# porridge vs readybrek



## LisaLQ

Might sound like a daft question, but is readybrek worse for you than porridge blood sugar wise?

Just for months I've had porridge for brekkie, then my hubby picked up readybrek (or it's unbranded equivalent) instead, and I've been eating it thinking it's not going to be any different, then for the last couple of weeks I've been feeling rough post-breakfast.  I tested for the first time since changing today, and my 2hr post breakfast bg was 9.6 (with porridge it's never gone over 6-7) 

Just wondered, is it the cereal or is it a general decline?  I'd test more often but I cant afford the strips.


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## Northerner

It's the Ready Brek Lisa. The oats in it are refined almost to a powder in order that it will cook quickly, and this means it is digested much more quickly than proper porridge.


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## FM001

What Northerner has said is correct, Ready Brek are rolled oats and highly processed and ranks higher in the gi index than traditional porridge.  As a rule you will find the bigger the oat the longer it takes to breakdown and digest, so this will be much kinder on bg and release its energy over a longer period of time, this is why porridge can keep you feeling full hours after eating.  Although many cannot eat porridge due to the impact on bg, it is however a truly delicious and nutritious breakfast choice and oats are a excellent food at reducing and maintaining normal cholesterol levels.  Toby.


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## wallycorker

Hi Lisa,

All cereals including porridge send me high and usually into double figures. 

That's why I don't eat cereal of any kind anymore!

John


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## LisaLQ

Porridge leaves me at around 6 at 2 hours post meal, so for it to go to 9.6 or thereabouts was a bit of a shock!

Any other cereal sends me high too (Special K being worst offender).  Porridge though has always been fine.


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## FM001

LisaLQ said:


> Porridge leaves me at around 6 at 2 hours post meal,





You couldn't wish for any better than that Lisa, Scotch Porridge Oats tend to put my bg around 8 on the one hour post-meal and usually back down to the low 6's two hours after, best of all it keeps you full and satisfied!  Toby.


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## LisaLQ

Yep, I'm back on porridge as of tomorrow - and wont be changing again!  Good job I love it (it's comfort food for me, because it's really filling and doesnt feel like I'm missing out on something).

I just hope that the few weeks I've been eating the readybrek dont make my next hba1c jump up, because the whole point of me eating healthily was to avoid medication.  Could be a good way of proving I need my test strips free - if it's gone up it's because I haven't been testing, had they given me the strips on prescription I might not be facing a hba1c rise now.

I hate being this skint sometimes (eeh well, that's what the college course is for - our future) xx


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## Andy HB

LisaLQ said:


> Yep, I'm back on porridge as of tomorrow - and wont be changing again!  Good job I love it (it's comfort food for me, because it's really filling and doesnt feel like I'm missing out on something).
> 
> I just hope that the few weeks I've been eating the readybrek dont make my next hba1c jump up, because the whole point of me eating healthily was to avoid medication.  Could be a good way of proving I need my test strips free - if it's gone up it's because I haven't been testing, had they given me the strips on prescription I might not be facing a hba1c rise now.
> 
> I hate being this skint sometimes (eeh well, that's what the college course is for - our future) xx



I'd think that your control would have to be not so good for more than just after breakfast for it to affect your HbA1c too badly. 

Also, it depends when your next test is because the result is weighted towards the more recent weeks. So if your test isn't for 3 months or so, your high bg readings will have correspondingly less impact.

Andy


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