Resistant Starch

[RiceGuy]

I ran into some information on SCFA's (Short Chain Fatty Acids) and resistant starch on the Open Original Shared Linksite. Then found this on Open Original Shared Link.

Resistant starch can act as a replacement for wheat products in foods that are required to be gluten-free. Recent scientific studies suggest that resistant starch's fermentation within the colon may be important because it produces more butyrate than other fibers tested. Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, has been shown to have anti-carcinogenic properties and anti-inflammatory properties, which may be useful for preventing and/or treating Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

See the links given above for more info. I think this is very interesting.

[Christine1962]

Has anyone tried resistant starch? I am trying it because my blood sugar is through the roof. Yesterday, I had a raw potato with salsa and this morning a half a raw green plantain--certainly filling--and the hope of restoring the flora is a plus. I was on Ultimate Flora but I think it cause more problems.

Anyone hear of the Specific Carbohydrate diet to treat Celiac? It says to eat whole wheat! Any scientific studies on this diet? Help the more I read --the more I get confused.

c

[cyclinglady]

Invest in a cheap meter from Walmart and start testing foods.  Test 1 hour and two hours after your first bite. You will soon realize that carbs cause your blood glucose to rise.  What you ate for breakfast?  For me, that is the same as eating a cupcake!  It raises my blood sugar.  Read Blood Sugar 101 and learn about diabetes.  There is no perfect diabetes diet as everyone responds differently.  Eat to your meter.  

If you have celiac disease, you should be checked for type 1 diabetes if your blood sugar is out of control.  

[Christine1962]

my last aic was 10.7 (omg!) with a boyfriend with end stage kidney failure--I know this is scary. My Depakote raises BS, but guess what my two heart meds (metopropol and lisnipril) do too--this is why I am considering the specific carbohydrate diet--it eliminates all grains--I think I can do it even if I want to stay Vegan.

I have experimented with resistant starch in the form of a raw potato and a green plantain and got lower blood sugars from that.

Has anyone tried the Specific Carbohydrate diet for their Celiac?

 

[GFinDC]

Carbohydrates are turned into sugar in the gut.  Check the glycemic index for the foods.  White rice has a higher glycemic index than table sugar.  Note, the article linked is not geared towards celiac patients.

Open Original Shared Link

In general, avoiding carbs and concentrating on proteins and fiber is a good way to go when attempting to reduce blood sugar spikes.  Eating mostly whole foods, like meats, veggies, eggs, and nuts is good.  Avoiding most processed foods is also good.  Most gluten-free processed foods are high in carbs and sugar and low in nutrients.  So they aren't real good for you in any particular sense.  That doesn't mean they aren't ok in smaller quantities.  But don't count on processed gluten-free foods for your nutritional needs.  Most of them are refined flours with no added vitamins like you'd find in comparable gluteny processed foods.

Meats are generally a low glycemic index food, and when mixed with other higher glycemic index foods produce a total meal glycemic index that is lower.  So trying to always eat some protein with a  meal is helpful.

 

[cyclinglady]

That HA1c can come down pretty fast if you are a type 2 diabetic.   A  lower carb, higher fat diet can be very helpful (it can lower your blood sugar in days......).  

Let's talk about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  This guy is selling you a diet.  I can tell you that your best bet is to focus on berries, veggies grown above ground, meats, fish, poultry, nuts, oils/fats, eggs and low carb dairy like cheese and heavy cream.  No grains or legumes (beans). Yep, just like his diet.  But...this could be difficult if you want to remain vegan.   The SCD guy pushes whole foods and we on celiac.com recommend a whole foods diet for better (maybe faster) healing.  The SCD "lifestyle" was based on this guy not healing because he was eating junk gluten-free  processed foods.  Really, everyone in the US should focus on whole foods and get off the processed band wagon.  But I digress.....

Read these links from reputable websites where there's no money to be made.  I will say that on Blood Sugar 101, she is selling her book, but it's the same information she has on her website.  I bought a copy for my diabetic uncle because he is not on the internet!  Jenny is well regarded in the diabetic world.  

Open Original Shared Link

The read this about The University of Alabama and their results from a LCHF diet:

Open Original Shared Link

Carbs in the form of cane sugar or a white potato or beans will increase your blood sugar. (When exactly were you testing?)   Fine for a normal person, but not good for a diabetic.   gluten-free in DC did talk about the Glycemic Index of foods, but that theory is getting pushed out the door.  What researchers are finding is that diabetes varies (just like celiac symptoms).  It is best to individually test foods as we all process them differently.  There is no one size fits all.  Bastically, it's "Eat to your Meter."

Want to save your kidneys or your feet?  Get that blood sugar down!  Pretty blunt.  I know.  But diet can really help.  Exercise too.  

That  Depakote?  Side effects don't mention raising blood sugar.  It does say it can cause tremors and walking and coordination issues.  But I read that you had gluten ataxia?  Or is my memory bad?  

 

[Posterboy]

christine1962,

Cyclinglady has given you good advice.

A food journal might be helpful too to see what your triggers are.

Buy a meter if you don't have one now and you will soon learn what to avoid.

The only thing I would change from what cyclinglady said was not to exclude beans.  Beans by their nature are resistive to digestion being a starch.

Reverse your order of food intake to eat beans (any kind really) but White beans are particularlly good as are navy, lima, and kidney beans in soluble fiber.  Peas and Lentils are also particularly high in soluble fiber.  So also are black beans.

I read that somewhere and I am sorry I can't cite the website and tried it and it really works about reversing food order.   Why I am not sure.  But food order can reduce your blood sugar.  I suspect it has to do with delayed stomach emptying but that is just a guess s on my part.

I keep some beanie weanies or pork and beans at work in case I want to snack to on something high carb and just eat them after I had my potato chips as an example.

When I eat beans last my blood counts are 30 or 40 points lower than if I just eat a high starch side instead.

Sweet potatoes are good for diabetics if you must have a potato for your side.

You want soluble fiber.  If says dietary fiber it will spike your blood sugar.  Think breakfast cereals.

Low carb is very good at lowering blood sugar.

I took Chromium POLY and it lowered my blood sugar 2 whole a1c points in only two months and it stays in the prediabetes levels since.  It has not been over 6.5 a1c in over 5 years now. And a lot of the time it is under 6.0 .  And that is without medicine.

chromium at least in type II diabetes can help your insulin work better.  

I was low in chromium.

Not chromium picolinate it can injury your kidneys.

Walk (or any exercise) after a meal helps.  I find if I walk 30 minutes or more it can lower it 50 or 60 points or more depending on how vigorous I walk.

A small hill to increase your heart rate can be helpful too.

Also have your doctor swap your metoprolol to carvedilol.  Metoprolol can cause weight gain.

I dropped 30 lbs in the year after I had my doctor change my metoprolol to carvedilol and have been down that low for 5 years now.

I hope this is helpful.  These are some of the tips I've learned to help my blood sugar.

Good luck on your journey,

posterboy,