eat eggs and bacon a few times a week...my cholesterol is within normal limits...in fact, the HDL went from 23 to 48 and the LDL went from 140 to 113 at last check.

[oao]

Not everybody has cholesterol problems. Those who do not are lucky and have more freedom.

But those of us who do and take medication for it have less freedom.

I do eat eggs and meat, but in moderation. When I exaggerate, my numbers go up.

My guess is this has also genetic roots.

[kstreeter513]

If anything, my cholesterol has improved as triglycerides have come down and HDL has gone up. Reducing carb and increasing fat in the diet does this.

Reducing carbs has no effect on serum cholesterol levels. If anything it could cause cholesterol too go higher due to the reduction in soluble fiber, which is a carb. Increasing fat for most people causes cholesterol to become higher. The difference is where the fat is coming from. The biggest thing that raises cholesterol is saturated fats (the fats coming from animal products). Healthy mono/polyunsaturated fats will help reduce cholesterol levels. These are the fats found in nuts, avacadoes, olive oil, etc.

[xMenace]

Eggs and meat every morning is sure to raise cholesterol. There are instructions to limit them for the likes of me. Once or twice a week they're OK.


Food for Thought: Reevaluating Eggs' Cholesterol Risks, Science News Online, May 6, 2006 (http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060506/food.asp)

[xMenace]

I avoid all cereals. I sure do miss the days as a kid when I could eat fruit loops. Or even the teenage years eating granola. And the adult years when I was eating raisin bran... :(


I opted for Raisin Bran couple of weeks ago at a motel continental breakfast. I got an awful reinder as to why I avoid cereals. :(

[princesslinda]

I opted for Raisin Bran couple of weeks ago at a motel continental breakfast. I got an awful reinder as to why I avoid cereals. :(

I know what you mean...I really miss Cocoa Pebbles...would probably put me in a coma or something now!:eek: Raisin bran would probably do the same thing:(

Also, for me, portion control is an issue.....1/2 cup of cereal just doesn't make me feel full!

[kstreeter513]

I opted for Raisin Bran couple of weeks ago at a motel continental breakfast. I got an awful reinder as to why I avoid cereals. :(

According to your signature, you're on a pump. I'm on a pump too, and never have problems with cereal. Do you have your I:C ration set correctly?

[xMenace]

According to your signature, you're on a pump. I'm on a pump too, and never have problems with cereal. Do you have your I:C ration set correctly?


Yes I do. I'd say it's quite refined.

My DP is quite extreme and plays havoc with my mornings. I look at sugar and I rise. My endo and I have discussed my mornings at length.

[BlueSky]

Reducing carbs has no effect on serum cholesterol levels. ....
I beg to differ there. The main dietary causes of high triglycerides is the consumption of carbohydrate and alcohol. And the usual experience of people going on to a low-carb way of eating is a big drop in triglycerides. After it is consumed, carbohydrate is quickly broken down into glucose. After a high carb meal, most of this glucose cannot be used by the cells immediately and it can't be stored. This surplus glucose is shunted of to the liver, where it is converted to triglycerides. These triglucerides are released back into the blood stream, before being stored as fat. This causes people who eat high-carb to have high triglycerides, especially if they are also insulin resistant. For people like this, a change to low-carb eating causes a dramatic drop in triglycerides.

[Cyborg]

Why alcohol? I drink 1 or 2 times a week and my triglycerides are very low. Last lab work showed:

a1c = 5.4
LDL = 93
HDL = 59
Triglycerides = 48

[mho357]

Mark, is this a hot cereal or flakes? I'm not familiar with it but have heard a lot of benefits from flax seed, so i'd like to give it a try...how is it texture-wise?

It is a cold cereal - flakes that are crunchy and they tend to stay that way in milk.

If your local market doesn't carry it you can find it online - I know that Amazon has it.

Mark

[oao]

Food for Thought: Reevaluating Eggs' Cholesterol Risks, Science News Online, May 6, 2006 (http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060506/food.asp)

Read it, thanks. Interesting. Food for thought indeed, but not for behavior change yet. As I said, moderation is a good thing.

[BlueSky]

Why alcohol? I drink 1 or 2 times a week and my triglycerides are very low. ....
Those numbers are very good. Keep up the good work. But having said that, alcohol causes high triglycerides for most people. Here is an article that explains the connection Lowering High Blood TRIGLYCERIDES: Why NO Alcohol? (http://www.reducetriglycerides.com/alcohol_beer_wine_template.htm)
High Blood Triglycerides: Why No Alcohol?

A reduction of alcohol intake is crucial in keeping triglycerides in check. Just one drink can increase triglycerides in susceptible people. If you have elevated triglycerides and consume alcohol - a reduced intake or not drinking alcohol at all is strongly advised.

Alcohol is a source of excess calories which are being turned into fat - usually, triglycerides, so the fat levels in your blood go up. But that’s only part of the story.

Researchers have found that apart from adding calories to the diet, alcohol also prevents the burning of fat.

According to a Swiss study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, booze in the bloodstream can slow down fat metabolism more than 30 percent. Plus, alcohol drinkers don’t just drink alcohol – usually, they have it with chips or peanuts.

When alcohol (ethanol) is present in the blood, the liver prioritizes removing alcohol from the blood over other metabolic processes.

The liver can detoxify about one ounce of alcohol (distilled spirits) per hour, which is about 1 serving of an alcoholic beferage (equivalent to 12 ounces of beer or 4 ounces of wine).

In the meantime, however, glucose tends to be further processed into triglycerides which raises their blood levels (some drinks may contain fruit, syrups, or other additives that increase their carbohydrate count, thus, triglyceride levels).

return to top

Alcohol Worse Than Sugar!

Even light drinking (two to four ounces of wine a week) can raise blood triglycerides, even greater than sugar.
Alcohol reduces the amount of the enzyme that breaks down triglycerides and spurs the liver to make more triglycerides.

Some people have increased susceptibility to developing raised triglycerides in response to alcohol. So if you do not require insulin, or are not diabetic, and consume alcohol regularly, you may be able to lower your elevated triglycerides just by avoiding alcohol.

By taxing the liver and reducing the ability to detoxify blood, alcohol causes more harm to blood vessels. When the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is less able to process cholesterol. As a result, LDL-"bad" cholesterol levels go up.

In addition, alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications much more than the drugs would do alone. Actually, this is the major problem with the statins.

By drinking alcohol daily, you may increase your chances of serious statin side effects, especially liver problems. Therefore, to protect your liver, you should go easy on alcohol or avoid it completely while taking a statin.

It brings up two general misconceptions about beer drinking:

* First, that beer is harmless, because it's only 5 percent alcohol, compared to 40 percent for whiskey.

Not quite so. Keep in mind, there's as much alcohol in a can beer as in a shot of whiskey. Additionally, regular beer contains both alcohol and carbohydrates

* Second, consuming the beer over a long period of time will have little effect on one's sobriety.

Not so. It takes hours for the body to eliminate even small amounts of alcohol. So, if you are a six-pack-a-day person, by the time you pop the last can at the end of the day, your blood alcohol level may be dangerously high.

However, you must consider the calories added to the diet by regular alcohol use. For example, in one study, half a bottle of white wine (39 g ethyl alcohol) consumed daily for 42 days represented the equivalent of 3 lbs of additional weight over 6 weeks, or approximately 27 lbs per year! (Lancet. 1983; ii: 819-82). ....

[MJB]

"Please note that we are not medical doctors and we do not have your case history. Always discuss actions regarding your health with your doctor. Never use the internet as the sole source of medical information. Full of Health is not responsible for actions taken as a result of this website."

From the same source....:eek:

[type1since82]

Try Egg Beaters - egg taste, but no cholesterol!

I also found some Flax Seed Waffles where I can have 3 for 27 carbs and 4 grams of fiber - I really like those!

[Brockisit]

Hello

I have tried fiber one and don't care for the taste.What about heart smart?

I seen another one on Tv that was good for diabetic people but cant remember the name.

[DCaplinger]

I was about to buy a box of Fiber One when a single ingredient caught my eye. Why the **** would they put aspartame in a fiber cereal? I won't eat anything with aspartame in it. It's a nasty poison that is reknown for causing a multitude of problems in the body.

I like the Koshi GoLean line of cereals myself. They are usually high in fiber, and the serving sizes are larger than the average cereal, so I feel full.

Regards,

Darian

[markr]

I think you should be more upset about your A1C of 13.6! :eek:

[slipperyelm]

I'm sure he will be working on that 13.6 A1c. He was just diagnosed 7 days ago. No doubt that has started him reading labels much more thoroughly and that caused him to notice the aspartame.

Darian, I'm sure they put the aspartame in the Fibre One cereal to sweeten it. More and more our packaged and canned foods are being sweetened one way or another. Go take a look at canned tomato sauces and see how hard it is to find one without added sugar. What for? Or even canned chicken broth. What???? Diabetic or not, I do not want all my foods to be sweetened. I want food, not candy.

[DCaplinger]

Oh, trust me, I have read every label I can. Yes, my initial A1c was 13.6. My diabetes diagnosis was a result of a routine physical. I wasn't feeling "bad". I went in for a routine annual physical (which I haven't had in several years). My BGL was 452. As a result, they did the follow up, and I was diagnosed on the 20th.

I understand the sweetening of foods. I just wish they didn't use aspartame. If it was Ace K or sucralose, I'd eat it... but I won't touch anything with aspartame.

Regards,

Darian

[markr]

I apologize on getting on your case. Some pumpers (like myself) tend to get a little carried away when it comes to tight control only because I was once in double figures (A1C) before I started pumping. I find it amazing that you did not feel sick with your BGL and A1C so high! Good thing you went for a routine physical. Best of luck and I hope you get everything under control.

Mark

[Wolf]

For breakfast, most mornings I'll eat either steel cut oats (Bob's Red Mill or Quaker) or Hodgson Mill Cracked Wheat cooked cereal. These are bigger chunks of wheat or oats than most cereals that take longer to enter the blood stream, resulting in a shallower rise in blood glucose levels. Per serving (1/4 cup) is about 27 carbs, with about 5 grams of fiber.

[DCaplinger]

Well, as much as I hate aspartame, I bought a box of Fiber One. I must say, they don't taste too bad, and I cannot believe how dramatically my BGLs go down after eating a cupful (that is more than the standard serving size, but hey, it's fiber).

I also had a Diet Dr Pepper the other day. I was a Pepper fanatic before my diagnosis. I won't drink it very often, but from time to time as a treat, I will start drinking Diet DP. It really does taste pretty close to the real thing.

Regards,

[catwoman71]

Hi Darian,
I'm new to the board (today). I'm also in the medical field (RN). If you like root beer, diet root beer is great. Since root beer has such a strong flavor, like DP, it covers the taste of the artificial sweetener! I also like Pepsi One and Coke Zero.

[labob]

Special K Protein Plus (it's in a blue box). 3/4 cup has 14g carbs, 5g of which are fiber, so for folks who subtract, that's 9g net carbs. I sprinkle it with cinnamon to spice it up (cinnamon doesn't have the magical effect on my glucose levels that some folks report, but I like the taste), top it with a few berries, add unsweetened soy milk (fewer carbs in the brand that I drink than cow's milk), and it's about as low carb a cereal breakfast as I've been able to find that is still tasty (to me, anyway).

I've been eating this practically every day since diagnosis (sometimes, but not often, I have Cheerios instead). The trick for me, even two years down the road, is to use a measuring cup when pouring out the flakes and to grab a small bowl to eat it in. Works for me.

[DCaplinger]

Until they start making Pepsi One, Diet Dr Pepper, etc with Splenda, I'll wait. As of right now, I can drink Diet Shasta Root Beer, and some versions of Diet Coke. I hate Coke, but it's the only Diet cola besides Diet Rite that is flavored with Splenda. I won't do aspartame if it can be avoided.

Today, I did have a treat. I had a root beer float. I used No Sugar Added vanilla ice cream and diet root beer. Wasn't too bad. :)

Regards,