# Special K & Weetabix



## Mrs Mad Ronin (Sep 5, 2014)

As you all know i am still testing what foods work for me and what doesn't. i know cereal is quite bad but i thought i would give Special K and Weetabix ago. 

Well my goodness, before breakfast 8.3/8.1 and after 16.5/17.4 

Today was the Special K one, the 17.4 result. I feel tired. So i guess no cereal at all anymore. As for milk i only ever use Semi skimmed milk. Skimmed, just tastes odd to me. 

So yes, another 2 foods to my don't list lol


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## spriklett (Sep 5, 2014)

Be interested to see what the results would be with full fat milk rather than semi-skimmed?


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## Northerner (Sep 5, 2014)

When I was first diagnosed I regularly ate Weetabix or branflakes - indeed they were recommended to me as suitable. It was only when I learned about the value of post-meal testing that I realised what an enormous spike they caused  Yet so many of them are marketed as 'healthy' and it's only recently that people have started to question the high sugar content most of them carry, to say nothing of the basic carb content in a typical portion (I won't say 'recommended' portion, becuase they are always way smaller than what people tend to eat).

I also used to eat porridge, which wasn't quite so bad, but bad enough for me to exclude it from my diet in my quest for decent morning numbers without gallons of insulin. Nowadays I just have a single slice of Burgen soya and linseed toast, generally eaten 30-45 mins after my injection - even then the rise can be 3mmo/l or more, which isn't too bad, but does illustrate the difficulty with breakfast carbs.


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## Mrs Mad Ronin (Sep 5, 2014)

I think this is why it surprised me so much Northerner. Like you say they are recommended as being the "healthy" option. Which yes overall they are but most certainly not for Diabetics. I mean seriously, i didn't expect it to shoot that high. I knew it would be high but i never thought it would be that bad. I really struggle with breakfasts it has to be said. My imagination in the kitchen, lacks it has to be said. I can cook, but run out of ideas. 

I would say back to wholemeal toast and turkey bacon and all the varies things with eggs lol

Oh gosh yes spriklett, i wonder what the reading would be on full fat. Nope, definitely not trying that one out lol


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## Sally71 (Sep 5, 2014)

Cereals are a real pain to deal with, even when you have insulin to help you.  I've checked the milk we buy and there seems to be virtually no difference in carbs between full fat/semi/skimmed, so you could have whichever you prefer, maybe try full fat to see if it slows down the absorption any?

Other than that, you might indeed have to give them up, shame


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## Northerner (Sep 5, 2014)

As there is more fat in full-fat milk, there is less of everything else, including carbs and calcium  Also, as Sally says, the fat should slow the absorption a little, but probably not much.

I converted to skimmed milk years ago and now find even semi-skimmed in my tea too fatty!  You do get used to it after a while


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## spriklett (Sep 5, 2014)

I wondered if full fat milk would actually reduce the spike figures and by how much


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## bill hopkinson (Sep 5, 2014)

Mrs Mad Ronin said:


> As you all know i am still testing what foods work for me and what doesn't. i know cereal is quite bad but i thought i would give Special K and Weetabix ago.



Try shredded wheat, but small portion.
I also make my own mixed cereal with sunflower seeds, rye flakes, hazelnuts with shredded wheat.


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## KateR (Sep 5, 2014)

I find Shredded Wheat good too, also a small portion of Oat Crisp isn't too bad.


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## bill hopkinson (Sep 5, 2014)

I am looking at recipes for making my own cereals, but haven't found anything that appeals yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w63WSUFpIxI


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## HOBIE (Sep 5, 2014)

I eat both & don't have any problems with either. At work normally so need a good start in morning


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## Mrs Mad Ronin (Sep 5, 2014)

It is interesting seeing what works and doesn't work for others. This is what i mean, it's a learning curve because everybody is different 

I may have to give skimmed a try again. I can't get on with Shredded Wheat, it's to straw like for me. Before my diagnoses i did have the fruited shredded wheat, liked them but tried it once since, tested BS and well, it was as good as Special K


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## Bessiemay (Sep 6, 2014)

I love fruit & fibre and if it's in the house I can't resist it. It does spike me but then later on dips and sometimes even hypo. Don't understand if that's how spikes work.


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## Northerner (Sep 6, 2014)

Bessiemay said:


> I love fruit & fibre and if it's in the house I can't resist it. It does spike me but then later on dips and sometimes even hypo. Don't understand if that's how spikes work.



Sounds like 'reactive hypoglycaemia'. Your pancreas isn't quite quick enough off the mark to handle the sudden rise in levels, but then it keeps on putting out insulin after the food has peaked causing you to drop low


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## Bessiemay (Sep 6, 2014)

Northerner said:


> Sounds like 'reactive hypoglycaemia'. Your pancreas isn't quite quick enough off the mark to handle the sudden rise in levels, but then it keeps on putting out insulin after the food has peaked causing you to drop low


So do you think if I took my novo rapid earlier before eating it may deal with it.


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## Bessiemay (Sep 6, 2014)

Northerner said:


> Sounds like 'reactive hypoglycaemia'. Your pancreas isn't quite quick enough off the mark to handle the sudden rise in levels, but then it keeps on putting out insulin after the food has peaked causing you to drop low


I don't understand Northie. How can that be when I am type 1?


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## AlisonM (Sep 6, 2014)

As I understand it, some of us still produce a little insulin Bessie, it can complicate things a bit.


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## Northerner (Sep 6, 2014)

Bessiemay said:


> I don't understand Northie. How can that be when I am type 1?



Sorry, brain freeze!  How long before eating do you usually inject? It sounds like the food is peaking before the insulin. I find that breakfast is particularly tricky for me as I can inject up to an hour before eating  I started by trying injecting 15 minutes before then took readings at one and two hours - still too high, so waited longer, and longer, until I eventually hit on around 45 mins minimum prior to eating. This will vary according to you and what you eat, but in time you build up a good picture of what works best  You need the insulin to be peaking around the same time as the food - they may call it novo*rapid*, but it really isn't that rapid at all!


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## Bessiemay (Sep 6, 2014)

Ah!  I don't  usually inject till I start eating. I will try to remember to do it earlier just to see the difference. Thanks for your comment as well Alison it all helps.


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