Why do we get fat?

[nash031]

@nash031, I have a PhD in biochemistry and have been a co-author on research papers related to the regulation of proteins related to the insulin response. But I have never dealt with human subjects ... just basic research. I have reviewed some research that has had to be retracted, so I am always skeptical of things until I see it with my own eyes.

For instance, your quote from WebMD is an example of something I can easily test myself "Some foods can make your blood sugar shoot up very fast." That makes me ask "How much? How fast?" I am also interested in the changes in blood glucose levels from drinking a can of Coke, a can of diet Coke, a can of Dr Pepper 10 (some sugar, some artificial sweetener), a soft drink with lots of ice, a soft drink with lots of ice over an hour, and so on. Or a breakfast of Oatmeal, Oatmeal with fresh blueberries, Oatmeal with craisins, Oatmeal with low-sugar craisins, and so on.

A blood glucose meter is not expensive nowadays and test strips are cheap, too.

Got it, didn't mean to be condescending... just trying to help without knowing the audience!

 

[LOL!]

If anyone wants to recommend a particular brand of blood sugar test meter and kit, post here or send me a message. Thanks!

@nash031, BTW I didn't take your long response as condescending at all.

 

[tmm99]

Since blood glucose meters are inexpensive nowadays, do folks use them even without a health requirement to have one?

I do not, but I have often wondered what I eat does to my blood sugar levels.

So if you have used one, what did you learn? For instance, if your level goes way up or way down, do you feel hungrier?

Or if you eat greek yoghurt and fruit for breakfast is your level different than if you eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast?

Or how about before and after exercise such as a 30 minute run or a 60 minute walk?

I am not diabetic, but one of the doctors in the past said I was most likely pre-diabetic. (My current doctor says I am not - and that with my level of A1c and fasting BS, I will be fine.) I had a glucose meter years before this when I suspected problems with my body handling glucose (problem with eating high carb/sugar breakfast - very tired and sleepy and then very cranky afterwards). I know some of the folks here have done their experiments too although they are not classified as diabetic.

I have learned that I don't do well with some fast acting carbs especially if it is consumed with very little protein (My BS spikes and then shoots down.) I don't do well when my BS is below 80ish (my vision gets affected and my brain doesn't function as well). I can eat a bunch of french fries with some protein/fat with no problem (My BS doesn't get over 110, although french fries would most likely make me very fat.) My BS is acceptable on sprouted grain bread and basmati rice (I cannot do Japanese short grain rice) especially if they are consumed with some protein (It does go up to 130-140 without protein.) Black beans do not raise my BS much at all with or without protein/fat. Surprisingly, I cannot feel anything when my BS is high, although I could feel it when it gets down some of the time (when it shoots up fast and comes down fast - I get sleepy, cranky, and very hungry afterwards.)

I couldn't eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. That would be my "shoots up fast and comes down fast" kind of breakfast. I would probably be OK if it was a very small portion of oatmeal/fruit with some fast and protein to go with it. I do need to eat food like that when I am exercising a lot though. I need some fast acting carbs to burn to keep me going. Otherwise, a slice of spouted bread with an egg with olive oil or coconut oil, with 1/2 fruit is what I would consume, so if I could mimic something like that with the oatmeal/fruit combo, I would be OK. I am not sure how I would do with Greek yogurt and fruit (I never tested) but I am thinking it would probably be OK, but different foods affect people differently, so I would have to test it to see.

I can eat a whole lot more carbs after I exercise, but more so before I exercise. If I consume more fast acting carbs and I go for a walk (and if the walk is short, I may jump up and down a bit (I know! LOL! But it works!)), it doesn't give me the BS spikes. Sometimes, my DH and I go to a Pho place and I eat a bowl of Pho - We walk to the restaurant and we walk back. I don't know what my BS is like when we are walking, but by the time we get home (maybe 30 minutes after the meal or 1 hour after the meal) my BS is good (below 120). Smaller meals seem to be better than huge meals also.

I use True3go meter with TrueTest strips. I get the strips from Ebay (which now seems to show up on Amazon for some of the items so you could purchase from Amazon too)- This brand was the cheapest I've found (less than $10 for a bottle of 50 test strips), although I read Walmart has a brand that is even cheaper, but I cannot remember the name so I am showing the link for my meter below. (It looks like it comes with one bottle of TrueTest strips.)
http://www.amazon.com/True2go-Diabetic-Testing-Strips-TrueTest/dp/B01DJR4XX0?ie=UTF8&keywords=truetest%20meter&qid=1465494246&ref_=sr_1_4_a_it&sr=8-4

 

[NW-Bound]

...I have learned that I don't do well with some fast acting carbs especially if it is consumed with very little protein (My BS spikes and then shoots down.)

... Black beans do not raise my BS much at all with or without protein/fat. Surprisingly, I cannot feel anything when my BS is high, although I could feel it when it gets down some of the time (when it shoots up fast and comes down fast - I get sleepy, cranky, and very hungry afterwards.)

I couldn't eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. That would be my "shoots up fast and comes down fast" kind of breakfast.

None of the above is surprising. See the glycemic index chart of some common food published by Harvard Medical School: Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods - Harvard Health.

Basically, eating carb with some fat slows down the absorption of glucose, thereby lowering the glycemic index. The above chart does not show it, but another published test shows a big difference in glycemic index between white rice and fried rice.

Beans generally have a low glycemic index. Food made with flour baked at a high temperature has very high glycemic index, often approaching that of pure sugar. Examples include French baguette, corn flakes, oatmeal, pretzels, pizza, baked potato... Very, very bad for diabetes!

As for rice, short-grain sticky rice is among the worst. The best rice is Uncle Ben converted rice (not Uncle Ben instant rice).

Read the above chart, and it should scare people off some common food items, or at least cause them to cut back. Never mind the overweight. Diabetes is no fun!