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Confused with blood glucose levels & the big porridge debate !

L

LaL007

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi everyone - I have a question that I would appreciate your views on.
3 months ago I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic with a HbA1c level of 57.... I was prescribed 1x500mg tablet per day of Metformin.
Thankfully I quickly found this website and followed as much advice as possible.
During the last 3 months I have walked the dog daily and used a treadmill for brisk walking several times a week. I’ve followed a lchf diet of around 80g carbs per day...... totally cutting out bread , potatoes, rice, pasta & cereals & limiting fruit to berries, I’ve never really drunk alcohol so that’s not an issue.
This has resulted in my HbA1c level to drop to 45 and me losing a stone in weight at my first 3 month review.
I feel much better with so much more energy and other symptoms resolving completely.
I have been testing my blood glucose levels myself - fasting, before meals and 2hrs afterwards. My levels tend to be around the 6 mark before meals and rise to usually around 7.8 after meals. I sometimes get readings down to 5.6 and as high as 10 during the day (but not very often).
I always seem high however first thing in the morning (around 8.5) which I’m presuming is DP ??
Following my breakfast my levels go down instead of up to around 7 again & continue to fall until my lunch. This leads me onto my question .....
I know it’s debatable but for breakfast I have a small bowl of porridge with cinnamon and a handful of raspberries/blueberries. It’s one thing that I’m finding so hard to give up & I find it sets me up for the day. Should I really give this up or given that my readings fall after breakfast ...... does this mean that at the moment my body is tolerating the oats ??
I’ve still got 2 stones to lose to get down to my ideal body weight which I’m determined to do over the next year & my diet apart from the porridge is otherwise low carb.
I’ve made so many changes during the last 3 months and gained positive results - I suppose I’m hoping further weight loss will allow me to continue enjoying porridge for a while as I feel it’s my only treat.
I’d really appreciate any views on this as I feel I still have so much to learn. Thanks everyone.
 
I think the dawn phenomenon causes higher blood sugars in the mornings, but is exacerbated for peeps with type 2 diabetes. I still eat porridge in the morning, made from rolled oats, but I always make sure to eat it with a fat source to blunt the carb effect, as well as protein powder. Maybe try switching out the berries for a serving of nuts, or a serving of full fat greek yoghurt and see what happens.
 
We all tolerate different amounts of carbs and the porridge may be fine for you. You might try testing 3-4 hours after breakfast in case you get a delayed spike in blood sugar.
 
I eat porridge and shredded wheat for breakfast with no notnoticibleicible rise.

If your testing after and your good I sat go for it
 
Personally I find that eating anything (carbs or not) can halt the DP and as a result the 2hr reading can often be lower that before.

However I’d still be very wary of porridge and any other grain based breakfast cereals. Test at longer intervals than 2hrs in case of a delayed spike for definite before assuming there’s no reaction.

Also even if you are coping with it right now in terms of blood glucose levels, the insulin required to do so is quite probably substantial. Having that high level of insulin circulating adds to the insulin resistance already being suffered and may actually be a mechanism that causes some of the damage associated with diabetes rather than it being solely the responsibility of blood glucose levels. I for one would like to keep my insulin levels reasonable as well as my blood glucose levels. And until we can monitor those then I’ll err on the side of caution and not eat the things likely to be making insulin rise significantly in order to maintain normal blood sugars.
 
T2D is not hereditary, what used to be passed on was eating habits. For the last 50 odd years those good eating habits have been replaced by marketing and interest group led nutritional campaigns and guidelines that promote ill health. It is beyond argument now that grain based food along with other heavily processed foods are not good for you and nutritionally suspect. You may have a tolerance for porridge but do you really want to keep feeding yourself with substances that either do nothing or very little for you nutritionally and may in the long term contribute to illhealth. In addition mixing any carb, including porridge with fat is definitely a bad idea and detrimental to your arteries and heart. Fat is an essential nutrient. You need it and it should be consumed with protein. My recommendation, ditch the porridge. Carbs should be confined to whole vitamin and mineral rich plants.
 
As an experiment I'd suggest eating that meal in the evening - test immediately before then at 1 and 2 hours after and see what happens. It may be that your dawn phenomenon is having an impact on your readings so by avoiding testing on the morning you may get a better representation of what is happening to your blood sugar when you eat this particular meal.
 

I also eat porridge made with water and cinnamon for breakfast...on the days I know I will be busy, out longer and doing more exercise as just seems to keep me going. Other mornings I have eggs or Greek yoghurt with sprinkling of nuts, seeds berries. Like you test 2 hours after to see levels.
You’ve done amazingly well to get your hba1c down! Massive well done on all the changes you’ve made.
 
Well done on making all those changes I hope you are on a poster in your surgery!
Follow the testing protocols suggested here and note that if you find you are spiking on porridge then there's a good alternative which is porridge like! Mix half a can of coconut milk with an egg plus 2 tbsp of coconut flour (sometimes I substitute the coconut flour for flaxseed/mixed seed).
I don't always want bacon, eggs etc. so Its good to have this one as an option and it is very creamy and filling.
 
In my experience when my insulin is right, I lose weight if I use up some excess fat, water or muscle stores.
We type2s don't know how much insulin we are making and how much is in our system at any point of time. This level fluctuates and the time it takes to process a blood test its no longer 100% accurate. It can give an idea of if our body weight is in ratio of the ideal insulin level. No more.
Because insulin in excess can give some weight gain. So when not in excess it can help with regular weight loss methods. Low calorie or excess exercise for e.g.
Type2s hv few hypos due to any excess insulin is suffocated with fat cells which were made differently to regular fat cells. So the insulin pathway does get inteferred with and results in circulating insulin. Type2s hv far more insulin than none diabetics. Hence why some struggle to lose weight compared to none diabetics.
Your aim could be to make healthy fat cells. Only hindrance is once a fat cell is made, its made for life. It can be refilled anytime. Only solution is skin/fat cells removal. However many have been successful in emptying fat cells and only refilling with healthy fat.
I believe only way remission can last.
So enjoy foods in moderation and stay energised to lose weight.
Your level of carb in your current breakfast works for you. Just remember one day it may not so you then may need to eliminate low wheat consumption.
However I believe if it 'ant broke don't try to fix it!
Look to how you can improve your insulin resistance. Which you are. Stay with it.
Don't try and rush natural weight loss. Slow but steady will serve you will for the future.

Myself I had to get weight off quick as I felt like I was going to suffer with heart failure and leave my young children motherless. I had to do something dire because my status was dire. Even on low carb plans.
My immobility is a hindrence to reducing my severe insulin resistance. Weight loss was my natural choice to concentrate on to reduce the nearly 300units of injected insulin daily. I'm now on 30 max. 5st lighter from a bariatric operation. I'm using tools I've learnt to massage my hba1c with tools that my fatty liver shrinks on. Less glucose from my fatty liver is a huge help in ordering excess insulin need.
 
Yes bad lifestyle choices can be hereditary. If you allow it.
 
Thanks everyone for all your replies ...... food for thought !! Pun intended
This website is so helpful especially for the newly diagnosed and speaking for myself - without the advice on here - I would have felt very overwhelmed and wouldn’t have known where to start !!
 
I am 99% sure my t2 is hereditary. My mum, Aunt, Uncle, Grandad and Great Aunt all had t2. That's the ones we could name when we thought about it.

I have eaten a healthy diet and exercised or at least been active all my life and watched my weight. Yes, I've made changes for the better now but I don't think my lifestyle was the root cause of my t2.
 
@LaL007 ultimately it is your decision what you eat. We are all individuals with different tolerances and if you find that porridge does not affect your BS too much and you enjoy it then carry on having it. I eat a number of foods that some forum members would/could not but which I know, through testing, I can.
 
I agree that ultimately it is your choice over what you want to eat, good, bad or indifferent. Advice was sought and different views and recommendations have been expressed. It is your choice as to whether you accept or reject any of those in whole or in part. So whether you are or are not tolerant of porridge, and are happy to risk and or endure now or in the future the known effects of regular consumption of carbs, whether in porridge or anything else, knock your self out.
 
@aealexandrou I’m not sure if your response was aimed at @LaL007 or myself but, having managed to maintain my hba1c at non diabetic levels for 6 years, I feel that I am experienced enough to make my own decision re what I eat and also, on occasions, advise other forum members particularly those new to diabetes. As you correctly stated different views and recommendations were given with mine being one of them.
 
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