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Comment by delichon | Hacker News Reader

Oatmeal reliably spikes my blood sugar. Not as much as many other carbs, but enough that I avoid it. Each time an insulin resistant person eats it, it causes a little more permanent damage.

Four out of ten US adults are insulin resistant.

I have no idea how to balance the blood sugar damage with the cholesterol damage.

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Not all oatmeal has the same effect on blood sugar. Steel cut oats are absorbed more slowly than instant oats. Toppings on your oatmeal also affect blood glucose in non-linear ways, the same as any other combination of foods.

I would think the type and preparation would play a significant role. There's steel cut (which can be made soft or "chewy"), firmer "old fashioned", and the quick dissolving mush that is one-minute.

Try oat groats, this will have the lowest GI. You can cook them like rice, even in a rice cooker, using the same technique ... for a firmer result use less water and cook for less time. You can start off with roughly 1:1 ratio of oat groats to water. I do .75 cups oat groats to 1.25 cups water.

glycemic index of steel cut is low, whereas large-flake is medium-high, and instant oats are high. Though you have to account for load.

My approach is to have a modest amount and increase the nuts and chia mixed with it, alongside berries and yogurt.

Use thicker oats, obviously. Also, add some ceylon cinnamon powder to it. Additionally, if you can tolerate it, also add ground fenugreek powder to it to further offset the absorption.

psyllium husk. zero calorie fiber

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