Chickpeas, pulses and effects on diabetes

[biren1973]

Hi guys

I had 200grams of chickpeas curry only as my lunch and after two hours measurements for BG go up to 7.5. Usually my BG goes up to 6 after two hours of lunch, but this time it shoots up to 7.5. I have also seen before where eating pulses increased my BG.

Has anyone experienced it before?

 

[lovinglife]

They are worse for me than new potatoes and burgen bread both of which I eat butvany pulses shoot me right up -

 

[Bluetit1802]

Pulses are never a good idea for blood sugar control unless eaten in very small quantities.

 

[biren1973]

They are worse for me than new potatoes and burgen bread both of which I eat butvany pulses shoot me right up -

Ya that's right. I read few articles on the internet and they are talking about pulses help controlling bg. But for me it increases my BG.

Another question is whether it will also increase for ordinary people those who are not diabetes.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Ya that's right. I read few articles on the internet and they are talking about pulses help controlling bg. But for me it increases my BG.

Another question is whether it will also increase for ordinary people those who are not diabetes.

The reason it is said that pulses help control BG is because they tend to be low GI and therefore glucose from them is released slowly. However, it is still released and there will still be rises albeit a bit lower but longer lasting.

 

[Dark Horse]

Were the chickpeas cooked from scratch (GI =10) or were they canned (GI=38)? http://www.livestrong.com/article/184943-glycemic-index-for-beans/

Also, how much fat was in the portion?

 

[biren1973]

The reason it is said that pulses help control BG is because they tend to be low GI and therefore glucose from them is released slowly. However, it is still released and there will still be rises albeit a bit lower but longer lasting.

This is what I don't understand. So when we say "released slowly " , what does it's impact on BG? High BG for more time , but you don't feel hungry? And is it good for diabetes then? Will it decrease the A1C ?
I heard food that released sugar slowly good for diabetes? Is it true?

Regards

 

[dbr10]

Hi guys

I had 200grams of chickpeas curry only as my lunch and after two hours measurements for BG go up to 7.5. Usually my BG goes up to 6 after two hours of lunch, but this time it shoots up to 7.5. I have also seen before where eating pulses increased my BG.

Has anyone experienced it before?

Yes. I avoid them.

 

[dbr10]

This is what I don't understand. So when we say "released slowly " , what does it's impact on BG? High BG for more time , but you don't feel hungry? And is it good for diabetes then? Will it decrease the A1C ?
I heard food that released sugar slowly good for diabetes? Is it true?

Regards

@Bluetit1802 is right. Maybe look at it this way. The NHS advises eat wholegrain bread because it breaks down more slowly. In fact the bread, a complex carbohydrate, is just a chain of simple glucose molecules, which starts to be broken down by enzymes in saliva before it even get to the stomach. The wholegrain is probably <2% of the total, so there is no way it can make any significant difference.
Chickpeas may break down a little more slowly, but still end up as glucose. The different combinations of carbs, protein and fat in a meal will affect how quickly the BG spikes.

 

[bulkbiker]

And is it good for diabetes then? Will it decrease the A1C ?
I heard food that released sugar slowly good for diabetes? Is it true?

No, no and no...
Better not to get the rise at all, better not to eat the food with sugar.
I realise that this will be difficult if you are vegetarian but pulses are definitely off my list of foods.

 

[biren1973]

Were the chickpeas cooked from scratch (GI =10) or were they canned (GI=38)? http://www.livestrong.com/article/184943-glycemic-index-for-beans/

Also, how much fat was in the portion?

The chickpeas was cooked from scratch and also these were dry chickpeas which needs to be soaked in water for few hours before cooking.

 

[Kristin251]

I use a tsp or so of hummus to treat a mild hypo. Not for me thanks

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

I had 200grams of chickpeas curry

I'm not sure how much chickpea goes into chickpea curry but with chickpeas containing 61 gms of carb per 100 gms I can only say "7.5, is that all?"

My brother has recently been watching the glycemic index of the foods he's been eating rather than the glycemic load or carb content, to avoid progressing from pre diabetic to diabetic because that was the advise he was given.

It wasn't the advise I gave him, I suggested that it was better to watch carb content, but what do I know when the expert says watch GI. He's now diabetic, just on metformin . . . . . and the good old statins. Let's see if he changes what he watches in his diet.

At the end of the day, we're all different. Just to show how different we all are, last night at 20:00 I had Mediterranean vegetables (20gms carb?) and a %fat Greek yoghurt (7gms carb). This morning I had poached egg - 150 gms (1.1gm carb per 100gms) , and microwaved tomatoes - 75gms (3.9gms per 100gms) and mushrooms - 75gms (3.3 gms per 100gms) for breakfast.

I have no idea what was happening after midnight, I checked the fridge, nothing missing so no raiding of fridge in sleep. Breakfast was at 06:00 and there was a little spike in comparison to previous reading, but still 12.4. Played Golf at 08:00, badly, but at least there was a drop. I had more veg at lunch and again a little spike, only 10.5, the dropping to where it should be.

All I'm suggesting is that this diabetes lark isn't as predictable as it should be, perhaps it is for some. Mines all over the place at the moment. A slight increase after 200gms of chickpea curry isn't really surprising and, as you can see 7.5 would be in my target range.

 

[badcat]

At the end of the day, a post meal BM of 7.5 is fine
What is important is what your starting point was, how much the food youve eaten increases it , and whether the final result is within range
The exact same foods will produce different results for different people and potentially for the same person at different stages in their diabetes journey. The information that other people find chickpeas an unacceptable food because of how much it affects their blood sugars is not relevant - its the effect on your body that matters
If Id reported my reaction to chickpeas over 20 years ago when I was first diagnosed or at say 10 years post diagnosis and now the answers would all be different and all equally irrelevant for you

 

[biren1973]

I'm not sure how much chickpea goes into chickpea curry but with chickpeas containing 61 gms of carb per 100 gms I can only say "7.5, is that all?"

My brother has recently been watching the glycemic index of the foods he's been eating rather than the glycemic load or carb content, to avoid progressing from pre diabetic to diabetic because that was the advise he was given.

It wasn't the advise I gave him, I suggested that it was better to watch carb content, but what do I know when the expert says watch GI. He's now diabetic, just on metformin . . . . . and the good old statins. Let's see if he changes what he watches in his diet.

At the end of the day, we're all different. Just to show how different we all are, last night at 20:00 I had Mediterranean vegetables (20gms carb?) and a %fat Greek yoghurt (7gms carb). This morning I had poached egg - 150 gms (1.1gm carb per 100gms) , and microwaved tomatoes - 75gms (3.9gms per 100gms) and mushrooms - 75gms (3.3 gms per 100gms) for breakfast.

I have no idea what was happening after midnight, I checked the fridge, nothing missing so no raiding of fridge in sleep. Breakfast was at 06:00 and there was a little spike in comparison to previous reading, but still 12.4. Played Golf at 08:00, badly, but at least there was a drop. I had more veg at lunch and again a little spike, only 10.5, the dropping to where it should be.

All I'm suggesting is that this diabetes lark isn't as predictable as it should be, perhaps it is for some. Mines all over the place at the moment. A slight increase after 200gms of chickpea curry isn't really surprising and, as you can see 7.5 would be in my target range.
View attachment 23712

Absolutely well explained. My understanding is 7.5 is still high 2 hours after food. When I was also pre diabetes, I had also the impression that it's not carbohydrates that matter but the sugar. But later on after joining this forum and becoming diabetes I came to know that it's carbohydrates which raises bg. Lots of people like me may have also same situation thinking low GI is good, in fact it should be to carefully look at carbohydrates not just GI.

Yesterday before going bed my reading was 5.2 after taking metaformin . But I felt hungry and had few pieces of chicken curry, this morning now my bg is gone up to 5.8. Usually my bg in the morning stays always at 5.2.

 

[biren1973]

At the end of the day, a post meal BM of 7.5 is fine
What is important is what your starting point was, how much the food youve eaten increases it , and whether the final result is within range
The exact same foods will produce different results for different people and potentially for the same person at different stages in their diabetes journey. The information that other people find chickpeas an unacceptable food because of how much it affects their blood sugars is not relevant - its the effect on your body that matters
If Id reported my reaction to chickpeas over 20 years ago when I was first diagnosed or at say 10 years post diagnosis and now the answers would all be different and all equally irrelevant for you

Yes true what you say. Mine before food was 5.1 and after chickpeas it jumped to 7.5. Usually I also walk after food. But this time I didn't. So just wondering if not going for a walk increased? Don't know. Also if increased, how much will it make difference? Don't know.

As people say we are all different and our body also reacts differently to different food at different times too. Very complex to understand.

 

[biren1973]

Absolutely well explained. My understanding is 7.5 is still high 2 hours after food. When I was also pre diabetes, I had also the impression that it's not carbohydrates that matter but the sugar. But later on after joining this forum and becoming diabetes I came to know that it's carbohydrates which raises bg. Lots of people like me may have also same situation thinking low GI is good, in fact it should be to carefully look at carbohydrates not just GI.

Yesterday before going bed my reading was 5.2 after taking metaformin . But I felt hungry and had few pieces of chicken curry, this morning now my bg is gone up to 5.8. Usually my bg in the morning stays always at 5.2.

Hey just wondering how did you get this graph?

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

this morning now my bg is gone up to 5.8. Usually my bg in the morning stays always at 5.2.

With BG meters only having to be accurate to within 15% (I think) that sort of difference wouldn't be a problem for me. I guess it's a personal thing, at the moment my BG is all over the place, even on a total of less than 40gms per day. I'm back to cutting back on protein, specifically meat, it helped a lot last time.

 

[Kristin251]

With BG meters only having to be accurate to within 15% (I think) that sort of difference wouldn't be a problem for me. I guess it's a personal thing, at the moment my BG is all over the place, even on a total of less than 40gms per day. I'm back to cutting back on protein, specifically meat, it helped a lot last time.

Are you talking just red meat? Still including poultry and fish? I have a thread about burgers and the fat raising me much higher than leaner proteins like poultry and fish. I also definitely need to watch the amount of protein at each meal as well as each day. I can get the cumulative effect that carries over to the next day if I over eat protein. So for me, I eat my vlc, WEIGH my protein and fill in with fats. Even nuts make me IR if I eat too many. Coincidentally I haven't had nuts in a few days and my bs is much better ( not that it was bad) and my fastings in particular are better. Plant fats like avocado olive oil mayo and olives are my best sources. Throw fatty meats, chicken skins, bacon, excess ( whatever that is ) cheese in and there's no rhyme or reason.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Are you talking just red meat? Still including poultry and fish?

I recently tried emulating the very low calorie Newcastle type diet by removing red meat, pork, chicken, fish from my diet, almost veggie except weekends are a time to have a treat so bacon on Sunday. It was very successful in straitening out my BG. MY BG is doing some very silly things that I can't explain. The whole "which food does what" is very much a moving target at the moment.