The pasta problem (and the resistant starch solution?)

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FrenziedYak

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I hope you can help with a little conundrum! My young son loves pasta so we are trying to find a way he can eat it without the usual going low and then high for hours. This is what we have tried so far...
Portion control - 130g cooked pasta = 44g carb.
Served with protein - bolognaise and cheese
Extended bolus (aka multi-wave/dual wave) - 60:40 then 50:50 for 2/3/4 hours
Cooking, cooling and reheating pasta to increase resistant starch

The last is an interesting one... Last night, we did all of the above with 50:50 extended for 4 hours at 6.30pm. No spike but by 9.30pm he was hypo, and then again at 11pm. We're not sure if the subsequent rise was due to the pasta kicking in (finally) or the 2 hypo treatments...

Does anyone know if increasing resistant starch actually reduces the carb value of the pasta? If so, by how much? Would it change depending on how long the pasta was cooled for?
 
According to Michael Moseley’s strictly controlled experiments on his TV show, cooking, then cooling and reheating pasta appears to drop the carb value by 50%, so you get a much lower peak after eating it. It works if you eat the pasta cold in a salad, or if you reheat it.

This should help you with the bolusing; it sounds like you bolussed for once cooked pasta.

I discovered this effect this week - I cooked a lasagna. As there’s only two of us, this is a two day meal. First night, bolus worked just fine. Second night, identical meal, same bolus dropped me into hypoland before bed.

Don’t ask me to explain why this happens, it’s something to do with longer chain molecules forming that either don’t get absorbed very quickly or just pass through in the poo. It’s fascinating, but something everyone can take advantage of.

That good old Mediterranean diet again. Gets everywhere:D
 
Sorry, forgot one of your questions - cook the pasta to al dente the day before, and stick it in the fridge.
 
No idea about the starch element scientifically speaking, however I do know 100% that fat, eaten with starchy carbs eg pasta or rice, slows the rate of the body's absorption of the carbs, no end. I've only had T1 for 46 years and only been pumping for the last 9 of those, and I've never as yet been able to tolerate more than X amount. (each of us is different, I can tolerate up to 45g carb of it, with a 30/70 multiwave over 3.5 hours)

Were I a schoolchild with different hormones, including growth hormones, different rates of activity every day, different weights different this that and the other including the weather and if there's a 'R' in the month then I know full well I could never be that stable!

If I do eat more occasionally then there's a spike at + 5 hours approx., usually after I go to bed or if I have enough insulin to avoid the spike, I'll be hypo before bed - hence why it's easier to just limit the amount.
 
Thanks for your responses, MikeyB and Trophywench!

Interesting to hear your lasagne story, Mike. It's clear that cooling and reheating pasta does do something to the digestibility of the carbs....50% seems a heck of a lot though! I've also just been cooking and cooling the pasta earlier in the day (not that organised!)

I think I will reduce insulin by 25% and see what happens. And just hope there isn't an 'R' in the month...
 
Hi, I thought I would post the results of our reheated pasta experiments in case anyone is planning to try it out themselves. Obviously, everyone is different in how they respond to carbs but I have been amazed that with the reheating tweak, pasta has gone from being one of our worst meals to one of our best - no spike, no drop and steady levels all night. Here's what we did:
Cooked pasta for 9 minutes, drain, rinsed in cold water, drizzled with a little oil and put in fridge. Even doing this just a few hours before the meal seems to have an effect.
Reheated in boiling water for 2 minutes.
Weighed out pasta (we used 130g portion) and reduced carb count by 30% (so bolused for 30g instead of recommended 44g) to allow for resistant starch not being digested.
Extended bolus (aka multi or square wave) 50% upfront and 50% over 4 hours.
Served with protein and veg (home made bolognaise / puttanesca sauce).

I've also recently had some success with serving 50:50 mash - 50% potato, 50% cauliflower. Not sure if it is the reduced carb, increased fibre or something else - just happy to find something that works and that tastes pretty good!

Okay, next stop pizza and curry!!
 
I'm glad you found something that works for you. I am a very lucky Type2 on insulin, I say lucky because pasta has little effect on me, they do say that everyone is different, I also enjoy curry with brown rice and home made pizza with no effects.

John.
 
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