Porridge Oats, to eat or not to eat..

We have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you are have any health related symptoms or concerns, you should contact your doctor who will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

  • posted by Caroline2308
    on
    permalink

    Would appreciate views on eating the good old jumbo porridge oats- to eat or not to eat? I’m a fan and about to embark on 8 week diet plan – recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes- but unsure whether I can include them or not, can anyone please advise? Thanks…

  • posted by HB47
    on
    permalink

    I think they are fine Caroline as long as you avoid the instant Ready Brek style ones. Even mentioned here https://thebloodsugardiet.com/the-low-carb-plan/. It’s low carb but no no carb – you still need some remember!

  • posted by Caroline2308
    on
    permalink

    Thanks for that! I’m a newbie, and don’t think I could live without my Flahavans Oats!

  • posted by pmshrink
    on
    permalink

    Hi Caroline
    In the book it says they’re OK. Not too much I suppose!
    Penny

  • posted by FloraDora
    on
    permalink

    The book indicates that they are OK, but to see if they are right for you, it would be best to check your blood sugar readings two hours after eating porridge. I find that it causes a huge spike for me, even the really coarse old fashioned oats, so sadly I give them a miss. I usually eat fruit and yoghurt for breakfast.

  • posted by Arran Granny
    on
    permalink

    As a scot I was brought up on proper porrige as well as haggis that can have a lot of oats and barley. Unfortunately they spike my blood sugar. The only way to really see if a food suits you is to get a blood glucose meter. When I reach a more “normal” level I will try again as oatmeal is a very healthy option – normally

  • posted by Steve and Ei
    on
    permalink

    Yes, ate them for years as advised by the diabetic nurse, DESMONDS, general health advice, etc. I had my suspicions, as I was always starving two hours later on porridge, but go all day on an omelette. They spike my blood sugar, as I found out when I started comprehensive testing (against the nurses advice) so gave them up for the time being. Uncooked oats like muesli, or Nairn’s type oat biscuits were much better for me.Testing, although expensive, is the way to go, I think. Everyone is different.

  • posted by neil1945
    on
    permalink

    If you need a blood glucose meter – go to http://www.diabetes.co.uk and they are always offering free meters and there test strip prices are very good ( and have low carb recipes!)

  • posted by Fatlass
    on
    permalink

    I am interested to know if I can sweeten the oats with anything, I am assuming Honey is a no no, I am new to this, so I apologise if this has been asked before

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    Caroline you are not on the 800 Fast so not so restricted on calories so real porridge is okay.

    Fatlass (please change your name, it defines you and you are not that person) how about soontobethinlass, or lesslass. That is just an aside as I used to be chubbychops until I read a motivational paper saying giving ourselves negative labels gives us negative thoughts about ourself. Anyway, back to the subject. If you are eating porridge try a little almond milk, that is nice and sweet without the high carb or sugar rush.

  • posted by Iwanttobeslim
    on
    permalink

    If I fancy sweetening something, yoghurt for instance, or porridge, I use stevia. It has a faint maple syrup smell/taste, and is a natural product, not like chemical saccharine sweeteners. I also made lemonade using it. There are loads of stevia lemonade recipes around.

  • posted by Natalie
    on
    permalink

    Most Stevia products are heavily processed and only contain a small amount of actual Stevia (check the label) but you can grow your own and use the leaves.

  • posted by Iwanttobeslim
    on
    permalink

    Just looked at my Truvia and was horrified to see that it contains unidentified ingredients, so I will not be buying my stevia products from the shelves of Waitrose any more. Then looked on the internet and saw a product by Bulk Powders which claims to be stevia only with no added ingredients. Mind you, you need to use so little that any packet would last for ages and my tub has to be a couple of years old anyway. I think we have to accept that anything which is converted from a leaf to a powder has to be quite heavily processed, that is really the nature of food isn’t it? Unless you just eat raw vegetables?

  • posted by JulesMaigret
    on
    permalink

    One of the issues with commercial “plant-based” sweeteners is that they tend to have a bitter after taste and hence, as you see, they add artificial sweeteners to minimise the effect. That’s why you don’t see them used in large quantities in products that include a lot of sweeteners like soft drinks. Yet.

  • posted by neil1945
    on
    permalink

    Hi, I use Erythritol Zero Calorie Sweetener (Granulated, UK Brand) as it tastes like sugar – look on Amazon for info on it its ND

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    Just seen an item on Lorraine saying unsweetened porridge (the real stuff) can prevent strokes. Red wine can prevent strokes too so we have to have porridge for breakfast and Pinot Noir at dinner, could life get any better.

  • posted by JulesMaigret
    on
    permalink

    Only by reversing the menu 🙂

  • posted by Julia V
    on
    permalink

    Today the Food Programme on Radio 4 was all about the wonders of porridge & its health benefits. Also featured a report on scientific research proving that oats and other whole grains prevent type 2 diabetes! What are we to make of this?

  • posted by Esnecca
    on
    permalink

    We are to make of it that people don’t know what they’re talking about, or, if I’m in an especially generous mood, that they don’t seem willing to acknowledge that one size most definitely will not fit all. This kind of advice from medical professionals is the reason I gained 20 pounds a year steadily for two decades until I was morbidly obese and sick as a dog despite eating homemade, organic, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish and whole grains. The much-vaunted health wonders of oatmeal, lentils, complex carbs in general do not apply to me. They screw my insulin over just as decidedly as the simple carbs. Judging how well other BSDers have responded to strict daily carb limits, I know I am not alone.

  • posted by Californiagirl
    on
    permalink

    Hmmmm, I’m with Esnecca — and I’m going to also ask to see the research AND find out who did the research and who paid for the research and how long it lasted and who they used for their study and how much porridge was consumed.
    Did they use obese subjects with high background insulin levels?
    Did they use Type 2 diabetics?
    And how long did the study go for? Because you cannot tell if it “helps prevent diabetes” unless you follow people for years and years.
    I actually doubt they can make such sweeping claims for oatmeal unless we want to limit it to a general statement such as “porridge is a better breakfast for you than pop tarts”.

  • posted by Julia V
    on
    permalink

    Esnecca, I’m sure you’re right. It is frustrating, which comes across in your eloquent comment. This confusing pro-carb propaganda has kept me in a state of uncertainty, frightened to take the low-carb leap in case I would be doing myself damage. When will it stop?

    Porridge is fashionable amongst the young apparently, making lots of money for coffee shops etc. So that’s ok then.🙄

  • posted by Luvtcook
    on
    permalink

    Ladies, don’t know if any of you saw a recent ranking of BEST DIETS “by health experts”. See below copied and pasted from news release. I completely agree with your outrage at the glib way “experts” toss around opinions as if it was actual data based knowledge. Ensecca, as you have said, so much of what has been treated as medical fact was just someone’s conjecture that over time was treated as the bedrock foundation of weight management. Gary Taube was a groundbreaking science writer for the New York Times who assembled actual research on diet, weight gain, the effects of excess carbs and insulin. Data is comging out from the sources M Mosely cited in his book, and the work of Drs. Valter Longo, Krita Varaday, and Roy Taylor among others. Yet it seems to be making no impact on the wider population, let alone the broader media, evidenced by garbage such as this. You can’t even say these diets are good for people who don’t tons of weight to lose, because we all started there and ended up where we are…..trying to lose 50, 60, 90, 100 lbs.

    Who are the “experts” that are picking diets and based on what knowledge? More accumaled wisdom that is based on nothing?

    They like the DASH diet for it’s traditional low fat, whole carbs, fruit, etc….all the stuff that has been putting most of us in a downward spiral most of our lives.

    And the cite the Medeterranian Diet as #2…but like it “beacause it is high in fruit” They have been brainwashed by the fruit industry. Yes the stuff tastes wonderful. It has to be that way to make birds and small animals eat it and spread the seeds. But it has no unique vitamins, minerals, fiber or antioxidants that cannot be found in much lower carb vegetables. I love the stuff, but it has been trying to kill me for decades.

    Here’s what they say:

    *********************************************************************************************************************

    “U.S. News enlisted the help of a panel of food and health experts to rank 40 diets on a variety of measures, like how easy it is to follow, the diet’s ability to help a person lose weight in the short and long term, safety and more. The company then converted the expert’s rankings into scores that allowed them to determine the top diets. Beyond best overall diet, the experts also ranked the best diets for weight loss, healthy eating and more”.

    “The lowest ranking diets were the Keto Diet and the Dukan Diet, which tied for last place. People who follow the Keto Diet slash carbs and fill up on fats in order to help the body enter of state of “ketosis,” where the body breaks down fat. The Dukan Diet is a rule-heavy plan that goes in stages, including a phase of eating a lot of protein. The experts rated both diets as hard to follow”.

    Here’s what U.S. News calls the best diet plans for 2018:

    #1: DASH Diet

    The DASH diet was designed to help people lower their high blood pressure, and it’s characterized by a mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. People on this diet are told to avoid saturated fat, sugary beverages, sweets, full-fat dairy and some oils—and to eat less salt overall.

    #1: Mediterranean Diet

    The diet gets its name from the eating habits of people living in Mediterranean countries and has been linked to better health and longevity. The Mediterranean Diet meal plan is high in fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy fatty foods like fish, nuts and olive oil.

    The rest of the nonsence can be found here, although I would skip it….will just elevate your blood pressure.
    http://time.com/5085711/best-diets-for-2018/

  • posted by Natalie
    on
    permalink

    It’s interesting that the two they ranked last was because they were hard to follow. Not because they didn’t have health benefits. Too hard so don’t bother trying? That’s the life advice they are promoting? Let’s just take the easiest route then and have McD every meal!

  • posted by Luvtcook
    on
    permalink

    Exactly. That would be valid “extra points credit” if the diets worked in the long run. But if a diet that you do just peachy keen on for a while comes to a ginding halt in spite of your best efforts and then lowers your metabolism…..only to cause you to repeat, stall, repeat, stall….all the time raising your starting point higher and higher; wouldn’t any sane person conclude that diet is a failure?

    They are only looking at the short term….missing the big picture entirely.

    Obviously nobody is talking to the diabetologists that have ever growing waiting rooms packed with patients failing on their diets.

  • posted by arcticfox
    on
    permalink

    I breakfasted on overnight oats made with porridge oats or steel cut oats for about 15 years. Although it probably beat eating sugary cereals or stopping on my way to work for a doughnut or pastry, it did not prevent me from gaining weight and heading down the path toward diabetes. I had always heard growing up that oats were good for you, and when I started eating them they certainly did keep me full longer than the toast and jam I had been eating in the mornings. My diabetic grandmother was told to eat them to manage her diabetes. She did live to 92 but that was actually a bit young for the women in her family who routinely lived well into their 100’s and she was a bit out of it in her later years whereas I remember visting her mother in hospital before she died and she was still as sharp as a tack.
    I stay fuller longer now by having a ‘porridge’ or ‘overnight oats’ made of chia and flax with full fat greek yogurt on top. If you think about it, it is the soluble fibre in oats that is the healthy part, and I now get that from chia and flax and forgo the extra carbs that come with oats. After eating oats as a staple for so long, I thought I would really miss them, but I don’t.

  • posted by JulesMaigret
    on
    permalink

    I think that Esnecca is right – it can be horses for courses. When I was doing BSD800 I occasionally would have a bowl of porridge (unsweetened) when the inevitable plateaux kicked in. It seemed to reset my system and the weight loss started again. Only an experience and solely a data point, definitely not a general recommendation.

  • posted by Traveling Rose
    on
    permalink

    I note that the BSD book says that steel cut oats spike blood sugar less than the more processed rolled oats.. but really sounds like it’s horses for courses here. I like porridge and am now eating the steel cut oats (BUT i’m doing BSD to lose some weight; I don’t have elevated blood sugars.)

  • posted by Squidge
    on
    permalink

    I used to add Chai seeds to my muesli (before BSD) for the omega three. I tried putting half a teaspoon in my porridge before cooking it and that works well. As they swell up and thicken it, quite a lot less porridge oats are needed to get the same texture. I had a third less and still wasn’t hungry at lunchtime.

  • posted by kerryanne58
    on
    permalink

    On the subject of Original Rolled oats- just had my first bowl this morning after 10 weeks of 800BSD and it did not spike my BGL at all, in fact it dropped further then before the porridge 2 1/2 hours later. I think for myself, I dont like to have any more then one food per day of any dodgy carbs, and mostly not at all, until I know how it effects my BGL- and also have to consider Glyceamic load. I have been doing quite well to have less focus now on missing pasta and rice or bread for that matter.I compensated the sweetness by adding blackberries and seeds for texture and it was the kind of sweet that I can get to like . But, I will not be eating it every day at least in the short term.I have had no sugar cravings now for 7 weeks and find the natural sweetness of whole foods ( carrots, beetroots, capsicums) quite delicious and a reminder of my healthy diet from the family home growing up. Walking past the bakery and the smell of all the sweet pastries gives me a slight nauseous feeling- I wonder how I could have consumed the amount of sweet foods that I did.
    Apart from the significant weight loss of 14 kg in 10 weeks, I have also had seismic shift in my attitude to food and a newfound respect for my bodies ability to process carbs and its amazing ability to suffer ill health for a prolonged period and to bounce back
    with the healthy food plan for life.

  • posted by Flick
    on
    permalink

    Super results Kerryanne58. Are you continuing on Fast 800?

  • posted by kerryanne58
    on
    permalink

    Yes Flick I am continuing BSD 800 for 12 weeks; as it says in the book if you feel well enough by the end of week 8 then you can continue for another 4 weeks. So I have just reached week 11 now. So I will do this then transition to 5:2 for two months then do Fast 800 again- at least that is my immaediate plan. I have considerable weight to lose. Before I had children and the domino effect of not getting back the pre baby weight, early menopause and repeated weight loss/gains from low fat crappy diets I was 57 kg; I dont envisage that I will get back to that weight without looking haggard and wrinkly, but I want to get to 85kg – this is my first goal weight and I will sit there for a while and see how that feels (and looks). So today I weighed in at 105.3 kg (still need to drop 20kg) I see this as an epic amount to lose and I do need to be careful. I feel very much in the control seat with this eating plan. I dont see it as a diet but rather an eating plan- a formula that is so workable . I am enjoying the food and I believe I could have a cheat day every so many weeks if I had a mind to do that. But honestly, I dont know that I would as I dont feel the urgency to eat bad food again. Maybe a treat of eg. piece of , blackforrest cake and coffee at a coffee shop with friend or my daughter- make it a rewarding experience rather then a “pigout”‘. I have also started doing HIT- as per FAST Exercise book, and I have been walking 2- 3 times per week for 20 min each time.
    I feel confident and healthy for the first time in 3 decades. I give myself a goldstar and also to Dr Mosley and crew.

  • posted by Flick
    on
    permalink

    Sounds like a good plan kerryanne58. You really have this well in hand – good work!

  • posted by michaelmas daisy
    on
    permalink

    That’s interesting – I used to eat uncooked porridge oats (Mornflake), a very small amount, no more than 25g with cold water, and sometimes add a bit of dried or fresh fruit. Cold porridge sounds awful but with a stir it still goes creamy. I found I was fine all morning, and at this time I was slim. However, I also ate very veggie soups several days a week with 25/30g of something wholegrain added (wholegrain rice, quinoa, pot barley, etc.) and often also included some flaked salmon, and even sunflower or pumpkin seed sprinkles…

    Then I went to France and discovered their amazing, gorgeous cuisine. I would like to know whether the French have a lot of overweight and diabetic people in their population? I get slimmer, and have a flatter tum after a 1 to 2 week holiday there, despite eating what I like, and get fatter when I return home despite efforts to eat French-style.

    I’ve tried the 5:2 diet (previous version of 500 kcals per day) which I was able to do overnight and until the evening meal the following day, but not including it. I quickly looked much slimmer, with a less chunky middle, less chunky neck, and less flabby abdomen, but since Christmas have lost the will to resume fasting. The new 800kcals 5:2 diet sounds less onerous and I can fast on fewer calories occasionally, when I feel like it…

    I am possibly a couple of pounds lighter than when I attempted the diet at first, but I quickly get very flabby around the middle if I eat the ‘wrong’ food. It is as though the fat cells are just waiting to expand and fill up a ‘spare tyre’ that’s deflated but hasn’t disappeared after dieting.

    I suspect that the secret to being slim and trim in the long-term is MINDSET; by that, I don’t mean will-power. I’m thinking of self awareness, self-regard, a sense of satiety, of quality of food, of eating and dining habits, and a calming, gentle, positive approach to pleasant self nourishment.

    I’m also considering the new 5:2 ‘diet’ / Mediterranean diet ~ a ‘flexitarian’ plant food oriented way of life. I won’t rule out very small amounts of home-made pastry, fresh cream, tropical fruit, or a modest glass of wine at celebrations.

  • posted by Ainet
    on
    permalink

    Hi. Im fascinated by that post. I eat so healthily according to the experts and Imhave put on weight over the last five years. I exercise etc. Please tell me what you have discovered when you have time. I would really appreciate it. Aine

  • posted by LiJuSt
    on
    permalink

    Please bear with a….very…..newbie,this is my first post and don’t want to appear foolish,but what is the difference between regular oats and jumbo oats?….and how do they affect the diet?.

  • posted by JulesMaigret
    on
    permalink

    Hi Michaelmas daisy

    The French have a similar percentage of the population with diabetes as the UK (around 6%). There is some debate as to how they come up with this figure as it seems to include a small element of “undiagnosed” cases.

    Obesity is lower but a growing trend and one that is a focus for the French health authorities.

    There was a study quoted on here a while ago (can’t remember by whom) that people can do up to 50% more exercise when on holiday than when at home, but don’t realise it. That may partially account for the positive response you get from being on holiday.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
    on
    permalink

    hi Michaelmas, JM is correct that the diabetes rate in France is around 6% but conversely the rate of overweight is around 40% and has been steadily increasing, although obesity is still around 10%. I think this increase is due to more fast food outlets but something else is happening in France. When I moved here 12 years ago there was no such thing as diet food, low fat or legere in the sense of fat reduced. Now it is difficult to find say yoghurts that aren’t low fat even the butter has a light version. As we have discovered on this site these product fool you into thinking you are eating healthily when all you are doing is reducing the fat or sugar with either chemicals or cereal fillers. I would still say the French diet is healthy as they naturally dont go in for lots of carbs with meals although the still love their baguettes which is just made with flour, water, yeast and salt – so no fat.

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    S-g (and Jules), would I be correct in the belief that the french
    diet also consists of no processed food, and that most don’t
    snack between meals? In the U.S. this is a big problem, along
    with fast food, and shocking portion sizes! My own observations
    about reduced or fat free food (where the flavor is) is that either
    sugar or sodium is added to compensate for the fat. It’s the fat
    that staves off hunger, so it’s a losing proposition all around!
    I completely agree about the disproportionate number of fat
    free yogurt selections at the market, too. All that “fruit-added”
    stuff is just a sugar bomb!

    Have a good day all 🙂

    Allie

  • posted by JulesMaigret
    on
    permalink

    France is also a growing market for breakfast cereals, with a preponderance of the chocolate/sugary ones aimed at children and families. I suppose it beats the traditional French breakfast of a coffee, a cough and a Gitane!

  • posted by alliecat
    on
    permalink

    JM, breakfast cereals are a scourge on this land, and I am
    horrified by the amount of linear space allocated to them
    in American supermarkets. I’m deeply suspicious that the grain
    and sugar lobbies have far too much influence on shaping ideas
    as to what is an appropriate breakfast! Then there is the little
    matter of where the grains are actually sourced from, and probably
    GMO besides. We simply have to keep our eyes open and our
    brain fully engaged to navigate around all the “poisons” out
    there waiting to trip us up 🙂 🙂 🙂

  • posted by Mariet
    on
    permalink

    LiJuSt, I think Jumbo oats are less processed. We don’t use the term in Australia so not quite sure. Maybe the same as steel cut oats?

  • posted by Esnecca
    on
    permalink

    I only know the answer to this one because it came up in another thread. Jumbo oats are steamed and processed rolled oats, just a larger size than the normal ones. They are high in carbs and not BSD-friendly, in my opinion. If you must eat oatmeal, use steel cut oats instead because they are the complete groat that has not been mutilated, pre-cooked and squashed into flakes so they’ll turn to mush more quickly. They are slower to digest and can have a less dramatic blood sugar impact for some people. (Not I. The whole category is a disaster for me.) You have to monitor the portion size like a hawk. A BSD-appropriate serving of oatmeal would be something along the lines of 20 grams which is a tiny portion. No more big bowl of breakfast porridge.

  • posted by Ozruth
    on
    permalink

    I weigh out a 20gm portion of oats and barley flakes (20gm total). Often soak in water overnight.Then add chia, psyllium husks, nuts, seeds and small portion of fruit eg half an apple or sometimes dried currants. Serve with yoghurt and/or milk or water to make the correct consistency. I find it helpful to keep the oat/barley serve to only 20gm. Adding the other ‘bits’ fills it out with not too many carbs. Need the oats etc to keep ‘regular’. It’s not a big bowl at all, is delicious with interesting textures and keeps me going for ages with no sugar spikes. I’m not diabetic but if I overeat carbs I gain weight very quickly.

  • posted by arcticfox
    on
    permalink

    I’m not eating oats of any kind at the moment, and unfortunately I didn’t weigh them when I was, so I can’t accurately say what my portion was. Steel cut oats can absorb a huge amount of water though. When I was eating them, I would use 1 cup of oats and add at least 5-6 cups of water. I would then put them in the fridge and dole it out with other ingredients such as nuts, seeds, greek yougurt, fruit, etc. Used this way, that 1 cup of initial oats would last me anywhere from 6-10 days, so I must have been eating a relatively small portion.

  • posted by LiJuSt
    on
    permalink

    hello all and thank you very much for the porridge info.
    I made notes and have now have found the steel cut oats…in a local health food shop.
    apparently also known as irish oats.
    I shall be having fun experimenting as i’m new to this regime it will take time so expect to see me here
    garnering more help!

  • posted by Ozruth
    on
    permalink

    Hi all,
    In Michael’s ‘Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book’ on page 34 there’s good info re oats and ‘5 ways with porridge’ recipes. In Oz we can buy stabilised(steam treated rolled oats) or unstabilised oats (just squashed/rolled oats). I use unstabilised oats for my daily 15grams or so serve. To this I add barley flakes which are just rolled barley to make up to 20 grams. I always soak overnight in water or the juice of half an orange before adding my other ‘bits’. In winter I love steel cut oats but they do take a lot more cooking than the rolled oats. The secret is not to have too big a serve-Michael’s recipes use only 25grams. I cut this to 20 because I add fruit, seeds, nuts etc. I find I need wholegrain cereal to avoid constipation. I do add psyllium husks too-approx a teaspoon. Sometimes flaxseeds, chia etc. This is my main carbs for the day and I’m mindful to eat lots of vegies, drink water etc the rest of the day. I think we need to work out what works for each individual but Michael’s guidelines are really helpful.

  • posted by Ollie
    on
    permalink

    New to the diet and the forum and already having OMG moments! This discussion around porridge (which I never saw as problematic) has really opened my eyes. Thank you for the really useful information. I will be rethinking my breakfast tomorrow

  • posted by Arcanarose
    on
    permalink

    I make mine with bone broth. It is the milk that is higher in sugar (lactose).

Please log in or register to post a reply.