Rice and Diabetes

I adore rice , but even a tablespoonful sends my blood glucose into the stratosphere. Basmati is slightly less bad.
Are your Asian friends testing their sugars after eating rice? I understand it's a cultural thing, but I remember discussing this with an Asian lady I know who volunteers as interpreter in health advice for ladies who don't speak English. She told me that the advice she gives to diabetics is "Eat less chappattis".
Surely the meats and the veggie recipes, which I've tried and are delicious can be eaten without rice. Flatbreads made with gram flour would have a much less effect on Bg.
Hana

Azmol.ali wrote: “Done the 2 hour test twice once came through at 7.0 and other 8.4.”

That is quite high and it must surely give you quite high spikes so I wonder what the 1 hour reading would have been? It could give you better insight to test and see.

Have you tried the ‘fake rice’ idea of grated cauli? It is very good and works well.

If you cut out the things you say that you have cut down that would help even more. 8)

Has no one tested themselves after eating brown rice?

Is it really that different to white in effects?


I know it's all about individual testing and I'm seeing my DN on the morrow but based on what I've read on this site I'm not expecting too much. Hopefully get a free tester.

I have eaten Brown Rice........it whacked my Bg levels up in the same way as White Rice.

By carefully measuring the portions and testing several times I am able to eat both White and Brown Rice and manage to stay within my target Bg levels, no more than 8 mmol/l 2 hrs after a meal and also dropping after 3 and 4 hrs. The only way to find out is to test as I did.

Ken

So, Cujila you weigh out the rice then cook it as per usual. Measure the BG then eat just the rice wait an hour and re-measure your Bg then again another hour later?
This is something that has always puzzled me. Must we turn ourselves into living 'experiments' so to speak? For a valid measurement this is what you must do even though it is not very practical for most let alone who wants to have breakfast like some member of the vietcong?
Then you have to repeat for each component of a curry, the meat, the naan, etc etc. Maybe would take a week to do and use a lot of strips, say three a day that's over 20 so it'll cost you.
Then you have that niggling doubt that it might be slow release and spike after two hours...
8)

I will do an experiment in the next day or so with organic brown rice. I feel peed off to an extent as I bought a bunch of whole grain brown stuff on the advice of my DN and am finding it brings up my levels to alarmingly high peeks. My flatmate is hitting a mini bonanza with all the food I can no longer eat. lol

I made some Chinese style 'vege egg fried rice' with this expensive rice the other day and ate a mound of it. It shot up my sugar levels to 11.5 at 1 hour. At 2 hours it was still 11.0 and this was after a shot of whiskey! But it was a big plate.

Now I'm wondering if I should just leave the stuff alone altogether and forget the experiment?

No, I will try two tablespoons with a 'ruby murray' and see what it does. A curry just aint the same without the rice. Fingers crossed.

On the plus side I just tested myself and was 5.6, which is my lowest yet. But I did feel a bit light headed and knackered and I had just been on a long walk to the shops and had a mini workout carrying the shopping home.

Sorry for the rambling. I'm beginning to learn that I don't really want to talk about the condition with the non-diabetics around me. So sorry, this forum will have to bear the brunt of my thoughts and discoveries on the subject. :wink:

Cowboyjim said:

So, Cujila you weigh out the rice then cook it as per usual. Measure the BG then eat just the rice wait an hour and re-measure your Bg then again another hour later?
This is something that has always puzzled me. Must we turn ourselves into living 'experiments' so to speak? For a valid measurement this is what you must do even though it is not very practical for most let alone who wants to have breakfast like some member of the vietcong?
Then you have to repeat for each component of a curry, the meat, the naan, etc etc. Maybe would take a week to do and use a lot of strips, say three a day that's over 20 so it'll cost you.
Then you have that niggling doubt that it might be slow release and spike after two hours...
8)

Click to expand...

CowboyGim ! :wink:

Yes I did weigh out my rice when I first started testing. Nothing wrong with that surely if you want to gain tight control of your Diabetes and Bg levels. I want to live a long and healthy life and I don't mind putting some effort into something that in the long run can pay dividends. No pain, No gain !

What I actually did was measured, and cooked the rice. Then I tested, then I ate the rice. After 1, 2, 3 and 4 hrs I tested again and saw the results........Bg levels all within target and another food to add to my extensive repertoire of foods which I can eat and know what effect they have on my Bg levels.

Then I made a curry of some sort, using only fresh quantifiable ingredients. I then tested prior to eating that meal, then after 1, 2, 3 and 4 hrs later. Noted the results and again added that meal to my list of OK meals with Bg effects noted too. As I usually had made a pot of this I could then the next day add a Naan or a Chapati or some Papadom's. Again test before, then 1, 2, 3 and 4 hrs later. and so on after a few days.

So you see it is quite a simple process that anybody can do. You don't have to do it every time because the result is there in my records. All you need is willpower and the motivation to look after your health, a small price to pay.

All my meals, including breakfasts were tested in this way over several months. The breakfasts were easy as most were low carbs, I just needed to test if I added say bread or toast to the menu. I don't have to do that amount of testing any more because I have baselines to work from, levels which remain fairly constant after meals. Spikes and timings were all factored in, I am a methodical and analytical person. So for me it was no hardship and no trouble. I know that not everybody can be bothered to do that, their choice. Me, I like to know exactly what is going on.....makes life so much easier.

As for test strips, I don't have a problem there and it was only for a few months. I sometimes supplemented the NHS provided strips from my own pocket, again a small price to pay for my own wellbeing.

As for the Vietcong analogy.....a bit crass in my view !

Ken

PickledPepper said:

I will do an experiment in the next day or so with organic brown rice. I feel peed off to an extent as I bought a bunch of whole grain brown stuff on the advice of my DN and am finding it brings up my levels to alarmingly high peeks. My flatmate is hitting a mini bonanza with all the food I can no longer eat. lol

I made some Chinese style 'vege egg fried rice' with this expensive rice the other day and ate a mound of it. It shot up my sugar levels to 11.5 at 1 hour. At 2 hours it was still 11.0 and this was after a shot of whiskey! But it was a big plate.

Now I'm wondering if I should just leave the stuff alone altogether and forget the experiment?

No, I will try two tablespoons with a 'ruby murray' and see what it does. A curry just aint the same without the rice. Fingers crossed.

On the plus side I just tested myself and was 5.6, which is my lowest yet. But I did feel a bit light headed and knackered and I had just been on a long walk to the shops and had a mini workout carrying the shopping home.

Sorry for the rambling. I'm beginning to learn that I don't really want to talk about the condition with the non-diabetics around me. So sorry, this forum will have to bear the brunt of my thoughts and discoveries on the subject. :wink:

Click to expand...

Try soaking the rice before you cook it. The milky water you get is actually starch. Then rinse it until the water runs clear. This should help to lower your readings.

Hi Ken...
Sorry about the VC reference.... got a bit carried away there.
Your extensive reply was very helpful but is as I suspected. I do want to gain such control but I doubt all that many people will do the necessary. Especially when they may well have been told by their DN to only test once a week like I was.
I am used to the discipline of painstaking experimental measurements as I trained as a scientist at Plessey's Research Centre at Caswell many moons ago. Never thought I would have to take part in my own health experiments on what I ate.
I'm getting in the swing of it again because the GP asked me to measure my BP twice a day for 3 weeks while starting this Lisonopril combo med. That's easy though and painless. Your fingers must have been painful with all those tests, another factor that might put off some.
Another factor is being in a family of four and being the only DM. They are helpful but sometimes you have to fit in.
Something else that occurs to me is eating out. Like a lot of bought food recipes can change leading to errors and so on.
Still, once you have decided to take control and map out what to do then we have the means to achieve better health. So I suppose we are lucky in that regard at least. Now if only there was a non-invasive, cheap to use and painless BG meter...! Even so my suspicious mind makes me think some in the NHS still wouldn't encourage self testing.
TTFN
8)

Jim.
Thanks for that. I understand totally that not everybody has the time, inclination or the money to do what I did. I am lucky in that respect. Buying strips off Ebay kept costs down. Getting levels 98% on target proved that it was a worthwhile task.

I also agree that the advice on testing from HCP's is scandalous, especially for those newly diagnosed. We often tell people to test as much as they can in the first few weeks after diagnosis, just so they can learn what certain foods do to their Bg levels and then can avoid them or reduce them.

As for the amount of finger pricking.....not painful at all, I think I am 'thick skinned.' (you have to be on here !) I used the same three fingers on each hand and didn't have any problems, just rotating each week giving time for one hand to 'settle' down.

I think your family has to know that YOU are different, you are a Diabetic and there are just some things that you cannot or will not eat etc. They have to be flexible and understanding of YOUR needs. It shouldn't be a problem really. I am sure they care about you.

As regards eating out.....I do frequently and just make sure I avoid potatoes, rice, pasta, breads and starchy root veggies unless in VERY SMALL portions. I avoid sauces, and sweets for afters. It is a little difficult at some places, but you soon get to know where they are amenable and will substitute items on the menu. Just ask. One place I visit Weatherspoon's has all the nutritional info either on the web or at the Bar, again just ask. Helped me when I first started going there to work out what was good or bad, just tested before and the usual 1,2 3 and 4 hrs after. Simples !

As for the NHS and self testing.......give it time, we are working on it...... :twisted:

Ken.

More good stuff there Ken and a useful tip from Catherine about rinsing rice. I always poured plenty of boiled water on my rice before serving for taste, now I have another reason.
My family I am happy to say are veeeeeery accommodating not only with my diet but also my moods. These vary from fatalistic acceptance to downright blue funk etc etc we've all had them. Eating is an important social as well as functional thing whether in the home or out so we take it quite seriously. Though it's usually in front of the TV rather than at the table.
We go to Wspoons but I don't care for their menu too much. Maybe we will return and recheck their info. Like last week for ex. We sat in there enjoying some Stumbling Badger ale or Riocca etc and perusing the menu but settled for an indian takeaway instead, it cost more but it was our wedding anniversary so... However the Indian restaurant offers no nutritional info. Maybe I will ask my 'new' Indian GP tomorrow where he eats?!
There must be a satisfactory solution to curries and DM given the near-epidemic levels for people from that continent.
Off for my tea now. Having some kind of veg-meat stew likely without spuds, rice or pasta.
TTFN
8)

Cowboyjim said:

... However the Indian restaurant offers no nutritional info. Maybe I will ask my 'new' Indian GP tomorrow where he eats?!
There must be a satisfactory solution to curries and DM given the near-epidemic levels for people from that continent. 8)

Click to expand...

Perhaps not so much a solution as a reason! :idea:

Cowboyjim said:

We go to Wspoons but I don't care for their menu too much. Maybe we will return and recheck their info. Like last week for ex. We sat in there enjoying some Stumbling Badger ale or Riocca etc and perusing the menu but settled for an indian takeaway instead, it cost more but it was our wedding anniversary so... However the Indian restaurant offers no nutritional info. Maybe I will ask my 'new' Indian GP tomorrow where he eats?!
There must be a satisfactory solution to curries and DM given the near-epidemic levels for people from that continent.
Off for my tea now. Having some kind of veg-meat stew likely without spuds, rice or pasta.
TTFN
8)

Click to expand...

Jim.
Sadler's Stumbling Badger.....a warm satisfying ale. Brewed in the West Mids, Stourbridge I think ?
Nice stuff !

Anyway, you cheapskate ! Wedding Aniversary Takeaway...my ex would have killed me! :shock :lol:

As for Indian Restaraunt......do you like Tandoori, that is low in carbs served with a salad, just avoid the dinner plate size Naan breads. Poppadom's are good too especially with some Onion Relish and Pickle, Lime is my favourite. The Curry's themselves are not too bad, try having the drier ones served without a sauce, just ask. It's the sauces that are the problem. I usually find that the portion sizes are massive, so a 'doggy bag' is the final order. I usually end up with about three meals from the cost of one, mind you I eat pretty much like a sparrow despite my size. Mind training, small plates keeps portion sizes down yet they always LOOK huge.

It's the Rice that is a problem in India.....staple diet unfortunately. That and the inevitable Indian sweets.........delicious, but oh soooooooooo baaaaaad. :wink:

Food for thought..........so to speak ! Bon Appetit'

Ken

Before diabetes I ate rice most days as I eat a lot of Asian foods.

Now 14months later I still enjoy basmati rice with currys and chinese/thai stir frys, however I no longer cover my plate with rice, through testing, testing and more testing I know that I can quite happily eat two tablespoons full without effecting my bg levels badly.

The same thing with 3 small roast potatoes and 10 or 12 chips (has to be an even number )

2 or 3 tablespoons of pasta still can still give me high spikes at strange timings ie 2 to 4 hours after eating so is now on my occasional list of foods, and I usually eat the pasta with meat and cheese which seems to help even things out a bit.

Testing can seem daunting when first starting, but after you have tested the high carb foods like potatoes, bread, pasta and rice a few times you will soon find what you can eat happily without badly spiking your bg levels.

I read all I could on the forum and read as many books on diabetes and diet as I could and slowly it started to make sense to me and I am now able to get by testing once every day or so just for my own peace of mind.

It does get easier and it is worth doing, I have reduced my weight by 4 stone and am now taking much less medication than I was. Having what seemed like a very small portion of rice, pots etc seemed strange at first but I would now struggle to deal with a 'plateful' of either.

No food is forbidden for a diabetic. It is your personal response that determines whether it is alright for you and that is why nobody can tell anyone else what they can and cannot eat and as Sid says, portion control and frequent testing will determine the outcome.

To get an idea of what faces India there was this last week where Aventis Pharma released New Delhi results of the SITE (Screening India's Twin Epidemic) study to assess the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed cases of diabetes and hypertension amongst nearly 20,000 patients across major cities all over India. Results showed that 21% suffer from both diabetes and hypertension. Of the diabetic population already aware of their condition, almost two-of-every-three (62%) had 'uncontrolled' diabetes (Hba1c levels > 7%) and of the hypertensive population three-out-of-four were uncontrolled.
http://clinicaltrials.pharmaceutica...releases_new_delhi_site_study_results_100513/

Good stuff there Sid et al. Seems a tiny amount just a couple of spoons' worth... boo hoo. Three of my fave foods are spuds, rice and pasta grrr. Never been that keen on sweets, chocs, cakes etc tho so I think my early smugness was blown away when I read on this forum about the perils of pasta and pots etc. Even before my diag I was findng meal planning tedious with a routine of meat/fish, veg and one of the trio... rice one day, chips, pasta, baked spuds, rice again et seq. Nowadays I let the family have the same while I eat mostly meat/fish and the veg maybe a few chips, will have to ensure it's a magic even number from now on! 8)

Hey Ken... it was my wife's choice about the t/a, after all it was the best Indian restaurant in our town! Besides we can order the good stuff nearly twice for once sitting in there and I get to eat as much or as little as I want.

I agree with you about the tandoori but I love butter chicken and gasp, korma!

What I did then was have some tandoori chicken starter, popadom and a little rice and some salad. Then had a couple of pieces of the butter chicken and naan saving the rest for the next day. I bravely took a BG reading and it was still in single figures under 2 hours later, 5.5! That was with the help of one met and 7 mins on the cross-trainer. I know this is hardly rigorous but gave me some confidence. 8)