Slow Cooked Beef Brisket

I bought my first slow cooker a few weeks ago. In the past I used stove-top large saucepans for slow cooking and braising. The method worked but needed regular stirring to prevent sticking. When a post-Christmas special appeared for a very cheap large slow cooker I decided to give it a try.

I wish I’d bought one years ago! I have experimented a few times now. I prepare the veges and meat after breakfast, toss them and some stock and liquids in the cooker and lift the lid eight or nine hours later for a delicious dinner.

This is my favourite of the recipes I have tried so far. It didn’t occur to me to take pictures last night; I will add them next time I cook it.

Beef Brisket

Ingredients

Portion sizes, herbs etc are flexible. Adjust to suit your own taste.

• 1-1.5Kg (2-3lbs) beef brisket or any similar cut. I prefer a piece at least 2-3cm (1”) thick and roughly rectangular which fits comfortably in the cooker.
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced.
• 1 large or 2 medium carrots.
• 1 cup chopped celery
• Chopped herbs to taste. I used parsley, thyme, rosemary and mint from my garden.
• 2 or 3 bay leaves.
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika.
• 1 cup red wine.
• 1 can (400gm, ~1lb) chopped tomato.
• 1-2 cups beef stock (or pork or chicken; I make my own from bones and herbs).
• 2 cloves garlic.
• Salt and pepper.

Optional: 3-5cm (1½ “- 2”) chunks of potato.

Method

Serves 4 or more  depending on appetites and portion sizes.

Slice the carrots lengthways, cut them into rough chunks and place them on the floor of the cooker to become a base for the meat.

Roughly trim excessive fat from the beef. Leave some on for flavour. Lightly salt both sides of the meat and place it in the slow cooker. Grate some pepper over the meat to taste.

Fry the onions in oil in a skillet until soft, add the chopped celery and minced garlic and continue frying until the onions are starting to brown then transfer the cooked veges to the slow cooker.

Deglaze the skillet with the cup of wine and add the liquid to the cooker. Add the paprika, chopped tomato and stock. Stir to mix the liquids and settle the meat among the veges. If necessary add water sufficient to come just level with the meat.

Cook on low for 8 or more hours (my cheap cooker has only three heat settings: low, high, keep warm). As my spouse likes potatoes I added some chunks into the liquid around the meat at the 4 hour mark. Possibly those could be included at the start.

Serving.

Gently remove the meat from the cooker, trying not to remove too much attached liquid and veges as you transfer it to a cutting board.

Using a slotted spoon remove the carrots (and potato if added) from the sauce and transfer them to a serving dish. Don’t get too fussy if some liquid and other ingredients stick to the carrots or potato.

Remove the bay leaves and blend the remaining liquid and contents with a stick blender to become a smooth sauce. Use a potato masher if you don't have a stick blender. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Carve the meat across the grain into roughly 6mm (1/4”) slices and transfer to a serving dish. Pour the sauce liberally over the meat.

Diners serve themselves from the dishes.

I have not worked out the carbs, fat etc but the main carbs are in the onions, carrot and potato if added. This did not even cause a blip in my 1hr post-meal blood glucose test.

Bon Appetit

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

There is Nothing I Could Eat I like More Than my Eyes

What is a Balanced Diet For a Type 2 Diabetic?

This question came up on one of the forums I am on recently. There were many conflicting responses, often including discussion about various macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (minerals, vitamins etc), the evils of sugar, cholesterol and saturated fats, the need for lots of fruit or grains etc etc. A lot of people also went into great detail about maximum and minimum percentages for fats, carbs and protein.

I believe in KISS, so I try to keep it simple with easy to follow rules for my way of eating. As I have to eat this way for the rest of my life I do not want an excessively complicated food selection system.

My definition of a balanced diet for a type 2 diabetic (me) is pretty basic and not in terms of percentages of anything. The basic description is simple, although the personal investigation creating the way of eating I follow today was fairly complex. The links at the foot of this post describe the journey to this point.

The simple version:

• I let my meter show me my carbohydrate limits for the time of day and the meal.
• I let common sense and satiety limit my protein and fat portions.
• I include a reasonably wide variety of vegetables in my menu, favouring fresh and seasonal vegetables where possible.
• I also include fruits but those are limited to minimise blood glucose spikes.

In applying those basic rules for myself I also take these factors into account:

• Variety in choices of meats, fish, seafood, dairy, vegetables and fruits makes the menu interesting and also improves the chances of getting all needed vitamins and micronutrients.
• Excess of any macronutrient is not wise.
• Excessive restriction of any macronutrient is just as unwise.

 These links to past posts expand on those points and others: 

• Food, Farmers and Factories
• Test, Review, Adjust
• Are Carbs Really Necessary?
• Vegetables
• Grazing
• Red, Red Wine
• Yoghurt
• Eggs, Carbs and Cholesterol
• Cinnamon, Spices, Herbs and Similar
• Food and Recipes

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter 
There Is Nothing I Could Eat I like More Than my Eyes

Fat: The New Health Paradigm

I have just read the opening summary of a startling document published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute.

Fat: The New Health Paradigm

I predict that this publication is going to become one of the most hotly debated documents in the fat vs carbs diet wars this year. The conclusions the authors arrive at are summarised very succinctly on the opening pages.

Their conclusions will not surprise many in the on-line diabetes community as most of us have been saying this for years (for example Eggs, Carbs and Cholesterol, Cholesterol, Fats, Carbs, Statins and Exercise) but they will cause consternation in many of the world's respected dietetic and diabetes authorities. This is not a journalist's article or a book by an organisation with an agenda or a diet to sell; it is a very well researched and supported scientific paper.

Below are abbreviated selections from the summary; these statements are well supported in the body of the document which I am still in the process of studying. I decided to post early to alert readers to the document and allow others to read it in full.

••
Triangulating several topics such as anthropology, breast feeding, evolution of primates, height trends in the human population, or energy needs of our various vital organs, we have concluded that natural fat consumption is lower than “ideal” and if anything could increase safely well beyond current levels.
••
Saturated fat has not been a driver of obesity: fat does not make you fat. At current levels of consumption the most likely culprit behind growing obesity level of the world population is carbohydrates.

••
A proper review of the so called “fat paradoxes” (France, Israel and Japan) suggests that saturated fats are actually healthy and omega-6 fats, at current levels of consumption in the developed world, are not necessarily so.
••
The big concern regarding eating cholesterol-rich foods (e.g. eggs) is completely without foundation. There is basically no link between the cholesterol we eat and the level of cholesterol in our blood.

••
Doctors and patients’ focus on “bad” and “good” cholesterol is superficial at best and most likely misleading. The most mentioned factors that doctors use to assess the risk of CVDs—total blood cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)—are poor indicators of CVD risk. In women in particular, TC has zero predictive value if we look at all causes of death. Low blood cholesterol in men could be as bad as very high cholesterol. The best indicators are the size of LDL particles (pattern A or B) and the ratio of TG (triglycerides) to HDL (the “good” cholesterol).

••
Based on medical and our own research we can conclude that the intake of saturated fat (butter, palm and coconut oil and lard) poses no risk to our health and particularly to the heart. 

••
The main factor behind a high level of saturated fats in our blood is actually carbohydrates, not the amount of saturated fat we eat. Clinical trials show that a low carbohydrate diet is much more effective in lowering the level of saturated fat in our blood than a low-fat diet.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.

Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Are Diabetes Complications Inevitable? Not necessarily...

This is a very personal post, reporting on my own recent reports on three aspects of my health: my eyes, my heart and my other affliction, leukaemia.

I am writing this partly to celebrate but also to motivate any newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics, shocked and scared, who have been warned by their doctors of the inevitability of their diabetes progressing to complications. I suppose some doctors feel they need to do that to scare new people into making lifestyle changes, but too often I find dire predictions of long term complications or heart attacks lead to loss of hope. That can lead to a 'why bother' mentality. 

Please, do not give up. I know managing type 2 diabetes can be bloody inconvenient. You will have to make some annoying changes to your life such as pricking holes in yourself, adding some activity to your day, forever watching what you eat and drink and possibly taking meds and insulin. 

Let me assure you: taking control of your blood glucose levels is worth the trouble. I am just one example of many I read on the better diabetes forums where pro-active type 2s are learning how to take control.

Possibly my continuing story will give you hope.

I was first diagnosed with leukaemia and type 2 diabetes in 2002 at the age of 55. I discovered early I could do nothing at all about the leukaemia; for that reason I concentrated on beating the diabetes. I was thirsty for knowledge. For the first couple of years I spent a lot of time learning from many wise people, mostly on usenet. Some were medical professionals but most were experienced diabetics. I learned something from all of them, even if the main thing I learned was how to tell good advice from bad because, unfortunately, a lot of it was bad. I still believe the best advice was Jennifer’s Test, Test, Test: “Use your body as a science experiment.” 

I tested and experimented to find what worked for me. On usenet over the next couple of years I gradually changed from reader and student to lay advisor, passing on information based on my experience. In 2004 I joined some online forums. In 2006 I started this blog. 

Eventually I wrote a book based on my experience to help any newly diagnosed people who might not be computer-savvy. Of course, as my suggestions for good type 2 management differ significantly from the mainstream there will always be critics. In part this is a response to the critics, describing the results of practising what I preached for the past decade.

Motivation

We each must find our own motivation for maintaining the discipline. For me, it is my sight. Since the day I first learned about the possible complications of diabetes my over-riding motivation has been my vision. I came to accept the possibility of death and I certainly don't want to lose limbs from neuropathy or kidneys from nephropathy, but the thought of living in darkness scared me silly. I have tremendous respect and admiration for vision-impaired people who successfully live with that daily. But I do not want to join them. I am a reader of books, an appreciator of beauty, a user of computers and above all I want to see my grand-daughter’s joy as she grows and learns.

The tests used by doctors to monitor our diabetes such as HbA1c, fasting blood glucose and post-prandial blood glucose are all important but they are really only surface indicators. I use those indicators to set my goals, but they don't directly alert me to dying nerves or optic cells. The acid test is whether complications eventually appear as the years pass. 

Limbs and Kidneys

So far neither blood tests nor physical symptoms, including filament tests by my podiatrist, have indicated any signs of neuropathy or nephropathy. I am hopeful that will continue.

Eyes

I had some good news last month. It is over thirteen years since diagnosis and I had not seen the ophthalmologist since 2010. I had a good report then after a scare in 2006 when he discovered minor scars from healed retinopathy. The scars had disappeared by then. This recent visit was almost identical to that 2010 consultation.

The waiting room was packed. After various eyesight checks on new strange machines by the assistant, then the anaesthetic drops, followed by the dilation drops, then another wait, then more tests on machines, I eventually saw the ophthalmologist. He did a very thorough inspection. He warned me that as I age (I am now 68) I may start developing cataracts but at this stage I had no problems apart from inevitably getting older. I wanted reassurance so I asked specifically about retinopathy, macular degeneration and glaucoma as there is some family history of the latter. He re-inspected carefully. He expressed no concern and no evidence of past damage. Then he complimented me on my "superb diabetes control with respect to eye health". I cannot express in the written word how happy that made me feel. Is there a cloud ten above cloud nine? At his request we then spent a few minutes of his valuable time discussing the Test, Review, Adjust technique.

OK, that covers the ‘opathies. None at all. But there is another lurking danger for diabetics: the heart. 

Heart.

I dropped Lipitor ten years ago; the more I read about statins the less I am convinced of my need for one. My doctor has been polite and patient with me when I have consistently refused a statin for the past nine years despite high cholesterol by official standards. My HDL and triglycerides are fine but my LDL is very high. He suggests that may be because of my low-blood-glucose-spike (which many interpret as low-carb) way of eating. He strongly recommended I have a stress echocardiography accompanied by ultrasound of my heart, mainly to reassure him I am not going to keel over tomorrow. I had those tests last September. First, the gooey preparation and the ultrasound, twisting to awkward positions. Uncomfortable but not painful. Then walking faster and faster on the treadmill, with wires hanging off me, having problems reaching the heart rate he wanted. Eventually we got there. As I cooled down it was fascinating seeing the movies of my own heart pumping away on the playback screen of the ultrasound. 

The cardiologist was very thorough and pleased with the results. It seems my heart and vascular system are in fine shape. No problems at all. I will continue to refuse the statin and eat low-carb, moderate fat, for good blood glucose levels. I no longer care at all what my LDL is.

Leukaemia

 

Finally, although I would like to, I cannot forget my Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia sitting in the background like the Sword of Damocles. I make no claims about my diet or lifestyle for that. I’m just lucky I suppose. All of my indicators have improved over the years until almost all are in normal range. I still have hypogammaglobulinemia associated with the CLL but one of the indicators for that, IgM, has crept back into normal range. The IgG and IgA are still low, but oddly I don’t seem to be catching anything despite wandering the far corners of the world since diagnosis. I saw the haematologist quarterly at first, then every four months, then every six, now I waste his time annually.

The haematologist, ophthalmologist, podiatrist (who displays my book at reception and has sold several copies) and my General Practitioner tell me to keep doing what I’m doing. 

That sounds like good advice to me. I will heed it.

Cheers, Alan
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Catering For Different Tastes When Cooking

I see variations on this question asked many times on the various forums I am on:

Being head cook and bottle washer, I have a question. Having D, I need certain foods, my son has become a meat and potatoes guy, my wife eats most anything, except a variety of veggies. I do not want to have to cook 3 separate plates to satisfy all. How do you cater to each taste, or do you? Is there a happy middle?

The same problem occurs for the person who is not the cook but does not want to offend the person who is. This may help those people: Cooking as a Survival Skill. But I realise that is not possible or practical for some.

Here is my own method for dealing with the situation. I am the cook in our household, mostly just for the two of us. Mum is invited for dinner a couple of times a week.

It is important to keep in mind that I am the only person with diabetes. Although I may believe others would benefit from my way of eating it is not my role or place to force them to eat as I do. We each have our own food likes, dislikes, aversions or allergies.

I am diabetic and careful about carbohydrates but otherwise omnivorous. My wife has a very limited menu, by choice, and a long list of foods she detests. For example, she will not eat fish or seafood, eggs, steak, many vegetables, milk, the list goes on. Her likes are basically meat (other than steak), starchy vegetables, peas, tomatoes and silverbeet (chard). My mother is omnivorous but, like most people, has a few foods she prefers to avoid.

If I restricted myself to cooking only the foods we all like my menu would become very limited and boring. I also actively seek to include fish and a wide range of seasonal vegetables in my diet. Therefore, at most meals for the two of us I cook three types of foods. Those I can eat, those my wife will eat, and those we both eat. The other night was a typical example. In the steamer I had potato and pumpkin (winter squash) simmering in the bottom section with silverbeet, carrots, cabbage and broccoli in the top. I cooked two loin lamb chops under the grill (broiler) for her and when they were almost cooked I seared and fried a fillet of Atlantic Salmon in a small skillet for myself.

At the table I put the salmon on my plate, the lamb chops on hers, and all the vegetables on a platter in the middle. We served ourselves from the platter. She had most of the potato and silverbeet; I took most of the rest.

When my mother or other people are dining with us I use the same method. I find out whether anyone has specific protein likes or dislikes and serve that appropriately, letting them select their own vegetables and starches from the centre of the table. For major feasts such as Christmas dinner everything is served buffet-style for diners to select as they wish.

It really isn't as difficult as it sounds, with a small amount of extra thought and effort keeping everyone at the table happy and healthy.

It Must Be OK - It's Sugar-Free! Wrong!

A very brief post to emphasise an important point.

When we as diabetics are choosing foods for the menu or checking the ingredients of a recipe, sugar should be treated as just another carbohydrate. It is more concentrated than most carbs but my meter has repeatedly shown me it is the total carbs that count, not just the sugar content, when I test my blood glucose after eating.

Food products which are marketed as sugar-free are very rarely carbohydrate-free. In fact, more often than not they have just as many carbs as the sugared versions. I encountered a classic example of this a couple of days ago when I saw a large display in my local Aldi store promoting 'healthy' sugar-free products. 

These are photos of just some of the products. Sorry about the smart-phone quality of the pics; the carb counts are clear enough. I'll let them prove my point.

99.5% Sugar-free Shortbread = 67.9% carbohydrates

 

99.5% Sugar-free Chocolate Digestive Biscuits = 61.3% carbohydrates

99.5% Sugar-free Wafer Biscuits = 62.4% carbohydrates

99.5% No Added Sugar Dark Chocolate = 57% carbohydrates

 

The piece-de-resistance. Sugar-free Mixed Fruit Drops:

  

I could not believe this one when I turned the can over. There was no added sugar, so it must be healthier than other fruit drops...yeah, right. 

It is 93% carbohydrates.

  

Always read those labels, folks.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter

Simple Low Carb Soups II - Asparagus

My Simple Spargelsuppe. 

I call it that because I never ate asparagus soup until I wandered around Germany in spargel season in 2003. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but one day we stopped in a village where it was the only thing on the lunch menu, with crusty bread. I discovered I loved it. We don't get those big whitish German asparagus, but our local green ones with the purplish heads aren't bad either.

This is very similar in technique to the mushroom soup. I usually buy my asparagus in small bunches, which is the way they appear in our supermarkets:



I buy three bunches, eat a couple and reserve one for soup. Soup preparation is almost identical to the mushroom soup. This makes two or three serves.

Fry an onion in olive oil and butter until caramelising. Add the roughly chopped asparagus spears, reserving the tender tips, and cook until they start to sweat. Add about a litre/quart of stock (chicken or vegetable) and simmer for about 30 minutes. If you aren't sure how much stock to use, begin with a little less. You can always add more later. Season with salt and grated pepper.

When the asparagus is tender purée the soup and return the reserved tips to it. Return the soup to the stove for five minutes to cook the tips, stirring if necessary to ensure the thicker soup does not stick. Adjust for consistency; second time around you will know exactly how much stock to use.

I am a parsimonious type that hates waste. When I eat the other bunches I snap off the "woody" ends. I keep those woody stubs in the fridge for the soup. When I make the soup I slice off and discard the really woody ends from the stubs and simmer the slightly softer remainders in some chicken stock while preparing the main soup. Just before I return the reserved asparagus tips I purée the "woody" part thoroughly so that any stringy bits disappear. I add that purée to the main pot.

Add a dollop of cream to each bowl when serving.

I have a few variants of this recipe. My favourite is to add an equal portion of broccoli, reserving some small florettes in the same way that I reserve the asparagus tips, for an asparagus and broccoli soup. I adjust the stock quantity accordingly. I also vary flavour using nutmeg and/or garlic.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter 

Simple Low Carb Soups I - Mushroom

Mushroom Soup

This is based on about 250gm or 8oz mushrooms. It's hard to be precise on the quantity, because I usually make soup when the mushrooms have been left in the fridge or pantry too long and have dried out, so they weigh less than when bought. If they aren't dried out, they become a breakfast omelette instead. I make soup with leftovers as I don't like waste.

For soup I don't bother peeling the mushrooms. If the mushrooms are very dry, soak them in enough chicken stock to cover them for a while until they are soft again; if not don't bother. Strain the liquid off and retain it.

Fry a medium/large sliced onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a nob of butter until just starting to caramelise. Sometimes I add a clove of garlic, but not always. Chop the mushrooms roughly and add to the onions, frying gently. Cook briefly, then add about a litre/quart of chicken stock (including any reserved liquid) and bring to a simmer. Season with salt (mushrooms need a little extra salt), grated black pepper and the secret ingredient: some grated nutmeg to taste.  Simmer for about half an hour; longer if the mushrooms were originally very dry. I like some texture; before I use the stick blender I strain out about a half cup of the mushrooms and reserve them.

I blend the soup, not quite to puree, and return the lumpy bits. If the result is too thick, add more stock and cook it in for a little while. If it is too thin, simmer a bit longer to reduce it. When serving add a large dollop of real cream in the centre of the soup in each bowl.

The only significant carb content is the onion. That allows me to have a slice of buttered bread with it. 

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter 

Konjac and Shiritaki Noodles

I have heard and read this question many times: "what food can I eat to lower my blood glucose levels?"

My standard answer has always been to advise that there is no such food and the dietary way to lower blood glucose levels is to select carbohydrate portions that do not raise blood glucose levels excessively. 

I may have to add a caveat to that response in future. For the past three years I have been making occasional experiments with an unusual food called Konjac. This food has several other names in different parts of the world.

Scientific: Amorphophallus konjac. Also known as:

• Konjac
• shiritaki
• Glucomann
• devil's tongue
• voodoo lily
• snake palm
• elephant yam

You can read more about the plant and its variants here on wiki: Konjac and Shiritaki noodles.There are several forms: powder, noodles, gel and cake. The version available locally to me is noodles, which are packaged in a brine solution.

 

The noodles look like pasta but are quite different in texture. After draining, separating and rinsing to remove the slightly fishy odour they have a slippery feel and are more chewy than the equivalent spaghetti or fettucine. They do not soak up sauce juices in the same way as pasta, consequently I have learned to reduce my sauces more when preparing konjac dishes.

Despite those differences, my experiments show that for me they are a taste worth acquiring.  These are extracts from posts on the ADA forum since I started experimenting with konjac. 

1.

I rinsed 120gm (4oz) Konjac several times and then let it drain in a sieve for 30 minutes. In my wok I stir-fried 2/3 cup of shredded cabbage and half a medium sliced onion in a splash of peanut oil. When the onion was starting to caramelise I added 50gm shredded ham, warmed it through and then transferred the ham and veges mix to my serving bowl.

I fried the Konjac in a tablespoon of peanut oil until the noodles started to separate and dry out and occasionally "popped". They never went hard or dry, but became a little more springy and less moist. I returned the veges and ham to the mix. I continued to stir as I cooked for a couple of minutes until the veges were softened and thoroughly mixed with the noodles. I transferred it to the bowl, adding 15gm (1/2 oz) of shredded cheddar and a splash of cream, stirring it well. 

It was surprisingly good. The noodles shape was similar to thin spaghetti but the texture was chewier and springy. The noodles seemed to have no flavour of their own but took on the flavours of the other foods in the recipe.

Here comes the good news.

• Pre-meal: 5.8 mmol/L (105 mg/dl)
• 45 minutes post-meal: 5.3 mmol/L (96 mg/dl)
• 75 minutes post-meal: 5.3 mmol/L (96 mg/dl)

The post-meal numbers may have been aided by 150ml (5oz) of Shiraz between the end of the meal and the 45 minute test.

2.

The next experiment with Konjac was not quite as successful. But it was educational.

I made up my usual bolognaise sauce, using some mince steak (ground beef to the trans-Pacificans). I browned the meat, then added a cup of my Napoli Sauce and cooked it for a while to incorporate it. When used as a sauce with pasta it is delicious with a dusting of grated parmesan.

I prepared 200 gm of the Konjac noodles in the same way, rinsing, draining, separating and lightly frying in olive oil. However, when I added the sauce and tried to “cook it in” as I usually do with wheat pasta the mixture stayed too liquid. Unlike pasta, Konjac noodles do not absorb the sauce liquid.

The result was edible but chewy and not terribly appetising. Next time I will cook the Konjac longer and reduce the sauce a lot more, to thicken it and remove a lot of the liquid. After the meal I drank my usual glass of Shiraz.

On the other hand, the good news was:

• Pre-meal: 5.7 (103)
• 1hr post-meal: 5.5 (99)

3. 

Two days earlier I bought a Thai green Chicken curry for dinner. It was a large serve and I only ate half of it, followed by my usual glass of wine post-dinner. I was 5.4(97) pre-meal and 6.9(124) after. I expected that because there is always some starch in the local Thai curries.

We decided to have the leftover Asian meals for dinner two nights later. This time I prepared about 125gm of Konjac noodles first by rinsing, draining and pan-frying until they were dried out but still supple. I added them to the re-heated Thai chicken curry, which was exactly the same size as the previous serve. The resulting dish was quite tasty, although I still prefer other noodles for taste and texture at the moment. 

I was a little high before the meal at 7(126); I can't recall why but presumably had a forgotten snack. Or maybe it was gremlins. Here is the surprise:

• 1hr: 5.8 (105)
• 2hr: 6.3 (114)

4.

Continuing the trial...

I had leftover meatball casserole for lunch. It is a fairly low-carb recipe, but I had it on a slice of toast which added about 15gms of carb. On past experiments at that time of day I would have expected that combination to raise me from my usual pre-meal of 5.5-6 (100-108) to somewhere between 7(126) and 8(144).

I added 120 gm of Konjac noodles, preparing them in the same way as before.

• Pre-meal: 5.8 (105)
• 1hr Post-meal: 6.8 (123)

I still can't form any definite conclusions, beyond the fact that Konjac definitely does not increase my blood glucose levels and may limit or even decrease the effects of other foods. But still only "may".

Since those early experiments I have continued to use konjac once or twice a month together with low-carb ingredients. In almost every case my post-meal blood glucose was equal to or lower than my pre-meal. 

Last night I ate the same recipe as experiment #1, using 150gm of chopped bacon instead of ham. I also added a few strands of my wife's wheat fettucine to provide a better texture; probably about 15gms of extra carb. I probably made the portions too large, we were very "full" when we finished the meal. My pre-meal level was a little high at 7.6 (134) as I had indulged in a cookie half an hour earlier. My one-hour post-meal was 6.7 (120).

I emphasise that these experiments were personal and may only apply to me. My only recommendation is to do your own experiments if you are interested in trying this food. I have no commercial interest in any firm selling konjac in any of its various forms.

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter