As a diabetic, I wanted to test how a bowl of barley, milk, and ground almonds will affect my blood sugar. I usually add black raisins also to make it more tastful. I know black raisins don’t have the lowest glycemic index but I wanted to test. So I performed two tests, with and without raisins. I will share my actual blood sugar readings.
Table of Contents
- Test 1 – Barley, ground almonds, regular milk
- Test 2 – Barley, ground almonds, regular milk, raisins
- The Importance of Personalized Nutrition
Test 1: Barley with ground almonds and Regular Milk
Ingredients
For this test, I prepared a simple yet nutritious meal consisting of barley, milk, and ground almonds. Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients I used:
- 8 oz of barley
- Regular milk
- 4 tablespoons of ground almonds
I sourced my ingredients from Amazon, ensuring I had high-quality products for the experiment. The barley and whole almonds were both Amazon purchases, while I used regular milk from my local store.
My Blood Sugar Readings
Before diving into the meal, it’s crucial to establish a baseline. I checked my blood sugar levels before consuming the barley mixture. The initial reading showed my blood sugar at around 96 mg/dL, which is within the normal range for a diabetic person before a meal.
After enjoying my bowl of barley with milk and ground almonds, I waited to see how it would affect my blood sugar levels. As a diabetic, I’m always cautious about foods that might cause rapid spikes in blood glucose.
The results were quite interesting. My blood sugar spiked up to around 180 mg/dL initially. This spike is not uncommon after a meal, especially one containing carbohydrates like barley. So that was about an 84 point spike.
Test 2: Barley with ground almonds, raisins and Regular Milk
For this test, I kept the same ingredients as test 1 with the exception of raisins.
- 8 oz of barley
- Regular milk
- 4 tablespoons of ground almonds
- 1.5 ounces of Raisins
My Blood Sugar Readings
Being that barley is on the list of low glycemic index foods (22-30 depending on different varieties). It still spiked my sugar by a good amount.
As you can see below my sugar rose by about 125 points. So even though adding raisins made the meal tastier but it definitely showed it’s impact. Will a different brand of raisins, not have the same effect? May be I can try that in future, but for now I will try to refrain from raisins. I have also tried testing some other cereals. One test I did was about how steel-cut oatmeal affected my blood sugar levels.
The Role of Almonds
One crucial factor to consider is the addition of ground almonds to the barley. Almonds are known for their potential to help regulate blood sugar levels. They’re rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and potentially reduce blood sugar spikes.
Barley’s Potential Benefits
Barley itself is a whole grain that’s high in fiber and has a relatively low glycemic index. This means it typically causes a slower and more gradual rise in blood sugar compared to refined grains. The fiber content in barley can help slow down digestion and the absorption of carbohydrates, which may contribute to better blood sugar control.
Isolating Barley’s Effect
As I mentioned in my experiment, a good next step would be to test barley by itself. This would help isolate the effect of barley on blood sugar levels without the potential influence of almonds or milk. It would provide a clearer picture of how barley spike blood sugar on its own.
The Importance of Personalized Nutrition
It’s crucial to remember that everyone’s body reacts differently to foods. What works well for one person with diabetes might not have the same effect on another. This experiment highlights the importance of personalized nutrition and self-monitoring for effective diabetes management.
Consulting Healthcare Professionals
While personal experiments like this can provide valuable insights, it’s always important to consult with healthcare professionals before making significant changes to your diet. They can provide guidance based on your individual health needs and help interpret the results of your self-monitoring efforts.
Pairing Barley with Protein and Healthy Fats
As demonstrated in this experiment, pairing barley with protein and healthy fats (like those found in almonds) may help to further stabilize blood sugar levels. Consider adding lean proteins, nuts, or seeds to your barley dishes for a well-rounded meal.
The Bigger Picture: Balanced Diet for Diabetes Management
While focusing on how specific foods like barley spike blood sugar is important, it’s equally crucial to consider the overall balance of your diet. A well-rounded approach to nutrition that includes a variety of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables can contribute to better blood sugar management and overall health.
Regular Monitoring is Key
Regardless of the foods you choose to incorporate into your diet, regular blood sugar monitoring is essential for effective diabetes management. It allows you to see how different foods and meals affect your glucose levels, helping you make informed decisions about your diet.
Conclusion: The Potential of Barley for Blood Sugar Management
This experiment has provided valuable insights into how barley, combined with milk and almonds, can affect blood sugar levels in a diabetic individual. It causes an initial spike followed by a quick drop in blood glucose.
Adding raisins made it even worse. According to Google 1.5 ounces of raisins have 25 grams of sugar. So it is better to find a different alternative if you dont like just barley with almonds or other types of nuts. Being that this is the first meal of the day and morning spikes especially if your meal is full of carbs tend to be higher as compared to if you ate the same meal later in the day. Good thing is that the sugar did not stay high for too long. Once it hit the peek it immediately started to decrease. So I will definitley refrain from raisins in barley and may be try out some other substitutes.
Disclaimer: Individual responses to this bowl of barley with almonds, raisins and almond milk might vary. Personal metabolism and insulin sensitivity play a big role and also if you perform any physical activity right before or right after consumption, it can greatly affect the sugar reading. For precise readings, I alway perform these tests without any physical activity before and after consumption.
