TF&Diabetic

Sweeteners

Today's morning  fasting blood sugar: 124 

Sweeteners are where I must part, ever so reluctantly, from the TF guidelines. I love natural sweeteners, like unprocessed honey, maple syrup, and evaporated organic cane juice. I just can't use them in any significant amount. The glycemic index of white table sugar is about 68, and I presume evaporated cane juice will be similar. Honey has a glycemic index of about 58, and maple syrup about 54. Not terribly high, but where do we usually use them? In baked goods, or on cereal. Things whose glycemic index is already as high as I dare go, if not even higher. What to do? 

 Should a TF diabetic use artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose? The evidence against aspartame and sucralose is merely anecdotal at this time, but they seem to be bad choices. Saccharin and stevia are safer, but taste terrible, as does Acesulfame K. Xylitol seems to be a better option, but it is not without critics. It may or may not be the cause of my weight gain of about 10 pounds - 10 pounds that has made my fasting blood sugar levels go up 25 to 30 mg/dl. I use xylitol, for lack of a better option. I use it in my 2 cups of coffee every morning and in my baking. My husband uses organic evaporated cane juice, but only because xylitol is so expensive. 

 A side bonus of xylitol is better dental health. The benefits of xylitol as an anti-caries, anti-plaque substance are well documented. We use a xylitol toothpaste, and we know people who use not just the toothpaste but also the oral rinse.

Steel-cut Oats

I have always loved oatmeal. My mother fed me Quaker quick rolled oats when I was small. When I grew up I bought the regular Quaker rolled oats. I liked their texture better than the softer quick oats. I bought the Quaker instant oatmeal sometimes, too, I'll confess it. It was so convenient! But that one isn't an option anymore. Quaker instant oatmeal has a glycemic index of about 87. Quick rolled oats have a glycemic index of about 66. Regular (5 minute) rolled oats have a glycemic index of from 42 to 70, with an average of 58 in the US. This varies due to the different thicknesses of the rolled grain, with the thinner the rolled oat, the higher the glycemic index. 

And now we come to steel-cut oats. I have seen various numbers given for it, with it having a glycemic index from 42 to 56. I suppose this one varies with the size of the chunks of oats, with the larger chunks having the lower index, similar to the rolled oats. It doesn't really matter. From a diabetic point of view, you want to be eating either steel-cut oats or the thickest regular rolled oats you can find to get the lowest glycemic index.

But there is more than the diabetic point of view. There is the Traditional Foods point of view. Rolled oats are steamed before they are rolled. This means they are pre-cooked, and the enzyme phytase, which could break down the phytates if you soaked them in an acidic medium, has been destroyed by the heat. Soaking rolled oats to maximize their nutritive value is a waste of good buttermilk or whey. From a TF point of view, you want to be eating steel-cut oats, soaked overnight. Katie at Kitchen Stewardship has been doing an awesome series of posts about this issue. In today's post, Katie talks about how some experts think white flour is preferably to unsoaked wheat flour, at least some of the time. For diabetics, this is not the case. The glycemic index of white bread, 70, is simply too high.

So I made my first batch of steel-cut oats. Since I was out of buttermilk, I soaked them in plain boiling water, meaning I didn't get rid of any phytates. I did, however, reduce the cooking time in the morning from 30 minutes to 10. I do what I can, and don't beat myself up about it. Eating TF is the goal, not an accomplished feat in my house.

Yes, that's my homemade yogurt I am eating with my oatmeal. Note the cinnamon as well. Cinnamon helps control blood glucose levels.

Making Yogurt

Yogurt is a great food for a diabetic. It has a glycemic index of 14 when it is plain. 14! Just the thing to help balance a higher-index carb in a snack or meal. Even if you add some fruit preserves you still have a low index of about 36. Here's where I got those numbers: Diabetes Network. 

I try to make yogurt once a week. I use a yogurt maker because I have found it to be much easier and more consistent in result than using my rice cooker, crockpot, thermos, or any other non-unitasker method. I don't have to keep checking to see if it's still warm. I just set it and forget it until it beeps at me. I use the kind of yogurt maker with the small jars instead of one large jar. I get 7 perfectly sized diabetic portions.

I use local milk from hormone-free cows. Cows that wander around in a pasture and eat grass. It is pasteurized; Michigan has some of the strictest laws in the nation regarding raw milk. It's just not very available. I could get it unhomogenized, but I prefer my cream to be well blended into the milk. It's just my preference.

But why do I make my yogurt instead of buying it? I could buy any of the organic brands and be assured of no rBST or rBGH. For one thing, it's a lot less expensive to make your own. More importantly, I know I am getting live probiotics - good bacteria - from my homemade yogurt. Of course, it just tastes better, too. Whether I add a few drops of vanilla and some xylitol or some 100% fruit preserves it is delicious, thick and creamy. I can drain it to get a lovely soft cheese like cream cheese, too, without the chemicals in commercial cream cheese.

Instructions for making yogurt are easily found on the Internet. Here is how I do it.

1.  Measure 7 small yogurt containers of milk into a heavy pan. I use a 3 quart soup pot.

2.  Heat the milk on medium-low heat until it just begins to boil — usually around 180℉ to 185℉ degrees. There will be a skin, and you will see bubbles just under the skin.

3. While the milk is heating, thoroughly wash and dry the jar you used to measure the milk.

4.  When the milk begins to boil, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Remove the skin from the milk. Start monitoring the temperature of the milk. I use a digital instant read thermometer, balanced on the pan handle so as to not touch the bottom of the pan while being immersed in the milk.

5.  While the milk is cooling, measure 2 tablespoons of yogurt into a clean large glass or bowl. You can use yogurt from your last batch, or commercial yogurt. Choose carefully! The flavor of your yogurt will be the same as the flavor of this starter yogurt. I like Brown Cow plain yogurt as my starter.

6. Once the milk has cooled to 120℉ add a cup or so of milk to the yogurt in the glass or bowl and mix thoroughly.  Then add this mixture to the pan of cooled milk and stir gently. Use a metal spoon, not wood!

7.  Transfer the milk to the containers, set the timer on the yogurt maker, and wait until it is done. I let my yogurt go for 6 hours. Longer times make the yogurt more tangy, but not any thicker. Boiling the milk makes the yogurt thick, as does adding milk powder to the milk before you heat it. But I don't want to ingest the oxidized cholesterol in milk powder, so I boil. Gently.

8. Refrigerate and eat within 2 weeks. No preservatives, you know.