Oatmeal, Good of Not Good for T2's?
I have type 2, A1C bounces between 7 and 8+ depending on how good or bad I am eating.
My Doctor gave me a handful of the Dexcom G7 devices to try. They seem to be a great diagnostic/learning tool, I'm discovering things I didn't know about eating.
My point today is about Oatmeal. There's all kinds of posted information about how it is a good food for T2's, even on this forum. My experience based on these Dexcom devices is that Oatmeal is not a good food for T2's.
I get the stuff in the big tub, it is not instant, it is not flavored, contains nothing but whole grain rolled oats. I put Cinnamon on it to flavor and sweeten, a little milk or half/half, that's it.
My fasting glucose was 171 when I ate breakfast, two hours later it was 218 and in the middle it peaked to about 250.
Assuming I have understood what I've read about T2 diabetes and these CGM devices, those oatmeal numbers do not look good to me.
I understand the water and fiber benefits of oatmeal. I understand how it is better than a trip to the waffle house, but from a blood sugar perspective I don't see how it is a reasonable food.
My same claim goes for grape nuts. That is documented to be T2 friendly but acts almost the same as oatmeal for me.
Am I misinterpreting the CGM? Is this device showing me more than I really need to care about? Is oatmeal really what it is documented to be?
That's a great question,
. We're not medical experts but, from what I understand, other factors can come into play that make you react differently from someone else or might make it appear that oatmeal is the culprit when it's really something else. For instance, maybe you didn't sleep well the night before or your hormones were a little off at that particular time.
Have you tried it more than once using the CGM? If not, maybe you could try some oatmeal later in the day and see whether it makes a difference. The highest fiber option is steel-cut oats. They take a while to make, but there are recipes for making them overnight in the fridge. Rolled oats are a close second. It might also help to mix in a few slice almonds or a different nut if you like. The added protein should help stabilize your blood sugar.
I hope you find that it works for you, but everyone is different. There might be something about oatmeal that causes a blood sugar spike in you while it's perfectly healthy for others. - Lori (Team Member)Interesting response, thanks. The oatmeal thing was several days in a ten day period, not a one off. By your response I presume that oatmeal does not act the way I described for most/many people. The documented "goodness" of oatmeal backs that up. It's too bad, I like oatmeal.
You are reading the CGM in the right order. A major lesson learned in the process of using a CGM is that not all people respond to T2-friendly foods. Even whole grain oatmeal, still, is a rather carb-rich product, and a spike like that indicates that it simply does not go well with your metabolism.
CGM is capable of displaying greater highs and lows than the fingersticks, yet the trend is more important than the specific value. When oatmeal and Grape-Nuts spike you regularly, then it is fair to avoid them or switch portions/pairings.
I have witnessed such conversations as I read about health technology and patient information in materials such as CONNEQT Health Coupons - the true worth of health, not the food package ratios.Thanks for the response and I mostly agree with your assessment. This situation with the breakfast items is annoying and I've been researching it quite a bit. Same answer from everyone, even my Doctor, it's your metabolism. I don't dispute that, we have the evidence.
I am starting to suspect that many of these things we believe with regard to appropriate foods for diabetics, will be discovered to be untrue.
It is my suspicion that with more prevalent CGM use and the data gathered it will be discovered that people like me will become less of an edge case and more of the norm. Diabetic food selections will change over time if what I suspect is actually true. In the case of Oatmeal, every diabetic site I have looked at says it's a healthy option, it's common knowledge at this point.
We'll see, CGMs have become affordable, I use the Stelo, easily affordable for type 2s even if retired and on Medicare. Anecdotally my experience is that the type 2s I know have not considered using a CGM, too bad it is a fantastic diagnostic and learning tool. I think there's a lot of distance to go with these things, and a lot yet to be understood.
