My resistant starch experiment

[IanBish]

The other day I cooked 100g of macaroni, cooled and refrigerated it. I then reheated it, added a big knob of butter, some chopped frankfurters, and a fair bit of cheddar cheese. I forgot to brown it off in the oven, but that's not relevant.

Anyway, I have a new CGM on. It's not a Libre, but a free Sibionics one, that they sent to me after I did a survey about my experience with a free trial of their CKM (Continuous Ketone Monitor).

I had the meal just after 19:30 and the CGM graph shows a fairly modest, but extended rise, which didn't return to baseline until about 3 hours later. I wouldn't call this a success, but perhaps a bit less bad than I was was expecting. It wasn't half as nice as I remember, though, and I'm looking forward to a sirloin steak with mushrooms and broccoli later!

 

[jjraak]

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Cheers @IanBish

Interesting experiment.

Not using cgm just a meter here, but it's helped get me into safer areas of BG successfully.

Haven't tried a cgm, & honestly don't think I could justify the cost versus what the meter can do for me...

But I have to admit seeing that constant monitoring is informative.

Look forward to seeing more of this if you try again.

On a side note..
The food was probably as nice as it was before, I just wonder if the lower carbs has the effect of improving our taste buds or simply weaning us off that sugary taste so many things now have.

So much so it spoils the flavour of old favourites.?

Cheers for posting.

 

[Rachox]

I think the fat in the “fair bit of cheddar cheese” will have caused a lower but longer rise than the pasta alone would have created.

 

[IanBish]

Thanks, @jjraak, you could be right about my tastes changing. I did have a supermarket pasta salad recently, which I enjoyed, but they have flavourings and other stuff in them to make them taste better.

I may try a resistant spaghetti bolognese before my CGM expires. I have a meter too, but seem to forget to test two hours after eating.

Hardly scientific, but vaguely interesting.

 

[IanBish]

I think the fat in the “fair bit of cheddar cheese” will have caused a lower but longer rise than the pasta alone would have created.

I think you're right. But a less steep but longer rise is generally better...? I know pasta is not generally better at all, but in this case my blood sugar was about 2.5mmol/L higher after two hours.

 

[Paul_]

I think you're right. But a less steep but longer rise is generally better...? I know pasta is not generally better at all, but in this case my blood sugar was about 2.5mmol/L higher after two hours.

Interesting experiment, always enjoy reading these.

If we're talking in terms of hba1c results, it provides an average view. Therefore, it's about both the amount of time we spend above normal range. As a general rule, a short and sharp spike before falling back to normal BG levels would be preferable to longer, extended rises that take longer than 2 hours to reduce back to normal. Lots of variables and caveats to that statement, but I essentially think of it as the less time your red blood cells spend bathing and splashing about in the glucose in your bloodstream, the better your hba1c will be.

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On a side note..
The food was probably as nice as it was before, I just wonder if the lower carbs has the effect of improving our taste buds or simply weaning us off that sugary taste so many things now have.

So much so it spoils the flavour of old favourites.?

Cheers for posting.

For me personally, low carb has definitely played a part in what you said there. With my brain having been retrained to not constantly expect carbs, most of that psychological drive to consume them has been removed and the pleasure/reward I get from them has been very much dulled when it comes to savoury carb sources. Sweet tasting carbs are a different story, but they hit different pleasure/reward triggers for me, so I still need to apply some discipline and self-control with these.

 

[Kernow Debra]

I too tried the resistant starch experiment.
Pasta and rice were both useless, my system found very little difference in levels.

Potato however was very successful for me.
So much so that I’m now able to enjoy my beloved pasties again.
Albeit cheese and potato with Panda flour pastry but hey it’s a pasty!
I precook potato and chill for 24 hours.
Batch bake pasties and then go into the freezer which helps even more.
I can put 60 grams of potato in a pasty with very little rise on my BG monitor.

 

[LivingLightly]

Thanks, @jjraak, you could be right about my tastes changing. I did have a supermarket pasta salad recently, which I enjoyed, but they have flavourings and other stuff in them to make them taste better.

I may try a resistant spaghetti bolognese before my CGM expires. I have a meter too, but seem to forget to test two hours after eating.

Hardly scientific, but vaguely interesting.

How interesting! @IanBish. If you decide to repeat your experiment, I'd weigh the cheese and the butter; the amount may be significant.

Have you recorded your response to the same meal without the cooling and reheating etc.?

 

[IanBish]

Interesting experiment, always enjoy reading these.

If we're talking in terms of hba1c results, it provides an average view. Therefore, it's about both the amount of time we spend above normal range. As a general rule, a short and sharp spike before falling back to normal BG levels would be preferable...

I'm glad you found it interesting. I wasn't thinking solely in terms of HbA1c, but more the large spike, and the low trough, which didn't happen, which then creates hunger.

With my brain having been retrained to not constantly expect carbs, most of that psychological drive to consume them has been removed and the pleasure/reward I get from them has been very much dulled when it comes to savoury carb sources. Sweet tasting carbs are a different story, but they hit different pleasure/reward triggers for me, so I still need to apply some discipline and self-control with these.

I think mine has as well. I have to apply a bit of discipline too. For example, I very much enjoyed the baked potato with butter that I had when I was away last weekend.

 

[IanBish]

How interesting! @IanBish. If you decide to repeat your experiment, I'd weigh the cheese and the butter; the amount may be significant.

Have you recorded your response to the same meal without the cooling and reheating etc.?

I didn't weigh them, but will next time. But I used about 75g of cheese, and about 30g of butter. I probably won't do that one again, but plan on doing a spag bol one, where I *will* weigh all the ingredients. Thanks.

 

[Beating-My-Betes]

I think these kinds of tests can be worthwhile. But the usefulness of the resulting data diminishes as more confounding factors are introduced. Of course, it’s going to be impossible to eliminate all such factors, especially in a non-lab setting. However, I'd be interested to see the results of a more controlled experiment if you have the time and inclination. If not, I might just do it myself

 

[MissMuffett]

I might try this experiment. I really miss the simple recipe of spaghetti with pesto, Parmesan and butter!

 

[jjraak]

As a general rule, a short and sharp spike before falling back to normal BG levels would be preferable to longer, extended rises that take longer than 2 hours to reduce back to normal. Lots of variables and caveats to that statement, but I essentially think of it as the less time your red blood cells spend bathing and splashing about in the glucose in your bloodstream, the better your hba1c will be.

Not given that enough thought, but I kinda like the analogy you put forward.

Mine, for the use of a meter, is it's a long tunnel, each bash as we bump into the walls causes small damages that accumulate over time..(aka progressive)
The 'OMG... DON'T TEST'.. mantra is we walk that corridor blind, unable to see what is going to trip us up.

Using a meter illuminates the corridor sufficiently to make out a lot of the hazards ..( aka WIN)

The spike point as I read it is 8.0,
(See sig, Jenny ruhl T2D )

The less time above that, the better.
Which nicely fits your colourful point, I think.

Cheers.

 

[Antje77]

I didn't weigh them, but will next time. But I used about 75g of cheese, and about 30g of butter. I probably won't do that one again, but plan on doing a spag bol one, where I *will* weigh all the ingredients. Thanks.

If it is about testing if cooling and reheating makes a difference, what about cooking enough spag bol for two days, eat it right away the first day (weighed portion of both spag and bol), and the exact same portion the day after?

Not using cgm just a meter here, but it's helped get me into safer areas of BG successfully.

Haven't tried a cgm, & honestly don't think I could justify the cost versus what the meter can do for me...

If you've never tried one, you can of course apply for a two week free trial to get a better idea on what your BG does in between testing. https://www.freestyle.abbott/uk-en/getting-started/sampling.html

 

[jjraak]

Cheers @Antje77

Nice idea, so I'm grateful for the link, but I'll pass.

My meter gives me enough to satisfy my inner nerd,
and the faff I hear about the not recording early, not reporting later & general failure rates & issues, etc would just make me too mad to do anything beneficial good for my BG let alone my BP...

 

[IanBish]

If it is about testing if cooling and reheating makes a difference, what about cooking enough spag bol for two days, eat it right away the first day (weighed portion of both spag and bol), and the exact same portion the day after?

Good point. I'll do that before the CGM expires, and report back. I can compare the taste differences then too.

 

[Antje77]

I can compare the taste differences then too.

My prediction is that the bol will taste better the second day, it always does.

 

[IanBish]

My prediction is that the bol will taste better the second day, it always does.

I think it will too; it always used to. I was thinking of the evil spaghetti!

 

[lovinglife]

I too tried the resistant starch experiment.
Pasta and rice were both useless, my system found very little difference in levels.

Potato however was very successful for me.
So much so that I’m now able to enjoy my beloved pasties again.
Albeit cheese and potato with Panda flour pastry but hey it’s a pasty!
I precook potato and chill for 24 hours.
Batch bake pasties and then go into the freezer which helps even more.
I can put 60 grams of potato in a pasty with very little rise on my BG monitor.

Exactly the same for me, chilling the mash works well for me, not rice or pasta- though I did persevere with pasta, chilling, freezing jumping on it from a great height but it wouldn’t play ball lol

 

[IanBish]

...chilling the mash works well for me, not rice or pasta....

That bodes well for a possible chilled baked potato then. I do miss spuds, if I'm honest.