Oatmeal

[DougT]

This morning when waking up my BS was 227. After 2 hours I had a bowl of cooked oatmeal with very little skim milk. 3/4 cup of oatmeal to be exact. Two hours later my BS was 323. Wow!!

I have read constantly that oatmeal is great for diabetics. Is this true for only certain people? I know a lot of you have said certain foods react differently for people. With the spike of my BS tells me to lay off the oatmeal. Then again diabetic foundation recommends oatmeal. Sort of confusing to this old guy.

Doug

[Penny]

Hi Doug. :) First, I love oatmeal and hated giving it up, but I had to. I know some people have luck with some of the different kinds like "Irish oatmeal". but it didn't work for me. When I was sent to a nutritionist I was told to eat it too, and lots of fruit, and many more carbs than I use now, and it was a terrible time for me. The best way to figure out what you can eat is to test often.

[ant hill]

Hello Doug, Yes Oatmeal is a carb hog!!! but then I find this a fuel to exercise!!! I use this for my bike riding as this proved that I can get back down to good levels. Oatmeal is a slow releasing carb too as that will keep you high for hours!! ;)
To many low carber's here don't eat Oatmeal as they complain it's full of carbs. I think I have said enough. :o

[DougT]

Great point. I will try it for the exercise. See how it goes and decide.

Thanks

Doug

[Dan Gato]

Hi Doug,
I used to eat oatmeal. But the same as you, my BG's would go up more than 120 points. so I gave it up.
Once in a while I eat very little. Because it has too many carbs.
I eat eggs, cheeses, ham, etc.

[bebe38]

Yes oatmeal spikes me too, but I can eat Oat Bran and raisins and in 1.5 hours I am back down around 89

1/4 cup dry OB and 1 mini box raisins for a total of 36 carbs. Just be careful if you microwave it, it bubbles up faster then oatmeal.

But then like everyone else is saying. We are all different and it might still make others spike.

[Moonglo]

You might look at different kinds of oatmeal too... some tout a "low carb" label; although that does not mean that they are necessarily any better or worse than other kinds.

Also, once you get better control over your bgs, you may find that you can eat small amounts of foods that used to be a problem for you. It just all depends... and some find that they can eat different types of foods at different times of day.

Don't get discouraged. If oatmeal is a no-go for you, I bet you can find alternatives that will work.

[davef]

Doug,

I have never liked oatmeal (or as we call it porridge), the important thing is you have learned is that just because you have heard/read "read constantly that <insert food here> is great for diabetics" does not make it true. Diabetes really is a Your Mileage May Vary condition. The good thing is you are testing and so will discover these things. You will also find the things that do work for you.

[butterflykisses]

Your blood sugar is not in control. Since you started out high you would still be high two hours later. I don't know if you're on medication and what you're doing to get under control, but right now you might put it aside for a while and then later, when you get some control, try it again and see what happens at that point.

[mkudsy]

Oatmeal does not do very good to me either, especially for breakfast. Just a half cup raised my BG from 90 to 200. But for snack in between meal it would be OK but do not take too much. Two tbs is OK.

[Shel_B]

Oatmeal is practically pure carbohydrates. A "normal" sized bowl will have loads of carbs. When I eat oatmeal, I use a measured 1/4 cup of dry oatmeal plus add some oat bran to it. 1/4 cup of oatmeal, if I remember correctly, contains 15-grams of carbohydrates. The oat bran mitigates the effect of the carbos. Adding fat, like butter or cream, can be helpful as well. Skim milk also adds carbs - cream (real cream, no additives) has about zero carbs.

Shel

This morning when waking up my BS was 227. After 2 hours I had a bowl of cooked oatmeal with very little skim milk. 3/4 cup of oatmeal to be exact. Two hours later my BS was 323. Wow!!

I have read constantly that oatmeal is great for diabetics. Is this true for only certain people? I know a lot of you have said certain foods react differently for people. With the spike of my BS tells me to lay off the oatmeal. Then again diabetic foundation recommends oatmeal. Sort of confusing to this old guy.

Doug

[Marcia K in Fl]

While dry cereals loaded with fiber such as Complete spike my sugars unbelievably oatmeal does not!

Each morning I have 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1/3 nonfat dry milk and water. I top it off with whatever comes to mind-dried fruits, nuts, cinnamon and I am just fine. I have had this most of my adult life every morning. My mom calls it porridge and can't stand it as you say Dave F. I have cut out OJ (my old staple every am before diagnosis) and bananas for the oatmeal due to the carbs.

I have sworn off dry cereals though. It is definitely a YMMV
situation for each one of us and I believe the advice about trying it after you get your BS under control is a good idea.:)

[pdxdennisj]

For me it all depends on the KIND of oatmeal. Quick or fast or even regular oats is a disaster. However, steel cut oats is a horse of a different color. I do well with a preparation on 1/2 steel cut and 1/2 oat bran. The bran is low in carbs and the steel cut digests slowly, mainly in the lower intestine.

[Josselyn]

The A.D.A. diet is geared toward heart attack prevention, I'm told, not the true control of blood glucose. Having said that, if I ate the diet recommended to me by my doctor's dietician, I would need serious medication to control my BG...period.

The carb count per meal suggested by this non-diabetic dietician would keep my BG well into the 200+ range without serious meds to intervene. She didn't even want me to count any veggie carbs at all unless they were starchy (she actually said "mashable"). She said not to count any vegetables that "snap." And she was alarmed at my low(er) carb regime of 30-60 daily carbs (which includes the veggies).

Read my signature as to the results of my A.D.A. recommended oatmeal experience... :eek:
I know some of us can tolerate it; I wish I could. And I will try it again one day to see if my response has improved, but I think that and anything with gluten is a killer for my hard-earned numbers. Protein based breakfasts can get a bit tedious...and I do miss my morning toast with peanut butter. :o

I'm beginning to wonder if the A.D.A. gets a kickback from the pharmaceutical companies... We diabetics are not all the same. Even the Type 2s aren't the same. Why, then, is the same diet presented to each of us?

[ShottleBop]

Josselyn--have you tried the ground flaxseed/almond meal porridge? I find that that combination does not spike me. (I eat it very rarely, however--I'm an eat-the-same-meal-for-breakfast-almost-every-day kind of guy.)

[Josselyn]

Josselyn--have you tried the ground flaxseed/almond meal porridge? I find that that combination does not spike me. (I eat it very rarely, however--I'm an eat-the-same-meal-for-breakfast-almost-every-day kind of guy.)

Well, no. I've never heard of it, actually. Is this something I would create from ingredients or is it available for purchase somewhere?

Never was much of a breakfast eater, but I'm becoming an eat-the-same-meal-for-breakfast kind of woman. I'm getting a bit tired of eggs, though...and I do like eggs. Unfortunately, I found that my standby, the Atkins shakes, spike me a bit too much in the morning (20-30 points for a 4 carb shake :confused: ). I'm Jewish, so I don't do the usual breakfast meats.

Your porridge sounds nice. Thank you for the suggestion, ShottleBop. I await your response.

Regards,

[ShottleBop]

Turkey bacon. Beef bacon. (My son thinks beef bacon tastes better.) Morningstar sausage patties.

Porridge:

1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup almond meal

Spices you like (sometimes I use cinnamon; sometimes fresh-ground nutmeg and ginger; sometimes premixed pumpkin pie spices), in whatever quantity you like (I don't measure, I just dump some in).

Mix dry ingredients.

Add carbless sweetener to taste. (I use Torani's (or Smart & Final's house brand) sugar-free syrups, made with Splenda, in whatever flavor strikes my fancy--typically, vanilla, caramel, almond, or dulce de leche. As with the spices, I just splash some in, without measuring.)

Add boiling water to get the consistency you like--thick or soupy. (We have an instant hot water spigot on the sink, and--you guessed it--I eyeball it.)

Let sit a minute or two.

Eat.

I understand where you're coming from on the Atkins shakes. I often have either an Atkins shake or a Premier Nutrition protein shake for breakfast, simply because they're fast and easy, but they can take me up 20 or more points. If my FBG is high, I try to avoid them. I find that a cup of almond milk, a quarter-cup of walnut halves and pieces, and a couple of hard-boiled eggs can generally keep me within 10-15 points of FBG.

[jlaracuente]

A doc was a bit miffed when I said that I like oatmeal or cream-of-wheat for breakfast. It was suggested that better choices were nuts, eggs, cheese, and yogurt. Hot cereals are too high in carbs. When I expressed concern about a possible increase in cholesterol and fats, the doc said it was easier to correct that problem than it was to deal with the higher blood glucose levels caused by carbs. :confused:

I agree that we all have varying tolerances for carbs and sometimes we have to take what doctors say with a "grain of salt" (sorry!). Like many diebetics, I plan my food intake according to the meter readings and to how much activity or exercise I have done or plan to do.

In the morning, If I have a good meter reading, I select from eggs(1), low cheese(50%), nuts(un-slated), and low-salt crackers. Otherwise I will have a small portion of cereal and nuts.
For lunch, I generally have a low-salt soup and crackers.
For dinner, good sugar levels will allow me to enjoy a hamburger or meat dish and even some rice or pasta. Otherwise I stay with one or two helpings of salad. Sometimes I'll prepare stir-fried vegetables w/chicken.

I don't eat fast food, hardly ever touch pastry, very rarely have chinese take-out or eat out, never add salt, and only use olive oil and vinegar on my salads. :)

I just would like to start seeing some payoffs for my sacrifices. Haven't lost any signicant weight in several years.
:(

[ShottleBop]

A doc was a bit miffed when I said that I like oatmeal or cream-of-wheat for breakfast. It was suggested that better choices were nuts, eggs, cheese, and yogurt. Hot cereals are too high in carbs. When I expressed concern about a possible increase in cholesterol and fats, the doc said it was easier to correct that problem than it was to deal with the higher blood glucose levels caused by carbs. :confused:

Do you realize how many people here would love to have their doctor say that to them?

[jlaracuente]

I'm upset. I just mistakenly erased a response.
My frustration deals with the fact that I have T2 diabetes AND heart issues. I wear a stent(clogged artery) and an icd(arrythmia). My food intakes involve controlling both fats and carbs. My main frustation deals with my inabilty to lose significant weight.

[mkudsy]

Has anyone tried oatmeal added with full cream milk or even with cream or even butter? How 'good' is it? I really want to try it sometime, cause I do not get bad effect with potato mashed with full cream milk.
Good look

[ShottleBop]

Has anyone tried oatmeal added with full cream milk or even with cream or even butter? How 'good' is it? I really want to try it sometime, cause I do not get bad effect with potato mashed with full cream milk.
Good look

Responses to oatmeal are highly individual. The only way to tell if it works for you is to try it.

[Josselyn]

Turkey bacon. Beef bacon. (My son thinks beef bacon tastes better.) Morningstar sausage patties.

Porridge:
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup almond meal

Spices you like (sometimes I use cinnamon; sometimes fresh-ground nutmeg and ginger; sometimes premixed pumpkin pie spices), in whatever quantity you like (I don't measure, I just dump some in).

Mix dry ingredients.

Add carbless sweetener to taste. (I use Torani's (or Smart & Final's house brand) sugar-free syrups, made with Splenda, in whatever flavor strikes my fancy--typically, vanilla, caramel, almond, or dulce de leche. As with the spices, I just splash some in, without measuring.)

Add boiling water to get the consistency you like--thick or soupy. (We have an instant hot water spigot on the sink, and--you guessed it--I eyeball it.)

Let sit a minute or two.

Eat.

I understand where you're coming from on the Atkins shakes. I often have either an Atkins shake or a Premier Nutrition protein shake for breakfast, simply because they're fast and easy, but they can take me up 20 or more points. If my FBG is high, I try to avoid them. I find that a cup of almond milk, a quarter-cup of walnut halves and pieces, and a couple of hard-boiled eggs can generally keep me within 10-15 points of FBG.

THANK YOU for the breakfast suggestions, ShottleBop. I'll give your porridge a try.

[jmatt]

I'm 57 years old and very new to diabetes (type 2). Matter of fact, I'm going to get AC1s and the retest 2 hrs after drinking the sugary water tomorrow morning, then we will discuss a course of action for me. I went ahead and bought a bg meter a couple of days ago to get a jump on checking my numbers. I will take my list of numbers to the doctor hoping that helps too.

I haven't had the opportunity for any classes on diet or anything else yet (but I did buy a couple of books on diabetes yesterday - Diabetic Bible and a couple of cookbooks).

My question is... What is steel-cut oatmeal? Yesterday I bought a big round container of oatmeal that has to be cooked (not microwaved) because I thought that would be the good kind. What is steel-cut? Does it say steel-cut on the box?

Thanks, jmatt :confused:

[pb4ugo]

Hi everyone.....this is my first post.

Steel-cut-oatmeal.....is exactly what it is called. Though, some call it irish oatmeal. I find that if you purchase steel cut oatmeal, do it at a grocery store that sells "bulk" food. Most stores have a bulk food isle, and you'll find it there. It looks a bit like rice, a little more on the biege color side.
I normally cook it in my slow cooker. Either 3 or 4 cups of filtered water per 1 cup of steel cut oats. It depends on how thick you like it. Put the crockpot on high and add the water, next the oats. Let that alone for about an hour or so and then make the setting "warm", (there is no need to leave it on high or cook. The oats will absorb the water and you can check every half hour or so and determine if you like it a bit crunchy, which in my opinion it is easier on your sugar count.
If you want to really try something delish.....add your splenda or whatever you use and then a shot of whipped cream in the center. Just remember, a shot, not a whole can. Also remember, (I don't want to sound redundant here), to not let the oats get real mushy. They really taste better than the other types, and a 1000% better for you.
Enjoy!...........................Lou

[pb4ugo]

I fogot the cinnamon!

[jenb]

... if I ate the diet recommended to me by my doctor's dietician, I would need serious medication to control my BG...period.

The carb count per meal suggested by this non-diabetic dietician would keep my BG well into the 200+ range without serious meds to intervene. She didn't even want me to count any veggie carbs at all unless they were starchy (she actually said "mashable"). She said not to count any vegetables that "snap." And she was alarmed at my low(er) carb regime of 30-60 daily carbs (which includes the veggies).

I'm SO with you on this. Right after diagnosis, my (former) endocrinologist tried to put me on an 1800 calorie ADA diet. I flat out refused. I'm 5' tall - 1800 calories and all those carbs would have turned me into a whale, guaranteed unnecessary insulin use, and probably made me a great candidate for heart problems.

It is very important that all of us learn enough about nutrition and diabetes to be able to captain our own ships. I'm happy to work with health professionals, but I'll never cede control.

Oh yeah....to the OP: I tried rolled oats and steel cut oats in varying quanities and mixed with other grains. I never could find a serving size that was small enough to prevent BG spikes. No oatmeal for this girl :( .

Jen

[ant hill]

Yes Oatmeal is a big carb and can last for ages, Meaning low GI!! I do a bridge bolus for this as you would have to remember that to have the second bolus. If you are an active person then I would recommend Oatmeal (Porridge for us like British cousins ;)) and work your A** off. :o :eek: So it's a good workout food. ;)

[charliej]

This morning when waking up my BS was 227. After 2 hours I had a bowl of cooked oatmeal with very little skim milk. 3/4 cup of oatmeal to be exact. Two hours later my BS was 323. Wow!!

I have read constantly that oatmeal is great for diabetics. Is this true for only certain people? I know a lot of you have said certain foods react differently for people. With the spike of my BS tells me to lay off the oatmeal. Then again diabetic foundation recommends oatmeal. Sort of confusing to this old guy.

Doug

I am one of those people that oatmeal makes my BS go high.

[jmjacobson101]

I need to try some oatmeal tomorrow and see how it goes. I am restarting my membership at Gold's so if what I'm reading is correct.... if my BS spikes a bit, I can use it to my advantage if I go to the gym and work out for 1.5-2 hrs.
Wish me luck.

[ant hill]

Hey the way to go there Justin!! :thumbsup:

[Granny Shanny]

Our mornings are getting pretty nippy over here . . . prob'ly a light frost coming soon.

So I enjoyed a bowl of your porridge today, SB . . . and without too much decoration too. I used the pumpkin pie spice & added a sprinkle of sesame seeds along with a few sunflower seeds, heavy cream & three packets of Truvia. Very good!



Porridge:

1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup almond meal

Spices you like (sometimes I use cinnamon; sometimes fresh-ground nutmeg and ginger; sometimes premixed pumpkin pie spices), in whatever quantity you like (I don't measure, I just dump some in).

Mix dry ingredients.

Add carbless sweetener to taste. (I use Torani's (or Smart & Final's house brand) sugar-free syrups, made with Splenda, in whatever flavor strikes my fancy--typically, vanilla, caramel, almond, or dulce de leche. As with the spices, I just splash some in, without measuring.)

Add boiling water to get the consistency you like--thick or soupy. (We have an instant hot water spigot on the sink, and--you guessed it--I eyeball it.)

Let sit a minute or two.

Eat.

[ShottleBop]

What did it do to your blood sugar?

[Granny Shanny]

What did it do to your blood sugar?

Not a flicker! :D :D :D