Kefir

[Annette&Bert]

I am wondering if any diabetics are adding Kefir to their intake, and if so what do you think.

It is supposed to give you good gut health?

 

[AndBreathe]

I have been drinking kefir every morning for a couple of years now. Until a couple of months ago I was making my own, but my grains decided to die off, and I found a plain kefir in Lidl I quite like.

Does it improve my gut? No evidence for me it does or doesn't, but it hadn't done me any harm it seems.

 

[Leadinglights]

My OH's sister swore by it and made her own but she ended up with a sorcerer's apprentice situation and tried to give it to everybody. Her fridge was full of jars at various stages of maturity. I'm afraid I resisted the temptation. She is a very odd person full of weird ideas. Lots of people find it a useful thing to have but could never quite bring myself to try it.

 

[Annette&Bert]

She that people think is the health guru Liz Earle swears by it apparently.
Apparently the best quality is from Chuckling Goat Co. Who you can get a delivery from online.

 

[AndBreathe]

She that people think is the health guru Liz Earle swears by it apparently.
Apparently the best quality is from Chuckling Goat Co. Who you can get a delivery from online.

£40 (reduced from £45) every three weeks? Whilst making ones own takes a little (near minimal effort) to start with, once the grains get going, the only cost is quality milk.

When making mine, it would go from milk to kefir in 24-36 hours.

Kefir grains only cost a few pounds, a jar/non-metal container for fermenting (and ideally a spare for storage), a plastic (non-metal) spoon for easy stirring) and milk as required.

There's a LOT of kefir to be made for £40, never mind £40 every 3 weeks.

Edited to add link to the relevant website: https://www.chucklinggoat.co.uk/product/live-goats-milk-kefir/

 

[Annette&Bert]

I agree.

I love pasta but nowadays never have it, but tonight out of curiosity I looked up to see what the difference is. I dislike the taste of brown or wholemeal pasta.

One serving (2 ounces) of whole wheat pasta contains:

• 180 calories
• 39 grams of carbs
• 8 grams of protein
• 7 grams of fiber
• minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc

One serving (2 ounces) of white pasta contains:

• 200 calories
• 42 grams of carbs
• 7 grams of protein
• 3 grams of fiber
• some iron, but no magnesium or zinc

OMG it seems to me that I might as well have white!

 

[Leadinglights]

I agree.

I love pasta but nowadays never have it, but tonight out of curiosity I looked up to see what the difference is. I dislike the taste of brown or wholemeal pasta.

One serving (2 ounces) of whole wheat pasta contains:

• 180 calories
• 39 grams of carbs
• 8 grams of protein
• 7 grams of fiber
• minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc

One serving (2 ounces) of white pasta contains:

• 200 calories
• 42 grams of carbs
• 7 grams of protein
• 3 grams of fiber
• some iron, but no magnesium or zinc

OMG it seems to me that I might as well have white!

That is what many people are saying, there is little difference between the white version and the brown/wholewheat versions of things like bread, pasta and rice, in terms of carbs it all converts into glucose, just that for some people it is slower.
I use edamame or black bean pasta which is only 15g carb /100g but if you don't like wholewheat them you may not like that either. I find 25g is a sufficient portion.

 

[Spozkins]

I really like Kefir. I don't really like to drink carbonated drinks because they seem to disagree with me and for that reason I like kefir. If I'm honest I don't take it into consideration as far as carb counting goes but I'm wondering if I should now!

And as far as gut health goes, I dont know that it does work for sure but then I don't know if any other probiotic does either as its hard to measure those things. What I can tell you is that like ACV, when I drink it I do feel better in myself.

Would be interested to see if anybody makes their own and if they do how they carb count it. I did try to buy some grains to make my own but the company I wanted to buy from were all sold out.

 

[Spozkins]

I agree.

I love pasta but nowadays never have it, but tonight out of curiosity I looked up to see what the difference is. I dislike the taste of brown or wholemeal pasta.

One serving (2 ounces) of whole wheat pasta contains:

• 180 calories
• 39 grams of carbs
• 8 grams of protein
• 7 grams of fiber
• minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc

One serving (2 ounces) of white pasta contains:

• 200 calories
• 42 grams of carbs
• 7 grams of protein
• 3 grams of fiber
• some iron, but no magnesium or zinc

OMG it seems to me that I might as well have white!

I think the difference in this case is probably the fiber, which is obviously doing more for your gut health. And for somebody counting calories it could be quite a difference there.

 

[Inka]

I

I really like Kefir. I don't really like to drink carbonated drinks because they seem to disagree with me and for that reason I like kefir. If I'm honest I don't take it into consideration as far as carb counting goes but I'm wondering if I should now!

And as far as gut health goes, I dont know that it does work for sure but then I don't know if any other probiotic does either as its hard to measure those things. What I can tell you is that like ACV, when I drink it I do feel better in myself.

Would be interested to see if anybody makes their own and if they do how they carb count it. I did try to buy some grains to make my own but the company I wanted to buy from were all sold out.

It depends how much you’re drinking @Spozkins I bolus for kefir just as I’d bolus for yoghurt or similar. If you make your own you can work out the milk carbs and go from there.

 

[Spozkins]

I


It depends how much you’re drinking @Spozkins I bolus for kefir just as I’d bolus for yoghurt or similar. If you make your own you can work out the milk carbs and go from there.

Good call. I'm actually drinking water kefir myself as I can't eat dairy so I'm not sure what the difference would be. I know it's sometimes sweetened but I know it's not something that has caused my BG to spike in the past. I wonder if it might be similar to kombucha sugars.

Think it might be worth further research.

 

[AndBreathe]

Good call. I'm actually drinking water kefir myself as I can't eat dairy so I'm not sure what the difference would be. I know it's sometimes sweetened but I know it's not something that has caused my BG to spike in the past. I wonder if it might be similar to kombucha sugars.

Think it might be worth further research.

I'm in a place where my relationship with lactose may be edging to the end, unfortunately, because I like milk, yoghurt etc. I see the Endo on 21st and think he'll ask again,................. sigh

Anyway, the objective of this post was not to kick off a pity-party on someone else's thread, but to tell you it is also possible to do coconut milk kefir (and other milk subs). I haven't tried it myself, and think it might be a bit tricker, as is cocpnut milk yoghurt, but doable.

I may be forced to get my head around it. Pah!

 

[Inka]

And chicken will put glucose into your blood too. That’s how we were designed.

I don’t like the whole spiel about “how much sugar” is in that baked potato/pasta/rice, etc. I saw it on a BBC programme (not Prof Taylor) and it’s too simplified and doesn’t always have the effect that’s intended. After said programme, a friend genuinely believed that pasta had added sugar.

 

[Leadinglights]

And chicken will put glucose into your blood too. That’s how we were designed.

I don’t like the whole spiel about “how much sugar” is in that baked potato/pasta/rice, etc. I saw it on a BBC programme (not Prof Taylor) and it’s too simplified and doesn’t always have the effect that’s intended. After said programme, a friend genuinely believed that pasta had added sugar.

Like the April Fool a few years ago that spaghetti grew on trees.

 

[Annette&Bert]

And chicken will put glucose into your blood too. That’s how we were designed.

I don’t like the whole spiel about “how much sugar” is in that baked potato/pasta/rice, etc. I saw it on a BBC programme (not Prof Taylor) and it’s too simplified and doesn’t always have the effect that’s intended. After said programme, a friend genuinely believed that pasta had added sugar.

Inka chicken has zero carbs so why do you say this because it further restricts my food as I only eat chicken and fish? Have never eaten any other form of meat,lamb, pork etc in my life ever since 5 years old?

 

[Inka]

Inka chicken has zero carbs so why do you say this because it further restricts my food as I only eat chicken and fish? Have never eaten any other form of meat,lamb, pork etc in my life ever since 5 years old?

You can still eat chicken and fish and any other protein you want to 🙂 My point was to underline the simplistic and misleading ‘spoonfuls of sugar’ in pasta, etc, that some nutritionists are fond of saying.

Chicken and other protein will put blood sugar up due to gluconeogenesis.To be clear, that doesn’t mean you should avoid it - or pasta, broccoli or whatever else you choose to eat. Choose what foods you enjoy and that suit you.

 

[Annette&Bert]

You can still eat chicken and fish and any other protein you want to 🙂 My point was to underline the simplistic and misleading ‘spoonfuls of sugar’ in pasta, etc, that some nutritionists are fond of saying.

Chicken and other protein will put blood sugar up due to gluconeogenesis.To be clear, that doesn’t mean you should avoid it - or pasta, broccoli or whatever else you choose to eat. Choose what foods you enjoy and that suit you.

well I’m baffled by your reply, if I was to eat bread pasta rice on a regular basis my BG would be huge. All I eat is chicken fish fruit and veg, ryvita end of story there is no other choic for me

 

[Deleted member 21371]

You can still eat chicken and fish and any other protein you want to 🙂 My point was to underline the simplistic and misleading ‘spoonfuls of sugar’ in pasta, etc, that some nutritionists are fond of saying.

Chicken and other protein will put blood sugar up due to gluconeogenesis.To be clear, that doesn’t mean you should avoid it - or pasta, broccoli or whatever else you choose to eat. Choose what foods you enjoy and that suit you.

Yes, the body does it's own thing regardless.
I switched off the simpler white processed carbs to brown rice, pasta, bread, knowing what I was doing to decrease calories, increase fibre, and increase vitamins and minerals.
And before anyone posts that "brown" is simply unbleached white, I do mean the unprocessed version, whole grain, high fibre versions.
It's a lower GI, takes longer to digest, and doesn't load the body's insulin response as much, so a lower, longer response time.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I am wondering if any diabetics are adding Kefir to their intake, and if so what do you think.

It is supposed to give you good gut health?

I make my own yoghurt, I'd be interested in trying that.
Any idea what level of alcohol it can get up to?
If would be an interesting nightcap!

 

[Inka]

well I’m baffled by your reply, if I was to eat bread pasta rice on a regular basis my BG would be huge. All I eat is chicken fish fruit and veg, ryvita end of story there is no other choic for me

You don’t have to eat pasta. I thought that was implicit in what I said:

“Choose what foods you enjoy and that suit you.”

.